The latest Babylon dismemberment case is one that has rocked Long Island and the nation for the obvious reasons of how gruesome and appalling the offenses are. The fact that human remains of two corpses were scattered in public places across Babylon and Bethpage State Park, with the investigation started by the discovery of the remains by high schoolers walking to school near Southards Pond Park.
However, the case continues to shock the nation as New York, once again, becomes our nation’s laughing stock. The four suspects were released hours after their arrests, were fitted with GPS monitoring devices and were forced to surrender their passports and attend weekly probation. The fact that four individuals who were charged with dismembering and concealing a corpse, as well as tampering with evidence and interfering with an investigation, were allowed to return to the streets almost immediately upon arrest is nothing short of ridiculous in the eyes of the other forty-nine states.
Enter New York’s backwards cashless bail laws, wherein many serious offenses, including, but not limited to, some forms of assault, animal cruelty, and bribing a witness or juror, are not eligible for cash bail.
Unfortunately, the charges the four suspects in the dismemberment case received also fall under that same pathologically altruistic, progressively myopic umbrella of policy.
However, adding an entire shaker of salt to the still-fresh wound is the words of Governor Kathy Hochul (D), in which she actually criticized Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney’s (R) and local law enforcement’s handling of the case. Hochul says that they are responsible for the suspects’ releases, not the state’s backwards bail laws that have been universally panned since their passage in 2019.
“Maybe the DA [Tierney] should have done a more thorough investigation and brought murder charges, or conspiracy to commit murder, or even assault charges because all of them are bail eligible. Maybe they brought it a little early,” said Governor Hochul. “I encourage the DA’s office to go back and build your case. Because if you bring all of those charges, which I think would be appropriate, that’s absolutely bail eligible. These people would not be out on the street.”
Hochul must not understand that she is talking down to the man responsible for prosecuting and potentially solving a large chunk of the infamous Gilgo Beach Murders, ominously close in proximity to the Babylon dismemberment case.
“Governor Hochul is either completely clueless or being deceitful about how the criminal justice system works,” said Tierney in his response. “Prosecutors have a duty to bring only charges that are supported by evidence. Anything else would be unethical. The Suffolk County Police Homicide Detectives are the best in the country, and they are working 24-7 on this case. For the Governor to criticize the efforts of these detectives without knowing any of the facts in defense of a broken bail system is both baffling and indefensible. When law enforcement had enough evidence to arrest these defendants for serious felonies, they did the right thing and made those arrests. Did the Governor want the police to leave them out despite having evidence that they cut up and disposed of two bodies? The Governor’s platform on public safety is laughably inadequate and she should know enough not to comment on ongoing investigations. It would be helpful if the Governor confined her comments to subjects that she knows something about.”
Governor Hochul’s comments against Tierney and Suffolk law enforcement are abhorrent and she deserves every bit of criticism she receives. To Suffolk County Executive Ed Romaine’s (R-Center Moriches) point at last Thursday’s press conference on the matter, Hochul has served on the Town Board of her hometown Hamburg, outside Buffalo. She also served as Erie County Clerk, a member of the U.S. House, and finally, Lieutenant Governor, before she ascended to the throne in 2021. Clearly, Hochul has the resume to prove she understands how these types of prosecutions work, but it seems there is a significant lapse in her judgment on these comments, similar to her more than several lapses of judgment since she’s been Governor.
Look no further than the 750 National Guard troops deployed to patrol the New York City subways. Instead of dealing with criminals, we’re subjecting our law-abiding citizens to mandatory bag checks in order to pass through the turnstiles. New York City has effectively become a third-world country in that regard, and yet Hochul and Albany Democrats continue to bury their heads in the sand.
But the buck doesn’t stop with Hochul. Also in attendance at last Thursday’s press conference was none other than Suffolk County Legislator Steve Englebright (D-Setauket), also the only person in the room responsible for passing the omnibus budget that included bail reforms. Englebright’s weak defense of his vote was that he wanted other measures in the budget. It’s not entirely his fault that New York is also backwards in how we pass budgets, in that policy is mixed in with finance and proposed by the Governor. But there’s little to no mercy to show for this one: Englebright still voted to enact bail reform.
Englebright could have spared himself the eternal chagrin and probably held his Assembly seat in 2022 had he voted against the budget. His caucus likely would have voted to pass the budget anyway, as Democrats held both chambers with supermajorities in 2019. Englebright could have gotten what he wanted in other measures and not had to attach his name to such a toxic law.
Englebright now serves in the Suffolk County Legislature, a body that, frustratingly, cannot do anything about the state’s law. Englebright should have used his thirty years of experience and influence to better hash out the policy and lead his caucus to sensible reforms.
Finally, The Messenger was shocked to learn that we were the only outlet at the press conference interested in pressing Englebright for questions during his time in Albany. None of the other reporters and outlets seemed intent on calling the only person in the room responsible for the laws to the podium. It wasn’t until after The Messenger held Englebright accountable did they swarm him with cameras and microphones.
Tough questions must be asked and the music must be faced at some point. We know we will continue to ask the tough questions and we certainly hope Albany faces a symphony in the near future.
