Two Long Island Women Charged in Teen's Disappearance; Seven Arrested in Connection to Case

Two women from Long Island have been arrested in connection with the disappearance of 14-year-old Emmarae Gervasi. The latest arrests bring the total number of suspects in the case to seven.

Suffolk County police arrested Jacquelyn Comiskey, 52, and Elizabeth Hunter, 34, on Monday. Both were charged with sex trafficking and endangering the welfare of a child, according to court records.

Long island women arrested
X

Authorities allege that Comiskey transported Gervasi to the home of Bunice Knight in Copiague on Jan. 2. In exchange, she reportedly received crack cocaine, according to Newsday. Gervasi was found a day later on a boat docked in an Islip marina.

Hunter's involvement dates back to Dec. 13, court records reveal. She also faces an additional charge of promoting an obscene sex performance by a child under 17. She pleaded not guilty to all charges.

Both women appeared Tuesday at Suffolk County First District Court in Central Islip. A judge set their bail at $750,000 each. Hunter is also facing an unrelated petit larceny charge from Aug. 9, 2024.

Gervasi's Disappearance and Rescue

Gervasi vanished from her Patchogue home around 5 p.m. on Dec. 9, 2024. Surveillance footage showed her getting into a car allegedly driven by Francis Buckheit.

Her court-ordered ankle monitor was later found cut off just a block away. Security cameras captured her at a Bohemia motel the next day, but she soon disappeared again.

On Jan. 3, her father, Frank Gervasi, acting on an anonymous tip, stormed onto a 56-foot boat in an Islip marina and rescued his daughter. Buckheit, the boat's owner, was arrested the same day after arriving at the dock intoxicated.

Additional Arrests and Charges

Buckheit, 53, faces charges including kidnapping, rape, and endangering the welfare of a child. Ten days later, Knight was also arrested and charged with rape and child endangerment.

Three other men have been charged. Alton Harrell, 63, was arrested on Jan. 17. Daniel Burke, 63, and Robert Eccleston, 63, were arrested on Jan. 24. Authorities linked Harrell to the case based on an incident from Dec. 9. Burke and Eccleston are accused of crimes committed on Dec. 10.

Father Speaks Out

Frank Gervasi reacted to the arrests in a Facebook post. "What happens in the dark will come to the light as I said over and over again," he wrote.

The case remains under investigation as prosecutors build their case against the suspects. Authorities have urged anyone with further information to come forward.

READ MORE