Woman Sent Boyfriend 1600 Threatening Messages Before He Was Struck and Killed.
Connecticut State Police
The spurned partner transitioned between various platforms as he confronted her with her last message, "I warned u," mere moments before being struck and propelled 70 feet by a vehicle driven by her best friend, whom she had persuaded to assist in making him "hurt," according to state authorities.
Following a tragic incident that resulted in a man's death in his own front yard during the summer, law enforcement in Connecticut apprehended the man's former partner and another individual she allegedly convinced to drive her to her ex's residence.
Kevin Gangell, aged 24, was discovered deceased in his front yard shortly before noon on July 28. The impact from the vehicle was so severe that he was thrown approximately 70 feet, as reported by Connecticut State Police. The medical examiner determined that the cause of death was blunt force trauma sustained throughout his body.
Authorities suspect that the vehicle was traveling at a speed between 32 and 38 mph when it collided with Gangell. "It became evident very quickly that this was not an accident, but rather a deliberate act," stated Sgt. Luke Davis of NBC affiliate WVIT.
Abbigale Whipple, aged 20, has been charged with conspiracy to commit manslaughter and being an accessory to manslaughter, as investigators believe she orchestrated Gangell's death.
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Her long-time platonic friend, Logan Diaz-Lopardo, aged 21, faces charges of first-degree manslaughter with intent to cause injury and with significant risk of death, in addition to conspiracy to commit manslaughter, as he is alleged to have been the driver of the vehicle that fatally struck Gangell.
Court documents reviewed by WVIT indicate that Whipple and Gangell had been in a relationship for approximately a year, which prosecutors characterized as "tumultuous and toxic." Diaz-Lopardo was described as Whipple's closest friend, although she confessed to police in her arrest affidavit that he was "obsessed" with her and that she had "kinda led him on a little bit," suggesting there might be hope "one day," despite not genuinely meaning it.
Following her pickup, Whipple provided police with a detailed account of the events leading up to Gangell's death. She recounted that the previous night, he had "ditched" her to attend a car show with his father and a family friend, an action that she claimed incited her anger, as stated in her arrest affidavit. By the following morning, she discovered that he had blocked her phone number, prompting her to inundate him with messages across multiple platforms.
Court documents indicated that she sent approximately 1,600 messages in the hours before his death. The arrest warrant reviewed by Law & Crime revealed that the messages included expressions of her desire for him to die from a drug overdose or other means, along with various threats and verbal attacks. Eventually, Gangell responded, inviting Whipple to come over and stating, "I got somethin' for you," according to her testimony in court documents. This occurred after she mentioned that Diaz-Lopardo was at her residence. Diaz-Lopardo then spoke with Gangell and allegedly remarked, "Oh you mad 'cause I got ya girl now?"
Messages exchanged on Snapchat between Whipple and Diaz-Lopardo during the incident revealed Whipple's communication to Diaz-Lopardo, stating, "Can we beat his ass pleas [sic]" and "I want him hurt," as documented in court records. Diaz-Lopardo's purported reply was, "come to me I'll hold u down."
When confronted with her message history, Whipple acknowledged to law enforcement, as noted in their arrest affidavit, that she may have threatened Gangell, asserting, "but I didn't mean nothin' I said. Everything I say is out of 'impulsivity.'" While Diaz-Lopardo was driving Whipple to Gangell's residence, she allegedly continued to send messages to her boyfriend, including a threat to contact his parole officer, stating, "ur going to jail," and "ima ruin ur life," according to legal documents. "She intended to inflict harm on Kevin," Davis informed WVIT. "These text messages indicated ‘I want him hurt’ and that is certainly alarming, raising significant concerns in constructing this case to demonstrate that this was a deliberate act."
According to the affidavit, Whipple's last message, which reportedly arrived just minutes before Diaz-Lopardo collided with Gangell using his vehicle, stated, "I warned u." Diaz-Lopardo has denied any intention of hitting Gangell, as per his arrest warrant. Both individuals contacted 911 following the incident, with Diaz-Lopardo's recorded call capturing a female voice, believed to be Whipple, exclaiming, "Logan what the f--k did you do, why did you do that?" according to the arrest affidavit. Whipple informed police that Gangell "ran from behind his garage into the road with something in his hand." Authorities reported discovering a 2-foot metal pipe near his body.
Whipple informed law enforcement that Diaz-Lopardo struck Gangell with the intention of causing him harm, although he did not intend to take his life. In contrast, Diaz-Lopardo claimed to authorities that Gangell had damaged his windshield prior to the incident; however, there was no evidence of such damage on the vehicle to substantiate this assertion.
According to the arrest affidavits, following the collision, Diaz-Lopardo's vehicle ended up on a retaining wall situated in the yard and driveway area. Both Diaz-Lopardo and Whipple sustained injuries in the incident and were subsequently transported to a local hospital. Diaz-Lopardo suffered a broken sternum, while Whipple sustained a broken jaw.
The police received somewhat inconsistent accounts from both suspects, as noted in their arrest affidavits, yet both acknowledged that Whipple and Gangell had been engaged in a physical altercation and that Diaz-Lopardo was the driver of the vehicle that struck and killed Gangell. "This was essentially a premeditated act aimed at inflicting harm on this individual," stated Davis. "I believe it exceeded their expectations, given that this young man ultimately lost his life as a consequence." Diaz-Lopardo is currently being held on a bond of $500,000, while Whipple is detained on a bond of $250,000.
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