Thomas Bovaird: NY student, 21, indicted for brutally dismembering and killing man
Warning: Graphic content
ELMIRA, NEW YORK: Horseheads village resident Thomas Bovaird has been indicted for the brutal dismemberment, kidnapping, and killing of Juan Jose Gotay. A grand jury charged him for first-degree murder, kidnapping in the first degree, two counts of assault in the first degree, and two counts of assault in the second degree.
In the past, we have reported incidents of similar nature, including, Lisa Shuler's death. She was found dead and dismembered at her home following which her boyfriend Seth Larson who had fled to West Virginia was charged with second-degree murder. He was nabbed after calling 911 requesting an ambulance after enduring an injury in June this year. Another case of brutal murder and dismemberment involves Ayzhan Edilova and Anastasia Yeshchenko's horrific killings.
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Who is Thomas Bovaird?
Thomas Bovaird is a 21-year-old student of Corning Community College in New York. The Horseheads native's LinkedIn profile does not reveal his field of study, however, there is a mention of his employment on the page. Bovaird works for Panera bread and in his own words describes himself as the "top employee" of the brand for the past eight months. "I currently attend Corning Community College and will switch the Buffalo State for my Masters' degree. I have sales experience, I have great communication skills, very friendly and helpful to customers. I prep food, serve food, stock the walk-in and freezer on Thursday and Friday nights. I have a great work ethic and I’m an honest worker," reads his bio section.
According to Bovaird's indictment, he allegedly shot his victim Gotay in the shoulder and left leg, repeatedly kicked and struck him, mutilated his eye with a pointed instrument, cut off Gotay's tongue, burned his ears and buttocks and caused injuries to his jaw, mouth, and teeth. Bovaird then dumped his victim in a remote area in Pennsylvania to die. Bovaird had allegedly kidnapped Gotay with "unknown associates" in January this year. The body was only discovered sometime in April in Ulysses Township on Route 6.
Gotay's body was tied with an electrical cord before being dumped in Pennsylvania. It isn't clear when he was moved across states. The exact day of his death isn't known yet nor is it determined if Gotay was brought to PA dead or was killed after crossing state lines.