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Donatila O’Mahony, age 43, of Central Islip, was sentenced to 25 years to life behind bars in Suffolk County Court on Thursday, March 2. It followed her jury conviction for second-degree murder in the killing of Lee Pedersen in March 2020.
According to prosecutors, Pedersen was found dead inside his Aquebogue home on March 8, 2020. The Suffolk County Medical Examiner determined he had died from a single gunshot wound to the back of his head.
Several of his belongings, including a cell phone and cash, were taken from the home.
After interviewing several of Pedersen’s friends and reviewing surveillance video and cell phone records, police identified O’Mahony as the suspected killer.
Prosecutors said the woman asked a friend to buy two handguns for her - a Glock .9 mm and a Sig Sauer .9mm - before the murder. O’Mahony borrowed the friend’s car and was seen on surveillance footage near Pedersen’s home on the night he was murdered.
After the killing, she asked the friend to dispose of several items, including the Sig Sauer handgun he had purchased for, along with ammunition and clothing, prosecutors said.
The friend destroyed the handgun and threw the clothes away, but kept the ammunition in his home. It was later found by police and confirmed to have both O’Mahony’s and Pedersen’s DNA on it.
In addition to murder, jurors convicted O’Mahony of criminal possession of a forged instrument and attempted grand larceny after prosecutors said she forged Pedersen’s will and attempted to steal one of the homes he owned.
“This was a cold-blooded killing fueled by greed, treachery, and the complete disregard for Lee Pedersen’s life, all in order to steal the victim’s home,” Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond Tierney said in a statement.
“The only new home this defendant will be living in as a result of her actions, is prison.”
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