The man who executed four people inside a Long Island pharmacy during a drug robbery was sentenced today to five consecutive life terms.
Judge James Hudson sentenced David Laffer, 33, to the maximum possible term — four consecutive life sentences without parole plus concurrent sentences on a fifth murder rap and gun charges.
Laffer was stoic throughout his court appearance in Riverhead and shed no tears.
In a statement, Laffer said he was remorseful, but refused to ask for forgiveness because it would be a “selfish act.”
“Perhaps some good can come from this. That’s what I’ve heard time and time again since my arrest,” Laffer said. “It’s impossible to believe that anything good can come from this senseless murder of four innocent people. So many lives have been tragically and permanently altered because of my crime.
“It’s obvious how monumental the loss is. The families will continue to miss their loved ones eternally in their hearts and minds. Regardless of how regretful and remorseful I am, I pray today’s sentencing will provide a sense of justice for them. To ask for forgiveness from them would be a selfish act. I truly believe that my crime is one that cannot and should not be forgiven. To stand here and offer a mea culpa would be a disgrace to the victim’s families. I will not do that.”
Laffer had pleaded guilty to the grisly Father’s Day massacre in September.
The judge did not spare Laffer, saying, “I promised you when you plead guilty that you could not hope for mercy. I will not disappoint you. You merit the scorn of this community, your victim’s families and this court.”
Hudson added: “Each one of your victims was unique. They had something in common. They were very, very good people. They were the kind of people who tended to help others. Ironically, Mr. Laffer, I would not doubt that if you asked for their help, they would have come to your aid. They were the kind of people our community rightly treasures.
“I want the record to show that you have not shed one tear despite all of the statements from all the victims who came into this court today. Not one tear. I’ve asked … that in light of your murderous character, that you be placed in the most restrictive conditions possible, solitary confinement, and be denied all privileges for the rest of your life.”
Laffer’s wife, Melinda Brady,who drive him to and from the scene and helped him dispose of evidence, pleaded guilty to first degree robbery and was sentenced earlier today to the maximum of 25 years behind bars.
In one of the most brutal crimes in Long Island history, the drug addled assassin gunned down two employees and two customers during the June robbery and made off with thousands of pills before being arrested at his home weeks later.
Brady drove Laffer to and from the scene and helped him dispose of evidence. She had pleaded guilty to first-degree robbery.
Disturbing surveillance footage showed Laffer, an unemployed Army veteran, walking into Haven Drugs in Medford disguised in a fake beard, sunglasses, and a hat and carrying a black backpack.
Laffer first approached pharmacist Raymond Ferguson and calmly discussed various drug interactions.
After a short conversation, he asks another employee, Jennifer Mejia, to leave the area so that he can speak privately.
Without any warning, Laffer blasted Ferguson in the abdomen before hunting down the screaming Mejia in the store’s rear and fatally shooting her twice. The killer then noticed Ferguson groaning on the ground and pumped two more bullets into his head at close range.
Laffer next began shoveling thousands of pills into the backpack before hearing elderly retiree Bryon Sheffield enter the store. He crouched down behind the victim — who was getting pills for his ailing wife — and shot him in the head.
Laffer returned to the counter area to steal more pills when he heard his fourth and final victim, Jaime Taccetta enter the store. He fired his final bullet into her head from behind as her fiancee, James Manzella, waited in a car outside the store. None of the victims offered any resistance.
The horrific crime complete, Laffer hustled out of the store and hopped into the his getaway car. He and Brady tried to create an alibi by buying snacks and beverages at a local convenience store half an hour later.
The damning evidence against Laffer included fingerprints he left at the scene, the disassembled murder weapon recovered from his home, and thousands of pills recovered in his room.