News: Marine Killed During Fleet Week

(Long Island, N.Y.) A tragedy occurred at roughly one in the morning when a twenty-two-year-old marine was killed after being struck by a vehicle driving on Manhattan’s West Side Highway. The marine was stepping out of a cab with shipmates when he was hit by a 2003 silver Acura sedan. They were just a block away from returning to their ship.

The driver was a thirty-nine-year-old man who pulled over, called emergency services, and waited for an ambulance with the dying marine. None of the other marines were injured while trying to cross the highway to get back to their ship. The marine was still in uniform when he was pronounced dead at the scene.

The vehicle had been driving south at 49th Street and 12th Avenue, a mere two-hundred yards from the ship docked at Pier 88. The USS Iwo Jima, a Norfolk-based amphibious assault ship, was stationed near the Intrepid Sea, Air, and Space Museum. It had participated in the annual “Parade of Ships” which began yesterday’s Fleet Week activities.

Streets between 45th and 50th were closed after the accident, reopening five hours later at six this morning. Though there are traffic lights at the intersection, there were no crosswalks or pedestrian signals at 49th Street. The closest crosswalks and pedestrian signals are a block south at West 48th Street.

Members of the US Coast Guard joined police units in blocking off the area, and the commander of the marines has reviewed safety procedures following the accident. The nine-hundred marines who docked for Fleet Week were also briefed on guidelines before they arrived. A total of three thousand men and women in US services are estimated to have participated in the festivities.

It’s not sure whether a memorial service will be conducted for the young marine or if fellow marines affected by the tragedy will be provided with grief counseling. The Fleet Week activities are expected to continue, and the name of the marine has not yet been released to the public. Police are waiting until his family can be notified before announcing his identity.

No arrest has been made or charges presented against the driver. Though the accident has been investigated by the New York City Police Department’s Accident Investigation Squad, authorities believe that there was no criminality involved. Mayor Bloomberg announced that his prayers are with the fallen marine.

While Fleet Week is designed as a joyous occasion for sailors and marines to take a break from the dangers of combat, this year’s tragedy isn’t the first to occur on the busy streets of Manhattan. Eight years ago a twenty-year-old sailor from Garfield, New Jersey was killed in May of 2003. He had been struck by a livery cab in TriBeCa after having stumbled off the sidewalk and into the street.

He was the first sailor to be killed during Fleet Week, and his death was later ruled an accident. The holiday spans for six days and ends on Memorial Day with a service to honor those who lost their lives on duty.

News: Sentencing for Crime Boss in Brooklyn

(Long Island, N.Y.) The boss of a major crime family has left his fate to jurors in a Brooklyn Federal Court. The jury is set to determine whether or not he will receive the death penalty or live the rest of his life in prison. He is currently serving a life sentence for the conviction of other crimes.

If sentenced again to life, reports stated that he would be sent to a Supermax top-security prison in a remote area of Colorado. The facility has inmates locked up twenty-three hours a day and allegedly even has its staff change light bulbs without entering. The crime boss would not have any chance of coming out and would be spending life in a place feared by even the hardest of cons.

In pushing for the death penalty, the prosecution has argued that the crime boss still poses a danger to others even while behind bars. They have claimed that the mob boss spent a thirty-year-long career in crime and had given multiple orders of murder. They have also claimed that prison won’t keep him from his mobster ties or from giving orders to his crime family subordinates.

Reports stated that he has been active in his defense and has gone through lengths to look more presentable to the jury. One source revealed that he borrowed a tie from the judge, carried documents to the proceedings, took notes, and often consulted with his lawyer throughout the trial. He allegedly shook his head while being accused of plotting the murder of women.

The crime boss is currently serving life in prison without parole for a 2007 conviction. Some reports stated that the case against him has already cost tax payers three million dollars and that the death penalty aspect of the trial could take weeks. This makes followers of the case consider the costs of further court proceedings compared with the expenses in adhering to the sentence of life in prison.

