Shawna Givens, a 35-year-old African American woman, was found dead in her Fayetteville, North Carolina home on April 11, 2012. Givens, a mother of three, was employed as a medical support assistant at Womack Army Medical Center at Fort Bragg. Her death was linked to a tragic series of events involving her romantic partner, Dr. Giocondo Navek, a 39-year-old primary care physician on active duty at the base.
Givens and Navek had been in a romantic relationship and had recently visited
Philadelphia together over the Easter weekend. Upon their return to North Carolina, Givens was found dead in her home, having been shot to death. Investigators discovered physical evidence in Navek's Mercedes, which was parked near a family member's home in South Philadelphia, linking him to Givens' murder.
The investigation revealed that Navek had a turbulent personal life and had previously been involved in a violent incident with another woman, described as his fiancée. In March, she filed a police report indicating that Navek had fired two shots into a wall of their shared home in Williamstown, New Jersey. No charges were filed at the time.
On April 12, 2012, Navek ambushed and killed Dr. Payman Houshmandpour, a 32-year-old medical surgical resident, outside his home in Voorhees, New Jersey. Navek blamed Houshmandpour for the loss of his job at Virtua Hospital, where they had worked together as residents. After the murder, Navek fled the scene and was pulled over by police. As officers approached his car, Navek shot and killed himself.
Authorities in Camden County, New Jersey, and Cumberland County, North Carolina, worked together on the investigation, which connected the murder-suicide in Voorhees to Givens' death in Fayetteville. The tragic series of events highlighted the complex and violent nature of Navek's personal life, ultimately leading to the deaths of both Givens and Houshmandpour.
