Lawyer for Sadauskas murder suspect Gaigalaitė prepares appeal: do not judge before trial

The defence lawyer for Justina Gaigalaitė, the former wife of murdered paramedic Mantas Sadauskas, will challenge a court decision to detain her for two months, LRT reports.

Attorney Vaidotas Sviderskis confirmed he would file an appeal against the Panevėžys District Court’s ruling, which ordered Gaigalaitė’s pre-trial detention last week. “The decision exists, and such will be the appeal,” he told the ELTA news agency.

Sviderskis declined to specify what alternative measures he would request but urged the public not to rush to conclusions. He emphasised the principle of presumption of innocence, stating: “Let all emotions settle. Everyone talks about presumption of innocence, but then they pass judgment anyway. This is where presumption of innocence should prevail—do not convict before the trial.”

He added that law enforcement needed time to verify whether suspicions were justified. “The message is: do not forget presumption of innocence—not just in words, but in practice.”

Gaigalaitė, who denies guilt, was detained alongside two other suspects in Sadauskas’s death. A fourth suspect, Ilija Solkan, was released on €5,000 bail; his son, Vilius Solkan, remains in custody. Investigators suggest the murder may be linked to personal conflicts.

Sadauskas’s body was found rolled inside a trampoline and buried on a property in Panevėžys district on 23 April. His father reported him missing after a delivery job for a nonexistent client. A weapon was recovered at the scene.