Lover of artist killed by sugar daddy art dealer at luxury Hamptons spa reveals ‘psychopath’s final wicked and cowardly act’

The longtime lover of a murdered New York City artist condemned the “cowardly” way her alleged killer took his life – robbing him of a chance for closure.

Fashion designer Ryder Iwata said Thomas Gannon, the 56-year-old killer of his lover Sabina Rosas, may have left her loved ones with questions forever because he turned the gun on himself.

“It was so cowardly what he did, such a cop,” Iwata told DailyMail.com. “It is shrouded in mystery as to why Sabina is no longer with us.”

His words come after Rosas, 33, was found dead Monday at the luxurious Shou Sugi Ban House in the Hamptons. Gannon was also found dead of a self-inflicted gunshot wound later that day at his home in Honesdale, Pennsylvania.

Sabina Rosas was found dead Monday afternoon in a bedroom at the Shou Sugi Ban House in Water Mill, Suffolk County.

Thomas Gannon, 56, (right) allegedly killed Sabina Rosas, 33, (left) at the spa before fleeing to his home in Pennsylvania, where he committed suicide on Monday

After allegedly killing Rosas at the spa, Gannon allegedly fled the $1,250-a-night hotel Monday morning and took a taxi to his property in Pennsylvania, about a four-hour drive from Long Island, before killing himself.

Although police say they are still investigating the tragic episode, Rosas’ family said in a statement after her death that Gannon’s suicide “has robbed us of the opportunity to find a resolution through the legal process.”

Iwata said he had been dating Rosas since they met in 2016 as students at Purchase College in New York, and that they planned to get married because he described her as “my person.”

The exact nature of Rosa’s relationship with Gannon is unclear. Iwata said Gannon helped support her art career and even paid for an apartment in her native Tajikistan, but said Gannon would use this to “control” her.

“(Gannon’s) money suddenly became the control he would use to stay in her world and her job,” he told DailyMail.com.

He added that he knew Sabina had other relationships, but they didn’t talk about them, and while he was aware of Gannon’s existence, he didn’t think Gannon knew she was engaged.

Sabina’s former mentor and professor at Purchase College, Liz Phillips, told DailyMail.com that she understood Gannon “provided her with money” and “seemed to worship her imagination and various quests”, describing their relationship as “romantic”.

Gannon was found dead of a self-inflicted gunshot wound at his home on Hidden Brooke Drive in Honesdale, Pennsylvania (pictured)

Staff discovered the body of Sabina Rosas, 33, in a guest room at the Shou Sugi Ban House in Water Mill on Monday afternoon. Rosas, who was also known to use ‘Khorramdel’ as her middle name, was arrested in Miami last year for battery and is seen with a black eye

Iwata described Gannon as “very strange” and “socially inept,” and said that Sabina’s entire behavior would change around him.

He said Gannon would fund Sabina’s artistic endeavors as a kind of “muse,” and said Gannon was “in over her head” with her but was often “very possessive.”

Iwata said he knew Gannon as an art benefactor of Rosas, and even though they only met once, he was left with a strange vibe from the alleged killer.

He said Gannon helped move a piece of furniture into Iwata’s Brooklyn apartment last year and found his behavior “weird.”

“Sabina didn’t want me to talk to him,” he continued. ‘She wasn’t acting like herself. She apologized for the strangeness and got back in the car… It felt bizarre to me.”

Rosas, who goes by another surname as Sabina Khorramdel, was arrested in Miami last year for battery and is seen with a black eye in her mugshots.

Before naming the suspect, Suffolk County police had indicated they believed Rosas’ murder was a domestic incident, but the exact nature of Rosas and Gannon’s relationship is in dispute.

In a statement after learning of Gannon’s death, the Rosas family said the news “has left our family with a mix of sadness and frustration.”

Iwata said he planned to marry Rosas and described her as ‘my person’

Staff discovered the woman’s body Monday afternoon in a guest room at the Shou Sugi Ban House in Water Mill

“While we are deeply saddened by the tragic loss of life, we also feel a deep sense of injustice,” the family said.

“Sabina deserves justice, and we sought accountability for her death. The loss of the suspect means we will never hear the truth about what happened to her. This outcome has deprived us of the opportunity to reach a solution through a legal process.

“As we navigate this painful moment, we urge the world to remember Sabina for who she was as a person, her spirit, the important work she did and the art she created and brought life to us.

“The fight for truth and justice continues in our hearts, and we will honor Sabina’s memory as we work to ensure her story is never forgotten.

“Thank you for respecting our family’s privacy as we deal with this great loss.”