True Crime Vault: House of Cards

The 20/20 True Crime Ball episode 'House of Cards' investigates the brutal 2007 double murder of 74-year-old Vonda Goyena and her 35-year-old daughter Angelique Guayena in Norfolk, Virginia. Found dead in their home with over 37 stab wounds, the victims were killed during a planned, intimate attack with no signs of forced entry—leaving investigators with no forensic evidence. The case went cold until two taunting letters arrived from the killer, postmarked from Chicago and Gaylord, Michigan, claiming responsibility and boasting of a 'rush.' Despite initial leads pointing to a man named Walter Lucas, investigators eventually focused on Angelique’s fiancé, David Hoshaw, whose alibi was shaky and whose behavior grew increasingly suspicious. Digging into his past, detectives uncovered a disturbing history of domestic abuse, manipulation, and deception across three prior marriages, including a conviction for assault on a 12-year-old. While Hoshaw had changed his computer password to 'For Amanda' and was linked via cell records and credit card receipts to both letter mailings, the prosecution faced a major hurdle: no physical evidence tied him to the crime. After building a massive circumstantial case—supported by 140 witnesses, a mannequin demonstrating the violence, and damning diary entries—Hoshaw unexpectedly pleaded guilty to capital murder and first-degree murder, avoiding the death penalty. His courtroom statement was bizarre and self-justifying, claiming he did it for his family, but the victim’s family remained unconvinced. In a rare prison interview, Hoshaw admitted he went to break up with Angelique, but the violence spiraled out of control when she resisted and her mother intervened. The episode ends with the family grappling with unresolved grief and the haunting question: why did he do it? The story is one of deception, psychological manipulation, and the devastating ripple effects of a killer who wore the mask of a prince charming.