Emotions escalated in a Suffolk County courtroom on Friday when the family of a murdered Long Island college student vented their anger at the suspect in her killing.
Austin Lynch, aged 18, faces accusations of murdering his ex-girlfriend, Emily Finn, during Thanksgiving break at the State University of New York at Oneonta. The situation worsened when his attorney, William Wexler, claimed in court that Lynch remained mentally incompetent to face trial, which drew sharp rebuke from his family.
Amid the tensions, one family member shouted, “We knew he was going to pull this! This is really trash!” as court officials attempted to calm them down.
Another relative quietly muttered, “Fuck you,” as Lynch entered the courtroom.
The outburst followed Wexler’s refusal to attend Lynch’s arraignment on new charges. These charges relate to allegations that, while incarcerated, Lynch conspired to have an inmate break into and rob Finn’s family’s home—an unsettling twist just after he was charged with her murder.
Prosecutors assert that Lynch devised a meticulous plan from jail, aimed at having fellow inmates raid the Finn residence shortly after the murder charges were filed. Bizarrely, a court had already ruled him mentally unfit to stand trial.
According to the prosecution, Lynch provided his accomplices with a map of the Finns’ home, complete with crucial information about where valuables could be found and the location of a key that would allow access to the backyard.
The intended target was the very residence in Sayville where Lynch is accused of killing Emily Finn just weeks before.
“So he can draw a map of the house, but he can’t sign his name?” another family member yelled in frustration when Lynch didn’t sign necessary court documents.
Judge Anthony Senft Jr. ultimately entered a not guilty plea for Lynch.
As the proceedings wrapped up, yet another family member shouted, “You scumbag!” prompting Judge Senft to admonish them to maintain control. “I won’t allow that in this courtroom!” he firmly stated, with officers stepping in to assist.
Afterward, Assistant District Attorney Dena Rizopolous expressed to the family that Lynch seemed to be “obviously lying and feigning mental incompetence,” especially given his attempts to further harm them.
The court mandated a new evaluation for Lynch, who is set to return on May 4.
