Man Charged With Killing Wife Has Dementia, Attorney Says

RIVERHEAD, NY— A Riverhead man charged with killing his wife after a tense standoff Tuesday was reportedly suffering from dementia.

Ian Fitzgerald, the Central Islip attorney for Robert Brown, 65, said he was given information by Brown's family that his client has dementia.

Brown was remanded to the Suffolk County Correctional Facility without bail by Riverhead Justice Allen Smith on Wednesday, Fitzgerald said.

"I don't know all the facts yet but the impression you get when you first hear the allegations is that this is a very tragic situation," Fitzgerald told Patch.

A Newsday post reported that Assistant District Attorney Keriann Kelly said the case would be presented to a grand jury for indictment Thursday. Fitzgerald said his client is due back in court Friday and should he be indicted, he will enter a "not guilty" plea.

"We're still investigating, finding out what the facts are and what the allegations are," Fitzgerald said.

After a tense, four-hour standoff, Brown was charged with fatally shooting his wife in their Riverhead home Tuesday, police said.

According to Suffolk County Police, the incident took place on Doris Ave.; officers responded at 9:20 a.m. after receiving reports of a man carrying a handgun.

Suffolk County Police's hostage negotiation team and emergency service section officers, as well as Riverhead Police, responded to the house where Brown had barricaded himself, police said.

After the lengthy standoff with police, officers knocked down the front door of the house and, inside the house, found Brown's wife, Sarah Brown, 71, dead from a gunshot wound, police said.

Brown was taken into custody at 2 p.m.; he was transported to Suffolk County Police headquarters in Yaphank where he was charged with second degree murder, police said.

He was overnight at Riverhead Town Police headquarters and arraigned Wednesday at Riverhead Justice Court, police said.