Who was Joed Taveras? Irish woman Denise Morgan shot dead by boyfriend in suspected NYC murder-suicide
QUEENS, NEW YORK: Joed Taveras, a 33-year-old man was found dead alongside his Irish girlfriend Denise Morgan, 39, at their apartment on 69th Place near Cooper Avenue in Glendale, Queens, New York around 2:45 am on Saturday, October 21.
According to the Daily Mail, both Taveras and Morgan suffered gunshot wounds to their heads in what is believed by cops as an apparent murder-suicide. The gun was reportedly found lying next to Taveras and police are allegedly not seeking a suspect in the crime.
Officers went to Morgan's home after receiving reports of neighbors hearing shots fired. Cops who responded to the scene reportedly found the pair dead inside Morgan's second-floor apartment.
Morgan was allegedly shot while she was in the middle of leaving her "jealous boyfriend" presumed to be Taveras, as per the NY Daily News.
"Investigators confirmed that two were in a relationship together. There doesn’t appear to be any other individuals involved, A witness heard arguing, gunshots. They both lived there," a police source told the New York Post.
Sources alleged Joed Taveras cheated on Denise Morgan
As the news of Morgan's tragic death reached the Forest Hills bar and restaurant where she worked, patrons mourned the loss of the bartender and weighed in on her allegedly troubled relationship with Taveras.
"She was moving out on him, and he was cheating on her. He couldn’t handle it," Victor Gonzalez told the NY Daily News. "We’re family here," Greg Mullin said, adding, "This is a local bar."
Mullin also alleged that Morgan’s living arrangement "wasn’t a good situation." He also recalled meeting Taveras and said, "I shook his hand once, and I curse the day. This is killing us."
The publication also reported that Morgan allegedly spoke about her plans of leaving Taveras at work and said she would move to another apartment for which she signed a lease that was set to start in November.
However, a neighbor told the New York Post that the couple were "very nice people." The neighbor recalled that Morgan would often say, "Hello," adding, "It’s a quiet neighborhood but you don’t know what goes on behind closed doors."
Denise Morgan's sister shared heartbreaking tribute after her death
Morgan's sister, Shannon, took to Facebook to share a heartbreaking tribute following the latter's death.
"No words can express the pain we are dealing with. In the blink of an eyelid, our world is broken and we are absolutely crushed," Shannon wrote.
"My brilliant sister has been taken from my life by such a heinous cowardly act. We will never get justice for this. We are absolutely heartbroken. She was the kindest, sweetest soul I know," she continued.
"We are absolutely heartbroken. She was the kindest most sweetest soul I know and I can’t believe I’m writing this," Shannon mentioned.
"I’ve always looked up to her growing up and she carved me into the woman I am today and I’m so proud to call her my sister," she added.
"This just can’t be real! He’s a coward and is burning in hell right now …. We love you forever and always baby sister until we meet again, our lives will never be the same again," Shannon wrote in another post.
Morgan's employer at the Cottage Bar and Restaurant in Queens said they were in "shock and sorrow" over Morgan's death.
"Her warmth, kindness, and vibrant spirit will be deeply missed by all who had the privilege of knowing her," the company wrote in a tribute post.
Some customers who knew Morgan also told NY Daily News that she has a 8-year-old daughter from a previous marriage. "She absolutely adored her daughter. She was never without a smile on her face. She was full of life," said patron Colin Doyle.
"The amount of hearts that are broken is astronomical. She just wanted to raise her daughter and have a happy life," the patron added.
As per the publication, Morgan dropped her daughter off with her ex-husband shortly before she headed home on Friday evening, a day before her death.
"Her family is distraught. Her daughter is with her father. Thank God she dropped her daughter off before going home," said Gonzalez.