Detective explains Mastic investigation

There were reasons that a Suffolk County homicide detective focused on only one man as the suspect in the death of a Mastic woman two years ago, even with several former boyfriends to consider, the detective testified Friday.

Unlike the ex-boyfriends, only Guenter Wende spent hours staring at Laura Pizzini at her job and at a bar she liked to go to, Det. Michael Mahan testified before Suffolk County Court Judge Barbara Kahn. Only Wende had avoided talking to police after Pizzini was stabbed to death in her kitchen, he said. And Wende, 44, also of Mastic was the only man whom Pizzini, 25, had told friends to look at if anything bad ever happened to her, he said.

But Wende's attorney, Jason Bassett, of Central Islip, suggested during his cross-examination that not only was Mahan too hasty in focusing on Wende, but that he beat a false confession out of him to bolster an otherwise weak case.

"Isn't it a fact, detective, that you knew to make an arrest, you needed a confession because there was no physical evidence" linking Wende to the October 2009 killing, Bassett asked.

"I knew there was no physical evidence," Mahan replied.

There were no fingerprints or DNA from Wende in Pizzini's apartment, and no blood of hers was found on anything belonging to him.

"You slapped Mr. Wende repeatedly that night, did you not?" Bassett asked later.

"That never happened," Mahan said.

"You banged his head against the wall, right?" Bassett said.

"No," Mahan replied.

Earlier in the trial, Det. Sue Nolan testified that a grief stricken Wende hit himself in the head after he confessed to her.

During questioning by Assistant District Attorney Robert Biancavilla, Mahan said Wende initially denied any romantic interest in Pizzini and said he cared for her "like a daughter." He said he didn't have time to pursue a relationship with her, although he said his work was slower than usual.

Mahan said he asked Wende what should happen to Pizzini's killer.

"He said the person who did this should not get death or go to jail," Mahan said. Shortly afterward, Wende started crying and acknowledged being mad at her, Mahan said.

"Maybe I blacked out, and I'm sorry," Wende said, according to Mahan.

"Sorry for what?" Mahan said he replied.

"Maybe I need to go to jail," Wende said, according to Mahan. "Don't let me go to jail. I won't be able to handle jail."

If convicted of second-degree murder, Wende faces a maximum of 25 years to life in prison.