Trail of blood led to mum killed by handyman lover

When a body was found in a bag by a dog walker in the park, a violent murder and despicable crime were uncovered

- GAIL SHORTLAND

It was 8am on April 16, 2019. A dog walker was enjoying the early morning peace of Queens, New York City, when he came across a large black duffel bag dumped near Forest Park. His two Rhodesian Ridgebacks became agitated around the abandoned bag and as he approached, he could see there was blood leaking through the material. He immediately called 911.

When emergency responders arrived and opened the bag they were met with a horrific sight – the body of a woman, stabbed multiple times. She was pronounced dead at the scene and a murder investigation was launched.

While police cordoned off the area, the dogs that had first sniffed out the grisly discovery started tugging on their leads. They’d detected more blood on the ground nearby, which turned out to be a trail that would lead them directly to the crime scene.

Investigators followed the bloody trail for half a mile northwest to the exclusive area of Forest Hills. They found themselves in an exclusive gated community outside a Tudor-style home worth over $2 million.

A 13-year-old boy was alone in one of the upstairs bedrooms, safe and unharmed. The teenager, whose dad Howard Klein was away visiting colleges with his 17-year-old brother, was totally unaware that his mum, Orsolya Gaal, 51, was missing from the home.

Officers discovered a large amount of blood in the basement, where it was clear Orsolya had been attacked. A knife was found too – hidden in the house. But there were no signs of a break-in.