4 Arrested In Connection With Body Parts Found On LI: Police

BABYLON, NY — Four people have been arrested in connection with the grisly discovery of human remains in Babylon, West Islip and Bethpage this week, police said.

Suffolk County Police homicide squad detectives arrested and charged Steven Brown, 44, Jeffrey Mackey, 38, and Amanda Wallace, 40, all of 25 Railroad Ave., in Amityville, and Alexis Nieves, 33, who is without a known residence, with first-degree hindering prosecution, tampering with physical evidence and concealment of a human corpse, police said.

They were scheduled to be arraigned at First District Court in Central Islip on Wednesday, police said.

Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney spoke out against bail reform measures after the arrests.

"It is our understanding that the Suffolk County Police Department is still investigating these
murders," Tierney said. "Unfortunately, due to 'bail reform' passed by the New York State Legislature in 2019, charges relating to the mutilation and disposal of murdered corpses are no longer bail-eligible, meaning my prosecutors cannot ask for bail. This is yet another absurd result thanks to 'bail reform' and a system where the Legislature in Albany substitutes their judgment for the judgment of our judges and the litigants in court. We will work with the Suffolk County Police Department to resolve this investigation as soon as possible and implore our Legislature to make common sense fixes to this law."

New human remains were found Tuesday in the ongoing investigation after body parts were found in a Babylon park last week, police said.

According to an update by Suffolk County Police homicide squad detectives, an investigation into the human remains found in Babylon on February 29 resulted in a search warrant that was executed at a Railroad Ave. address in Amityville on Monday. No human remains were located during the search, police said.

Human remains were, however, located in a wooded area across from 103 Lakeway Drive in West Babylon on Tuesday, police said. The scene was processed by the Suffolk County Police homicide squad and the Office of the Suffolk County Medical Examiner, police said.

In addition, human remains were also located at Bethpage State Park on Tuesday; the scene was processed by New York State Police and the Office of the Suffolk County Medical Examiner, police said.

The remains located in West Babylon and Bethpage are believed to belong to the same victims from the February 29 discovery, police said.

The female, 59 years old, has been identified and her name is being withheld pending notification of next of kin, police said. The male has been tentatively identified and was 53 years old at the time of his death, police said.

Their last known address was the same location in Yonkers, however, it’s unclear when they last resided there, police said.

Based on the investigation, the discovery of the remains appears to be an isolated incident with no threat to the public, police said, adding that the investigation is continuing.

Police did not immediately respond to questions about peculation circulating that the murders might have been part of a "love triangle" or could have been gang-related.

As police wrapped up the search for body parts in a Long Island park Friday, the work continued to identify the woman and man whose gruesome discovery rocked the quiet village where they were found, close to residential homes and the elementary school, police said.

According to Suffolk County police, the human remains found at Southards Pond Park in Babylon belonged to both a woman and a adult male, including a woman's arm, leg and head, and a man's two arms, which had tattoos.

The Suffolk County Medical Examiner determined that a severed head, right arm, left leg from the knee down, and a right upper leg found by a Suffolk County Police cadaver dog at the western side of Southards Pond Park on Thursday were believed to be those of an adult woman, police said late Friday.

According to Suffolk County police, on Thursday at about 8:40 a.m., a high school student was walking to school and discovered a severed left arm on the west side of Seagal Boulevard at the eastern end of Southards Pond Park, between Park Avenue and Mason Avenue.

The student called her father, who then called 911, police said.

Following an investigation by homicide squad detectives, a cadaver dog from the canine unit discovered a leg in a mound of leaves on the western side of the park near Graham Place; the same dog continued searching the east side of the park and found a right arm about 20 feet away from the original discovery of the left arm, police said. The remains found on the eastern edge of the park appeared to be male, police said.

Educators and parents worked hard all week to protect children from the gruesome discoveries unfolding close to their schools.

Detectives are asking anyone with information to contact the Homicide Squad at 631-852-6392 or call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-220-Tips. All calls will remain anonymous.