Judge rules Austin Lynch, of Nesconset, competent to stand trial in fatal shooting of ex-girlfriend Emily Finn

A Suffolk County judge ruled that a Nesconset teen accused of fatally shooting his former girlfriend is competent to stand trial following an updated determination from the New York State Office of Mental Health.

Austin Lynch, 18, was informed Thursday by acting State Supreme Court Justice Anthony Senft Jr. that he would be returned to court to face the second-degree murder charge in the killing of Emily Finn, who was shot while returning belongings to his home following a breakup.

"The court has received a copy of the [evaluation] that indicates [Lynch] is fit to proceed to trial on this matter," Senft told the alleged killer. "There being no objections, the case is now being returned to the calendar."

The ruling comes less than two months after Senft ordered a new mental health evaluation of Lynch, who was found incompetent to stand trial in January.

Lynch, while in custody on the murder charge, was charged in March with conspiracy after he allegedly plotted a burglary at Finn’s West Sayville home. He drew a map of the house for a fellow inmate at the Suffolk County jail and told him where to find valuable items like jewelry, prosecutors said. Mental health experts determined Lynch was competent to stand trial on the conspiracy charge.

Those contradictory determinations painted Senft into a corner, he acknowledged at a July 28 hearing, making the order of a third evaluation necessary.

Office of Mental Health officials have since met with Lynch at the Suffolk County Jail, where he has been held on bail related to the March conspiracy charge.

Assistant District Attorney Dena Rizopoulos told the judge the case will soon be certified ready for trial and can proceed to pretrial motions. Senft set a conference for Oct. 19.

Neither Rizopoulos nor defense attorney William Wexler, of North Babylon, offered comment on the Office of Mental Health's findings.

Lynch pleaded not guilty to second-degree murder in the Nov. 26 shooting death of Finn. Prosecutors have said Lynch fired a single shot from close range into the back of Finn's head as she was looking to leave his home before turning the gun on himself, but he survived a shot to his face.

Prosecutors have called Lynch's actions, which occurred on the eve of both Thanksgiving and his 18th birthday, premeditated and intentional, arguing he was distraught after Finn ended their three-year relationship two weeks earlier and had declared his intent to show her "how angry he was" and end his own life.

Finn, 18, had just returned home for the holiday from SUNY Oneonta when she arrived at Lynch's house shortly before 10 a.m. on Nov. 26.

Friends told investigators the young couple's relationship broke down after Finn left to attend college in the fall and Lynch, who had enlisted in the Marines and was set to report to boot camp in February, became "possessive, accusatory and overbearing," Rizopoulos said at his Dec. 5 arraignment.

Friends told investigators Finn feared Lynch, who indicated to others he "hated her," but she was intent on returning his belongings, prosecutors have said.

Lynch is facing the possibility of serving 25 years to life in prison if convicted on the restored murder charge and an additional 1¼ to 4 years for conspiracy.

By Grant Parpan

grant.parpan@newsday.com@GrantParpan

Grant Parpan covers Suffolk County courts and federal courts for Newsday. A Long Island native, he joined Newsday in 2022.