NY - Orsolya Gaal, 51, body found in duffel bag, Queens, Apr 2022 #2 *Arrest*

[gcplayer19]

Looking at the dog, I'd say he's too large to travel in cabin in a carrier (I travel with my rescue dog frequently--chose her partly because she weighs under 14 lbs and can travel in cabin). Doubt she'd travel with him in the baggage compartment--particularly for a short trip. I'm hoping he's boarding somewhere.

Sounds like puppy was safe from home so mom and son could join rest of family

 

[mooliz]

According to this article (Slain NYC mom Orsolya Gaal's home had separate basement entrance, family electrician says), the basement has a separate entrance. I’m guessing the perp was aware of this, which is why the body was taken downstairs. The thought process must have been to take the body downstairs so as to clean the upstairs, and then remove the body from the basement via a separate set of stairs, thereby evading detection. I’m guessing that the perp didn’t anticipate that the bag would leak..

I wonder if what the perp is seen carrying in his other hand in the surveillance videos (aside from the bag) could be the murder weapon and bloodied clothes? I’m assuming he changed clothes after the murder to avoid detection.

The "separate entrance" is actually the side door you can see by driveway on streetview. It's not an exterior bilco or cellar door; you can go up a few stairs to main level or down to basement.

 

[NanZDrew]

I apologize if this has been asked and answered, or if it's just more art than science, but do we know for sure the size of the bag and can we use it along with other features in the videos to determine an approximate height and/or potential shoe size of the individual in question? They may have been hunched over or wearing borrowed shoes from the home I suppose. Just curious.

One article said she had been doubled over into a fetal position.

 

[Tippy Lynn]

Sources say investigators believe Orsolya Gaal knew her killer


Sources tell CBS2 investigators are now probing the victim's possible romantic link to at least one person based on her electronic communications with him and further examining her relationships with several men.

Gaal's husband and eldest son were out of state when she was killed. Her 13-year-old son was home at the time, but police have ruled him out as a suspect.

 

[gngr~snap]

Looking at the dog, I'd say he's too large to travel in cabin in a carrier (I travel with my rescue dog frequently--chose her partly because she weighs under 14 lbs and can travel in cabin). Doubt she'd travel with him in the baggage compartment--particularly for a short trip. I'm hoping he's boarding somewhere.

I don't think she'd let her dog fly with baggage.
I do see her taking the dog on a road trip.
I have a friend who's dog did fly, in a seat they purchased for the dog, pre COVID.
A Bichon about 16#.
Rules have changed on airlines recently.
Her dog may have been on a personal aircraft as well. I just saw a picture of my friend's dog on a seat by the window of the plane.
I believe OG's dog is ok, as there aren't any reports that I can find about it at all.
MOO

 

[Patrick Jane]

Despite this NY Post story that was linked earlier (Why slay of Orsolya Gaal probably wasn't planned: sources) some day I'd like to know if the perp brought the murder weapon (knife) with him/her or did the perp get the weapon from the home. This goes to the issue of premeditation.

 

[DeDee]

Why remove the body from the home? Why not leave her in the basement? Because someone didn’t want the 13yo, waking up to find their mother’s body. Only a parent would care.
The text message was likely sent for 2 reasons…
1) To alleviate suspicion 2) Confirmation of death

Sending the text message was a huge mistake. It will be their downfall. This is all very sad and strange. I believe this will turn out to be a murder for hire. That’s just my opinion.

I've tried to read all of the posts. I want to know a few things, please.

Their oldest was evidently a classical pianist. (gathered clue from her FB vids) Were he and the father in OR looking at Schools of Music? Do we know when they left NY? It was an impromptu trip, oui?

Why would she and the youngest be meeting the two other family members in Michigan and when? Do they have family members that reside in MI or a house on the lake? Family reunion?

How do the police know the killer had access to the interior of the home? Couldn't she have opened the door to allow the killer inside? Or the sneaky killer followed her as she opened the door and forced his way into the home behind her? Merci
.

 

[mooliz]

I've tried to read all of the posts. I want to know a few things, please.

Their oldest was evidently a classical pianist. (gathered clue from her FB vids) Were he and the father in OR looking at Schools of Music? Do we know when they left NY? It was an impromptu trip, oui?

Why would she and the youngest be meeting the two other family members in Michigan and when? Do they have family members that reside in MI or a house on the lake? Family reunion?

How do the police know the killer had access to the interior of the home? Couldn't she have opened the door to allow the killer inside? Or the sneaky killer followed her as she opened the door and forced his way into the home behind her? Merci
.

College decision deadline is May 1 for many schools; plenty of kids are currently visiting (or revisiting) where they were accepted. Father an alum of a college in MI. imo

 

[clearskies1]

I've tried to read all of the posts. I want to know a few things, please.

Their oldest was evidently a classical pianist. (gathered clue from her FB vids) Were he and the father in OR looking at Schools of Music? Do we know when they left NY? It was an impromptu trip, oui?

Why would she and the youngest be meeting the two other family members in Michigan and when? Do they have family members that reside in MI or a house on the lake? Family reunion?

How do the police know the killer had access to the interior of the home? Couldn't she have opened the door to allow the killer inside? Or the sneaky killer followed her as she opened the door and forced his way into the home behind her? Merci
.

I can only answer a few of your questions. Apparently the father and older son were on a college scouting trip, first going to Oregon and then they planned to go to Michigan. I read somewhere that the father went to the U of Michigan and wanted his son to go there.

