Exeter Man Who Bashed Roomate's Head In with Rock Sentenced To Life In Prison

EXETER, RI — An Exeter man who bashed his roommate's head in with a rock after arguing with her was sentenced to life in prison.

Ramsundar Ramkalawan, 63, was sentenced Wednesday to die behind bars. A jury found him guilty in June following a seven-day trial.

Ramkalawan killed his roommate, Donna MacDonald, 65, in July 2022 in their South County Trail apartment.

On the day of the murder, Ramkalawan, McDonald and McDonald's son, who also lived in the apartment, argued, according to a media release from the office of the Rhode Island Attorney General.

Following the argument, the three returned to their rooms, the release said, but a short time later, Ramkalawan "put on a pair of gloves, went into the victim’s room, and hit her in the head with a rock eight times."

Related: Murder Trial Ends In Guilty Verdict For Exeter Roommate

Several hours later, Ramkalawan went to a nearby gas station and "reported that his roommate was unresponsive," the release said. "Rhode Island State Police responded to the apartment and found the victim deceased."
Prosecutors previously said Ramkalawan admitted to arguing with MacDonald before striking her with a rock several times.

"Investigators obtained video surveillance footage from the building which showed the defendant leaving the apartment multiple times to discard items into the dumpster," the release said. "Police recovered gloves and a rock containing DNA profiles that matched those of both the victim and the defendant. The defendant was later interviewed and admitted to assaulting the victim with a rock."

Ramkalawan's motion for a new trial was denied July 17.

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