Two juries find two men guilty in Carbuncle Pond murder

Two juries find two men guilty in Carbuncle Pond murder

Published on Friday, January 17, 2025

Attorney General Peter F. Neronha announced today that two Rhode Island men have been found guilty in Kent County Superior Court for the murder of Leila Duarte DaLuz, whose body was recovered from Carbuncle Pond in Coventry on December 21, 2022.

On January 17, 2025, following a 10-day jury trial before Superior Court Justice Luis M. Matos, Michael Lambert (age 47) and Gary Gromkiewicz (age 37) were each found guilty of one count of first-degree murder and one count of conspiracy to commit first-degree murder. For this trial, Judge Matos sat two separate juries, each of which delivered convictions for both of the defendants.

Both defendants are scheduled for sentencing on March 28, 2025.

"This double conviction is a real victory for justice in Rhode Island and an appropriate end to a truly heartbreaking case," said Attorney General Neronha. "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, the State proved beyond a reasonable doubt that during the early morning hours of December 21, 2022, the defendants viciously assaulted Leila Duarte DaLuz and left her to drown in Carbuncle Pond.

At approximately 2:30 a.m. on December 21, 2022, Gromkiewicz and Lambert traveled to Brockton, Mass. to pick up Ms. Duarte DaLuz at her home. The victim was Gromkiewicz's ex-girlfriend and was pregnant at the time. According to cell phone location data and video surveillance footage, they then drove throughout Rhode Island over the course of the morning, making multiple stops, including in the Buttonwoods section of Warwick and at a Lincoln gas station/convenience store.

At approximately 6:18 a.m., investigators tracked their travel to western Coventry, in an area where Carbuncle Pond is located, and where investigators recovered the body of Ms. Duarte DaLuz.

The victim was found by a local fisherman in Carbuncle Pond, beneath the ice, with lacerations on her head. 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 Attorney General's Office, for their investigation and prosecution of this case," said Rhode Island State Police Colonel Darnell S. Weaver. "I am grateful that with this verdict, we will hold the defendants accountable for their horrific actions."

Criminal Division Chief Stephen Dambruch and Assistant Attorney General John Corrigan of the Office of the Attorney General and Detective Corporal Robert Hopkins and Detective James Hudson of the Rhode Island State Police led the investigation and prosecution of the case.

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