Missing Tampa couple found dead

[Trevor McGinty, left, and Wendy Dusza. Photos special to the Times]

TAMPA -- At first, Trevor McGinty and his girlfriend, Wendy Dusza seemed to fit into their Hernando County subdivision, says former neighbor Lisa Noble.

They attended a neighborhood barbecue. Dusza's daughter enrolled in middle school. They had a nice home.

The Nobles began to notice curious things, though. They never saw McGinty outside. Dusza and her teen daughter came outside only to mow the lawn. McGinty seemed controlling and condescending of his girlfriend, Noble recalls. When Dusza spoke, McGinty often talked right over her. Visitors came rarely and visits often brought drama.

"It was like a Jerry Springer show in the front yard," she said.

In the summer, the daughter moved out. The couple left shortly after, leasing their home.

A couple of days before Halloween, Noble saw two cars pull up to the dark house, flash their lights inside and take out appliances. Concerned, neighbors contacted deputies, but McGinty and Dusza showed up shortly after, saying their were selling off their appliances, Noble says.

What happened just after that is unclear, but it all ended Sunday night when Trevor McGinty, 30, of 4333 Bayside Village Drive Apt. 208 died of a single gunshot wound to his head at the Holiday Inn on West University Avenue in Gainesville.

The Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office said deputies discovered the body of Wendy Dusza, 34, in a storage shed at the couple's apartment (shown on right) on Saturday night.

Authorities declined to say how she died, other than "trauma to the upper torso.'' They believe Dusza was killed sometime between Oct. 25 and26.

Previously they had said they were looking for McGinty and Dusza.

Family members reported the couple missing Friday after not hearing from them for about a week.

Gainesville police say the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office asked them to go to the Holiday Inn on West University Avenue about 8 p.m. Sunday after McGinty's 2006 Jeep Wrangler was spotted there. The Jeep was  wanted in connection with a Tampa murder scene, Gainesville police said. It is is unclear who spotted the Jeep.

Police calls to the room went unanswered. When SWAT team members knocked on the door about 11 p.m., they heard one gunshot. McGinty died at the scene.

McGinty and Dusza were both employed in the mortgage industry. McGinty's voicemail message says he worked for "First Mutual Mortgage."

About 4 to 5 years ago, McGinty worked at the Central Avenue Oyster Bar downtown St. Petersburg, according to manager Jesse Martin. Back then, McGinty hired Martin to shuck oysters. Martin learned of McGinty's death from a reporter on Monday morning. He declined to comment further about McGinty.

"It is what it is," he said.   

Carter said deputies are unaware of a motive for Dusza's murder.

Online postings suggest the couple planned to leave Tampa. The phone numbers McGinty and Dusza appeared on ads in Tampabay.com and Craigslist.org starting Oct. 4.

One was for a living room set purchased a year ago. Another listed a queen bedroom set purchased just two months ago.

"YEP I KNOW YOU ASK WHAT 2 MONTHS OLD I HEAR YAH'' the Craigslist ad
says. "MOVING BACK TO CHICAGO AND SELLING EVERYTHING UNFORTUNATELY.''

Also on Craigslist, an ad for their dog posted Oct. 25: "MOVING TO CHICAGO CANT TAKE OUR WONDERFUL DOG WITH US," it says. "NEEDS HOME IMMEDIATELY!!''

Police found a hungry dog and cat in their apartment.

Related:
No sign of pair

Tampa couple disappear

-- Melanie Ave, Times staff writer

Editor's Note: If you knew McGinty or Dusza, please leave your comments below or e-mail reporter Abbie VanSickle, vansickle@sptimes.com.

Comments

[Brett]

I have known Trevor for years and this doesnt surprise me in the least, he was one of the most selfish people I have ever met!! I pity the girl and her family.

[Jillian]

Wendy was a mother, a daughter, and a great friend. She did not deserve to have her life ended this way. Trevor was controlling and violent. She tried to end it several times and he kept promising he would change. Wendy will be missed everyday and I know she is in heaven. At least she is happy now and can finally live without him.

