Mastic murder suspect: I meant to kill myself

Guenter Wende told police he intended to kill himself last October when he went to Laura Pizzini's apartment, but instead he stabbed the Mastic woman to death, a Suffolk detective testified Monday.

Appearing at a pretrial hearing in Riverhead, Det. Ron Leli said Wende admitted the stabbing in a signed statement on Oct. 20, 2009, four days after Pizzini's body was found in her garage apartment.

Wende told detectives he went to the apartment because "he wanted to be with her, he couldn't get her out of his head," Leli said, during questioning by prosecutor James Chalifoux. "He went there thinking he was going to take his own life in front of her, and somehow it got reversed."

Wende, 43, a Mastic cabinetmaker, has pleaded not guilty to second-degree murder in the death of Pizzini, 25, who worked in a nursery.

His attorney, Jason Bassett of Central Islip, Monday alleged police beat Wende to force him to admit to the stabbing. Pointing to police photos showing an injury to Wende's head, Bassett asked State Supreme Court Justice C. Randall Hinrichs to throw out Wende's confession on grounds that it was coerced.

Hinrichs ruled the statement was obtained properly.

Leli testified an abrasion over Wende's left eye was self-inflicted, possibly caused when Wende's wristwatch scratched him as he rubbed his face or hit himself in the head.

Chalifoux said in court that allegations of police brutality were "complete conjecture."

A Suffolk police spokeswoman Monday declined to comment on whether Wende's interrogation was investigated for possible police misconduct.

Leli testified Wende, who he said referred to Pizzini as "his little angel," signed the nine-page confession, then wrote an apology to Pizzini's family. Unlike the confession, which was prepared by detectives based on an interview of Wende, the apology was handwritten by Wende, Leli said.

When he was arrested, police said Wende claimed he and Pizzini had dated last summer. Pizzini's family says she and Wende never dated.