LONG ISLAND, NY — Lawmakers, outraged after four people charged in the gruesome discovery of body parts on Long Island were immediately released to the streets without bail, are demanding change.
New York State Senators Anthony Palumbo and Patricia Canzoneri-Fitzpatrick, along with New York State Rep. Mike Durso and members of the Senate and Assembly Republican Conferences, announced legislation in response to the “terrible case” in Babylon after body parts were discovered at an amusement park and several other locations, including a local neighborhood, lawmakers said.
The defendants in the case were released under New York's “notoriously flawed bail laws” after being charged with concealing a human corpse by the Suffolk County District Attorney's Office as part of their ongoing investigation, and ordered to remain in Suffolk County with GPS ankle. screens, Palumbo said.
Newly proposed bills would make the crime of dismembering/concealing a human corpse a bail-eligible Class E felony. and will boost the use of electronic location tracking, the lawmakers said.
The gloves came off Thursday as Gov. Kathy Hochul and Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney traded heated accusations over the discovery of shocking body parts in Long Island parks that has sparked community upheaval — and lawmakers are clamoring for reform after four indictments in the case they were released back onto the streets without bail.
The four were placed on supervised release, will have GPS tracking and must report in person to probation in addition to surrendering their passports, officials said.
Hochol, speaking with FOX 5NY's Rosanna Scotto, asked Hochul about Tierney's statement. On Wednesday, when the four were released, Tierney said that because of “bail reform” passed by the New York State Legislature in 2019, charges related to the mutilation and disposal of the murdered bodies are no longer eligible for bail, which means my prosecutors can't ask for bail.”
Hochul responded to the question of bail reform: “Maybe the DA should have done a more thorough investigation and filed charges of murder or conspiracy to commit murder, or even assault charges — because they're all bailable. OK, maybe she was brought in A LITTLE early. I encourage the DA's office to go back and build your case, because if you bring any of these charges, which I think would be appropriate, she is absolutely eligible for bail. These people will not get out on the road.”
Tierney fired back Thursday: “Governor Hochul is either completely ignorant or deluded about how the criminal justice system works,” he said. “Prosecutors have a duty to only bring charges supported by evidence. Anything else would be unethical. Suffolk County Sheriff's homicide detectives are the best in the country and are working 24/7 on this case. For the governor to criticize the efforts of these detectives without knowing any of the facts to defend a broken bail system are both confusing and indefensible.When law enforcement had enough evidence to arrest these serious felony defendants, they did the right thing and did these arrests. the governor wants the police to let them out even though he has evidence that they cut up and dumped two bodies?”
He added: “The governor's platform on public safety is ridiculously inadequate and she should know enough not to comment on ongoing investigations. It would be helpful if the governor limited her comments to matters she knows something about.”
Four people have been arrested in connection with the shocking discovery of human remains in Babylon, West Islip and Bethpage last week, police said.
Suffolk County police detectives arrested and charged Steven Brown, 44, Jeffrey Mackey, 38, and Amanda Wallace, 40, both of Railroad Ave. 25, of Amityville, and Alexis Nieves, 33, of no known residence, – counts of hindering prosecution, tampering with physical evidence and concealing a human corpse, police said.
And now lawmakers are trying to fix what they see as a broken system.
“I don't think anyone would argue that a world where people accused of the crime of dismembering a body can be put back on the streets is a good place, yet here in New York, that's the world we live in thanks to failed criminal justice policies of the Democrats. Measured in legislative changes and proposed revisions, let alone the social impact due to the rapid increase in crime, bail reform has to be considered one of the worst bills ever passed in New York State history. Introducing new legislation to detain people charged with the crime of dismembering/concealing a human corpse just reminds us of the serious shortcomings of the law and the priorities of the lawmakers who wrote it.” said Palumbo, a member of the Senate Judiciary and Codes Committees and a former Suffolk County District Attorney.
“We need to address the glaring loopholes in bail laws that allow people suspected of heinous crimes to go free without proper safeguards. While New York's bailout reforms still need a comprehensive overhaul, this horrific case in Babylon highlights yet another glaring loophole in the law that needs to be fixed immediately. Community members should not fear that those who are credibly suspected of such heinous acts may be released back into the community with no way to track them,” said Canzoneri-Fitzpatrick, 9th Senate District.
“Having to explain to the members of the Babylon community, my constituents, that those suspected of dismembering a human being can be arrested and simply walk free,” said Assemblyman Mike Durso, 9th Assembly District.
“How many more horrific examples of criminal activity do we have to see before we start fixing what's broken?” Assemblyman John McGowan said, “As a former prosecutor, I can't imagine the level of frustration in the Suffolk County DA's Office after making major arrests and watching suspects walk right through the revolving door of bail reform.”
