Bunice Knight, of Copiague, arraigned on new indictment in missing East Patchogue girl case
Bunice Knight talks to his attorney at Suffolk County Court in Riverhead on Thursday. Credit: Newsday / James Carbone
A Copiague man, charged in the alleged rape of a 14-year-old girl who disappeared for 25 days, appeared Thursday for arraignment on a new indictment in Suffolk County Court.
Bunice Knight, 47, allegedly had sex with the teen in his home on Jan. 2, according to Suffolk prosecutors who charged him with second-degree rape, endangering the welfare of a child and three counts of criminal sale of a controlled substance.
Knight does not face new charges in the superseding indictment unsealed last week. He was arraigned Thursday before acting Suffolk Supreme Court Justice Karen Wilutis in Riverhead.
Wilutis ordered Knight held in lieu of $500,000 cash bail, $1 million bond or $5 million partially secured bond. Wilutis scheduled the next hearing for May 1, but Knight is not expected to appear in court that day.
Knight’s attorney, Ira Weismann of Central Islip, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Newsday is not naming the girl, who is now 15, because she is a minor and the alleged victim of a sex crime.
Knight is one of 11 defendants charged in connection with the girl’s disappearance in December. The superseding indictment added eight new counts against codefendants Anthony Wright, 40, of Amityville, and Daniel Soto, 36, of Bay Shore.
Soto and Wright are each charged with second-degree rape, also known as statutory rape, for allegedly having sex with the teen during the weeks she stayed on a boat docked at an Islip marina, according to the indictment.
Wright and Soto are expected to be arraigned before Wilutis on Tuesday, records show. Wright is facing three counts of second-degree rape, aggravated patronizing a minor for prostitution, patronizing a minor for prostitution and endangering the welfare of a child. Soto faces one count of endangering the welfare of a child in addition to a single rape charge, according to the indictment. Both Soto and Wright have previously denied the allegations.
Police first arrested Francis Buckheit, 64, of East Islip, who owns the boat that was docked in an Islip marina where the girl was found on Jan. 3. Prosecutors allege Buckheit kidnapped and raped the teen as she stayed on his boat for more than three weeks.
Robert Eccleston, 61, of Islip, pleaded not guilty on Monday to second-degree kidnapping and other charges detailed in the superseding indictment. Elizabeth Hunter, 34, of Islip, pleaded not guilty to sex trafficking and endangering the welfare of a child charges, also included in the superseding indictment, on Tuesday.
Ralph Knowles, 63, of Brentwood, pleaded not guilty to second-degree rape and other charges at an arraignment on the superseding indictment Wednesday.
The new indictment does not charge Eccleston, Hunter and Knowles with additional crimes.
Jacquelyn Comiskey, 52, of Bellport, was also charged with child sex trafficking in connection with the girl’s disappearance.
Alton Harrell, 35, of Bellport, who is accused of keeping the girl in an abandoned home on Doane Avenue in Bellport until the evening of Dec. 10, is facing a top charge of first-degree kidnapping, along with felony charges of rape, burglary and aggravated patronizing a minor for prostitution.
Kevin McDonald, 20, of Medford, is charged in connection with raping the girl in the backseat of a car after she left the home where Harrell was allegedly keeping her on Dec. 10, prosecutors have said. Daniel Burke, 63, of Bohemia, is charged in connection with allegedly kidnapping and raping the girl during the first three days of her disappearance, according to authorities.
Another man who was arrested in connection with alleged sexual interactions with the teen after she was found on the boat is not charged in the indictment, though his case remains open in district court. Deshaun McClean, 42, of Deer Park, who was an employee of a state-run children's mental health facility in Suffolk County, is charged with criminal sexual contact, criminal sexual conduct with a person incapable of consent, and endangering the welfare of a child.
A Copiague man, charged in the alleged rape of a 14-year-old girl who disappeared for 25 days, appeared Thursday for arraignment on a new indictment in Suffolk County Court.