According to reports, it has been more than fifty years since a federal defendant was executed in New York State, and a comparable amount of time since a state case led to an execution. In order for the crime boss to receive the death penalty, the seven men and five women of the jury must return a unanimous decision. New York State has been historically tentative about the death penalty since the federal death sentence was reinstated in 1988.

In 1954 a man was put to death for the murder of an FBI agent. In recent years, a man was given the death penalty after being accused of killing a Staten Island policeman in 2003. The death sentence, in that case, was later reversed and the man was kept in a federal jail in Brooklyn with a retrial for the death penalty pending.

It’s been thirty years since a gangster has faced the death penalty for a gang-related murder. The mobster the crime boss was convicted of ordering killed was gunned down in Brooklyn in 2004. During this time, the mob boss was in prison for previous crimes.

The prosecution has argued that orders were given to kill before the crime boss was put behind bars, while the defense has claimed that the victim was not blameless and that others responsible for the hit have not faced the death penalty.

News: Multiple Shootings in Brentwood

(Long Island, N.Y.) A string of shootings that have occurred in the town of Brentwood has residents fearing for their safety. At least three violent incidents were reported in the last two months resulting in the deaths of two teens. The most recent occurred last Tuesday when an eighteen-year-old was murdered in his backyard.

The incident occurred at around fifteen minutes before midnight when police received an emergency call from a concerned resident. Shortly after they discovered the teen who sustained at least one gunshot wound at his home on Lukens Avenue. He was pronounced dead thirty minutes later, after being rushed to Southside Hospital in Bay Shore.

Neighbors have questioned whether the incident is a reflection of gang violence, believing that Brentwood’s gang activity has increased dramatically in recent years. Some claimed that the suburban street was both quiet and peaceful prior to the shooting and that people in the area seemed to get along. Police and Homicide Squad Detectives are asking anyone with information to come forward.

Weeks prior to the incident an eighteen-year-old was shot on Grand Boulevard in Brentwood and found dead in his driveway. The Third Precinct Police Officers received a call about shots being fired and discovered the teen suffering from a gunshot wound. He was pronounced dead at the scene by a member of the Office of the Suffolk County Medical Examiner.

Another victim of recent unexplained violence in Brentwood was discovered over a week ago. A man was found suffering from head trauma at roughly six in the morning on May 12th. A passing motorist allegedly spotted a body lying against the curb of Nimitz Avenue and Bradley Street.

The man, who was originally unidentified by police, appeared to have been hit in the head with an unknown object. Police and authorities on the case believe that the victim had been walking in the area, which was mostly residential with nearby churches. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Following the incident police were left questioning why the man was in the area, where he came from, and where he was going. They were also uncertain as to how long he had been there and were hesitant to release a description. Police later discovered that he was an immigrant from El Salvador and waited to get in contact with his family before announcing his identity.

On a late August night in 2009 two teenagers were shot at the same intersection where the man was discovered. The two eighteen-year-olds were inside a vehicle parked at a stop when a light-colored car with tinted windows pulled alongside. A minimum of two shots were fired, hitting both teens in the head.

The teens were taken to a hospital and initially listed as critically injured. The shooting, which occurred at roughly twenty minutes to eleven, caused the teen driver to lose control of the vehicle and crash into a fence. Third Squad Detectives arrived on the scene, and reports stated that the shooter’s vehicle could be a Nissan Maxima or Altima.

News: Update for Body Found in Amagansett

(Long Island, N.Y.) New information about the badly decomposed body discovered by a walker on an Amagansett beach revealed that the remains are male. Police and authorities handling the case are continuing their investigation with the help of other departments. Reports confirmed that the body, which was found submerged in water, was headless and missing parts.

Since yesterday’s developments, detectives on the case have suggested that further examination has not revealed evidence of homicide. Reports stated that the Medical Examiner determined no obvious signs of trauma could be seen on the remains. There were no broken bones, gunshot wounds, or other indicators of foul play that would have been able to withstand the advanced state of decomposition.

