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Puna man arrested for wife’s murder in 2008
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STORY SUMMARY

PUNA, Hawaii – A 44-year-old Puna man has been arrested in connection with the murder of his wife five years ago. Alexander Gambsky was indicted by a Grand Jury and arrested at 4 p.m. Thursday in Kurtistown. Hawaii County Police detailed the case in a media release issued on Thursday: Dawn Gambsky, then 34, was […]

PUNA, Hawaii – A 44-year-old Puna man has been arrested in connection with the murder of his wife five years ago.

Alexander Gambsky was indicted by a Grand Jury and arrested at 4 p.m. Thursday in Kurtistown.

Hawaii County Police detailed the case in a media release issued on Thursday:

Alexander Gambsky, courtesy Hawaii County Police

Alexander Gambsky, courtesy Hawaii County Police

Dawn Gambsky, then 34, was reported missing by friends in July of 2008. At that point, she had not been seen for at least six months. As part of the investigation into her disappearance, detectives executed a search warrant on August 8, 2008, at the property she occupied with her husband. After serving the search warrant at the property on 37th Avenue in Orchidland Estates, investigators located what they believed to be a potential burial site. The following day, an excavation of the suspected grave was conducted and, as a result, detectives unearthed skeletal remains suspected as being that of the missing woman. On August 12, 2008, an autopsy performed on the remains indicated that there were traumatic injuries present. The autopsy further found no indication that the victim died as a result of natural causes. She was identified through dental records as Dawn K. Gambsky also known as Dawn K. Mancilla.

In May 2009, detectives reclassified the case from a coroners inquest to a murder and forwarded their findings to county prosecutors. On Wednesday (August 14), a Grand Jury indicted Gambsky on one count of second-degree murder.

At 2:50 p.m. Thursday, police received a warrant for his arrest and then picked him up at his home. His bail was set at $1 million.

Police ask that anyone with information about this case contact Detective Wendall Carter at 961-2378 or wcarter@co.hawaii.hi.us.

Tipsters who prefer to remain anonymous may call Crime Stoppers at 961-8300 in Hilo or 329-8181 in Kona and may be eligible for a reward of up to $1,000. Crime Stoppers is a volunteer program run by ordinary citizens who want to keep their community safe. Crime Stoppers doesn’t record calls or subscribe to caller ID. All Crime Stoppers information is kept confidential.