[Lea]

I have known Wendy for years. She is my niece's mother. Wendy did not deserve what happened to her. I find it very distrubing that Trevor's parents say that everything was fine with the couple. I wonder how they are living with the fact that their son took a young girl's mother from her.

[JK]

Shame her friends weren't good enough to help her get away from this man. Women need to wise up. His fault and her fault for staying with a nut case.

[M]

Wendy's friends were amazing people and only one person should be blamed for what happened. It is not fair to assume that her friends did not try to help. Every person has a mind of their own and friends and family can not force someone to walk away. Wendy couldn't help who she loved and it is a shame that a child has lost her mother.

[Bill]

He does look somewhat like a swine in that photo. Wonder what she saw in him?

[Joe]

I will be willing to bet you the counties here in Florida failed us again, by allowing a repeat offender to spark again. Sentencing and penalities for serious crimes in this state are far too often ignored by our justice system. and why is it so much scum from other places move here? Drugs are readily available, law enforcement too easy and too sparse and more scum just keeps on moving in. Wake up Florida!

[Joe]

Couple probably had plenty of stressful money issues.

www.clerk.co.hernando.fl.us/detailCivilCases.asp?case_no=2007001490&case_prefix=CA

[Joe]

no surprise on this guy. check his previous living locations.

http://www.clerk.co.hernando.fl.us/detailCivilCases.asp?case_no=2007000132&case_prefix=DR

[Joe]

This guy a loser for certain!

http://www.truecrimeweblog.com/2007/11/disappearance-of-trevor-mcginty-and.html

McGinty has a criminal history in Hernando County, FL. As recently as early 2007, he was charged with "repeat violence" [link 1, link 2]. In the past he'd also been charged with DUI and resisting an officer [link], discharging a firearm in public, under the influence [link], and misdemeanor domestic battery [link].

[Dave]

Why any woman would stay with a violent man for one second is beyond me.

I'm sorry, but if you choose to lie with a snake that's already bitten you, you shouldn't be surprised when he bits you again.

[Jessica]

I worked with them at the dealership they met at... Wendy was a super nice person, going in the wrong direction a little bit, but kind all the same. Trevor McGinty was just a nasty sleazebag from the begining. While this doesn't SURPRISE me, it truly saddens me. No one deserves to meet this end.

My condolences to the family.

[Adriana]

Nobody deserves to die and the hands of another human being. My condolences to the family, espcially her young daughter. Poor girl.

[blah from tx]

i know trevor and wendy! If you don't know the whole story just shut your mouth. Trevor was wonderful while with us and Wendy would make him jealous on purpose.

[Wendy's relative D]

To blah from tx--are you purposely trying to make people angry with that comment about Wendy? All the published info seems to state quite the opposite of Trevor. It appears that Trevor had some really deep seeded "issues". People don't have "records" and get arrested for "being wonderful". Maybe you need to wake up and smell the coffee blah and think before you speak next time you decide to say something so stupid. We (her family)did know the whole story. Wendy was abused for along time and she did not deserve to be murdered by the "wonderful Trevor".

[Wendy's relative D]

God Bless you Wendy, may you finally rest in peace. You are loved and will be greatly missed. Deepest sympathy to her family and beautiful daughter Brittany.

