Officials call for reform after 4 suspects in LI body parts investigation released without bail

LONG ISLAND, N.Y. (PIX11) – Four suspects were released without bail Wednesday after being charged in connection to body parts found scattered across Long Island.

Steven Brown, 44, Jeffrey Mackey, 38, Amanda Wallace, 40 and Alexis Nieves, 33, walked out of court with ankle monitors after being charged with concealment of a human corpse by hacking, hindering prosecution and tampering with evidence. They all surrendered their passports, officials said.

Body parts were found in three different locations across Suffolk County, including in Bethpage State Park, according to authorities. The human remains belong to a 53-year-old man and a 59-year-old woman, according to the state medical examiner.

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Investigators are still working to learn what relationship the two who were killed had to the suspects, according to authorities.

Suffolk District Attorney Ray Tierney commented on bail reform even before Wednesday’s arraignment, saying in part, “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.”

Gov. Kathy Hochul also called for harsher consequences.

The four suspects have not been charged with murder, according to officials.

Erin Pflaumer is a digital content producer from Long Island who has covered both local and national news since 2018. She joined PIX11 in 2023. See more of her work here.

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