Celestial Summer Dove Cassman, 35, of Santa Cruz, Calif., was found dead on Thursday, September 1, 2011, in Maui, Hawaii, the victim of an apparent homicide. Photo from the Web site of law firm Atchison, Barisone, Condotti and Kovacevich, where Cassman was employed.

Lt. Wayne Ibarra of the Maui Police Department reported Friday that an autopsy conducted earlier this week determined that 35-year-old Santa Cruz resident Celestial Summer Dove Cassman died of asphyxiation.

Cassman's body was found down an embankment near a rental car in the Nakalele Point area on Sept. 1, a day after she and her male companion, 38-year-old Gerald W. Galaway Jr. of Santa Cruz, arrived in Maui, as Lake County News has reported.

Police received a report on the evening of Sept. 2 reporting a domestic dispute involving the couple, who were seen arguing on the roadside near their rental car, according to an investigative report.

A witness reported that Galaway picked up Cassman and slammed her body on the ground repeatedly before he draggeed her off the road and into some bushes.

When police found Cassman's body her clothing had been ripped, and she appeared to have been sexually assaulted, according to police reports.

Galaway allegedly fled from police at the scene and jumped down a 100-foot cliff and into the ocean. Police said they could not rescue him until the next morning.

Ibarra said Galaway remained hospitalized on Friday.

Galaway has been charged with second-degree murder and kidnapping in the case, according to Maui County Prosecuting Attorney John Kim. Because of his injuries, Galaway was not present at a court hearing earlier this week.

Cassman grew up in Lake County, graduating from Clear Lake High School in 1994 and going on to receive a bachelor's degree from the University of California, Santa Cruz, and taking time out to work in Portland, Ore., before studying law at UC Davis' King Hall School of Law in 2001.

She graduated and was admitted to the State Bar of California in 2004, and worked in municipal and public law.

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