A 28-year-old homicide and a related sexual assault case from 1996 have been resolved through modern forensic technology, the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office announced this week. The suspect, identified as Steven Briecke, is deceased, but district officials say the findings bring long-awaited clarity to two cases that remained open for decades.
The resolution follows work by the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Cold Case Task Force, established in April 2024 as a partnership between District Attorney Raymond A. Tierney and the Suffolk County Police Department. The Task Force reexamined the death of 69-year-old Ann Lustig, reported missing from Kings Park State Psychiatric Hospital on February 18, 1997. Her body was found the following day off Fresh Pond Road in Calverton. The Suffolk County Medical Examiner determined her death was a homicide caused by blunt force trauma and neck compression.
The Task Force also revisited a December 20, 1996, incident involving an 82-year-old patient from the same hospital. The woman had disappeared for several hours before returning and reporting that she was approached by an unknown man, forced into a car, driven to a residence, and raped. She died in 2012 of natural causes. Investigators at the time noted similarities between the two cases, including comparable fibers recovered from each victim, but available forensic tools were insufficient to make a definitive connection.
“Resolving long-overdue crimes that have haunted the victim’s loved ones and our community for far too long is why we established the Cold Case Task Force,” said District Attorney Tierney. “Thanks to the power of forensic science and the persistence of law enforcement, we can now say with confidence who was responsible for these horrific crimes.”
In 2024, forensic scientists reprocessed evidence from both cases and developed partial DNA profiles that matched each other. Those profiles were not eligible for entry into CODIS, the national DNA index. Additional testing in early 2025 uncovered a full DNA profile on Lustig’s clothing. When uploaded, the profile matched Briecke. His DNA had been entered into CODIS following 1985 convictions for burglary and assault, and again after a 2003 Florida conviction involving the sexual assault of a child under 16. He was a registered sex offender and had multiple public lewdness convictions.
During the original 1997 investigation, a witness reported seeing a distinct two-toned blue Ford van near the location where Lustig’s body was found. After the CODIS match, investigators determined that a van matching that description was registered to Briecke’s mother and known to have been used by Briecke during the period in which both crimes occurred.
“Although nearly three decades have passed since these horrific crimes occurred, we remain resolute in our commitment to solving them and providing justice to the victims and their families,” said Suffolk County Police Commissioner Kevin Catalina. “The Cold Case Task Force is dedicated to uncovering any leads in unsolved homicides and sexual assaults by leveraging scientific advancements and I’m confident we will see even more successes in the future.”
While Briecke cannot be prosecuted, officials say the confirmation brings closure to the families involved. The District Attorney’s Office credited the Suffolk County Police Department and the forensic scientists at the Suffolk County Crime Laboratory for their work.
Anyone with information regarding other unresolved cases is asked to contact the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office at (631) 853-5856.
