Alleged murderer of Gabriele Kabrins is billionaire family's black sheep

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Gabriele Kabrins, 39, was found dead in hotel room in Camps Bay, South Africa, near Cape Town, where she had been brutally sexually assaulted
Police arrested Diego Dougherty, 41, from Guatemala, who was wandering nearby beach and charged him with murder
He was also charged with possession of more than 1lb of cocaine found in room and is now in prison hospital for 'emotional reasons'
Daily Mail Online has learned he is playboy member of ultra-wealthy Dougherty Novella family in Central American country
Thomas Dougherty, brother of accused man and chairman of Progreso Cementos, tells Daily Mail Online: 'This is a tragedy any way you look at it.'
Family sources say he is heavy cocaine and crack user and has been regularly bailed out of trouble by influential family

By Ryan Parry West Coast Correspondent For Dailymail.com and Martin Gould In Camps Bay, South Africa, For Dailymail.com and Matheus Sanchez For Dailymail.com

Published: 16:19 EST, 3 August 2015 | Updated: 17:31 EST, 3 August 2015

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The man accused of brutally killing American marketing executive Gabriela Kabrins at a luxury resort in South Africa is the troubled 'black sheep' of a billionaire family, Daily Mail Online can reveal.

Guatemalan playboy Diego Dougherty, 41, was charged with murder after his girlfriend Gaby's body was found along with a large quantity of cocaine in their hotel room in the affluent Cape Town beachside suburb of Camps Bay last Wednesday.

He is now being treated in a prison hospital for 'emotional reasons' following at least two fainting spells since his arrest.

Police say 39-year-old LA-based Kabrins was severely beaten and suffered an horrific sexual assault before being strangled to death at the five-star Camps Bay Retreat Boutique Hotel.

Accused: Diego Dougherty, who is part of the Dougherty Novella cement dynasty in Guatemala, is charged with murdering Gabriela Kabrins and possession of just over a pound of cocaine

Victim: Gabriela Kabrins (left) was named as the dead woman in the South African hotel murder. She is seen with her former business partner Martín Llorens (right).

Influential family: The Dougherty Novella family are known for their philanthropy. Thomas Dougherty (far left) is seen at an ethical companies award in 2014 in New York

Speaking out: Thomas Dougherty (above) told Daily Mail Online: 'All I can say is this is a tragedy from any way you look at it.'

Daily Mail Online can now reveal that prime suspect Dougherty is a member of the Dougherty Novella clan - one of the most powerful families in Central America, whose cement business is estimated to be worth billions of dollars.

The family's charitable foundation recently teamed up with Spanish soccer giants Real Madrid to open a sports-themed school for disadvantaged children.

Dougherty's older brother Thomas Dougherty, president of Cementos Progreso - Progressive Cement - was photographed posing next to Real Madrid president Florentino Pérez at a school in Guatemala last year.

Guatemalan President Otto Pérez Molina was also at the high profile event.

Even the Guatemalan national soccer stadium is named the Cementos Progreso Stadium, after the company. One of the country's biggest companies, it was founded in 1896 and how does business across Central America.

Family sources tell Daily Mail Online that murder suspect Dougherty is the 'black sheep' of the super-rich clan - a drug-addicted playboy who has never worked and who is regularly bailed out of trouble by his family.

Investigators in South Africa believe Kabrins's death resulted from a drug-fueled sex session gone wrong.

Dougherty was arrested after he was spotted wandering on a nearby beach following the discovery of Gaby's body.

It is believed Kabrins, who was of Mexican descent and spoke fluent Spanish, originally met him in the US when they were younger and they recently reconnected through social media.

A friend said she was in love with Dougherty and regularly visited him for long periods in Guatemala.

The pair first met at Pepperdine University in Malibu and Dougherty spent a number of years in the US - where the Dougherty Novella family owns homes in New York, Miami and Los Angeles.

Family: The alleged killer's sister Cecilia (far left) and brother Thomas (far right) meeting Cynthia Eagle, Guatemala's minister of education and Sergio de la Torre, minister of economy

Scene of crime: Police at the luxury Camps Bay Retreat close to Cape Town in South Africa, after the murder of Gabriela Kabrins

Loss: Gabriala Kabrins and business partner Martn Llorens. Friends said she was not a 'party' person and was more likely to spend time at home with her pet dogs

Husband: Dr Blake Albans, a pediatrician, was married to the dead woman. The marriage ended in divorce and he is now re-married

But it is believed Dougherty is now barred from enter America due to various run-ins with the law.

Official records show that he has at least two convictions for driving while intoxicated while living in the United States - both in Texas, first in April 1995, then in June 1996.

Kabrins had married, to Blake Albans, a pediatrician. The marriage ended in divorce and he is now remarried, and works as assistant clinical professor of pediatrics at UCLA's West Los Angeles office of pediatrics.

The source said they were 'shocked' by what happened, but not completely surprised that 'things ended badly' for Dougherty.

His brother, Thomas Dougherty, told Daily Mail Online: 'All I can say is this is a tragedy from any way you look at it.

'For me it's best if this is not played out in the news. This is a tragedy and people have a right to privacy.'

But the family source revealed: 'Diego had a very privileged upbringing and became a spoiled brat. He has never had a job and lived the life of a playboy, full of vices and eccentricities.

