David Bonola sentenced to 25 years in prison for lover Orsolya Gaal’s Queens murder
A homicidal Queens handyman stood mutely Wednesday as he was sentenced to 25 years in prison for the gruesome stabbing death and dismemberment of his married lover in her home.
David Bonola, 44, declined to address the court before Queens Supreme Court Justice Michael Aloise handed down the lengthy jail term for the brutal April 16 crime of passion in Orsolya Gaal’s Forest Hills basement during a final and fatal lovers’ quarrel — with her teenage son sleeping upstairs.
“This was a brutal killing, and no amount of prison time can bring the victim back to her loved ones,” said Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz. “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.”
The victim’s husband and the couple’s older boy were away visiting colleges when Gaal was savagely killed and chopped into pieces. Bonola pleaded guilty to manslaughter at a Nov. 2 hearing.
The 51-year-old victim was stabbed 58 times with a steak knife before her corpse was butchered and stuffed inside a duffel bag, with Bonola dumping her remains in nearby Forest Park. A local dog walker discovered the body, and police found a blood trail leading back to her home.
None of the victim’s family appeared in court to provide impact statements about the killing, with Assistant District Attorney John Kosinski describing the stabbing as “a violent and senseless act.” Bonola, handcuffed and wearing an orange jailhouse jumpsuit, spoke only to pass on addressing the court.
Bonola flew into a deadly rage after Gaal tried to break off her two-year relationship with the neighborhood handyman. The mother of two had just returned from a Good Friday show at Lincoln Center when Bonola showed up uninvited her home to speak with Gaal about their relationship.
He ignored the woman’s repeated requests to leave before repeatedly stabbing the helpless Gaal, described by her neighbors as a devoted mom with a bright personality.
“I believe that this sentence will hold the defendant accountable for what he has done,” said Kosinski. “I believe it will give the family some closure ... and be allowed to move on and begin the healing process, which we all know will be a long and arduous journey.”
The killer, as it turned out, was living illegally in the United States and could face deportation to his native Mexico once his prison term is completed. His sentence also included five years of postrelease supervision.
Authorities said Bonola confessed to the slaying once taken into custody, adding that the killer met his victim while doing work on her tony Tudor home.
“We went down the basement to talk, and it turned into an argument,” the suspect confessed when arrested four days after the crime.
In an exclusive jailhouse interview with the Daily News in May, Bonola denied hurting Gaal. “I’m innocent, and I love my girlfriend,” he claimed.
