Body Mutilations Case: New York Officials Face Criticism Over Release of 4 Suspects

New York officials are facing widespread criticism over the decision to release four suspects who were arrested in relation to a body mutilation case in Long Island.

The decision to release the individuals stems from the state's bail reform laws. They are believed to be connected to the discovered dismembered body parts of two people. Officials charged the suspects with concealment of a human corpse, hindering prosecution, and tampering with physical evidence.

New York Bail Reform Law

Officials reported that they found various body parts, including a severed head, arms, and legs, that belonged to a man and woman from Yonkers in New York. The dismembered parts were found in Babylon over the last few days. The first discovery was made by a girl on her way to school on Thursday.

Under the state's 2019 bail reform laws, the charges of mutilation and disposing of murdered corpses are no longer eligible for bail. In a statement, Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond Tierney said that this means that prosecutors are unable to ask for bail and the suspects cannot be remanded to custody, as per Fox News.

On Wednesday, the Suffolk County Police Department announced the arrest of 44-year-old Steven Brown, 38-year-old Jeffrey Mackey, 40-year-old Amanda Wallace, and 33-year-old Alexis Nieves.

Last week, law enforcement personnel responded to a scene when a student on her way to school discovered a "severed left arm" near a park. The student reported her discovery to her father, who then called 911.

When police arrived at the scene, the cadaver dogs that they brought found "a leg in a mound of leaves" nearby as well as a right arm. The latter was only a few feet away from the left arm which was initially discovered by the female student.

Law enforcement then discovered more mutilated body parts in a park a few miles away from the initial scene. Those remains were said to belong to the same victims that were discovered last week, according to People.

Body Mutilation Case

Authorities reported that one of the victims was identified to be a 59-year-old woman while the other was "tentatively identified" as a 53-year-old man. Law enforcement officials have not yet announced a motive or released any other information regarding the deceased.

Following their release, the four suspects are scheduled to be arraigned on Mar. 6 and it was not immediately clear if they have retained attorneys. While they were free, the individuals were given GPS monitors and were ordered to remain in Suffolk County and report to probation officers every week.

In a statement, prosecutors said that "evidence is very strong" and includes cutting tools, meat cleavers, and video surveillance footage. A defense lawyer said that Brown did not kill anyone and was not part of the crime. On the other hand, a representative for Mackey said that the defendant maintained his innocence.

Three of the four suspects; namely Brown, Mackey, and Wallace lived at the home on Railroad Avenue in Amityville that investigators searched on Monday. Nieves, on the other hand, does not have a known address but the court hearing indicated that he lived with the other three suspects, said NBC News.