Amanda Wallace: NY woman out on bail in Long Island body dismemberment case arrested for shoplifting
Warning: This article contains recollection of crime that could trigger some readers. Discretion is advised.
LONG ISLAND, NEW YORK: Just days after being released from jail without being granted bail despite serious charges, the woman, who is suspected of dispersing the severed remains of two bodies throughout Long Island, is back behind bars for theft.
Amanda Wallace, one of the four people arrested for hacking dead bodies, was detained a second time on Friday, March 15 night.
She reportedly had stolen cosmetics from a CVS in Lindenhurst while sporting an ankle monitor.
Amanda Wallace was on supervised release with ankle monitors
According to documents obtained by Newsday, the 40-year-old admitted to police that she had applied nail polish and eyelashes after being arrested, “I did — eyelashes and nail polish.”
She went on to state, “I forgot my money and really didn’t feel like walking back over.”
She was detained on $5,000 bail or a $10,000 bond after being charged with petit larceny on Monday.
Wallace, her roommates Steven Brown, 44, and Jeffrey Mackey, 38, as well as 33-year-old Alexis Nieves, who is homeless, had all been charged on March 6.
The four entered not-guilty pleas, and their charges, which included concealing a human corpse, do not qualify them for bail under the state's criminal justice reform legislation in New York.
Wallace and the others were instead placed on supervised release with ankle monitors; this was a topic of discussion during her Monday (March 18) court appearance regarding the theft charges.
Prosecutor Dena Rizopoulos claimed in court on Monday, "She did it while wearing a GPS monitor, your honor," in reference to her request for bail, Newsday reported.
Wallace was chastised by Judge James McDonaugh, who said, “At the bare minimum, you should be able to go nine days without being rearrested.” Her next court date is March 22.
The victims were identified by the police and family as Malcolm Craig Brown, 53, a cousin of one of the accused, and Donna R Conneely, 59, of Yonkers.
Girl found discarded arm in bush
According to authorities and sources, a girl discovered a discarded arm in a bush on February 29, which led to the discovery of their severed heads and dismembered body parts strewn throughout Suffolk County.
The suspect's release was deemed "absurd" by Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney, a vocal opponent of New York's bail regulations.
In a statement following their initial release, he claimed, "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."
Regarding Wallace's most recent arrest, the DA could not be reached for comment.
Keith O'Halloran, Wallace's attorney, entered a not-guilty plea on her behalf regarding the larceny charges, according to Newsday.
“We need to start a new investigation. We have no paperwork on the new cases, we have no discovery on the old case. We are still looking for the information that will tie her to either of these two cases,” O’Halloran said after court.
