Riverhead Man Found Guilty of Murdering Niece's Boyfriend

A Riverhead man was convicted of fatally shooting his niece’s 23-year-old boyfriend when an altercation between the shooter and victim escalated two years ago.

A Suffolk County jury found Brent Henry, 61, guilty of second-degree murder and two counts of criminal possession of a weapon in the death of Ines Reyes of East Patchogue.

“Mr. Reyes was one month away from becoming a father when the defendant made the senseless  decision to murder him,” Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond Tierney said. “We can never give the victim’s  daughter the chance to meet her father, but hopefully today’s verdict brings the family some  measure of closure.”

Prosecutors said Henry and Reyes got into a confrontation that turned into a fist fight at the Bellport home of the victim’s girlfriend, Henry’s niece, on Aug. 18, 2023. Henry later followed the victim to another home in East Patchogue, where he repeatedly shot Reyes with a .40 caliber semi-automatic handgun in front of his girlfriend, authorities said.

The victim was taken to Long Island Community Hospital, where he died of his injuries. Henry was arrested the next day.

Henry is due back in court on Nov. 7, when Judge Richard I. Horowitz is scheduled to sentence him to up to 25 years to life in prison.