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They were arrested Tuesday, March 5, after Suffolk County Police homicide detectives spent hours searching an Amityville residence on Railroad Avenue, located roughly a block east of the Amityville LIRR station.
No human remains were located at the home, police confirmed.
Police said the following were taken into custody, with the first three being residents of the home:
- Steven Brown, age 44
- Jeffrey Mackey, age 38
- Amanda Wallace, age 40
- Alexis Nieves, age 33, who is homeless
All four are charged with hindering prosecution, tampering with physical evidence, and concealment of a human corpse.
Investigators had sought evidence relating to the suspected murders of a man and woman whose severed body parts have been found at multiple locations in Suffolk County since Thursday, Feb. 29.
Remains of the victims, identified as a 59-year-old woman and 53-year-old man whose last known address was in Yonkers, were found at Babylon’s Southards Pond Park, Bethpage State Park, and in a wooded area along Lakeway Drive in West Babylon.
Police were withholding the victims’ identities until their families were notified.
“Based on the investigation, this appears to be an isolated incident with no threat to the public,” a Suffolk County Police spokesperson said.
District Attorney Raymond Tierney blasted the suspects' release from custody, saying that changes to state law passed in 2019 prohibited his office from seeking bail, even in cases involving the "mutilation and disposal of murdered corpses."
"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," Tierney said.
"We will work with the SCPD to resolve this investigation as soon as possible and implore our legislature to make common sense fixes to this law."
Anyone with tips in the case is asked to contact the Suffolk County Police Department at 631-852-6392 or call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-220-Tips. All calls will remain anonymous.
This continues to be a developing story. Check back to Daily Voice for updates.
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