Two charged with murder of couple whose severed limbs were found across Long Island

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Two people in New York have been arrested in connection with the murders of a couple whose body parts were found across Long Island earlier this year.

Both 39-year-old Jeffrey Mackey and 33-year-old Alexis Nieves were charged with murder for allegedly killing Malcolm Brown, 53, and Donna Conneely, 59 of Westchester, New York. They pleaded not guilty to the crimes during their arraignment hearing, according to The Associated Press.

Authorities previously charged the duo and two others, Steven Brown, 44, and Amanda Wallace, 40,  with concealing a human corpse and tampering with evidence. The body parts were discovered in late February and early March, the outlet reported. Steven Brown is Malcolm Brown’s cousin.

The four people were arrested after officials obtained a search warrant for an Amityville house where Mr Mackey, Mr Brown and Ms Wallace live. However, due to the state’s bail reform laws, they were arraigned and released.

Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney told reporters at a news conference that he believes Steven Brown and Ms Conneely were killed on 27 February. The group had allegedly been planning to rob a gas station at knifepoint.

Authorities believe that Mr Mackey fatally stabbed Mr Brown and Ms Conneely, while Ms Nieves allegedly used a meat tenderizer to beat one of them after the group had an argument relating to the armed robbery, Assistant Suffolk County District Attorney Frank Schroeder said.

Their body parts were later found in trees in Babylon and Bethpage. A high school student on their way to school spotted an arm and alerted authorities. Police later found two severed heads, legs and additional body parts.

Mr Schroeder told Newsday: “While the case involves the cutting up of bodies of two human beings, the barbarity of those acts were  only exceeded by the brutality of the murders themselves”.

Currently, Steven Brown and Ms Wallace are not facing murder charges and are scheduled to be arraigned on Tuesday.

An attorney for Ms Nieves told the AP that the woman maintains her innocence. An attorney for Ms Wallace said he looks forward to representing her in court against the charges she is facing.

Coreen Bullock, a sister of Malcolm Brown, told ABC7: “He was our baby brother, he was not perfect but nobody deserves murder like this.”