The man who allegedly killed his fiancé and set her apartment on fire Thursday night is being held without bail on charges of murder and kidnapping at the Adult Correctional Institutions after appearing before a bail commissioner in Cranston Municipal Court today.
Matthew Komrowski, 34, of 157 Porter St., Providence, was led into the courtroom clad in a police-issue blue jumpsuit and faced Bail Commissioner Richard Raspallo, who informed him of his rights and of the murder and kidnapping charges.
A subdued Komrowski, who entered the courtroom with a slight limp, did not answer questions to confirm his name and date of birth, but nodded his head when Raspallo asked if he understood his rights and the charges he is facing.
Police allege Komrowski killed his fiancé, 38-year-old Shirley Donnelly, and set her apartment at Riverbend Apartments on fire in an attempt to conceal the crime.
Police were initially called to investigate the report of a fire at the Dyer Avenue apartment complex just before midnight on Thursday. Donnelly was found dead in the bedroom of the second floor apartment and "circumstances surrounding the fire scene were deemed suspicious in nature and the focus of the investigation immediately shifted to that of a homicide," said Cranston Police Major Robert W. Ryan.
Witnesses said they saw Komrowski, who they know as Donnelly's boyfriend, leaving the apartment complex in his 1997 gold Nissan Maxima early Thursday before the fire and homicide.
Within hours of the crime, Cranston Police, along with members of the Department of Probation and Parole, Providence Police, the Rhode Island State Police Task Force and the state Fusion Center worked closely to identify Komrowski and come up with locations where he might be found.
He was later found in the third floor of his sister's apartment on Potters Avenue in Providence. Armed with an arrest warrant, Komrowski was taken into custody after a brief struggle just before 11 p.m. Friday night.
Special Assistant to the Attorney General John Krollman addressed the court and said Komrowski is currently on probation stemming from a 1999 robbery conviction. The AG’s office intends to file paperwork in order to violate his probation, Krollman said.
Komrowski was ordered held without bail on both the two charges and on the probation violation.
Komrowski will appear in District Court tomorrow for a formal arraignment.
Capt. Carl R. Ricci, detective division commander for Cranston Police said the collaboration between state and local police agencies, including the Fire Marshal’s office, the Department of Probation and Parole, and the State Police Task Force were instrumental in a speedy arrest.
In just 23 hours after the murder, Ricci, said, Komrowski was in custody thanks to detectives that worked through the night and speedy and efficient information sharing between local and state law enforcement agencies. Everything was coordinated by the Fusion Center run by State Police.
“It was truly a cooperative effort,” Ricci said. “The Fusion Center can disseminate information based on our wishes and it really cuts down on any duplication of efforts.”
Komrowski could face additional charges, Ricci said. Police have not said how Donnelly was killed.
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