Prosecutors in Suffolk County revealed on Thursday that a troubled teenager, charged with the murder of his ex-girlfriend, became enraged when she left for college and broke up with him. Austin Lynch, the suspect, expressed his feelings in a disturbing manifesto, stating, “I have decided to leave by my 18th birthday,” and added, “I hate her.”
As additional unsettling details came to light, Lynch, who suffered a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the face during the event on November 26, appeared in court bandaged and wearing green scrubs as he faced second-degree murder charges.
Assistant District Attorney Dena Rizopoulos noted that Lynch’s behavior shifted from being obsessively attached to feeling threatened and disturbed by Finn’s departure for SUNY Oneonta, especially after she ended their relationship just two weeks before the tragic incident.
One of Finn’s friends recounted how Lynch had expressed anger shortly after the breakup. “During a conversation the weekend before the murder, this defendant told this friend that he would be dead by Wednesday,” said Rizopoulos.
Emily Finn, a vibrant freshman, was home for Thanksgiving break when she confronted Lynch. A recent graduate from Sayville High School, she was also a gifted ballet dancer who pursued her passion at the American Ballet Studio in Bayport, dreaming of becoming a teacher.
Last week, over 1,000 people gathered at the Rayner & D’Andrea Funeral Home in West Sayville for her wake, many dressed in pink, her favorite color, in tribute to her memory.
Prosecutors had awaited Lynch’s recovery before bringing murder charges against him for this heinous act. He has since been remanded without bail.