[Georganne]

Make me a witness
take me out
out of darkness
out of doubt
I won't weigh you down
with good intention
won't make fire out of clay
or other inventions
will we burn in heaven
like we do down here
will the change come
while we're waiting
everyone is waiting
and when we're done
soul searching
as we carried the weight
and died for the cause
is misery
made beautiful
right before our eyes
will mercy be revealed
or blind us where we stand
will we burn in heaven
like we do down here
will the change come while we're waiting
everyone is waiting
from 2 surviors of this horrible tragedy

[Georganne]

Unravel me
a distant cord
on the outside is forgotten
a constant need

To get along
and the animal awakens
and all I feel is black and white

The road is long
the memory slides
to the whole of my undoing
put aside
I put away
I push it back to get through each day
and all I feel is black and white
and I'm wound up small and tight
and I don't know who I am

Everybody loves you when you're easy
everybody hates when you're a bore
everyone is waiting for your entrance so
don't disappoint them

Unravel me
untie this chord
the very center of our union
is caving in
I can't endure
I am the archive of our failure

And all I feel is black and white
and I'm wound up small and tight
and I don't know who I am

Everybody loves you when you're easy
everybody hates when you're a bore
everyone is waiting for your entrance so
don't disappoint them

Everybody loves you when you're easy so
don't disappoint them

Don't disappoint them...

[Georganne]

The winter here’s cold, and bitter
It’s chilled us to the bone
We haven’t seen the sun for weeks
To long too far from home
I feel just like I’m sinking
And I claw for solid ground
I’m pulled down by the undertow
I never thought I could feel so low
Oh darkness I feel like letting go
If all of the strength and all of the courage
Come and lift me from this place
I know I could love you much better than this
Full of grace
Full of grace
My love
So it’s better this way, I said
Having seen this place before
Where everything we said and did
Hurts us all the more
Its just that we stayed, too long
In the same old sickly skin
I’m pulled down by the undertow
I never thought I could feel so low
Oh darkness I feel like letting go
If all of the strength
And all of the courage
Come and lift me from this place
I know I could love you much better than this
Full of grace
Full of grace
My love

[Geno P.]

My deepest sympathy and prayers to Wendy's family and her daughter, Brittany...

I knew Trevor from 4 yrs ago, he worked for me. He was a sick selfish abuser then! I fired him and called him on his sick behavior. He could be the most likeable guy, until you got to know him or work with him. Lazy-selfish-liar-con-thief-alcoholic-drug addict! Only he "appeared" to be well functioning on the surface. Just below that, rotten. Look at the end results!

Wendy probably had a weak spot or two like we all do, only Trevor was the kind to find it, feed it, use it to destroy your own self-worth. He was the kind of person who only felt good about himself by controling the people around him and putting up a totally false front! Anyone who knew him at any depth knew this, or they are lying too!

Many years ago someone told me that "if you really truely love someone, and they aren't truely happy with you, then your love for them would WANT THEM to be happy! Even if it meant they would not be with you.". Think about it, its so true...its only our selfishness or insecurity that wants to hold and control someone against their own happiness.
That's what he has always done. Even before Wendy. Now she's gone because he had no self control or love for her! None!

Right now I hope he is rotting in hell with all the other scumbag murderers who have walked this earth!

God forgive me! so angry at his horrible life!

[amycroce]

Blah from Tx:

Wendy was not like that AT ALL! I have known Wendy since the day she was born.... she was not one to ever make someone jealous. She was always a friendly girl, not flirtatious, but friendly...Trevor used to scream at me during phone calls afraid I am trying to fix her up with her exboyfriend, and that was when I was happy about her finding a GOOD MAN. I think he would have been jealous of any guy that she would talk to. Obviously that is why they had a home business together, so she could not have contact with anyone. When she came home for my Uncle's funeral last year he threatened suicide before she left Florida. He would not answer any of her phone calls the entire time she stayed with me, she was frightened.. she called her neighbors to find that they heard gunshots from her new home.. she told me she was leaving him, and I believed her. I wonder, is it because she thought he was a good man or was she really scared that when she did leave him, he would harm her or Brit? Well if it was because she was scared, she was right. Thank God our Brit wasn't there, it looked like he was jealous that she chose to move home with her daughter instead of him....oh wait....that was Wendy purposely making him jealous AGAIN!!!!

[Geno P.]

Dear "BLAH"...

I am happy to hear that the murderer Trevor was so "wonderful" while he was with you...makes me wonder???

