Queens man pleads guilty to manslaughter in the death of a woman who was found dismembered in a duffel bag, DA says
By Amir Vera and Zenebou Sylla, CNN
A Queens man pleaded guilty Wednesday to one count of first-degree manslaughter in connection with the “brutal slaying” of a woman found dismembered in a sports duffel bag, according to the district attorney.
David Bonola, 44, is accused of fatally stabbing Orsolya Gaal, 51, more than 50 times on April 16 at her home, according to a news release from District Attorney Melinda Katz.
“This heinous killing devastated an entire family, left two boys without a mother, and horrified the surrounding community,” Katz said in a statement. “In pleading guilty, the defendant has accepted responsibility and is being held fully accountable for his criminal actions. We express our sincerest condolences to the victim’s family and hope that today’s plea will allow them to begin to heal.”
The Queens Defenders, a public defender organization representing Bonola, said they had “no comment” when reached by CNN.
Bonola is expected to be sentenced to 25 years in prison, followed by five years post-release supervision, the release states. He is scheduled to be sentenced on November 16.
Bonola was known to do repair work around Gaal’s house, most notably on the air conditioner, servicing it many times, a law enforcement official told CNN in April. Authorities believe Bonola and Gaal had an intimate relationship, which had been “on and off” for about two years, police said.
During the early morning hours of April 16, around 12:30 a.m., Bonola arrived at Gaal’s home, where she had just returned from an evening out.
“Bonola and the victim were arguing when the defendant slashed Gaal’s throat and stabbed her more than 50 times,” the release said.
Hours after the confrontation, Bonola was seen on a nearby home’s security camera “wheeling a hockey duffel bag belonging to one of the victim’s sons,” the release said.
Gaal’s dismembered body was in the bag, which was found around 8 a.m. later that morning, the released said. A trail of blood led authorities from the bag to the victim’s home where she lived with her husband and two sons.
Days after the incident, Bonola offered to speak to police where he “made incriminating statements,” the release said. He revealed he went to the hospital for a cut on his hand the day of the killing, he and Gaal had argued and, according to the release, he ultimately confessed to stabbing her and moving her body.
Bonola was previously charged with murder in connection with Gaal’s death, but online court records show the murder charged was reduced to first-degree manslaughter. Other prior charges — tampering with physical evidence and criminal possession of a weapon — were deemed to be covered by the first-degree manslaughter charge, according to online court records.
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CNN’s Eric Levenson, Mark Morales and Dakin Andone contributed to this report.
