Long Island Woman In Child Endangerment Case 'Painted With Broad Brush': Attorney

LONG ISLAND, NY — An attorney for the Long Island woman who has been reportedly linked to the case of a missing teenage girl said Friday that she maintains her innocence and that prosecutors are looking to paint her with the same broad brush as other defendants who have been arrested in connection with the case.

Rebecca Browell, 48, of Brentwood, and her domestic partner, Ralph Knowles, 63, have been reportedly arrested in connection with the missing girl, 14. Browell has been charged with misdemeanor child endangerment, and Knowles, is part of a group of nine people, including six other men, as well as two women who have been indicted in connection with the case.

He was charged with rape, among other charges, online court records show.

The teen went missing in December, sparking a massive hunt for her that was highly publicized on social media, before she was found on a boat in early January.

Browell's defense attorney, Pierre Bazile of Huntington, described her as not working due to a disability.

"There's been a real effort by the district attorney's office to portray my client as being involved in the matter of the trafficking," Bazile said. "Frankly, the district attorney's office is just painting her with a broad brush, trying to lump her in with the other defendants, trying to make her guilty by association."

Browell's child endangerment charge stems from an incident on Dec. 13, which was within the week of the teen's disappearance, online court records show. In that case, prosecutors are alleging that Browell gave a narcotic to a minor, though it is not clear whether the missing girl is the same minor, Bazile said.

She was arrested on Feb. 6, online court records show.

The child endangerment charge was not included in the indictment this week, online court records show.

"It doesn't appear that the District Attorney's office has chosen to pursue that charge," Bazile said, referencing the fact that it was not included in this week's indictment.

Patch has reached out to the District Attorney's press office for comment.

In the meantime, Browell and Knowles are facing additional charges related to drugs, including multiple counts of criminal possession of a controlled substance and criminal sale of a controlled substance, as well as criminal possession of drug paraphernalia.

Prosecutors allege Browell acted in concert, along with Knowles, to sell and possess, various narcotic substances, including crack and heroin, and possibly fentanyl, Bazile said.

While Browell's indictment stems from an incident on Jan. 23, there are also charges in the lower court not only stemming from that date, but also Jan. 27, Jan. 30, and Feb. 5, according to court records.

But its unclear whether the child endangerment case and indictment are being considered as one or two separate cases, according to Bazile.

"That's something that's really going to remain to be seen because they got to show me evidence," he said. " They got to show me discovery. I don't know exactly what they have, what they don't have. They haven't really given me any discovery as of just yet."

"She maintains her innocence at this time," he said. "We are waiting for evidence from the District Attorney's office to either substantiate the charge or exonerate her."

He could not say if he expected another indictment being handed up by a grand jury.

"I couldn't possibly answer though; I'd be shooting in the dark," he said. "I have no idea. That's only within the sole knowing of the District Attorney's office, whether or not they're going to add any charges for [them."]

Browell's bail was set at $250,000, $500,000 insured bond, and $1 million partially secured surety bond, online court records show.

She had not posted bail as of Monday, a spokeswoman for the Suffolk County Sheriff's office said.

Browell's next court appearance on the child endangerment charge is March 6, and March 19 for the indictment on drug charges.

Twelve people have been reportedly charged in connection with the case.

The first arrest in the case was that of Francis Buckheit, of East Islip, his defense attorney Danielle Marie Papa of Hauppauge said.

The second person arrested was Bunice Knight, 47, of Copiague, with investigators alleging he had sex with the girl inside of his house hours before she was found, according to reports.

Others arrested reportedly include Daniel Burke, 63, of Bohemia, and Robert Eccleston, 61, of Islip, were reportedly arrested with investigators alleging they kidnapped the teen and held her at their homes.

A 20-year-old from Medford, Kevin McDonald, was also reportedly arrested in connection with the case.

Two women were also reportedly charged on Jan. 24 with child trafficking in the case — Elizabeth Hunter, 34, of Islip, and Jacquelyn Comiskey, 52, of Bellport — for using the teen for money and drugs from men.

Seven men and two women will answer a 75-count indictment containing updated charges, including child sex trafficking, kidnapping, and rape, Newsday reported.

Thirty-five-year-old Bellport resident Alton Harrell, who is alleged to have picked the teen up at her house on Dec. 9, faces the most serious upgrade with a new top charge of first-degree kidnapping, the outlet reported, citing court records.

Online court records show that the nine indicted in connection with the case includes not only Knowles, but Buckheit, Eccleston, Burke, Harrell, McDonald, Hunter, Knight, and Comiskey.

Knowles' attorney, Chase Brown, previously told Patch that he "maintains his innocence, and is looking forward to receiving his discovery and his day in court.”

Also previously arrested in the case was DeShaun McClean, a 42-year-old mental health worker, has been accused of having sexual contact with the teen between Jan. 9 and Jan. 23 at a children's mental health facility that she was staying at in Suffolk after she was found, according to News 12.

Daniel Soto, 36, of Bay Shore, was the 12th person arrested on a felony charge of second-degree rape and endangering the welfare of a child.

Editor's note: The teen's name is being withheld to protect her identity as a minor.