Apia, SAMOA — The testimonies of two medical professionals in the high-profile murder trial of celebrated Samoan poet and playwright Papalii Sia Figiel on Thursday, September 11, 2025, confirmed that she is suffering from a serious psychotic disorder.
Amituanai Dr. Cecilia Alailima was the final witness called by the Prosecution, while Dr. Joyce Vida Sonoling testified on behalf of the Defense.
Amituanai, who is a relative of Papali‘i Sia Figiel, spoke with personal knowledge of the poet’s medical history, offering context to her longstanding mental health struggles.
In contrast, Dr. Sonoling, a Specialist Psychiatrist with the Ministry of Health in Motootua and originally from Papua New Guinea, provided an independent, professional evaluation after personally reviewing and assessing Papali‘i’s current mental condition.
Amituanai Dr. Alailima was the family member whom Papali‘i Sia Figiel visited on Saturday, May 25, 2024, at her home in Lotofaga, Aleipata, after spending Friday night at Vavau Beach Fales, a popular day-use tourist site on Samoa’s southern coast.
During her testimony, Amituanai clarified that while she is a qualified medical practitioner, she is not a psychiatrist. She noted that she had undergone two years of psychiatric training in the United States but did not complete the full four-year program required to qualify as a specialist.
Amituanai confirmed to the Court that Papali‘i had previously been admitted to the Queen Emma Medical Center in Hawaii for treatment related to mental health issues. In addition, Papali‘i was also diagnosed with hypertension and diabetes, both of which required consistent daily medication. Amituanai emphasized that diabetes can significantly affect a person’s mental health condition, particularly when blood sugar levels are unstable.
During cross-examination, Defense counsel Unasa Iuni Sapolu questioned Amituanai about whether diabetes could directly impact an individual with pre-existing mental health problems. Amituanai responded that it could, explaining that if diabetes is well-controlled, the effect is minimal.
However, when blood sugar levels become too high or too low, it can destabilize the individual’s condition, potentially worsening mental health symptoms.
Amituanai further testified that when she spoke with Papali‘i on May 25, at Lotofaga, a day after the incident, she could tell that Papali‘i had not been taking her prescribed medications, by her demeanor and emotional state of mind. This was confirmed by the defendant herself when asked directly if she had taken her medication. Amituanai also told the court that Papalii told her during that conversation that she had not slept for 5 to 10 days.
The defense counsel pointed out that this revelation raises concerns about Papali'i's physical and mental state at the time of the alleged offense.
Dr. Sonoling, who had reviewed and assessed Papali‘i three times earlier this year, testified that her evaluations confirmed Papali‘i is suffering from a psychotic disorder.
When asked to explain and clarify the condition, Dr. Sonoling described a psychotic disorder as a serious mental illness that involves profound changes in a person’s behavior and perception of reality, including hallucinations, delusions, and a marked disconnection from reality.
“It also affects a person’s mood,” she stated, noting that symptoms can fluctuate depending on the individual’s circumstances.
She explained that there are periods when a person with a psychotic disorder may appear completely normal, functioning, and even highly intelligent. However, under significant stress or emotional trauma, the person can suddenly “switch off" or "black out,” exhibiting symptoms that dramatically alter their behavior and perception.
During cross-examination, Defense counsel Unasa asked Dr. Sonoling whether such a condition could impair a person’s reasoning abilities. Dr. Sonoling confirmed that it could, adding that individuals with psychotic disorders “can be very aggressive when provoked,” especially during an episode triggered by extreme stress or emotional upheaval.
Amituanai, during her testimony, recounted what transpired when Papali‘i arrived at her home in Lotofaga late in the afternoon on Saturday, just one day after the alleged murder of Dr. Sinavaiana Caroline Gabbard.
According to earlier testimony, Papali‘i had spent the previous night at the Vavau Beach Fales Resort. Two resort staff members testified that Papali‘i arrived at the resort around 6:00 p.m. on Friday evening, shortly after the incident at her home in Vaivase-uta.
The following morning, she was found by the same staff members inland from the beach, lying on rocks with leaves covering her face and upper body. Papali‘i then left the resort early that morning, though her exact whereabouts between that time and her arrival in Lotofaga later in the day remain unknown.
Amituanai stated that she was happy to see Papalii when she arrived at her home. However, she admitted that at first, both she and her husband were unsure who the visitor was, as they did not recognize the vehicle Papali‘i was driving.
Amituanai testified that after talking with Papali‘i for some time, it grew late into the evening, and out of concern for her well-being, she invited Papali‘i to stay the night at their home.
She described Papali‘i’s demeanor during their conversation, telling the court that the defendant “seemed stressed and preoccupied,” appearing deeply troubled and emotionally unsettled.
Amituanai testified that Papali‘i accepted her invitation to stay the night but declined the offer to sleep in a spare bedroom inside the house. Instead, Papali‘i told her that she preferred to remain on the porch, choosing to sleep on a couch that could be converted into a bed, the same spot where they had been talking earlier that evening.
Early the next morning, Sunday, May 26, 2024, as Amituanai and her husband were getting ready for church, they noticed that Papali‘i was already awake. Seeing her sitting quietly, Amituanai offered her a cup of coffee.
“It was then that she said there was something she wanted to tell me,” Amituanai recalled. “I sat down and asked her what it was, and she said that she had done something bad, something terrible.”
Amituanai told the court that there was deep, overwhelming emotion in Papali‘i’s voice, making it difficult for her to speak clearly. Sensing the gravity of the moment, Amituanai gently asked,
“Did you do something to harm yourself?”
Papali‘i shook her head, then began to cry.
Amituanai then asked, “Is anyone hurt?”
Papali‘i nodded, confirming that someone had been harmed. When Amituanai asked who the person was, Papali‘i refused to say, appearing tormented by guilt and grief.
