Hamptons police arrived Monday to find a woman dead under suspicious circumstances in a guest room at the Sho Sugi Ban House, a Japanese-style wellness retreat in Water Mill.
Staff first made the discovery at one of 13 villas scattered on a secluded property about 150 miles from New York City.
Police identified the victim as Sabina Rosas, 33, of Brooklyn. The cause of her death was not immediately known, pending the results of an autopsy.
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Police are investigating the murder of a woman at the Sho Sugi Ban residence in Water Mill, New York, on Monday, October 28, 2024. Police said the body was discovered in the guest room around 12:30 p.m. (Matt Agde/Fox News Digital)
Rosas is an artist who studied new media at Purchase College in New York and graduated in 2020, a spokesperson for the school confirmed.
Her online bio by name describes her as a childhood refugee from the former Soviet Union who arrived in the United States in 2009 to study art.
Officials said Southampton police first responded around 12:30 p.m.
When they suspected foul play, they sought assistance from the county.
The Suffolk County Police Department’s mobile crime lab was seen for several hours Monday outside the main building on the 3-acre property, near the landmark Buddha statue by the front entrance.
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The gates remain closed at the Sho Sugi Bun House in Water Mill, New York, on Tuesday, October 29, 2024. (Matt Agde/Fox News Digital)
Suffolk Police said in a statement that the victim met a violent end. Few other details were available.
No arrests had been made as of Tuesday afternoon. Anyone with information regarding this incident is asked to call the Suffolk County Homicide Squad at 631-852-6392.
The spa did not respond to requests for comment.
Room rates at Sho Sugi Bun House start from $1,000 a night.
Guests at past events have included Hollywood celebrities such as Gwyneth Paltrow and Kate Hudson, as well as fashion designer Stella McCartney.
Police stand guard outside the Sho Sugi Bun House in Watermill on Monday, October 28, 2024. Authorities launched a murder investigation after a resort employee discovered a woman’s body with signs of violence in a guest room. (Matt Agde/Fox News Digital)
Founded in 2019 by Amy Cherry Abitbol as the Hamptons’ first luxury wellness retreat, the property has received top reviews from readers over the past four years, according to Condé Nast Traveler.
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She was inspired by the Japanese concept of wabi-sabi, which is defined as embracing nature and finding beauty in imperfection.
According to the spa’s website, Cherry-Abitbol partnered with Noma co-founder and Michelin-starred chef Mads Refslund to provide the cuisine. The spa’s website concludes with a quote by Japanese samurai poet Masahide Mizuta about keeping your head held high after enduring tragedy.
“The barn burned down. I can see the moon now.”
