Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that David Bonola was sentenced today to 25 years in prison following a guilty plea to manslaughter for the brutal slaying of Orsolya Gaal, whose body was discovered in a sports duffel bag near Forest Park in April.
District Attorney Katz said: “This was a brutal killing, and no amount of prison time can bring the victim back to her loved ones. Today’s sentencing, however, provides a measure of justice and I hope the victim’s family can rest easier knowing that the person responsible was held fully accountable.”
Bonola, 44, of 114th Street in South Richmond Hill, Queens, pleaded guilty on November 2 to one count of manslaughter in the first degree. Queens Supreme Court Judge Michael Aloise today sentenced Bonola to 25 years in prison, to be followed by five years post-release supervision.
According to the charges, on April 16, at approximately 12:30 am, Bonola arrived at the victim’s home. Gaal, 51, had just returned to her home in Forest Hills from an evening out. Bonola and the victim, who were previously known to one another, began to argue. The verbal fight quickly escalated to Bonola slashing Gaal’s throat and stabbing her more than 50 times with a knife.
At approximately 4:15 am, Bonola was captured on a nearby home’s security video surveillance footage wheeling a hockey duffel bag belonging to one of the victim’s sons. The bag, containing Gaal’s lifeless body, was found at about 8:00 am on Metropolitan Avenue, near Union Turnpike, in the vicinity of Forest Park.
Police were able to follow the trail of blood from the bag to the crime scene – the home where the victim resided with her husband and two sons.
During the subsequent investigation, police recovered the murder weapon hidden in the victim’s home and the defendant’s jacket inside Forest Park.
Days later, the defendant offered to speak to police and during questioning made incriminating statements. He revealed that some time on Saturday he went to a hospital for a cut on his hand. He also stated in sum and substance that he and the victim argued and confessed to stabbing her and moving her body.
The investigation was conducted by Detectives John Petzolt and Todd Keyes of the New York City Police Department’s 112th Precinct and Detectives Carmine Caruso and Joe Bey of the NYPD’s Queens North Homicide Squad.
QDAO
News by Breaking911
