Long Island mom accused in double homicide linked to robbery after victims' heads, limbs found in parks
Warning: This article contains a recollection of crime and can be triggering to some, readers’ discretion advised.
LONG ISLAND, NEW YORK: A Long Island mother stands accused in a horrifying double murder case, where the victims' severed heads and limbs were shockingly discovered strewn across local parks.
The gruesome details emerged during the arraignment of two suspects, out of a crew of four, who now face hefty new charges in connection to the harrowing crime.
The four individuals already apprehended include Jeffrey Mackey, Alexis Nieves, as well as Steven Brown, aged 44, and Amanda Wallace, aged 40.
Alexis Nieves and Jeffrey Mackey's sinister role in double homicide
Authorities unveiled a disturbing twist in the case, indicating a prior robbery connected to the murders, implying a darker motive behind the violent acts. The victims, purportedly involved in orchestrating the earlier heist with the suspects, tragically became ensnared in a spiral of brutality.
At the center of the allegations are Alexis Nieves, aged 33, and her suspected partner, Jeffrey Mackey, aged 38, who appeared before the court as Suffolk County prosecutors detailed their purported involvement in the double murder.
“After the female victim in this case, Donna Conneely had been stabbed by Ms. Nieves’ codefendant, Mr. Mackey, [Nieves] kicked Donna Conneely as she was gasping for air, choking on her own blood,’’ Assistant District Attorney Francis Schroeder delivered a harrowing account to the judge.
“Then [Nieves] kicked her and hit her with a hammer, a meat tenderizer, multiple times in the head and stabbed her repeatedly in the back until she died.”
Regarding Mackey, the ADA alleged, “This defendant is charged with repeatedly stabbing … Malcolm Craig Brown, then turned towards [Brown’s] wife, Donna Conneely, repeatedly stabbing her in the neck and then proceeded to strangle her and then turn her over to Ms. Nieves,’’ per New York Post.
Jeffrey Mackey's weapon was linked to a previous robbery
Shockingly, authorities claim Mackey used the same blade wielded in a previous gas station robbery, suggesting a chilling connection between the crimes.
“Previously, he used a knife in a robbery of a Valero gas station, [and] he used the same knife in the murder, and evidence will show how the robbery is connected and actually serves as the motive for the murders,” Schroeder stated.
Officials disclosed on Monday that Brown and Conneely, characterized as "acquaintances" of the suspects, were believed to have been slain simultaneously at the residence, unknowingly falling prey to a premeditated plot to take their lives.
Authorities further revealed that the couple had aided the other suspects in orchestrating the robbery.
“There was a lot of illegal conduct occurring between the victims and the defendants, which in part was the impetus for the murders, presumably,’’ said county DA Ray Tierney.
Alexis Nieves and Jeffrey Mackey face the aftermath of a double homicide
Further, the discovery of the victims' dismembered bodies shocked the community, sparking outrage over the leniency of the state's criminal justice system.
Despite the severity of the accusations, the suspects were initially released with ankle monitors, a decision that fueled public outcry.
As the investigation continues, unanswered questions linger, including the fate of the other two suspects and their potential role as witnesses for the prosecution.
“The evidence is strong — we have eyewitness testimony. We have video, we have phone records, we have cell-site records,’’ Schroeder confidently told the judge.
At the hearing, a Suffolk County prosecutor outlined the alleged roles of Nieves, the accused mother facing charges of murder, and her suspected accomplice Mackey. Nieves was ordered to be held on a $1 million cash bond, while Mackey was remanded into custody.