In addition to suggesting against the possibility of homicide, further analysis of the body determined that there is no apparent link to the Gilgo Beach/Jones Beach remains. Nonetheless, investigators have told followers of the case that they are still awaiting a complete report from the Medical Examiner. The exact cause of death is still unknown, and it’s likely that the heavy decomposition has been an obstacle in obtaining more information.

Authorities have determined that the remains belong to a male between twenty and thirty years of age. Originally, the gender could not be determined due to the advanced state of decomposition, and the race of the victim is still unknown. Police and detectives have revealed that the man appears to be slight in stature.

Investigators on the case have suggested that the processes of decomposition could have been the reason the remains were discovered headless. A left leg from the knee down and a finger were also missing. The finger was found by a dive team after a search of Gardiner’s Bay.

Police and authorities on the case believe that the body had been in water for quite some time, possibly even throughout the winter. The remains were able to enter an advanced state of decomposition even amidst the cold ocean temperatures. Searchers have since canvassed the waters and beach grounds for any evidence of the missing skull and anything else that could have been associated with Sunday’s discovery.

Since authorities have not been able to link the remains to any missing person’s cases in the area, they have embarked upon the task of searching through missing persons reports from other locations. The reports, which come from around the entire Long Island Sound Basin, are extensive, and could impede the investigation for an indeterminable length of time.

Police are also employing the help of the US Coast Guard in collecting any new evidence in the case. They urge anyone with information to come forward, and are determined to follow all viable tips and leads.

News: Memorial Bench for Long Island Teen

(Long Island, N.Y.) A bench will be dedicated in Smith Point County Park to a nineteen-year-old from Mastic Beach who was killed a year ago today. The teen was thrown from a motorcycle when her nineteen-year-old fiancé lost control while speeding and trying to evade a police officer. Prior to the incident, the couple had recently learned that she was pregnant.

The incident occurred on the Monday night of May 24th, 2010 at roughly nine-thirty. The couple decided to go for a ride, and reports stated that both had been wearing helmets. The nineteen-year-old from Manorville was driving his 2006 Suzuki motorcycle and was allegedly spotted speeding past an East Hampton Town Police Officer. The officer claimed to have turned on his lights and sirens, attempting to pull him over, but lost sight of the vehicle as it sped between cars.

The officer then radioed in a notice to look for the motorcycle before coming across the scene of the crash several miles down the road. The incident occurred on the Napeague stretch in Amagansett near Dolphin Drive after the vehicle was headed west on Montauk Highway. Reports stated that the driver had been going an estimated 95-115 miles per hour.

After losing control of the motorcycle, he allegedly crossed into the eastbound lane. Both the driver and his pregnant fiancée were ejected from the vehicle before it crashed into a utility pole and shattered into pieces. The young woman was thrown eighty feet and was not breathing when the officer arrived at the scene.

She was taken to Southampton Hospital where she was pronounced dead. The nineteen-year-old driver was treated for collar bone and ankle injuries and showed up to his court appearance limping with a sling. He was also wearing green medical scrubs.

He was held in a Suffolk County Jail in Riverside and charged with the felony of unlawfully fleeing a police officer. Later, a grand jury implemented more severe charges, and he faced the crime of second-degree manslaughter. It was determined that there was enough evidence in the case to suggest that he recklessly caused the death of his fiancée.

He could face between five and fifteen years behind bars for the more severe charges. Other charges against him included aggravated unlicensed driving, operating a motorcycle without a valid inspection sticker, speeding, crossing over a double yellow line, failure to keep right, and overtaking a vehicle on the left. The charge of unlawfully fleeing a police officer, which is normally a misdemeanor, became a felony once it had been correlated with a death.

He was also accused of driving with a suspended license and pleaded not guilty to the charges. The nineteen-year-old victim was a student at Suffolk Community College. According to reports, she had stated on her Facebook page that she knew and loved her fiancé for several years.

