20/20 Tonight

Who Was Angel Goyena & What Happened to Her? 2026 Update & Profile

by · July 10, 2026

Angelique “Angel” Goyena spent much of her life caring for others. Family members remember her as a compassionate daughter, devoted sister and talented artist who placed the needs of those around her ahead of her own. At 35, she believed she was finally beginning a new chapter after becoming engaged to David Wayne Hoshaw Jr., a man she met through an online dating website.

Instead, that future ended in the early hours of June 30, 2007, when Angelique and her mother, Vonda Goyena, were brutally attacked inside their Norfolk, Virginia, home. What initially appeared to be an unsolved double homicide eventually exposed the hidden double life of the man Angelique planned to marry.

A Life Built Around Family

Angelique Goyena, known to family and friends as Angel, was born into a close-knit Norfolk family and remained deeply connected to them throughout her life. Rather than moving far from home, she stayed close to her parents and became an important source of support as they grew older.

Her mother, Vonda Goyena, relied heavily on Angelique’s care during her later years. Family members said Angel never viewed that responsibility as a burden. Looking after her parents was simply part of who she was.

Her siblings described her as someone who naturally put other people first. Whenever family members needed advice, encouragement or someone willing to listen, Angel was often the first person they called.

Her sister, Yolanda Goyena, later reflected that Angel had a unique ability to comfort people during difficult times. That generosity became one of the qualities her family remembered most after her death.

Talented, Creative and Compassionate

Angelique graduated near the top of her class at Lake Taylor High School in Norfolk. Friends and relatives described her as intelligent, thoughtful and creative.

She worked for Gourmet Gang, a catering company in the Norfolk area, where she earned a reputation as a dependable employee.

Outside work, Angel expressed herself through creative pursuits. She wrote poetry and enjoyed painting pastoral landscapes. Art became both a hobby and an outlet for her imagination.

Despite those talents, family members said Angel remained modest. She rarely sought recognition and preferred quiet moments with those closest to her over attention or praise.

Her niece, Stephanie Kera, later recalled how excited Angel became whenever she spoke about her wedding plans, seeing marriage as the beginning of an entirely new stage in her life.

Finding Love Online

In 2006, Angelique met David Wayne Hoshaw Jr. through an online dating website.

Hoshaw appeared to offer everything she hoped for in a partner. He worked as an engineer in the naval architecture industry, volunteered as a Boy Scout leader and presented himself as someone committed to family life.

Their relationship progressed quickly.

Within about six months, Hoshaw proposed, and Angel accepted. She threw herself into planning every aspect of their September 2007 wedding.

The ceremony was scheduled to take place at Breezy Point on Naval Station Norfolk. Angel had already planned many of the details, including flowers, decorations and her dress. According to family members, she looked forward to starting a family of her own after years spent caring for others.

For Angel, the engagement represented the fulfilment of dreams she had carried for years.

Warning Signs Before the Wedding

Although Angel remained optimistic about the relationship, her family noticed changes in Hoshaw during the months leading up to the wedding.

Her sister Yolanda later said Angel confided that Hoshaw had become emotionally distant. Sometimes, she said, he looked at her with an expression that made her uncomfortable, as though he were disgusted with her.

Family members also noticed that Hoshaw seemed detached from the wedding preparations.

What Angel did not know was that Hoshaw had already begun another relationship with a woman he met during a business trip to Wisconsin.

While Angel was planning their wedding, prosecutors later established that Hoshaw was secretly planning a different future with another woman named Amanda.

Investigators eventually discovered photographs of Hoshaw and Amanda together and evidence showing he had even changed the password on his computer to “4Amanda” shortly before the murders.

The Night Everything Changed

During the early morning hours of June 30, 2007, violence entered the Goyena family home on Friden Street.

Angel and her 74-year-old mother, Vonda, were attacked with a knife inside the house.

Police later determined there had been no forced entry, leading investigators to believe the victims likely knew their attacker or willingly allowed him inside.

Angel suffered multiple stab wounds and died at the scene.

Vonda survived long enough to make a desperate 911 call. During that call, she identified her daughter’s boyfriend as the person who had attacked them before telling the dispatcher she believed she was dying.

She was transported to hospital but later died from her injuries.

The murders shocked relatives and investigators alike. There was no obvious motive, no murder weapon and very little forensic evidence pointing to a suspect.

A Family Searches for Answers

Initially, David Hoshaw appeared unlikely to be responsible.

He told investigators he had spent the night at a Boy Scout camping trip approximately 80 miles away with his son. The account appeared to provide him with a solid alibi.

Angel’s family, however, remained uneasy.

Yolanda Goyena later recalled that something about Hoshaw’s behaviour never felt right. Family members questioned why he showed so little emotion after the murders and why he failed to attend either Angel’s or Vonda’s funeral.

Soon afterward, Hoshaw moved to Michigan and began living with Amanda.

The discovery that he had been carrying on another serious relationship while engaged to Angel only deepened the family’s suspicions.

Justice for Angel

Over the next two years, detectives painstakingly reconstructed Hoshaw’s activities before and after the murders.

Rather than relying on DNA or a recovered murder weapon, investigators built their case through travel records, telephone data, financial transactions and anonymous letters mailed to police by someone claiming responsibility for the killings.

Those letters ultimately became one of the strongest pieces of evidence against Hoshaw.

Following his arrest in Michigan in 2009, Hoshaw confessed during a recorded conversation with Amanda that he had killed Angel and Vonda. He also admitted writing the anonymous letters in an effort to mislead investigators.

On October 5, 2010, Hoshaw pleaded guilty to capital murder and first-degree murder. He was sentenced to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole.

For Angel’s family, the guilty plea ended years of uncertainty, although it could never undo what had happened.

Angel’s Legacy

More than a decade after her death, Angelique Goyena continues to be remembered by those who knew her as much more than the victim of a notorious murder case.

Her family speaks of her kindness, humility and willingness to help anyone who needed support. They remember her creativity, her poetry, her artwork and the excitement she felt while preparing for her wedding.

Her sister Yolanda has said it took many years before she could think about Angel without being overwhelmed by grief. Today, she chooses to remember the joy Angel brought to her family rather than the violence that ended her life.

Her niece has spoken about the wedding that never happened, recalling how carefully Angel had planned every detail and how excited she was to begin married life.

Although the investigation into Angel’s murder became known for anonymous letters, hidden affairs and a recorded confession, those closest to her hope she is remembered for the life she lived rather than the way it ended. They remember a loving daughter who cared for her parents, a devoted sister who was always there for her family and a woman whose future was stolen just months before she was due to walk down the aisle.

More “House of Cards”

More Feature Articles

Avatar photo

Ryan Gill

Ryan is a passionate follower of true crime television programs, reporting on and providing in-depth investigations on mysteries in the criminal world.

You may also like...

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *