Update: Long Beach Man Pleads Guilty to Murdering Lynbrook Teen

A Long Beach man admitted to the brutal 2013 murder of a Lynbrook woman on a footbridge in Rockville Centre, according to the Nassau County District Attorney’s office.

Maxwell Sherman, 19, pleaded guilty before Judge Meryl Berkowitz to the second-degree murder Lauren Daverin, 18, on the night of Aug. 22, the DA said Friday.

Berkowitz committed to sentencing Sherman to 18 years to life in prison, the DA said.

Daverin was pronounced dead at 10:15 p.m., minutes after her friends found her on the footbridge between Merrick Road and Sunrise Highway, the DA said. Daverin, a newlywed, was just shy of her 19th birthday and had been hanging out with friends on the footbridge earlier that night.

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Daverin had been strangled and struck in the head multiple times in the hour before she was found, the DA said.

The day after Daverin’s murder, Sherman told a CBS news reporter that he was “surprised” by her death and that he had only seen her for a few minutes that night. Sherman, who had visible injuries on his body, had also approached Rockville Centre Police claiming he had been assaulted after leaving the footbridge, officials said.

Police charged Sherman on Aug. 24 after a witness identified him from a photo array, the DA said. The witness, who had ridden his bike on the footbridge that night, went to police and said “he saw Sherman on top of Daverin” at about 9 p.m. on the night of her death, the DA said.

“With this top-count conviction, the defendant has admitted his guilt in the murder of 18-year-old Lauren Daverin and her grieving family is spared from having to relive this brutal crime through a trial,” said Acting DA Madeline Singas in a statement Friday, adding her thanks to law enforcement for helping investigate the case.

If he was convicted in a trial of second-degree murder, Sherman could have faced 15 years to life in prison, according to Newsday.

“I’m just glad justice was finally served for my little girl,” said Daverin’s mother, Kathleen, outside the courthouse, according to Newsday.

Sherman is due to be sentenced June 11.

This is a breaking news story. Patch will update as new information is confirmed.

Photos: Lauren Daverin|Maxwell Sherman. Credit: Facebook|NCPD

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