The gunman accused of killing four people at a Long Island pharmacy this past June pleaded guilty today to five counts of first degree murder — with his lawyer saying the shooter wanted to spare the families from reliving the ordeal during a long trial.
David Laffer, 33, who showed up in a Riverhead courtroom wearing a green prison jumpsuit, nodded when asked by a judge if he wanted to plead guilty to charges — one for each of the four victims and a fifth because there were multiple murders.
“Yes, your honor,” Laffer said, as more than two dozen family members of the four victims looked on.
Defense lawyer Eric Naiburg said “there was no viable defense” for Laffer’s horrendous crime, saying his client did not want to put the families through a trial.
In a series of questions, Laffer said “yes” when asked about the events before and during the shootings — admitting that he shot four people as he stuffed his bag with prescription drugs.
Laffer, who also pleaded guilty to four counts of criminal use of a weapon, faces life without parole for the four murders at sentencing.
Suffolk Judge James Hudson warned Laffer that “you can expect no mercy from this court” when he is sentenced on Oct. 17.
The judge said Laffer would receive “the maximum sentence the law allows.”
Laffer’s wife, Melinda Brady, who drove the getaway car, faces 25 years in prison after pleading guilty today to robbery soon after Laffer’s court appearance. She could receive as little as 21 years.
Brady, 30, told authorities she and Laffer planned the stick-up in order to steal prescription pills — but did not know her husband would shoot anyone during the Father’s Day massacre.
Hours after her arrest, Brady blamed Laffer as she was led from in cuffs.
“He was doing it because he lost his job and I was sick,” Brady told reporters. “He did it. He did all of this.”
Laffer shot and killed Raymond Ferguson, 45, employee Jennifer Mejia, 17; and customers Jaime Taccetta, 33, and Bryon Sheffield, 71, during the June 19 massacre at Haven Drugs in Medford.
Laffer allegedly swiped 10,000 pills — mostly the painkiller hydrocodone — to satisfy her addiction. Cops later found 2,000 pills in the couple’s home.
Other evidence against Laffer included surveillance video of him donning a wig and sunglasses inside the store, fingerprints that he left at the pharmacy and the murder weapon recovered at his home.
Laffer agreed to four consecutive life sentences because he wanted “to offer the families of the victims of this horrible crime some kind of closure,” Naiburg told the court.
But Daniel Taccetta, brother of slain Jaime Taccetta, who called Laffer “a coward” in court, said the admitted killer gave up because the evidence against him and his wife was overwhelming.
“I just think he knows he can’t win” at trial, said Taccetta outside court, although he agreed the move will spare the four families pain “that would be like opening a deep wound.”
After court, Naiburg said he told Laffer, 33, he had no insanity defense and Laffer knows “there’s nothing that’s going to get him out of prison, except death.
“I can’t give you the reasons in his head and the reason he did it,” said Naiburg.
Outside the second floor courtroom, Suffolk County DA Tom Spota said he promised the suffering families “that this man never sees the light of day” and he made good on his promise.
Spota said Brady may get a slight break for her cooperation, but pointed out that his office never plea bargained with either defendant.
“Today those pleas guarantee that Mr. Laffer will never see the light of day,” he said.