Courthouse doors open as Suffolk DA lists who will be speaking at sentencing
The doors to the courtroom have opened and just about every seat has already been filled.
The Suffolk County District Attorney's Office is distributing a list of victim family members who will speak during the sentencing.
Adoptive parents Ed and JoAnn Mack and sister Danielle Mack will speak for Valerie Mack. Son Benjamin "Aaron" Torres wrote a victim impact statement that will be read.
For Jessica Taylor, the court will hear from cousins Jasmine Robinson and Violet Swager.
For Maureen Brainard-Barnes: sister Melissa "Missy" Cann and daughter Nicolette Brainard-Barnes.
Amanda Funderburg, sister of Melissa Barthelemy, will also speak. Aunt Elizabeth Meserve and daughter Liliana Waterman will speak for victim Megan Waterman.
Kimberly Overstreet, the sister of Amber Costello, and Sandra Costilla's sister, Ruth Ramos, wrote victim impact statements that will be read to the court.
The courtroom is full and doors are now closed. People are now being taken to an overflow room to watch a video feed of the proceeding.
Each victim has agreed to appear on camera for their statements, court officials have informed media.
Grant Parpan covers Suffolk County courts and federal courts for Newsday. A Long Island native, he joined Newsday in 2022.
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