Horrific details are emerging as a well-known playwright was charged with murder on Monday for allegedly stabbing an elderly woman in in Vaivase-uta on Saturday. 

Award-winning playwright Papalii Sia Figiel, 57, was earlier charged with manslaughter on Sunday, however after all details of the horrific incident that led to the gruesome death of a 78-year-old woman emerged, the police upgraded the charge to murder. 

Commissioner Auapaau Logoitino Filipo said after the preliminary investigation the police found incriminating evidence leading to the charge being upgraded.

“A hammer is alleged to have been used as well as a small knife that inflicted multiple stab wounds on the deceased,” said Auapaau. 

“We do not know what the motive is of the offending but from reports the incident occurred on Saturday and the suspect left the deceased at her home while she went out to Lotofaga and spent time with a friend. 

“It wasn’t until Sunday morning while having breakfast that she told her friend about what she had done and that led to the matter being reported to the Police. 

“She came with her friend to the Police Station to report it and when Police went to her home to check they found the deceased's body there.” 

Police have sealed off the crime scene at Vaivase-uta that is part of the Galumoana Theatre. 

The incident has shaken residents of Vaivase and has come as a surprise to Papalii’s neighbour and close friend, Mouena Nansen. 

In an interview with the Samoa Observer, Mrs. Nansen was emotional as she explained the shock and heartbreak she felt when she heard her dear friend 'Sia' was the main suspect. 

"I was really surprised because she's not the kind of person to do that," she said as she fought back tears. 

"Sia is not close to her family but she is close to me and my kids. The last time she was here was last Thursday. She lives by herself and she just got back from America earlier last year."

Mrs. Nansen explained that she was at church when they saw police vehicles driving away from Papalii's house on Sunday evening. She said she wished to speak to her again. 

She added that Papalii lived by herself and people don’t go over to her house unless she had friends she was not aware of. 

Asked whether she knows of the deceased and her relation with Papalii, she said she does not know. 

"She's (Sia) always coming by our house or I go there almost all the time to see her to massage her legs because she usually experiences pain in her legs," she added. 

"My grandson also usually goes to her house and sleeps there because it's just her there." 

She also added that Papalii has big plans and projects scheduled for this year. Her children are based overseas according to Mrs. Nansen. 

Papalii is 57-years-old and is a Samoan novelist and poet whose work is published in New Zealand and has won the Best First Book award in the South East Asia/South Pacific region of the Commonwealth Writers Prize in 1997. She has several published works that include poems and novels.