LONG ISLAND, N.Y. (PIX11) -- The undomiciled couple accused of hiding body parts at a Long Island park returned to court on Friday, where they were released again and told to return to court at another date.
Alexis Nieves and Jeffery Mackey returned to court with their faces covered. When the couple was in front of the judge, they uncovered their faces.
Police arrested Nieves and Mackey along with two other suspects early Wednesday morning. All four suspects allegedly scattered the dismembered remains of a man and woman which they allegedly scattered in three different areas of Babylon.
Less than an hour after being charged with concealing a human corpse, tampering with evidence, and hindering prosecution, all four suspects were released without bail.
Their release has sparked outrage among officials blaming bail reform.
“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,” read a statement from Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond A. Tierney. “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. We will work with the Suffolk County Police Department to resolve this investigation as soon as possible and implore our Legislature to make common sense fixes to this law.”
The defendants were ordered to wear GPS ankle monitors and return to court on March 19.
Matthew Euzarraga is a multimedia journalist from El Paso, Texas. He has covered local news and LGBTQIA topics in the New York City Metro area since 2021. He joined the PIX11 Digital team in 2023. You can see more of his work here.