Widow remains in federal custody

Police said there were discrepancies in the widow's story from the beginning.
By LAURE CIOFFI
VINDICATOR PENNSYLVANIA BUREAU
AKRON -- Donna Moonda will remain in federal custody at least through next week on charges that she aided and abetted in the slaying of her millionaire husband.
Moonda, 47, appeared Friday morning before U.S. District Judge David Dowd. Dowd determined that there was sufficient evidence to continue the government's case against Moonda, but gave attorneys until Tuesday to file briefs to determine whether she should remain in federal custody while awaiting trial.
Her attorney, Roger Synenberg, asked that she be released to the supervision of her mother, Dorothy Smouse of Hermitage, Pa., and be under electronic monitoring.
Linda Barr of the U.S. Attorney's office said the government was opposed to that idea because they believe Moonda is a danger and a flight risk.
"The defendant, up until this past weekend, believed she had gotten away with the crime," Barr said.
Prosecutors contend Moonda, 47, persuaded her 25-year-old lover, Damian Bradford, to shoot her husband.
The slaying
Dr. Gulam Moonda, 69, was shot once in the head at about 6:30 p.m. May 13, 2005, on the side of the Ohio Turnpike near Cleveland. Mrs. Moonda told police a highway robber must have targeted her husband from a previous stop at a rest area. She contends Dr. Moonda was flashing a wad of cash that must have attracted attention.
Sgt. Dennis Goodhart, Ohio State Highway Patrol criminal investigator, said video surveillance at the rest stop showed Mrs. Moonda was carrying her husband's wallet in her purse and she pulled out the cash to pay for some water.
Goodhart said there were other discrepancies in her story that led police to look into her background. They eventually discovered that Mrs. Moonda had been arrested in Mercer County for stealing Fentanyl from the hospital where she worked as a nurse and had undergone drug treatment at a Beaver County facility.
Goodhart said anonymous callers to the Pennsylvania State Police received after Dr. Moonda was killed told authorities Donna Moonda had a boyfriend in Beaver County. They eventually identified him as Damian Bradford.
Bradford cut a deal with prosecutors last week and has agreed to testify against Mrs. Moonda in exchange for a 17 1/2-year prison sentence.
Bradford said they started planning the shooting weeks in advance, Goodhart said. Bradford told police Mrs. Moonda had asked him to give her a flesh wound in an attempt to make the shooting look like a robbery, but he refused to shoot her, Goodhart said.
cioffi@vindy.com