'In Guatemala he has got himself into a lot of minor trouble but he always got out of it thanks to the family influence.

'His school friends say that when he drinks he turns into a savage. In recent years he has become a heavy user of crack and cocaine.'

Although police say they believe he was taking part in a drug deal, as 1lb. of cocaine was found in his room, sources in Guatemala insist that cannot be the case.

'He is a user, not a dealer. He doesn't need the money,' said one.

Another source close to the family, who knows Dougherty personally, said: 'There is no way he is involved in dealing. He has a lot of money from the family.

'That cocaine was probably for personal consumption. From what I hear he is a heavy user – in central America drugs are cheap, so people who use them, use huge quantities.'

The source added that he believes drugs and mental health issues are more likely to be factors behind the alleged murder.

According to police, Gabriela had been sexually assaulted with a curling iron, while a message had been smeared on her body with excrement.

The source said: 'Diego can fly off the handle and get aggressive, but I would never imagine the guy could have done such a thing.

'I have grown up around his family, I have partied with him a lot - he is a party boy, he is a dope, but he never came off as a psycho.

'He seemed more like a loner. I could see something like this coming from mental health conditions.'

Held: Dougherty is in the prison hospital at Pollsmoor correctional facility near Cape Town

Home: Gabriela Kabrins lived at this Los Angeles apartment block, where friends said she was dedicated to her dogs and was not the type of person to be seen partying

Friends of Gabriela, who had run her own PR firm, say she was dedicated to work and 'not a party animal at all'.

But with the couple's final trip being at a hotel that charges up to $1,000 per night, some have speculated she was attracted to a life of luxury.

'I was surprised she was with him,' continued the source.

'She doesn't seem to have much in common with him, she doesn't seem like she would be into drugs.'

Speaking of the Dougherty Novella clan, the source added: 'They are very decent and low-key. But Diego was always different.

'You never heard his brothers and sisters talking about him, you never saw him socially with his family. It seemed like he was the black sheep.'

Dougherty's grandfather, Carlos F. Novella, founded the family business, which has for decades controlled the cement market in Guatemala and enjoyed great political influence.

The company reportedly has an annual revenue of around $500m. The family is not only hugely powerful in the business world but they also do a lot of philanthropic work.

Dougherty's sister Cecilia is the president of the Carlos F. Novella Foundation, the company's charity arm focusing on education and development in Guatemala. His brother Thomas

The family has hired William Booth, one of the best known criminal defense lawyers in South Africa, to represent Dougherty.

Founder: Carlos Novella started the Cementos Progreso company. His grandson Diego Dougherty is part of the controlling family but has never worked, family sources told Daily Mail Online

Booth told Daily Mail Online that Dougherty had come to South Africa, then left the country and returned shortly before Kabrins was killed.

He said his client is now being treated in the hospital wing at Pollsmoor Prison for 'emotional issues,' after fainting at least twice since his arrest.

Booth confirmed that Dougherty came from one of Guatemala's most prominent families.

The lawyer said he will be court with Dougherty for a preliminary hearing. No plea will be entered.

He called him Diego Novella, but he is known as Dougherty, as that was his father's name. His mother's name was Novella, which is not normally used.

'Diego Novella was holidaying in South Africa with Ms Kabrins,' Booth told Mail Online. 'They were romantically involved. They had been seeing each other, but I don't know for how long.'

Despite reports the suspect does not speak English, Booth said he has been able to have an initial interview with him but would not reveal how they planned to plea.

He said: 'I am still investigating the circumstances of the case and do not yet have all the evidence that the police may have to it is not appropriate to comment on the merits of the case at this stage.

'I have interviewed him but need to follow up with further interviews.'

Dougherty was charged with murder on Friday and is being held in jail before his next court appearance on Tuesday.

According to local reports he was due to be interrogated by the head of the police's investigative psychology section.

Gaby was a graduate of Pepperdine University in Malibu, California and founded and her own marketing and advertising firm, Conexión in 2002 with motivational speaker and Latin American-TV personality Martín Llorens.

The company – whose clients included the Ford Motor Company, TJ Maxx, Bank of America and Payless Shoesource - closed in 2012 because the 'owners have decided to pursue other opportunities and adventures,' a press release said at the time.

Pricey: Police said that they discovered a pound of cocaine in the hotel room where Kabrins was found dead

The marketing executive was found inside her hotel in Cape Town on Wednesday, as police said they have arrested a 41-year-old Guatemalan man

They produced a segment that appeared on the top rated Spanish language morning show 'Despierta America' on the Univision network and also worked with ESPN and MTV.

However, Gaby fell into financial difficulties. She broke her back in May, 2013 and the resulting medical bills left her strapped for cash.

In April of 2014 she told the Santa Monica Daily Press that she had every intention of paying her bills but they were leaving her stretched.

Llorens posted a Facebook tribute to his friend: 'I have loved you for a thousand years. I will love your for a thousand more.

'In memory for my friend, my partner, my teacher and my mentor, your soul rest in peace. I love you forever.'

In a separate message, he said: 'My Dear Gaby, Rest in peace. Love you forever. In your light I learn who I am. I will love you forever.'