News: Long Island Gym Owner Convicted

(Long Island, N.Y.) A forty-two-year-old Dix Hills resident and co-owner of five fitness gyms on Long Island was convicted Monday on two murder charges. One of the crimes dates back eighteen years to June of 1994, when he was twenty-five. The jury did not reach a verdict on the third murder charge, which involved the death of Twisted Sister front man Dee Snider’s brother-in-law.

On June 23rd, 1994 an armored car driver and guard was killed after an alleged $100,000 was robbed from his vehicle in broad daylight. The incident occurred on a Syosset sidewalk where the driver worked for the Mid Island Check Cashing company. Though reports stated that the guard was fatally shot by the accomplice, the gym owner wore a mask and participated in the crime, making him a conspirator.

Investigators believed that, following the robbery, he planned to kill his former associate out of fear he’d turn on him for leniency in sentencing. The associate had been arrested on unrelated racketeering charges months after the robbery, and on August 12th, 1994 he was murdered. His remains were found days later by the US Coast Guard who discovered a tool trunk containing a body.

In 2003 another associate of the gym owner, Snider’s brother-in-law, was shot and killed in New York City. Reports stated that the deceased had recorded the gym owner’s admission to the previous crimes. Snider claims that his brother-in-law believed the gym owner was a bad man and gave his life to have him stopped.

Snider has released a family statement thanking police and authorities who handled the case for their hard work during the years since his brother-in-law’s murder. Speaking on behalf of the deceased’s loved ones; he claimed to be grateful for a sense of legal closure. He also recognized that nothing can bring back a man who was cherished or retract the loss.

Reports stated that the gym owner was charged in 2008 for the crimes, fourteen years after the initial robbery and murder of the guard. He now faces two mandatory life sentences for the murders of the armored car driver and his associate. His trial lasted for eight weeks and was presented in front of a federal jury in the Central Islip Courthouse.

Since the jury failed to reach a verdict in the case of Snider’s brother-in-law, a retrial is to take place in August. If convicted, the gym owner could face a maximum of another life sentence. This has some followers of the case questioning the logic behind the decision for a retrial, being that the defendant has already received two mandatory life sentences.

During this time, family and friends of the gym owner have demonstrated their support through web-pages and blogs. Despite the outcome of the trial, they have continued to campaign for him and have maintained his innocence. They believe that he had been waiting for his day in court to set the record straight after having been wrongly accused of the crimes.

News: Scuba Diver Dies Diving Off Long Island

(Long Island, N.Y.) An avid scuba diver surfaced unconscious during a dive off Long Island’s Moriches on Saturday morning. The location of the dive was an estimated fourteen miles from shore in waters that were over a hundred feet deep. He was later pronounced dead at Good Samaritan Hospital in West Islip.

The diver was in his sixties, and was participating in a group excursion that was scheduled to explore the infamous Oregon Shipwreck. Reports stated that he worked in real estate and is survived by a wife. Some sources claimed that he surfaced roughly forty minutes into the dive.

Three Emergency Medical Technicians onboard the dive boat attempted to revive him. They performed CPR while meeting with US Coast Guard personnel. Both ships headed for shore where an ambulance was on standby. The dive boat was a forty-eight foot ship called Lochness, based in Freeport, and designed to accommodate over twenty divers.

Family and loved ones of the deceased claimed that he cherished the thrill of diving and exploring underwater hotspots. He was passionate about the ocean and enjoyed the history behind the sunken ships he encountered. According to reports, the wife of the deceased often feared for her husband’s safety.

The dive boat was scheduled to visit the Oregon Shipwreck, which is known as the largest shipwreck to occur off Long Island shores. The Oregon sunk early on the Sunday morning of March 14th, 1886. Its maiden voyage occurred less than three years prior, on October 7th, 1883.

The Oregon was an award-winning liner that broke records for its size and speed. Powered by two twin steamers, the Oregon was able to make transatlantic voyages in about a week, making it one of the speediest ships of its time. It was equipped with top-of-the-line amenities and was considered a luxury ship that carried over six hundred passengers.

