DNA Links Deceased Man to 1990s Calverton Cold Case Murder, Officials Say

The Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office said Nov. 10 that modern DNA testing has allegedly linked a deceased man, Steven Briecke, formerly of West Islip, to the 1997 killing of Ann Lustig and the 1996 rape of another woman, closing two long-unsolved cases.

According to District Attorney Raymond A. Tierney, the discoveries were made by the Cold Case Task Force, a joint effort between his office and the Suffolk County Police Department launched in April 2024. Officials said the new forensic evidence allegedly connects Briecke, who died in recent years, to both crimes.

Lustig, 69, was found dead on Feb. 19, 1997, off Fresh Pond Road in Calverton, a day after she was reported missing from the Kings Park State Psychiatric Hospital. The Suffolk County Medical Examiner ruled her death a homicide caused by blunt force trauma and neck compression.

Investigators said they had long suspected a link between Lustig’s death and the Dec. 20, 1996, rape of an 82-year-old patient from the same hospital, who reported being abducted by an unknown man, taken to a residence, and sexually assaulted before being returned to the facility. The woman died of natural causes in 2012.

At the time, authorities said they found similar fibers on both victims but were unable to make a forensic connection.

In November 2024, reprocessed evidence produced partial DNA profiles from both crime scenes that matched each other. In early 2025, additional testing of Lustig’s clothing produced a full DNA profile, which officials said matched Briecke through the national Combined DNA Index System (CODIS).

Briecke’s DNA had been entered into the system following prior convictions, including a 1985 burglary and assault and a 2003 Florida sexual assault case

Investigators also linked a two-toned blue Ford van seen near the site where Lustig’s body was discovered to a vehicle registered to Briecke’s mother during the period of the crimes.

Suffolk County Police Commissioner Kevin Catalina said the cases demonstrate the department’s ongoing commitment to applying scientific advancements to unsolved crimes.

While Briecke cannot be prosecuted, officials said the families of both victims were notified of the findings.