In the cold of winter, on January 31, 2015, the body of 42-year-old William Klinger, a male Croatian-Italian historian, was discovered in Astoria Park, Queens. Two women walking with their children in the park found him face down in the snow near the park's pool, having been fatally shot in the head and neck. Despite the violent nature of his death, Klinger was found with his wallet, cash, credit cards, cell phone, and an Italian passport, suggesting that robbery was not the motive.
Klinger, a respected scholar specializing in the history of the former Yugoslavia, had traveled to New York from his home in Italy to speak at a conference. Investigators learned he was staying with a friend in Astoria during his visit. Receipts found on Klinger's body led detectives to local stores where they reviewed surveillance footage. This footage showed Klinger with another man in the hours before his murder.
The investigation quickly led authorities to the home of Klinger's friend, 49-year-old Alexander Bonich, a fellow Croatian native who worked as a translator. Detectives recognized Bonich as the man from the surveillance videos and took him in for questioning. During the interrogation, Bonich's story reportedly changed. He initially claimed he shot Klinger in self-defense but later confessed to killing him in a fit of rage over a failed real estate transaction. Bonich alleged that Klinger was supposed to sell him property in Italy, and when the deal collapsed, a heated argument ensued in Astoria Park, culminating in Bonich shooting Klinger with an antique revolver.
Following his confession, Alexander Bonich was arrested and charged with murder, criminal possession of a weapon, and tampering with evidence. The tampering charge stemmed from police witnessing him attempting to dispose of Klinger's belongings outside his apartment. Bonich informed investigators that he had thrown the murder weapon into the East River near the Roosevelt Island bridge. He was held without bail and faced the possibility of life in prison if convicted.
