The Nesconset teen who police say murdered 18-year-old West Sayville resident Emily Finn last November is now facing an additional charge for allegedly conspiring to burglarize the Finn family home weeks after her death.
Austin Lynch, the now 18-year-old originally charged with second-degree murder after Finn’s death on Thanksgiving Eve last year, allegedly conspired with an inmate in December to burglarize the Finn family home, according to Suffolk County district attorney Ray Tierney’s office.
During his arraignment on March 20, prosecutor and assistant district attorney Dena Rizopoulos said Lynch provided another inmate with detailed information about the Finn family home’s security procedures and where to find valuable belongings.
“He wanted to continue to make this family suffer,” Rizopoulos said during the arraignment hearing.
According to the DA’s office, sometime between Dec. 4 and 24, Lynch provided another inmate, whose name hasn’t been released, a hand-drawn map of the Finn family’s home, and told them details about the family’s backdoor, including where to find a key under a nearby flowerpot.
Along with providing the inmate with contextual clues about where to find the home, Lynch allegedly told the inmate where to find jewelry in one of the bedroom closets, according to the DA’s office.
“These are details only someone who visited the home, entered the home, would know,” Rizopolous said during the arraignment.
Rizopolous added that the alleged conspiracy caused added pain to Finn’s family, and that because private details of their home had been made public, the family had to change their security procedures.
Suffolk County Supreme Court Justice Anthony Senft ruled in favor of an order of protection for immediate Finn family members against Lynch.
Senft entered a plea of not guilty on Lynch’s behalf after defense attorney William Wexler refused to participate in the arraignment due to a previous ruling by the judge, following psychiatric evaluations, that Lynch was “mentally incapacitated.”
Wexler said the new arraignment doesn’t “magically change” Lynch’s “incapacitated” mental status, and that only the state office of mental health can determine whether Lynch’s mental capacity has changed.
Prosecutors with the DA’s office disagreed and said the mental incapacity status only applies to Lynch’s original murder charge, and not the new burglary charge.
After debate between the attorneys, Senft ordered a new mental health evaluation for Lynch.
Finn’s family and friends wore pink, Finn’s favorite color, inside the courtroom on March 20, with some holding pictures of the young dancer as Lynch entered, as they did during the Jan. 30 hearing where judge Senft ruled Lynch as “mentally incapacitated” following evaluation.
Mother of the West Sayville dancer and aspiring teacher, Cliantha Miller-Finn, said the DA’s office in January told her Lynch may have shown signs of amnesia following the alleged killing and self-inflicted gunshot wound to Lynch’s head.
Miller-Finn also said in January that the family held pictures of Emily to try to jog Lynch’s memory.
The Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office was unable to comment on whether Lynch showed signs of amnesia following the alleged murder.
As Lynch exited the courtroom on March 20, one Finn family member shouted, “Scumbag!”
According to the DA’s office, Finn broke up with Lynch two weeks before last Thanksgiving after dating for three years, with Lynch becoming “obsessive” and “calling and texting Finn non-stop,” despite Finn studying upstate at SUNY Oneonta and Lynch living at home.
The DA’s office also said Lynch “barraged her with social media messages” after Finn ignored his calls and blocked his cell phone number. Prosecutors said Lynch then shot and killed Finn inside his Nesconset home while Finn was returning items to him before Thanksgiving.
Lynch is scheduled to appear in court on May 4 for the burglary conspiracy charge.
“While awaiting trial, this defendant allegedly sought to terrorize the family of Emily Finn, the young woman he is accused of killing,” said district attorney Tierney in a statement. “Our office will not allow victims and their loved ones to be subjected to further harm.”
The young West Sayville dancer’s mom said she’s been appreciative of her entire community’s support during this time.
“We are very grateful to the Suffolk County Police, the detectives, the DA and our wonderful community for all they have done to keep us safe during such a frightening and trying time,” Miller-Finn said.