The sinking occurred just southeast of Fire Island in waters that were roughly a hundred-and-thirty feet deep. The Oregon was headed to the New York City harbor and had departed from Liverpool, England roughly a week prior to its sinking. Though the voyage had been smooth, a collision occurred in the wee hours of its expected day of arrival.

A mysterious schooner ship with nine crew members struck the Oregon and later disappeared into the ocean. No remnants of the ship or crew were discovered, but some reports stated that masts were found seventeen miles from the Oregon’s final resting place.

The Oregon stayed afloat for eight hours after the collision, allowing enough time for three different ships to respond to its distress calls. Miraculously, all passengers were saved, and some reports even mentioned the rescuing of animals. An estimated million British pounds in cargo was lost along with all of the passengers’ baggage and hundreds of bags of mail. Today, the Oregon is an extraordinary fishing site, known for housing twenty-pound lobsters that enjoy the hiding space.

News: Body Found on Long Island Beach

(Long Island, N.Y.) Human remains were found on a beach in East Hampton yesterday. Police and authorities on the case have not determined where the body came from, but have established that it is in an advanced state of decomposition. It’s uncertain whether this set of remains has any correlation to the ten sets of remains found in recent months at Gilgo Beach and Jones Beach.

A heavily decomposed body complicates the investigation for detectives and adds difficulties to the examination and identification processes. The gender and estimated age of the remains have not been determined, and reports have stated that the cause of death has not yet been attributed to foul play. Identifying the Gilgo Beach/Jones Beach remains, half of which are still unknown, took several weeks after their discovery.

Yesterday’s finding was discovered by a walker during an afternoon stroll along a beach in Amagansett. Reports stated that the body was found between Big Albert’s Beach Landing and the Barnes Landing/Barnes Hole area. It was also said to have been discovered near Bell Estate and Gardiner’s Bay Beach.

One source revealed that the location in question was an estimated five kilometers from an estate owned by Paul McCartney. The discovery was made between twelve and twelve-thirty yesterday afternoon, and sources claimed that it had been submerged in water for quite some time. Police and authorities on the case are still unsure how long the body had been there, but do not believe that it fits with any missing persons cases in the area.

Reports also stated that the body was headless and missing parts. Investigators on the case claim that the missing parts could have occurred from multiple factors, some of which do not necessarily point to homicide. Suffolk County Police Detectives allegedly stayed on the beach for hours while investigating the case.

The area of the bay where the remains were discovered is known to wash up objects along the shore. The recent tides, which have been higher than normal, and strong easterly winds could have tampered with the body and transported it from a greater distance. Police and investigators may seek the assistance of authorities in outside departments in order to determine the possible origins of the remains.

In response to the finding, the Suffolk County Police Department employed a dive team to conduct a greater search of the area. Staff members from the Office of the Medical Examiner aided investigators at the scene. The Chief of the East Hampton Police Department spoke with the press about the case and gave a brief description of the discovery.

Nassau and Suffolk County authorities on the Gilgo Beach/Jones Beach cases have already suggested that multiple killers are responsible for the ten sets of remains found in recent months. The thought of yet another killer in regard to yesterday’s discovery seems almost inconceivable to many Long Islanders.

News: Long Island Charity Walk

(Long Island, N.Y.) A three-mile walk will be held in the town of Sayville this Saturday to benefit children suffering from various illnesses. The event, called Kristen’s Walk To The Water, honors the eighteen-year-old Kristen Leigh Kessler who suffered from leukemia. Though Kessler succumbed to her battle with leukemia in March of 1993, her memory lives on through this annual event.

Kristen’s Walk To The Water is run alongside The Candle In The Darkness Foundation, Inc. The ninth annual walk will be held tomorrow, headed for the water and back, to represent Kessler’s love for marine life, dolphins, and the ocean. It will be held at nine-thirty in the morning at the Sayville Common Ground between Gillette and Candee Avenue.