Bunice Knight, 47, allegedly had sex with the teen in his home on Jan. 2, according to Suffolk prosecutors who charged him with second-degree rape, endangering the welfare of a child and three counts of criminal sale of a controlled substance.
Knight does not face new charges in the superseding indictment unsealed last week. He was arraigned Thursday before acting Suffolk Supreme Court Justice Karen Wilutis in Riverhead.
Wilutis ordered Knight held in lieu of $500,000 cash bail, $1 million bond or $5 million partially secured bond. Wilutis scheduled the next hearing for May 1, but Knight is not expected to appear in court that day.
WHAT NEWSDAY FOUND
- A Copiague man charged in the alleged rape of a 14-year-old girl who disappeared for 25 days was arraigned Thursday on a new indictment in Suffolk County Court.
- Bunice Knight, 47, allegedly had sex with the teen in his home on Jan. 2, according to Suffolk prosecutors who charged him with second-degree rape, endangering the welfare of a child and three counts of criminal sale of a controlled substance.
- Knight is one of 11 defendants charged in connection with the girl's disappearance.
Knight’s attorney, Ira Weismann of Central Islip, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Newsday is not naming the girl, who is now 15, because she is a minor and the alleged victim of a sex crime.
Knight is one of 11 defendants charged in connection with the girl’s disappearance in December. The superseding indictment added eight new counts against codefendants Anthony Wright, 40, of Amityville, and Daniel Soto, 36, of Bay Shore.
Soto and Wright are each charged with second-degree rape, also known as statutory rape, for allegedly having sex with the teen during the weeks she stayed on a boat docked at an Islip marina, according to the indictment.
Wright and Soto are expected to be arraigned before Wilutis on Tuesday, records show. Wright is facing three counts of second-degree rape, aggravated patronizing a minor for prostitution, patronizing a minor for prostitution and endangering the welfare of a child. Soto faces one count of endangering the welfare of a child in addition to a single rape charge, according to the indictment. Both Soto and Wright have previously denied the allegations.
Police first arrested Francis Buckheit, 64, of East Islip, who owns the boat that was docked in an Islip marina where the girl was found on Jan. 3. Prosecutors allege Buckheit kidnapped and raped the teen as she stayed on his boat for more than three weeks.
Robert Eccleston, 61, of Islip, pleaded not guilty on Monday to second-degree kidnapping and other charges detailed in the superseding indictment. Elizabeth Hunter, 34, of Islip, pleaded not guilty to sex trafficking and endangering the welfare of a child charges, also included in the superseding indictment, on Tuesday.
Ralph Knowles, 63, of Brentwood, pleaded not guilty to second-degree rape and other charges at an arraignment on the superseding indictment Wednesday.
The new indictment does not charge Eccleston, Hunter and Knowles with additional crimes.
Jacquelyn Comiskey, 52, of Bellport, was also charged with child sex trafficking in connection with the girl’s disappearance.
Alton Harrell, 35, of Bellport, who is accused of keeping the girl in an abandoned home on Doane Avenue in Bellport until the evening of Dec. 10, is facing a top charge of first-degree kidnapping, along with felony charges of rape, burglary and aggravated patronizing a minor for prostitution.
Kevin McDonald, 20, of Medford, is charged in connection with raping the girl in the backseat of a car after she left the home where Harrell was allegedly keeping her on Dec. 10, prosecutors have said. Daniel Burke, 63, of Bohemia, is charged in connection with allegedly kidnapping and raping the girl during the first three days of her disappearance, according to authorities.
Another man who was arrested in connection with alleged sexual interactions with the teen after she was found on the boat is not charged in the indictment, though his case remains open in district court. Deshaun McClean, 42, of Deer Park, who was an employee of a state-run children's mental health facility in Suffolk County, is charged with criminal sexual contact, criminal sexual conduct with a person incapable of consent, and endangering the welfare of a child.
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