“I asked Sia if the person was okay,” Amituanai testified, “and she told me, ‘I do not deserve to say her name.’”
Amituanai glanced toward the car parked outside and she asked Papali‘i whether the vehicle belonged to the person she was referring to, and Papali‘i silently nodded her head.
“I then asked Sia where the person was,” Amituanai said. “Sia’s body started to shake, and she finally said, ‘At my house at Vaivase-uta.’”
Shaken by the response, Amituanai pressed further, “I asked her again if the person was alive.”
In response, Papali‘i confided in her about suicidal thoughts, revealing the depth of her emotional turmoil in the aftermath of the incident.
“Sia told me that she had been trying to figure out how to kill herself and had even thought of driving off a cliff,” Amituanai testified.
Warning bells immediately went off in Amituanai’s mind as the gravity of Papali‘i’s words began to sink in. Drawing on her many years of experience as a doctor, she carefully kept the conversation going, knowing that how she responded in that moment could be critical.
Amituanai told the court that she reassured Papali‘i, gently telling her how relieved and grateful she was that she herself was safe and unharmed. At the same time, she remained deeply concerned about the other person Papali‘i had alluded to and was eager to find out if they were alright.
“I wanted to keep her calm,” Amituanai explained, “so I told her I was happy that she was okay, but I still needed to know what had happened.
“Sia said it was a friend and that they had lunch at her house then she felt a strong swell of anger rising up inside her,” Amituanai recalled.
However, Amituanai said that Papalii did not disclose whether she and Dr. Caroline Gabbard had argued or what the disagreement may have been about.
Amituanai recalled a particularly striking moment in their conversation, demonstrating with her own hands how Papalii had illustrated the intense surge of anger she felt at the time. With both hands open and facing upward near her stomach, Papalii had slowly raised them in a dramatic motion toward her head, as if depicting a wave of rage building inside her.
According to Amituanai, Papalii explained that this overwhelming anger consumed her to the point where she blacked out. When she regained awareness, she suspected that in the heat of that moment, she may have attacked her friend using either a hammer or a knife.
Both Amituanai's and Dr. Sonoling's testimonies proved pivotal, as the expert assessments provided the court with crucial insight into Papali‘i’s psychological state.
Ironically, those present in the courtroom also witnessed a live demonstration of her condition, as Papali‘i’s behavior visibly shifted throughout the proceedings, displaying extreme mood swings consistent with the disorders described by the medical experts.
At this point in Amituanai's testimony, Papalii suddenly stood up and stormed toward a side door of the courtroom. Without warning, she flung the door open and disappeared into the adjoining room, slamming it shut behind her with a loud bang.
The entire courtroom was left in shock. The incident happened so swiftly that police officers and court officials had no time to react, leaving everyone momentarily frozen in stunned silence. When it finally registered that the defendant, accused of murder, had exited the courtroom unescorted, police and court officials rushed after her.
Moments later, Papalii’s piercing screams echoed through the adjoining room, accompanied by uncontrollable crying and wailing, the sound filled with heart-wrenching remorse and anguish.
In response to the emotional outburst and the sudden disruption, Justice Fepuleai Ameperosa Roma adjourned the proceedings for ten minutes to allow defense counsel Unasa to attend to the defendant and restore order to the court.
After some time, a subdued and visibly docile Papali'i was escorted back into the courtroom, where a hushed silence fell over those awaiting Justice Fepulea'i's return. This time, the level of security was noticeably heightened as two female police officers accompanied her closely, one positioned directly behind her and the other at her side, standing watch with unwavering vigilance.
A CONFLICTING PERSONAL MOMENT FOR SAMOA NEWS’ REPORTER
For her part, Papali'i appeared as though she had suddenly become aware of the other people in the courtroom. Slowly, almost cautiously, she turned her head, scanning the room with curious eyes.
As someone who had known her during her time living in American Samoa, and through her many visits to the Samoa News office, I deliberately avoided making eye contact, unsure of how she might react in such a tense moment.
After a while, believing it safe, I risked a quick glance in her direction. To my surprise, she was staring directly at me, her gaze sharp and intent, as though she were struggling to place a familiar face. Then, in an instant, recognition seemed to dawn. Her previously blank, expressionless features lit up with a wide, joyful smile.
Before the two female police officers standing guard could react, Papali'i suddenly stood up and was crossing halfway across the courtroom floor toward the section reserved for members of the media, where I was seated.
Realizing she was coming straight for me, I rose to my feet, startled but instinctively preparing to greet her. She reached me with visible excitement and, without a word, wrapped me in a tight embrace. I was too stunned to speak and could only hug her back, still trying to process what was happening.
Papali'i squeezed me even tighter, her silence speaking louder than words. It was only when the two police officers gently intervened, carefully pulling her away, that she finally released her hold on me.
I was overwhelmed by a rush of conflicting emotions, most of all a deep sense of empathy for someone I considered a friend and admired for her remarkable literary achievements.
In hindsight, I wish I had found the words to encourage her to stay strong and to turn to God for guidance and strength as she navigates this dark and painful chapter of her life.
Everyone present, especially members of the local media, could only sit in stunned silence, witnessing firsthand the dramatic and extreme mood swings described in the testimonies of Amituanai Dr. Cecilia Alailima and Dr. Joyce Vida Sonoling. It was a sobering moment that brought their earlier accounts vividly to life.
These sudden changes in her demeanor were triggered by two separate incidents that had opposing emotional effects on the defendant, one deeply upsetting and the other profoundly comforting, offering the court a striking, real-time example of the volatile nature of her mental state.
The case resumes this week with final submissions from both the Prosecution and Defense scheduled for September 25, 2025.
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