Prosecutors say disputes involving a former girlfriend and a roommate preceded the 30-minute assault on Christopher Martin.

SHIRLEY, N.Y. — Three people have been indicted on murder and gang assault charges after prosecutors said they entered a Long Island home and took part in a prolonged attack that killed 48-year-old Christopher Martin.

Korey Sammarco, 36, of Shirley; Melissa Fawcett, 50, of Central Islip; and Benjamin Sheppard, 34, of Central Islip, each face two counts of second-degree murder and one count of first-degree gang assault. The charges stem from a June 14 confrontation at the Shirley residence where Martin and Sammarco had lived. Prosecutors say Sammarco and Martin had been arguing for weeks, while Fawcett, Martin’s former girlfriend, had been feuding with him after their relationship ended. The three defendants are being held while the criminal cases move through Suffolk County Supreme Court.

The Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office said the defendants arrived at the house at about 7 p.m. and entered through the front door. According to prosecutors, Martin had locked himself in his bedroom. Sammarco allegedly forced open the bedroom door and struck Martin with a sledgehammer, causing him to fall. What followed, authorities allege, was not a brief fight but an attack lasting more than 30 minutes. Prosecutors said the assailants used items found or carried into the home, including a television, a 20-pound dumbbell and a baseball bat. Officials have described the accusations in restrained but grave terms, emphasizing that the conduct remains alleged and has not been proved at trial.

A resident of the home called 911 at about 7:30 p.m. to report a fight involving a man who rented a room there, according to the initial police account. Officers found Martin seriously injured. He was taken to NYU Langone Hospital-Suffolk in Patchogue, where he was pronounced dead. Prosecutors later said Martin suffered extensive injuries, including broken ribs and internal bleeding. The precise sequence in which each defendant allegedly acted is expected to be a central issue as the case proceeds. No trial testimony has been presented, and the indictment represents the prosecution’s allegations rather than a finding of guilt.

The alleged destruction of Martin’s cellphone is also part of the prosecution’s account. Authorities say the phone was broken so he could not contact police during the confrontation. Law enforcement officers later carried out several search warrants and recovered a sledgehammer, television, dumbbell and bat, according to the district attorney’s office. Prosecutors have not publicly detailed where each object was located, whether forensic testing has been completed or what results, if any, were obtained. Those matters could become important if the case reaches pretrial evidence hearings or a jury trial.

The investigation initially led to gang assault charges against Sammarco and Fawcett. Suffolk County homicide detectives arrested them June 15, one day after Martin’s death. Sheppard was arrested June 20. The case later advanced to a grand jury, which returned the murder and gang assault indictment against all three. The change from the original arrests to the indictment reflects the broader set of accusations prosecutors chose to present after additional investigative work. It does not establish that any defendant committed the crimes, and each remains presumed innocent unless convicted in court.

Prosecutors have outlined two conflicts they say formed the background to the encounter. Sammarco and Martin, described as friends and roommates, had allegedly been involved in repeated disagreements during the preceding weeks. Fawcett was described as Martin’s former girlfriend, and authorities said the two were also in conflict after Martin ended their relationship. Prosecutors have alleged that Fawcett helped arrange the confrontation, but they have not announced a final motive for every act or explained publicly why Sheppard allegedly joined the others. A motive is not required to file a murder charge, although evidence about the relationships may be used to explain the prosecution’s theory to a jury.

During court proceedings reported by local media, prosecutors alleged that Fawcett had tried to resume her relationship with Martin and had gone to the residence the day before the attack but was not allowed inside. They also alleged she acquired a gun that she intended to use to frighten him. Authorities have not accused the defendants of shooting Martin, and the district attorney’s public account of the fatal encounter does not list a firearm among the recovered objects allegedly used in the assault. Any statements made during arraignment proceedings remain allegations, and the defense attorneys will have the opportunity to challenge the prosecution’s evidence.

The charges include two separate counts of second-degree murder for each defendant. New York law permits prosecutors to pursue different legal theories in a homicide case, though a defendant cannot receive duplicative punishment for a single death. The district attorney’s announcement did not provide the wording of each count or explain in detail how the prosecution intends to prove them. First-degree gang assault generally concerns serious physical injury caused when several people participate in an attack. The term does not necessarily allege membership in an organized street gang; it refers to the claimed participation of multiple people in the assault.

Sammarco and Fawcett were arraigned July 1 before state Supreme Court Justice Richard Ambro. Sheppard was arraigned the following day before the same judge. Ambro ordered all three defendants remanded, meaning they will remain in custody while the cases are pending unless a later court ruling changes that status. The district attorney’s office said each defendant could face 25 years to life in prison if convicted of the top charge. Sentencing would occur only after a conviction, and the possible maximum penalty should not be read as a prediction of the outcome.

Sammarco is represented by attorney John Halverson, while attorney Eric Besso represents Fawcett and attorney Katherine Fernandez represents Sheppard, according to the district attorney’s announcement. Publicly available accounts did not include detailed responses from the three defense lawyers to every accusation. Defense attorneys may challenge statements, physical evidence, search warrants, identification evidence or the prosecution’s description of the defendants’ individual roles. They may also argue that the evidence does not support the intent required for murder or that the acts of one person should not automatically be attributed to the others.

The investigation was conducted by Detective David Gelsomino of the Suffolk County Police Department’s Homicide Squad. Assistant District Attorney Sheetal Shetty of the Homicide Bureau and Assistant District Attorney Jacob Delauter of the Major Crime Bureau are prosecuting the case. District Attorney Raymond Tierney said his office would seek justice for Martin and his family and thanked police for their work. The statement did not announce whether authorities are seeking additional suspects, even though reports of statements attributed to one defendant referred to other people who may have been present.

That unresolved question is among several matters likely to receive closer review. Prosecutors have accused three people in the indictment, but public reporting has referred to a statement in which Sammarco allegedly identified additional participants. Authorities have not publicly named or charged other people in connection with Martin’s death. It also remains unclear from the released information whether investigators believe every recovered object was handled by one of the three defendants or whether each defendant is alleged to have caused a particular injury. Those distinctions may matter when prosecutors seek to prove individual responsibility beyond a reasonable doubt.

The next scheduled court appearances are Aug. 6 for Sammarco and Fawcett and Aug. 10 for Sheppard. Those proceedings may address discovery, motions and scheduling rather than determine guilt or innocence. Until evidence is tested in court, the allegations remain unproven. All three defendants are presumed innocent, and Martin’s death remains the sole homicide at the center of the case.

Author note: Last updated Aug. 2, 2026.