The 39-year-old mother-of-one from County Louth was shot and killed in a murder-suicide allegedly perpetrated by her "jealous boyfriend" who she planned to leave.
Denise Morgan, from Tullyallen, outside Drogheda, in County Louth, was found dead alongside her boyfriend, Joed Taveras (33) at their apartment on 69th Place, near Cooper Avenue, in Glendale, Queens, at 2.45 am on Saturday, October 21.
The New York Daily News has learned that Morgan, who worked as a bartender at the Cottage Bar & Restaurant was in a troubled relationship with Taveras and planned on leaving him.
Morgan has a nine-year-old daughter, Mollie, from a previous marriage. She had dropped the child off at her ex-husband's home before returning to the apartment.
The Irish Mirror reports that neighbors heard the man fighting with Denise seconds before hearing gunshots. Morgan and Taveras were discovered with gunshot wounds to the head. A handgun was found next to Taveras.
They were pronounced dead at the scene. The bodies were subsequently removed by the Medical Examiner’s Office for post-mortem examinations.
A police source told the New York Post "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."
On Tuesday, the New York Daily News paper's lead story was Morgan's murder. The headline reads "Desperate to leave him".
Victor Gonzalez told the Daily News “She was moving out on him, and he was cheating on her. He couldn’t handle it.”
Greg Mullin, a friend of Morgan, told NY Daily News, the Louth woman's living situation was not "good".
“I shook his hand once, and I curse the day,” Mullin said. “This is killing us.”
Denise's sisters Shannon and Lisa traveled to New York on Monday to make funeral arrangements, according to several reports.
Irish woman Denise Morgan is shot dead by boyfriend Joed Taveras in NYC in suspected murder-suicide after police find her lying next to her boyfriend in a Queens apartment https://t.co/I1YubIkiSc pic.twitter.com/3vbRM6EDDQ
— Daily Mail US (@DailyMail) October 23, 2023
In a heartbreaking message, Denise's sister Shannon wrote on Facebook: "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.
"We are absolutely heartbroken. She was the kindest most sweetest soul I know and I can’t believe I’m writing this. 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. The world won’t be the same without you in it. I will never get over this or be the same again. We love you forever Denise."
The family has now set up a GoFundMe to help cover the costs of repatriating Morgan's remains to Ireland.
The GoFundMe page set up by Alan Whyte states "Denise was a loving mother, caring sister and beautiful daughter, her love for life was contagious. The news of her murder sent shockwaves through our hearts, leaving a void that will never be filled. The circumstances surrounding her murder only serve to deepen the tragedy, reminding us of the fragility of life and the need to come together in times of darkness."
They end by saying "Let us show Denise's family that they are not alone in their grief and that her impact will forever resonate through the love and support of those who cherish her."
To donate to the family's GoFundMe click here.
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