A much-loved woman was murdered twenty-eight years ago and her murderer has finally been identified.
In 1997, the body of 69-year-old Ann Lustig was discovered off Fresh Pond Road in Calverton. Lustig had been reported missing from the Kings Park State Psychiatric Hospital. The Suffolk County Medical Examiner’s Office conducted an autopsy and ruled Lustig’s death a homicide caused by blunt force trauma and neck compression. Despite an extensive investigation at the time, the case remained unsolved for decades.
District Attorney Tierney’s Cold Case Task Force used advanced forensic technology to identify Steven Briecke as the perpetrator in the 1997 Calverton homicide and a 1996 rape. Brieke is now deceased.
“Resolving long-overdue crimes that have haunted the victim’s loved ones and our community for far too long is why we established the Cold Case Task Force,” said Tierney.
In 1996, an 82-year-old patient was also reported missing from Kings Park Psychiatric Hospital. An unknown male forced her into a car, drove her to an unknown residence, and forcibly raped her. Afterwards, the male dropped her back to the facility where she reported the incident to the hospital staff.
“Although nearly three decades have passed since these horrific crimes occurred, we remain resolute in our commitment to solving them and providing justice to the victims and their families,” said Suffolk County Commissioner Kevin Catalina.
At the time, investigators believed the crimes were related, but the cases could not be forensically linked at the time with existing technology.
In early 2025, additional testing of Lustig’s clothing led to the discovery of a full DNA profile. This full profile returned a match to Briecke. He had previous convictions for burglary and assault.
While Briecke cannot be prosecuted, the families of the victims are grateful to see the cases brought to a resolution.