20 Years In Murder Of Teen Whose Remains Were Unearthed In Long Island Yard

RIVERSIDE, NY -A Centereach man was sentenced to 20 years in prison for the deadly beating of a teenage friend whose remains were unearthed in a yard three years ago, Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney’s office said.

John Mann IV, 20, of Centereach, has been sentenced for the premeditated beating of Henry Hernandez, 16, of Hempstead, whose skeletal remains were found in Centereach in March 2020.

Tierney said, “We hope this plea and sentence serves as some measure of justice for Henry Hernandez and his family. This is a truly heartbreaking and horrific case.”

On March 15, 2020, skeletal remains were found in a plastic tub on the property of Mann IV’s neighbor, Tierney’s office said, adding that the remains were wrapped in two separate plastic bags.

When the skeletal remains were examined, it was discovered that the hands and feet were bound with duct tape, and the head and mouth were wrapped in duct tape, Tierney’s office said.

DNA tests determined that the skeletal remains were that of Hernandez, according to Tierney.

A subsequent police investigation established that Mann and Hernandez became acquaintances in March 2019, Tierney’s office said.

A short time later, Hernandez went to Mann’s home located on Jay Road in Centereach and stole Mann’s father’s truck, according to Tierney’s office.

On or around June 2, 2019, Mann lured Hernandez to a location known as the “Sand Pit,” where he duct-taped the victim and struck him multiple times with a blunt object, Tierney’s office said.

Mann placed his body in a hole and covered it with debris and then later moved his skeletal remains into a plastic tub and placed it on his next-door neighbor’s property, where it was ultimately recovered on March 15, 2020, according to Tierney’s office.

Mann pleaded guilty to second-degree manslaughter and tampering with physical evidence in May.

Mann’s sentence will be followed by five years of post-release supervision.

Mann thanked Judge Anthony Senft for a sentence that will give him another chance at life once his sentence is completed, Newsday reported.

“I will become a functioning member of society,” he said.