Hawaiian police have named Gerard Galaway, 38, of Santa Cruz, as their suspect in the murder of Celestial Dove Cassman. Cassman, 35, was the Deputy City Attorney for Santa Cruz and Capitola at the time of her death. She was vacationing with Galaway on Maui when she was killed.
Hawaiian police have named Gerard Galaway, 38, of Santa Cruz, as their suspect in the murder of Celestial Dove Cassman. Cassman, 35, was the Deputy City Attorney for Santa Cruz and Capitola at the time of her death. She was vacationing with Galaway on Maui when she was killed.
On Thursday evening, Sept. 1, witnesses say that they saw the couple arguing on Kahekili Highway, near Nakelele Point, on the island of Maui. According to one witness, Galaway pushed her off the cliff, sending her plummeting about 100 feet. Her body was found on the rocks below about an hour later.
Police approached Galaway, who tried to evade capture by jumping off the cliff as well. He survived by landing in the water below, which was pummeled by the surf. Rescuers could not reach him until the next morning, but he managed to survive the night by floating in the water and clutching the rocks jutting out of the cliff. He was taken to hospital, where his injuries were deemed not life-threatening.
City officials who knew Cassman were unanimous in their praise for her. Police Spokesman Zack Friend is no stranger to commenting on the victims of violent crimes, but the news of Cassman’s murder halfway across the ocean was especially moving for him. He called her “a special person, one of those people who brought a lot of joy to anyone that met her.”
Bail for Galaway has been set at $500,000. Under Hawaiian law, he can be charged with second degree murder. The maximum sentence is life in prison with the possibility of parole. Read more at KSBW and Santa Cruz Sentinel.
