Forum Photo by Michael V. Cusenza
Orsolya Gaal’s body was discovered near Forest Park on April 16.
By Michael V. Cusenza
A South Richmond Hill man has been charged with murder in the shocking stabbing death of a Forest Hills mother whose body was found earlier this month in a duffel bag dumped near Forest Park, Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced Thursday.
David Bonola, 44, was arraigned Thursday night on a complaint charging him with murder in the second degree, tampering with physical evidence, and criminal possession of a weapon in the fourth degree.
According to the charges, Orsolya Gaal, 51, returned to her Forest Hills home around 12:30 a.m. Saturday, April 16 after an evening out. Bonola, who was a handyman and had done work at Gaal’s home on and off for the last two years, arrived at the victim’s home a few minutes later. He entered the Juno Street residence and the two engaged in a verbal argument, which escalated to Bonola allegedly slashing the woman’s throat and stabbing her more than 50 times.
The DA continued that Bonola then found a hockey duffel bag that belonged to one of the victim’s sons and stuffed the woman’s bloody body inside it. He is allegedly seen on video surveillance from a nearby home rolling the duffel bag through the quiet neighborhood.
Photo Courtesy of DA Katz
“Two boys are left without a mother and a young teenager faces the added trauma of being home when this heinous murder took place,” DA Katz said.
According to the charges, the bag was discovered around 8 a.m. Saturday near Forest Park at Metropolitan Avenue and Union Turnpike. Inside were the remains of the married mother of two. Investigators followed a trail of blood from the bag to the crime scene—Gaal’s Forest Hills abode approximately a half-mile from the dump site.
During the investigation, the DA said, police recovered a bloody jacket and blood-stained tissues from Forest Park.
On Wednesday, Bonola offered to speak to police, and during questioning allegedly made incriminating statements. He revealed that some time on Saturday he went to a city hospital for a cut on his hand. He also allegedly said that he and the victim argued; Bonola allegedly confessed to butchering Gaal and moving her body.
“Two boys are left without a mother and a young teenager faces the added trauma of being home when this heinous murder took place. As alleged, the defendant stabbed the victim over 50 times and then attempted to dispose of the body by stuffing it into a duffel bag and dragging it across a quiet residential neighborhood—leaving a trail of blood and a terrified community,” Katz said. “The defendant is now in custody and will be held to account for this horrific crime.”
If convicted, Bonola faces up to 25 years to life in prison.
