In a tragic incident in Queens, New York, Vanessa Pierre, a 29-year-old nurse practitioner, fell victim to a heinous crime committed by her boyfriend, Goey Charles.
Pierre, who was six months pregnant and eagerly anticipating motherhood, was strangled by Charles in the early morning hours of October 23, 2020.
Surveillance footage captured the chilling sequence of events, showing Charles pulling over in a white Dodge Challenger registered to Pierre. After about 40 minutes, he moved to the backseat, and the footage documented the heartbreaking moments of Pierre’s last movements before her body went motionless.
Remaining in the backseat for an hour, Charles callously dragged Pierre’s lifeless body out shortly after 4:30 a.m., discarding it on the sidewalk by the Horace Harding Expressway.
The horrifying discovery was made by a city bus driver around 6:00 a.m., leading to emergency workers pronouncing her dead at the scene.
A subsequent investigation revealed the extent of the brutality Pierre endured, characterized by domestic violence.
The legal proceedings saw Charles convicted of second-degree murder by a Queens County jury.
The verdict, while providing a form of justice, cannot bring Vanessa Pierre back. District Attorney Melinda Katz emphasized the importance of holding Pierre’s killer accountable.
The tragic incident sheds light on the pervasive issue of domestic violence, affecting millions of women and men in the United States annually.
Charles faces a 25-year prison term and is scheduled for sentencing on November 29.
For those experiencing domestic violence, resources such as the National Domestic Violence Hotline (1-800-799-7233) are available 24/7 in over 170 languages.
