2 RI Men Get Murder Convictions After Leaving Pregnant Woman To Die In Coventry Pond

COVENTRY, RI — Two Rhode Island men were convicted Friday after prosecutors proved they attacked a pregnant woman from Massachusetts in 2022 and left her to drown in a Coventry pond.

Following a 10-day trial, a Rhode Island Superior Court jury found Gary Gromkiewicz, 37, of Lincoln, and Michael Lambert, 47, guilty of first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit first-degree murder, in connection to the death of Leila Patricia Duarte Da Luz, 34, of Brockton, Massachusetts. Prosecutors said Gromkiewicz was the father of Da Luz’s unborn child.

Both men were scheduled for sentencing on March 28.

"This double conviction is a real victory for justice in Rhode Island and an appropriate end to a truly heartbreaking case," Attorney General Peter Neronha said. "This is one of those cases that has rightfully received a ton of attention, mostly for the uniquely gruesome nature of this crime. But we must also remember that Leila’s life was so much more than the circumstances of her death. While nothing can bring Leila back to her family, it is my hope that these convictions bring a sense of closure and peace. I am grateful to both juries for getting this right, and to the Rhode Island State Police for their hard work on this difficult case."

During the trial, prosecutors proved that on Dec. 21, 2022, Gromkiewicz and Lambert viciously assaulted Da Luz and left her to drown in Carbuncle Pond.

Around 2:30 a.m., Gromkiewicz and Lambert drove to Brockton to pick up the victim at her home. The victim was Gromkiewicz’s ex-girlfriend and was pregnant at the time, prosecutors said.

Prosecutors said they drove around Rhode Island throughout the morning, making numerous stops at gas stations and convenience stores. Many of those stops were captured on store security video.

Cell phone location data then tracked their travel to western Coventry, near Carbuncle Pond, where the victim’s body was later recovered, prosecutors said. According to the medical examiner’s report, the victim sustained blunt force trauma to the head. The medical examiner also found water in her lungs, indicating she was alive when she entered the water.

"I commend the troopers of the Rhode Island State Police, in partnership with the [Rhode Island] Attorney General’s Office, for their investigation and prosecution of this case," Rhode Island State Police Col. Darnell Weaver said. "I am grateful that with this verdict, we will hold the defendants accountable for their horrific actions."

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