RIVERSIDE, NY — A man accused of raping and kidnapping a 14-year-old girl from Long Island on his yacht in 2024 is looking to get the charges against him dismissed, Newsday reported, citing court records.
A motion filed this week on behalf of Francis Buckheit, 66, of East Islip, also requested his statements to police and evidence seized from the yacht be suppressed, according to the outlet.
The judge on the case met with attorneys for the nine remaining defendants to move forward with outstanding pretrial issues to advance the case to trial early next year, the outlet reported.
For more in Newsday, click here.
Buckheit, who was the first person arrested in the case, was charged along with 10 others in the 83-count indictment in connection with the teen's disappearance from Dec. 9, 2024 to Jan. 3, 2025.
In a previous statement to Patch, his attorney Danielle Papa said she received some discovery in the case and expected to receive more.
She went on to say that she was reviewing the material and conducting her own investigation "to discover information that will assist in the exoneration of Mr. Buckheit."
Editor's note: The teen's name is being withheld to protect her identity as a minor.
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