The mission of the organization is to bring a smile to the faces of children who are ill, in addition to donating resources for the continued research in finding a cure for leukemia. An organization known as Splashes For Hope provides volunteers who will paint a mural in the room of a sick child. The mural is designed by the request of the child in a theme of his/her choosing, and often helps brighten the child’s life during a time of painful procedures.

Last year’s recipients of the service were a twelve-year-old boy from Deer Park and a five-year-old girl from Northport. Kessler’s organization helps sponsor the two murals for children with life-threatening illnesses. Kristen’s Walk To The Water has been held every year since May of 2003, and registration for this year’s walk begins at eight-thirty tomorrow morning.

The Candle In The Darkness Foundation is a not-for-profit organization that receives all the donations from Kristen’s Walk To The Water. Though the first year of the event was considered the most monetarily successful, the following years came close, and attracted an increasing amount of business sponsors. Attendance also increased in the years since the original walk.

The National Bone Marrow Registry has recently been involved with Kristen’s Walk To The Water. A play-set was installed in the yard of a young boy with the proceeds from the walk’s opening year. The following year lead to the purchasing of laptops for five children, some of whom were unable to leave their living environments. Proceeds from that year also helped to pay a college student’s tuition.

In addition, Kristen’s Walk To The Water has also helped bring a child with leukemia to Disney World and a twenty-one-year-old to the Dominican Republic to see her beloved family members. Kristen’s Walk To The Water communicates with counselors and social workers from Long Island hospitals in order to get in touch with young adults and children in need.

Other children, like a three-year-old critically injured from a three-story fall, have benefited from Kristen’s Walk To The Water. An interview with Kessler’s mother revealed that the biggest challenge of the event is the timing, which often conflicts with the busy season of graduations, weddings, and proms. Let’s hope that more faces and good weather are present for this year’s walk.

News: NYPD Cop Commits Suicide In Front of Girlfriend

(Long Island, N.Y.) A twenty-nine-year-old New York City police officer shot himself in the head this week after allegedly arguing with his girlfriend. The officer was on duty at the time of the incident, and had told his partner he was going for a meal break. Prior to taking his life, the officer became distraught over his girlfriend’s Facebook postings.

The officer, who worked the graveyard shift, took off in his marked patrol car and went to his apartment dressed in uniform. The residence, located on East 36th Street and Lexington Avenue, belonged to his parents who shared it with him and his girlfriend. They resided on the third floor of the building in Murray Hill; the couple allegedly had plans to get a place of their own.

Reports stated that the pair argued inside the home until the officer stormed out. After his girlfriend followed him onto the street, he took out his department-issued 9mm handgun and proceeded to shoot himself before she was able to stop him. Though he was allegedly suspicious that she intended on leaving him for another guy, his last words to her were “I love you.”

She called emergency responders at twenty minutes after three that morning. Though witnesses claimed that the couple had been seen arguing on a separate occasion, those close to the officer said that no one would have seen it coming. It’s unsure whether any of the couple’s arguments had resulted in a breakup.

The officer was a four year veteran and left his squad car just feet away from him during his final moments of life. He was assigned to the overnight shift at the First Precinct in Tribeca and had a clean record. His father was a former insurance company president and an active member of the community.

Emergency responders took the officer to Bellevue Hospital where he was pronounced dead. It’s unsure whether there were any long-term reasons leading to the officer’s suicide. Though the couple had been living together, they had only met a few months prior.

Friends and family members of the officer have described him as an excellent marksman and gun enthusiast. A competition event for shooting was named after him because of his outstanding achievement. He is also described as being a gentle and courteous person.

Neighbors of the officer claimed that the situation is tragic, and that no one would expect such an action to be taken by a young police officer. Some claim that the officer could have been a troubled soul, and that the decision was not a reflection of a minor incident. Others question his mental health leading up to the incident, and claim that the NYPD should have more resources extended to the evaluation of their officers.

The twenty-nine-year-old officer is one of multiple New York City police officers to die prematurely this year. The identity of the officer’s girlfriend has not been released.