Inside the Disturbing Case of a N.Y. Couple Whose Remains Were Found Scattered Across 3 Locations
Malcolm “Craig” Brown, 53, and Donna Conneely, 59, were fatally stabbed and dismembered inside an Amityville, N.Y., home on Feb. 27, authorities say
Four people have been indicted on a slew of charges after the remains of Malcolm “Craig” Brown, 53, and Donna Conneely, 59, were found scattered across multiple locations in Suffolk County, N.Y.
The victims were fatally stabbed and dismembered inside an Amityville, N.Y., home on Feb. 27, and shortly after, their remains were found in Southards Pond Park, Bethpage State Park and a wooded area in West Babylon, Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond A. Tierney says
Police claimed they recovered knives and meat cleavers inside the home where the suspects had been staying
Four people have been indicted on multiple charges after the dismembered remains of a New York couple were found scattered across three locations, two of which were parks.
Jeffrey Mackey, 36, Alexis Nieves, 33, Steven Brown, 44, and Amanda Wallace, 40, were all formally charged by a Suffolk County grand jury, Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond A. Tierney announced in a press release on Monday, April 29.
Mackey and Nieves are the only suspects currently charged with second-degree murder, according to the indictment reviewed by PEOPLE. They also face charges of conspiracy, robbery, hindering prosecution, tampering with physical evidence, and concealment of a human corpse.
While in court on Tuesday, April 30, Mackey and Nieves pleaded not guilty, The Journal News, KKTV, and ABC7NY reported. The other suspects, Brown and Wallace, also pleaded not guilty to charges including conspiracy, robbery, hindering prosecution, tampering with physical evidence and concealment of a human corpse, according to The Journal News.
According to the release, Mackey, Nieves and Brown allegedly planned to kill Malcolm “Craig” Brown, 53, and Donna Conneely, 59, both of Yonkers, N.Y., before they arrived at an Amityville, N.Y. home on Feb. 27.
The victims, who Tierney says were acquaintances of the suspects, were “violently stabbed,” per the release.
Tierney alleged that the victims were involved in the plotting of a knifepoint robbery at a gas station on Feb. 20, which may have resulted in their murders, KKTV reported. He added that Malcolm “Craig” Brown is a cousin of suspect Steven Brown, per the outlet.
“Brown was stabbed once in the neck and once in the torso, while Conneely was stabbed multiple times in the neck and back,” Tierney wrote in the release.
“The defendants then allegedly dismembered the victims’ bodies in the bathroom of the home, and then dumped the remains in Southards Pond Park, Bethpage State Park, and a wooded area in West Babylon,” the prosecutor added.
On Feb. 29, a witness discovered a “dismembered male arm” in the brush at Southards Pond Park in Babylon Village, according to the release. Once there, law enforcement recovered a second “male arm” near the first, as well as “a female head and torso, a female arm, and parts of female legs on the opposite side of the park.”
Investigators were then led to the Amityville home where all four suspects had reportedly been staying. Inside, police recovered a large folding knife, a large kitchen knife, and two meat cleavers, Tierney said. Authorities also claimed they found blood in multiple locations throughout the home.
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All four suspects were arrested on March 4, but were released from jail without bail because the criminal offenses they were initially charged with were considered non-bail eligible under state law, according to the release. This meant that prosecutors could not ask for bail and judges could not set it.
Mackey's attorney, John Halverson, said this week per ABC7 NY, "I believe that the prosecution's witnesses at this point, as I've stated at the arraignment, have unclean hands and that's going to be our position going forward." Nieves' attorney, Christopher Gioe, maintained his client's innocence, according to the outlet.
Keith O’Halloran, an attorney for Wallace, told KKTV, that he's glad his client hasn't been charged with murder. PEOPLE couldn't immediately identify an attorney for Brown.
“I would like to thank the hard-working men and women of the Suffolk County Police Department and my prosecutors for their tireless work in bringing this investigation to the point where we are able to charge the responsible individuals with murder and seek bail,” District Attorney Tierney said in the release.
“Those in law enforcement must do their jobs without fear or favor. Ethically, charges can and should only be brought when the facts and evidence are clear. I thank the team for ignoring the distractions and doing just that.”
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