Suspect found dead after murder at luxe spa frequented by A-listers

The suspect behind the shocking murder of an artist in an upscale New York wellness retreat has been found dead of a self-inflicted gunshot wound in his Pennsylvania home, police said.

Suffolk County Police were looking for Thomas Gannon, 56, in connection with the murder of Sabina Rosas, a 33-year-old Brooklyn artist discovered dead in a guest room at the Shou Sugi Ban House in Water Mill, New York.

Rosas was an artist who studied new media at Purchase College in New York, graduating in 2020, a school spokesperson confirmed. 

The two had been involved romantically for several years, according to Liz Phillips, one of Rosas' former Purchase professors who had become a friend and expected her to visit Monday.

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Rosas was born in Tajikistan, part of the former Soviet Union, and her family fled when she was just a child to escape civil war. They bounced around Europe and Central Asia before she arrive in the U.S. in 2009, where she studied art.

"She was a terrific young person," Phillips told Fox News Digital. "I mean, I wrote her a recommendation."

Rosas worked as Phillips' assistant as a student and they became friends after she graduated. Gannon had even been to Phillips' house on at least two occasions, the professor said, once in January for dinner and again over the summer.

Gannon, a divorcee, recently listed then Pennsylvania home where he was found dead for $550,000. 

Gannon's LinkedIn profile identified him as a small business owner. His former partner told Fox News Digital the two parted ways more than a year ago, when Gannon sold his shares.

"I'm not sure what he's been up to," he said. "This was a surprise."

A search of Pennsylvania court records showed only one prior encounter with law enforcement – a parking ticket in 2022.

But things changed Monday after a worker at the Shou Sugi Ban House found Rosas dead in a guest room.

Southampton Town Police were the first to respond at about 12:30 p.m., according to authorities.

When they suspected foul play, they called in the county for assistance.

A Suffolk County Police mobile crime lab could be seen outside the main building on the three-acre property for hours on Monday near a landmark Buddha statue by the front entrance.

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In a statement, Suffolk Police said the victim met a violent end. Few other details were available.

The spa did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Rooms at the Shou Sugi Ban House cost upwards of $1,000 a night.

Guests at past events have included Hollywood A-listers like Gwyneth Paltrow and Kate Hudson, as well as the fashion designer Stella McCartney.

It was founded in 2019 by Amy Cherry-Abitbol as the Hamptons' first high-end wellness retreat, according to Condé Nast Traveler, whose readers have given the destination a top rating in each of the last four years.

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She was inspired by the Japanese concept of wabi-sabi, which the country defines as the embrace of nature and finding beauty in imperfection.

Cherry-Abitbol partnered with Noma co-founder and Michelin-starred chef Mads Refslund for the food, according to the spa's website.

This is a breaking news story.