 

[Patrick Jane]

I don't see the hired hitman theory as plausible with the facts in this case.
Under the (reported) ex-handyman theory, I wonder if there was any attempt to scrub the home camera system, whether it was a DVR and/or network/cloud based system.

a family electrician described her house as being outfitted with cameras

The family's residence is located on a street riddled with doorbell cameras – at least seven on the family's block alone – and home security system, likely making it hard for any suspect to evade police scrutiny for too long. And family electrician Arrjuna Jack, 30, said Gaal's house was also outfitted with a camera surveillance system.

Slain NYC mom Orsolya Gaal's home had separate basement entrance, family electrician says

 

[Serena Angelique]

All I'd read was his tweet, all over media, now since deleted, that they'd arrived in Portland and were going to see a college in Michigan, which made me wonder why land on the PNW only to fly to central US for a college scouting expedition. Supposed tweet on husband's account was "Just landed Portland, OR before evaluating Ann Arbor again with my 17-year old son,” Klein said early Saturday in a now-deleted tweet." If they were exploring OR colleges, why not mention that as well? Maybe OR colleges were being looked at as well but hubby had a link to the MI college so didn't want to mention the OR potential, alma mater and all that. Who knows.

So many things in this story absolutely make no sense.

It was Passover so I don’t understand the husband and son going to visit colleges instead of staying home with family. It was also Easter, so would colleges have staff to show them around? I assume they didn’t fly there to only look at buildings!

I read up thread that she was killed on the main floor (maybe a rumor) and then brought to the basement, why? Unless he/she knew that is where the sport bag was and had decided to dispose of the body. Why? So much easier to get out on your own.

<modsnip>

Spring break began on Friday for most public schools, so it’s not that unusual for the dad and the son to go out east to look at schools and schools have different breaks but you can still visit a college when the students are on break too. This family also travels a lot, and not everyone celebrates Passover or Easter (the family celebrates Christmas and I’m not sure if OG ever converted).

 

[Patrick Jane]

Since there was a home security system, this means LE should know the precise time every door in that house was open and closed.
Even if the ex-handyman knew the location of the spare key, and used the spare key to enter the house, how would he know that the security system wouldn't be armed? Does this mean that the spare key was not used to enter the house?

 

[LaborDayRN]

I think it’d be very unwise of LE to state a time of death so precisely, based on those things. They’d be likely to discourage important information by being too precise, inaccurately precise.

I think that the theory of a Fitbit type device showing when her heart stopped is more plausible.

MOO

Yes, the Fitbit or Apple watch (if she was wearing one) would provide a time of death. But the coroner would most likely want to confirm with a physical exam IMO.

 

[DeDee]

1. I can only speculate, but perhaps during the 40 or so minutes she was alone at the bar, she was texting the perp trying to meet up. It doesn't appear unlikely that others could have known the husband was away. OG may very well have indicated that, herself. This may not have been their first time meeting up at the family home, if the husband travels often, so the assumption could safely be made that the 13 year old would be sound asleep upstairs. Also, the husband works, the kids go to school, and she's a stay-at-home mom. When do most "handymen" do their work? During the day.

RSBM

Yes or No?

I thought the victim taught at a [pre]school.
I thought the husband worked from home in the office.

Brutal Murder is making my head hurt more than a wittle bit...
.

 

[imma]

I feel confident some neighbors know exactly who it was (or believe they do) due to cameras. It seems near impossible that no one’s camera would have caught a good face image imho. I think they are simply cooperating with police by remaining quiet about it. Anything happens in our neighborhood the first thing folks do is check their cameras.

Yes. I totally agree with you. I believe they know who it is. I know the person who heads the neighborhood watch is considered overzealous (in a good way) and the watch group, which OG belonged to, has gone silent since Saturday morning.

 

[Brandysnapblue]

"you sent me to jail some years ago" .. so was she a judge or prosecutor by any chance?

Sent to jail........ metaphorical ? Like on a Monopoly Board, put out of the game ?

 

[HilaryHormone]

Maybe he thought the outside elements will destroy the physical evidence on the bag and the body because
forensic evidence like DNA , fingerprints... destroyed much faster outside than if the body is left inside

I don’t think any rational or logical thought went into this at all. It’s so haphazard and impulsive.

The perpetrator appears young and fit, they are striding briskly whilst pulling an adult body behind them one handed. They also seem to be wearing a backpack and carrying something under their arm. I wonder if anything has been noted as missing from the house? Did they dump the bag because they were spooked somehow or did they just think ‘this will do’ and boost out of there? So many questions.

RIP Orsolya. Her name means ‘strong as a little bear’ in Hungarian and it seems she fought like one. So tragic.

 

[leopink74]

The son has been ruled out because there is further vision (doorbell camera possibly) showing that the perp is definitely not LK.. I will put IMO, although I have read this somewhere in the media, but having read countless articles I cannot share where I read it.

IMO - there should be some kind of vision of OG returning home, so it would show if there was anyone with her…

Also. You would think that her family would offer a bigger $$ reward than the $3500 currently on offer.. They seem quite well off.. And surely would be desperate to know who has done this to their wife and mother…

 

[Smedders70]

IMO - the low reward $ is targeted at a younger generation

 

[TootsieFootsie]

RIP Orsolya, Condolences to Family and Friends.