Boshay Ware Pleads Not Guilty in Fresno Canal Case

Boshay Ware Pleads Not Guilty in Fresno Canal Case

A Fresno man accused in the deaths of Georgiana McGhee and Jerome Saldivar has pleaded not guilty as the disturbing canal case moves through Fresno County Superior Court.

Prosecutors accuse 48-year-old Boshay Ware of attacking both victims with a blunt object. Authorities later recovered both victims from Fresno canals, according to court reporting published in June. Ware remains accused and has not been convicted.

Woman Found in Southwest Fresno Canal

The investigation began late on May 10, 2026.

Fresno police responded to a canal near Nielsen and Hughes avenues after someone reported a woman in the water. Officers removed the woman from the canal, but emergency personnel pronounced her dead at the scene.

Authorities later identified her as 50-year-old Georgiana McGhee of Fresno. An autopsy found that McGhee died from blunt-force trauma. Investigators ruled her death a homicide.

Detectives then retraced McGhee’s final movements. They interviewed people who knew her and examined evidence connected to the hours before her death.

Police Identify Boshay Ware as Suspect

Fresno police eventually identified Ware as the suspect in McGhee’s death.

Police said McGhee, Ware and Saldivar knew one another. Investigators did not believe the violence involved a random encounter. Instead, authorities said the three had spent time together before the alleged attack.

Investigators also examined a possible dispute involving an RV trailer registered to Saldivar.

Police arrested Ware and initially booked him on allegations that included murder and torture in McGhee’s death.

Jerome Saldivar Also Reported Missing

As detectives investigated McGhee’s killing, they learned that 55-year-old Jerome Saldivar had also disappeared.

Saldivar had reportedly been missing since May 10, the same day officers found McGhee. Fresno police said evidence indicated that someone had severely assaulted Saldivar during the same incident.

Police publicly asked for help finding him. Investigators feared he could be seriously injured or dead.

The case took another turn on June 2. Emergency crews recovered a second body from a canal near Glenn and Webster avenues. That canal connects to the waterway where authorities found McGhee about 4.5 miles away. Officials initially said they could not immediately identify the body.

Later court reporting identified Saldivar as the second victim in the criminal case against Ware.

Prosecutors Allege Attack Involved a Blunt Object

Ware appeared in Fresno County Superior Court on June 11.

Prosecutors filed an amended criminal complaint accusing Ware in connection with the deaths of both McGhee and Saldivar. According to ABC30, the charging document alleged that the attack involved a blunt object and described the conduct as torture.

Ware pleaded not guilty.

A judge set his bail at $2.7 million. Ware appeared in court while shackled and seated in a wheelchair, although broadcast footage did not clearly show his face.

The charges remain allegations. Prosecutors must prove them in court beyond a reasonable doubt.

Families Seek Answers

McGhee’s relatives have publicly expressed shock and grief over her death.

Her cousin told ABC30 that the family knew Ware and struggled to understand the allegations. She also said she planned to follow the court case and attend future hearings.

Saldivar’s family described him as someone who loved his relatives and the Dallas Cowboys. They said he was born at Fort Hood, Texas, and grew up in a military family.

The Fresno canal case now centers on the evidence gathered by homicide detectives, the amended charges filed by prosecutors and the court process ahead.

Central Valley Entertainment will continue following the case as verified updates become available.

Quick Facts

• Suspect: Boshay Ware, 48
• Victims: Georgiana McGhee, 50, and Jerome Saldivar, 55
• Location: Fresno, California
• McGhee found: May 10, 2026
• Second body recovered: June 2, 2026
• Plea: Not guilty
• Bail: $2.7 million
• Case status: Pending in Fresno County Superior Court

What Authorities Have Confirmed

Authorities confirmed that officers found McGhee in a Fresno canal and that an autopsy ruled her death a homicide.

Police also confirmed that Saldivar disappeared after an alleged assault. Prosecutors later charged Ware in connection with both deaths.

Ware pleaded not guilty and remains legally presumed innocent unless a court finds him guilty.

What Has Not Been Proven

A jury has not determined that Ware killed either victim.

Authorities have discussed a possible dispute involving an RV trailer, but prosecutors must still present evidence showing what led to the alleged attack.

Some evidence in the case may remain sealed or unavailable until future court proceedings.