Emotions ran high in Suffolk County court Friday as the family of a slain Long Island college student had to be reprimanded for their outbursts aimed at their relative’s accused killer.
Austin Lynch, 18 — accused of killing his ex-girlfriend Emily Finn during her Thanksgiving break from SUNY Oneonta — was berated by her family as his attorney, William Wexler, told the court he could not plead to new charges because his client remains mentally unfit to stand trial.
“I knew he would pull this! This is such garbage!” one relative exclaimed, prompting a court officer to reprimand them.
“F–ing asshole,” the relative muttered under his breath as Lynch entered the courtroom.
The outburst from Finn’s family came as Wexler refused to participate in Lynch’s arraignment on a new indictment, which accused him of conspiring while in Suffolk lock-up to have another inmate break in and rob the home of the ex-girlfriend he is accused of killing.
Prosecutors allege that just one month after he was charged with Finn’s murder — and after the court had already found him too loony to stand trial — Lynch drew up a detailed plan from behind bars to have a fellow inmate burglarize the Finn family home.
Lynch allegedly recruited someone housed in the same facility as him, gave them a mapped out layout of the Finn residence on a piece of paper, and provided specific details about the property to help the would-be burglar gain entry, such as locations of valuables and where the key to enter is hidden in the backyard, prosecutors said.
The alleged scheme targeted the very house in Sayville where Lynch is accused of killing Emily Finn just weeks earlier.
“So you’re telling me he can draw a map of the home but can’t sign his own name?” Another relative questioned in an outburst to another family member as Lynch wouldn’t sign the required court documents.
Judge Anthony Senft Jr. eventually issued a plea of not guilty on Lynch’s behalf.
“Scumbag!” another relative screamed out as the proceeding was wrapping up, prompting Senft Jr. to yell at the family to control their emotions.
“We will not have that in this court!” Senft exclaimed, with officers quickly backing him up.
After the proceeding, Assistant District Attorney Dena Rizopoulous was overheard telling Finn’s family that Lynch was “clearly lying and faking” his mental incapacity, as he tried to plan further harm against them after the finding.
The court ordered a new evaluation for Lynch on Friday and he is due back in court May 4.
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