Denise Williams wanted to gift the fridge to her boyfriend.
Trigger warning: Contains descriptions of violence that may be distressing to some.
In this day and age of people turning to e-commerce stores for shopping, one woman did not think her meeting with a potential online seller would lead to her death. In a shocking incident, a woman identified as Denise Williams was stabbed to death after she went to examine an appliance at an online seller's house.
The woman from Pennsylvania came in contact with the online seller named Joshua Gorgone through a Facebook marketplace. According to People, she hoped to buy a fridge from the man with the idea of gifting it to her boyfriend. However, she did not imagine the encounter would take a fatal turn.
Pa. Woman Was Fatally Stabbed When She Showed Up to Buy Fridge on Facebook Marketplace https://t.co/vTV6UE9uev The downside of haggling over price...
— Enid Selma Peabody (@Flywoman1950) April 8, 2021
The incident came to light after Denise's relatives informed the police of her missing. They told the authorities that she had planned to meet with a 26-year-old seller online. Additionally, the relatives gave them his information through Denise's Facebook chat.
As a result, police tracked her movement with the help of the data from her phone. It eventually led them to the man's apartment located at 206 Old Scalp Ave. The 54-year-old woman was found inside the house with multiple injuries. An autopsy conducted found that she died due to blood loss caused by the injuries.
According to WJAC, Gorgone stabbed the woman multiple times after they entered into an argument regarding the price of the appliance. Speaking of the unfortunate murder, Cambria County Coroner Jeff Lees said, "She did put up one heck of a fight. This was a violent death that she sustained."
“She went there to look at the fridge and never came out, unfortunately," said Cambria County District Attorney Greg Neugebauer. The accused is held at Cambria County Prison. His preliminary hearing is scheduled to be on April 14, 2021.
The murder inspired the police and other authorities to warn the community about making online purchases from strangers. They instructed the public on some safety measures that could be followed to avoid any such mishaps.
“Use caution when you’re dealing with anybody or anything involving purchasing something through the internet, meeting up with someone,” said the District Attorney. He continued, "Don’t go alone. Don’t invite someone to your house alone to look at something. Always have someone with you or if possible, meet in a public or well-lit place.”
Chief Zakucia also repeated the importance of ensuring one's safety while dealing with strangers. “When you lose someone like this or have incidents of this nature, it’s a shock to us all. The residents of Geistown are safe," said the Chief. He added, "This was unfortunate; it was a tough scene. It was a tough call for myself and my officers."
References:
https://people.com/crime/pennsylvania-woman-allegedly-killed-man-tried-buy-fridge/
Cover Image Source: Getty Images | Photo by Cambria County Police department
