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A text message sent to the husband of a New York City woman brutally stabbed to death helped to lead to the arrest of a suspect in the case.
On Thursday morning, the New York City Police Department (NYPD) announced that they had taken David Bonola, 44, into custody and charged him with the death of Orsolya Gaal. According to NBC 4 in New York, during voluntary questioning Bonola reportedly admitted his guilt and also made statements that incriminated him in the crime, including using the woman's phone to send a text message to her husband.
The station reported that Bonola used Gaal's phone to reach out to her husband following her murder. He was hoping that the text message, reportedly about a crime that had nothing to do with Gaal's murder, would alleviate him as a possible suspect.
Bonola and Gaal were involved in an intimate affair, which police believe had been going on for approximately two years. In addition, to their affair, Bonola was Gaal's employee, working as her handyman.
Police said that Gaal attended a show in Lincoln Center in New York City on April 15.
However, before coming home after the show, Gaal stopped at a local establishment to eat. The manager of the bar recalled Gaal kept to herself and stated that nothing seemed out of the ordinary.
"She was composed, collected, in the middle of the bar, just keeping to herself and talking to staff.
"Nothing unusual. She didn't seem frightened or scared or panicked. Just enjoying her one drink before going home," Gabriel Veras told NBC 4.
She then returned to her residence just before 12:30 a.m. on Saturday, April 16. After Gaal came home, officers said Bonola arrived at the residence about 10-15 minutes later.
After entering her residence, Bonola and Gaal engaged in a "heated argument" and at some point, a knife was brandished, leading to a struggle between the two. Ultimately, police said, this led to Bonola stabbing Gaal nearly 60 times.
When Gaal was dead, Bonola used a hockey bag belonging to her son to place her body inside, according to police. Officers said that they have a video showing Bonola wheeling her body down the street, leaving a bloody trail in the process.
Then just before 8 a.m. last Saturday morning, officers said, someone found the bag containing Gaal's body.
Police announced Thursday that Bonola had been charged with preliminary counts of murder in the second degree, criminal tampering in the first degree and criminal possession of a weapon in the fourth degree.
Later on Thursday, Bonola made his first appearance in court in relation to the murder, according to NBC 4.
In response to Newsweek, the NYPD provided a link to a press conference on the arrest of Bonola in the case.