Was he just setting you up like he has conned so many before you?

Because for the many many years he was around us, he was a scumbag liar-cheat-thief-lazy good for nothing blow hard!

Hmmmmmmm...Hard to imagine the severe discrepencies in your description and ALL OF OURS!

You need help!

Look at his personal-public record!

Look at the final results you Nit-Wit !

He murdered the girl he 'loved'!

[Geno P.]

To Amy & BLAH....

Thank you Amy for shedding your "first hand light" on this relationship...you hit the nail on the head! He was a controling-JEALOUS-manipulative abuser!

Also, with his previous girlfriend! He ALWAYS worked at the same bar/restaurant she worked at (always 1/2 the hours she did too), and came in on his days off to watch her. She also was very attractive and super-super "friendly"! She was never flirtatious one minute with anyone(I was the G.Mngr, there 10+ hrs a day!)!

I was there...I saw her every shift, every week, every month! HE WAS THE JEALOUS ONE.....and the cheating one too! That's why he was always supicious, because he couldn't trust himself to be monogamous! The scumbag!

She had a gun pulled on her, by him, and that was the final straw for her after years of supporting him, enduring the emotional and physical abuse! She got away, poor sweet Wendy didn't....

May her precious soul Rest in Peace Now and Forever...we pray!

[someone]

Georganne aren't you a previous girlfriend i once heard about. I know i was an ex at one time...he beat me, cheated on me, lied an all. Threaten a huge deal of things. I had to lie and say i was sick and needed to get to a doctor fast. So i had him drop me off at a hospital and rushed in for help. Thats how i got out of it....Wendy i am so glad your safe and at peace. Also georgeann Your just like him, why would you put a poem up here for. Get a life!

[CHRIS]

I MOVED TO FLORIDA 2 1/2 YEARS AGO WITH MY FIANCEE. MY FIRST JOB I GOT WAS AT A CAR DEALERSHIP. I STARTED THE SAME DAY AS WENDY. SHE WAS FULL OF LIFE WE BECAME FRIENDS FAST. TREVOR WAS ALREADY WORKING AT THE DEALERSHIP ME AND HIM BECAME FRIENDS AT WORK. WE STARTED TO HANG OUT AFTER WORK AFTER A MONTH I SOON REALIZED HE HAD MAJOR PROBLEMS. ONE NIGHT ME, WENDY, AND TREVOR WENT TO A CARD GAME. ON THE WAY HOME TREVOR WAS DRIVING 110MPH INTOXICATED I THOUGHT I WAS GOING TO DIE. AS WE WERE DRIVING DOWN I275 TREVOR GETS MAD AT ANOTHER CAR FOR GOING TO SLOW HE PULLS OUT HIS GUN AND STARTS FIRING OUT HIS MOONROOF IN HIS HONDA ACCORD. WHEN I GOT HOME THAT NIGHT I SAID TO MYSELF I NEED TO STAY AWAY FROM TREVOR. I CONTINUED TO WORK WITH WENDY FOR ANOTHER 2 WEEKS. I TRIED TO TELL HER TO GET AWAY FROM HIM BUT SHE FELL IN LOVE WITH HIM RIGHT AWAY. I QUIT MY JOB AT THE CAR DEALERSHIP TO GET HIM OUT OF MY LIFE. HE WAS A TROUBLED KID. AFTER I STOPPED TALKING TO HIM HE USED TO LEAVE ME VOICEMAILS CRYING ABOUT HOW HE DIDN'T HAVE ANY REAL FRIENDS. WHEN I FIRST HEARD THEY WERE MISSING THE FIRST THOUGHT THAT POPPED INTO MY HEAD WAS TREVOR KILLED HER THAN KILLED HIMSELF

[TjHJr]

It's sad to see and read all of the people saying all the bad things about either people.
People turn bad for reasons
But honestly does it matter today?
Plain and simple it truly sounds like the guy has some major issues, and unfortunately his issues resulting in murder and suicide.
Could we try to blame the law for not helping out more
Sure, but where will it get us?
Wendy was in a situation that millions of women suffer today unfortunately.
The power of abuse is tremendous and sad.

