In the small community of Au-sable-forks, New York, the life of 30-year-old Magen Goyette was tragically cut short on the morning of March 13, 2019. Magen, a female with a reputation for being spontaneous and having a heart of gold, was fatally shot while sitting in the passenger seat of her mother's pickup truck. The events of that morning unfolded after a series of domestic disputes between Goyette and her boyfriend, 30-year-old David J.
Bova.
The day's violence began after Bova crashed his SUV. Witnesses who approached to help saw him retrieve a rifle from his vehicle. Shortly after, Magen and her mother, Michelle Goyette, drove up to the scene in their truck. It was then that Bova, standing on the road, opened fire on their vehicle. He fired multiple shots, with one fatally striking Magen in the head. After the shooting, Bova fled the scene on foot but was later apprehended by State Police. Goyette was rushed to Champlain Valley Physicians Hospital in Plattsburgh, where she was pronounced dead.
David J. Bova was arrested and charged with second-degree murder for Magen's death. In a statement to police, Bova admitted to the shooting, stating that after a series of arguments with Goyette, he 'snapped.' He claimed he was angry and began firing in the direction of the truck, but was unsure if he had hit anyone. Evidence showed that one of the four rounds he fired struck Magen in the head, causing severe skull fractures and brain injuries.
Initially, Bova pleaded not guilty to the charges against him, which included second-degree murder, attempted murder for endangering Magen's mother, and several weapons charges. However, as his case was about to go to trial in October 2019, he changed his plea to guilty on five of the six counts, including the charge of second-degree murder for killing Magen Goyette. His sentencing was scheduled for December of that year, bringing a legal conclusion to a violent act that deeply affected the small town of Au-sable-forks.
