Two Rhode Island men, including father of baby, charged in death of pregnant Massachusetts woman

The Rhode Island State Police today announced the arrests of two men in the suspicious death investigation that began at Carbuncle Pond in Coventry, Rhode Island.

According to Rhode Island State Police, 35-year-old Gary R. Gromkiewicz of Lincoln, RI was arrested today and is charged with murder and conspiracy to commit murder. He is being held at Rhode Island State Police headquarters until his arraignment on Wednesday, May 10 at the Kent County Courthouse. He is the father of Leila Duarte Da Luz’s unborn baby and was on probation from a 2015 felony assault with a deadly weapon conviction.

46-year-old Michael P. Lambert, a known associate of Gary Gromkiewicz, is charged with murder and conspiracy to commit murder. He is incarcerated at the Adult Correctional Institutions for violating his parole. At the time of the murder, Lambert was out on parole from a 1995 murder conviction. His last address was in Pawtucket, RI.

Photos of suspects

“I want to commend our Troopers and partners in law enforcement for their exceptional diligence and hard work in pursuit of justice for Ms. Da Luz,” said Colonel Darnell S. Weaver, Superintendent of the Rhode Island State Police and Director of the Department of Public Safety. “On behalf of the Rhode Island State Police, I extend my condolences to the loved ones of Ms. Da Luz at this difficult time.”

On December 21, 2022, members of the Rhode Island State Police were called for a report of a deceased female submerged in Carbuncle Pond, located in Coventry, Rhode Island. Once on scene, detectives observed that the unidentified female had sustained several lacerations to her head and determined that her death was suspicious. The following day, the Rhode Island Medical Examiner’s Office conducted an autopsy and confirmed the manner of death as a homicide and the victim was pregnant.

The victim was identified December 27, 2022, when a missing person report was filed with the Brockton Police Department. Detectives were able to determine that this missing person was the woman found murdered in Carbuncle Pond. She was identified as 34-year-old Leila Patricia Duarte Da Luz of Brockton, Massachusetts.

Detectives conducted an extensive investigation which included the execution of 53 search warrants for evidence related to the murder. The evidence collected required a massive amount of time and effort for investigators to analyze the technical data and physical evidence. But with this information, coupled with numerous witness interviews, detectives established the framework for the criminal charges brought forth today.

This investigation was spearheaded by members of the Rhode Island State Police Major Crimes Unit with the assistance of several other State Police detective units to include the Forensic Services Unit, the Violent Fugitive Task Force, the Special Victims Unit, the Intelligence Unit, the Computer Crimes Unit, the Gaming Enforcement Unit, and the Fusion Center. The following specialized State Police units also aided in the investigation: the Technical Investigations Unit, the Marine Unit, the Canine Unit, and the Unmanned Aircraft Systems Unit.

Rhode Island State Police detectives also received assistance from other law enforcement agencies including: the Rhode Island Attorney General’s Office, Massachusetts State Police, Brockton Police Department, Lincoln Police Department, Coventry Police Department, the United States Marshals Service, Homeland Security Investigations, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management.