I hope and pray my family never has to experience something as horrible as this.
My heart goes out to the Dusza family
some of the their family members dealt with what I dealt with growing up, and to me that was enough to experience for a lifetime. Now Brian, Russell and Debbie are without there sister and daughter.
I hope they all take this moment of tragedy and remember most of all the person who is closer to Wendy than any of them and that's her daughter. At Age 14 I hope this tragic event doesn't alter he life in a bad way.

Although I live quite a distance away from this, and haven't heard of the Dusza Family in many years and this really tears me up.
This hits closer to home than I expected.

[georganne]

TO (someone i would call a coward)
excuse me i think this is heather...and if it is i would like to say your just as big of a coward as trevor was..to hide behind computer and your stupid on display...this is is a song stupid and it isnt for trevor.its about the cycle of abuse.dont sill here and claim your innocent cause you werent a victim you were a druggy and an equal perticipant.you were just and messed up with as the rest of us women..you put up with it and when you had enough you got out.and so did i .......dont make bring all things dark in to the light.for you surely have many bones in your closet and so does your family...

[georganne]

We were abused tooo.we are suffering just as you are.
this is an unimaginable tragidy.
we could not control him...and as i see it,many people,saw many things that happened.and you all turned away.does this not make you guilty..let us move on with life and forget the monster that haunted us toooooooooo!!!!!!!

[Georganne]

TjHJr thank you for writing that.well said.

[Georganne]

TjHJr thank you for writing that.well said.

[Someone]

To georganne:

No this is NOT HEATHER wrong girl, but i heard about her too. I wasn't into drugs i tried to help Trevor get away from drugs it made him even more upset when i tried to help. I had him talk to a shrink. The doc told him stuff he didnt want to hear and slammed things on the floor got up and left. From what Trevor told me you have some pretty dirty laundry would you like me to spill it out here so everyone can see what hypocrite you really are. It could effect you in many ways now! He often talked about you and his mother. If anything our relationship was probably one of the best. He could actually talk to me and relate with eachother. Our only problem was i wouldnt follow and do drugs with him so it pissed him off even more. Glad you got away though! Specially for Trevor's son you both had to share.

[Georganne]

listen,we are both attacking each other.
although you did attack first.and i know who you are now.forgive becuase i know this is hard for you too.the only past i have is with trevor ,none before,none after.i went through years of counceling,this has hit me very hard.I am in my own hell be reassured,please i ask you let me mourn in peace.i have done nothing wrong and i mean no harm to anyone.my past is just that the past.
i do hope that someday people will learn to understand mental disorder and the cycle of abuse.i love my family very much,i am haunted dont worry....
the truth is we will never know what happened that day.we can only imagine,but we can learn to help each other in this life,learn to recognise the signs of abuse,the effects of mental disorders,.as for me i love my life,my family nd i thank god for every breath i take and every moment i share with the ones i love.
god you,sorry for your pain.

[curious minds]

Did anyone go to Trevor's funeral service or did he even have one? No-one has mention that yet.

[lala]

i heard trev's mom went crazy now.

[brittney(wendys daughter)]

why do you people have to say such mean things about my mother??
she was the most amazing person and mother i can ask for..you obviously dont know that so you just say horrible things to cover it up..if you dont have anything nice to say, dont say it at all....but trevor is an exception because he was a jerk and he abused me as well. so why dont you all get a life and wake up?
kthanks(:

rest in peace mommy..you will be missed and i cant wait to see you once more...

[brittney]

you have no idea how painful it is to read these things and seeing people bad talk my mother; whom i love dearly!

so please dont do it..she doesnt deserve it..you also have no idea what we both have been through!
so just shut up