Court to decide whether to ease pre-trial detention for paramedic murder suspect Gaigalaitė

A Lithuanian court is reviewing whether to reduce the two-month pre-trial detention of Justina Gaigalaitė, the ex-wife of murdered paramedic Mantas Sadauskas, LRT.lt reports.

Gaigalaitė was brought before Panevėžys Regional Court early Wednesday morning to challenge the strict pre-trial measure imposed on her. Her lawyer, Vaidotas Sviderskis, has argued that while she would accept alternative restrictions, the current two-month detention is excessively harsh.

The suspect, whose face was shielded from media cameras, did not speak during the hearing. Sviderskis previously told LRT that Gaigalaitė denies all charges, stating her alibi is “very clear and detailed.” He also urged against public speculation, noting that divorce proceedings between Gaigalaitė and Sadauskas were ongoing but unrelated to the case.

Gaigalaitė was initially detained on April 23 alongside two other suspects—Vilius Solkanas, who remains in custody, and his father, Ilja Solkanas, released on a €5,000 bail. While Gaigalaitė and V. Solkanas face charges of unlawful deprivation of liberty and premeditated murder, I. Solkanas is only accused of illegal firearm possession, with no direct link to the killing.

Sadauskas, a 34-year-old emergency paramedic, disappeared on April 20 after informing his family he was delivering a trampoline for a children’s party. Investigators later found his abandoned car and body hidden on a nearby property. Authorities have suggested personal conflicts, including the couple’s divorce case, as a possible motive.

Fake social media accounts used to lure Sadauskas were deleted after his disappearance, and the alleged party location did not exist, according to local officials.