Four people have been arrested in connection with the discoveries of body parts belonging to a man and a woman from Yonkers who sources have said may have been involved in a love triangle with their killer, authorities said.
Three of the individuals — 44-year-old Steven Brown, 38-year-old Jeffrey Mackey and 40-year-old Amanda Wallace — live at the Railroad Avenue address in Amityville that investigators were seen searching earlier this week.
The fourth suspect, 33-year-old Alexis Nieves, does not have a known address, according to police, but it was indicated at the court hearing that Nieves lived with the others.
Their relationships with one another aren't clear.
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All four were charged with hindering prosecution, tampering with physical evidence and concealment of a human corpse. They pleaded not guilty to all charges in court Wednesday afternoon. The four were released with GPS monitoring and ordered to remain in Suffolk County for now. They also have to report to probation officers weekly.
None face murder charges, though court documents stated that the four suspects removed "sharp instruments, multiple body parts and other related items from the house" in an effort to conceal a murder. An assistant district attorney alleged the quartet went to barbaric lengths to cover up the killing, with police removing meat cleavers and butcher knives from the home.
All four suspects left court without speaking to reporters.
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It wasn't immediately clear if investigators believed any of the four suspects to be responsible for the deaths of the two individuals. The offenses are not bail-eligible, a fact that Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond Tierney decried.
"It is our understanding that the Suffolk County Police Department is still investigating these murders. Unfortunately, due to 'Bail Reform' passed by the New York State Legislature in 2019, charges relating to the mutilation and disposal of murdered corpses are no longer bail-eligible, meaning my prosecutors cannot ask for bail," Tierney said in a statement. "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."
"We will work with the Suffolk County Police Department to resolve this investigation as soon as possible and implore our Legislature to make common sense fixes to this law," Tierney added.
A defense lawyer for Brown said his client "did not kill anyone and did not take part in any of this."
John Halverson, who represents Mackey, said his client "maintains his innocence and we look forward to our day in court."
Information on possible attorneys for Wallace and Nieves wasn't immediately available.
Sources have told NBC New York a love triangle could be the motive behind the murders, but neither police nor prosecutors were available to discuss the case Wednesday — meaning it was still unclear if one of the four suspects is believed to be the killer, or of the killer was still on the loose.
The victims' names have not been released, though both have been identified by law enforcement, police say. One was a 59-year-old woman, the other a 53-year-old man. It is believed that the two victims lived together, with their last known address in Yonkers, according to Suffolk police. It was unclear when they last lived there, however.
Police said the deaths appear to stem from an isolated incident, and there was no ongoing threat to the public.
Wednesday's developments come a day after State Police say they helped process a crime scene at Bethpage State Park, where more remains were found, and investigators searched the Railroad Avenue in Amityville. The remains found at Bethpage State Park are thought to be from the same individuals whose limbs turned up in Southards Pond Park in Babylon Village last week. Kids walking to school made the first grisly discovery.
Human remains were also found in a wooded area in West Babylon this week. None were found at the Railroad Avenue home. Prosecutors said Wednesday they had strong evidence in the case, including cutting tools, meat cleavers and video surveillance.
Investigators had said they believed the body parts found in Southards Pond Park had been dumped recently, likely by someone using a car.
