Second of 4 suspects in Elmira torture killing of NYC man pleads guilty to murder charge

The first of four suspects charged in the January 2021 torture and murder of a New York City man in Elmira became the second to plead guilty.

Thomas Bovaird, 23, of Horseheads, pleaded guilty in Chemung County Court on Thursday to a charge of second-degree murder in connection with the Jan. 29, 2021 death of 39-year-old Juan Jose Gotay.

The plea satisfies the indictment against Bovaird, which initially included charges of first-degree murder, first-degree kidnapping, first-degree assault, and three counts of second-degree assault.

Another suspect in the case, Malik M. Weems, 20, of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty in early May to a charge of second-degree murder, also satisfying the indictment against him.

Court cases are still pending against the other two defendants — Eddie Marte, 27, of New York City, and a fourth suspect, who was 16 at the time of Gotay's death, and is being tried on murder and other felony counts in Chemung County Court Youth Part.

Marte is already incarcerated at Attica Correctional Facility following his conviction on multiple felonies in an unrelated Ontario County kidnapping case.

Gotay was beaten and tortured at two houses on Elmira's Southside, 427-429 Partridge St. and 319 West Ave., according to the indictments.

Gotay was tortured and killed "in an especially cruel and wanton manner," the indictment stated.

The indictments allege the group shot Gotay in the left shoulder and left leg, repeatedly struck him in the face and body, causing, among other things, traumatic injuries to his head, including his jaw, mouth and teeth, along with multiple broken ribs and fingers.

They are also accused of stabbing the victim in the eyes with a pointed object, mutilating his tongue, burning his ears and buttocks, and binding him with an electrical cord.

They allegedly then dumped Gotay's body in a remote area along U.S. Route 6 in Ulysses Township, Potter County, where his remains were discovered in April 2021.

No motive for Gotay's murder has ever been made public.

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Under terms of his plea agreement, Bovaird will serve at least 18 years in state prison, with a maximum sentence of life.

Chemung County Judge Ottavio Campanella scheduled sentencing for Sept. 8, and remanded Bovaird to the Chemung County Jail until that time.

Weems, who also faces 18 years to life in prison, is scheduled to be sentenced July 14.

He also previously pleaded guilty to first-degree kidnapping after admitting he abducted a man in early April 2021 with the intent to compel a third person to pay ransom.

Weems faces at least 15 years for that conviction, to be served concurrently with the murder conviction.

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This article originally appeared on Elmira Star-Gazette: Second suspect pleads guilty in Elmira torture and murder of NYC man