Officials: Daniel Burke, man accused of rape, kidnapping in missing LI girl case, dies

A Bohemia man charged in the alleged rape and kidnapping of a missing Long Island girl died while in custody last month, jail and court officials said Monday.

Daniel Burke, 65, "suffered a medical issue" at the Suffolk County jail on July 28 and was transported to Peconic Bay Medical Center, where he later died, a sheriff's department spokesperson confirmed. His attorney, Oscar Crisafio, of Hauppauge, said Burke had gone into cardiac arrest before his death.

"Loss of life is always sad," Crisafio said in a statement. "It’s unfortunate that Daniel was unable to justly vindicate himself of the allegations."

Crisafio said an autopsy was performed on his client, as is required when a person dies in custody, but he has not seen the results. His death was also referred to the New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services for mandatory investigation, an agency spokesperson confirmed.

Acting State Supreme Court Justice Karen Wilutis said after calling Burke’s case in court Monday that prosecutors are awaiting his death certificate before the charges against him can be formally dismissed. The case was adjourned to Sept. 23.

The Suffolk County District Attorney's Office declined to comment on Burke's death.

Burke was among three men facing the possibility of spending life in prison for their role in the then-14-year-old girl’s 25-day disappearance starting in December 2024. Newsday is not naming the teen since she is a minor and the victim of alleged and adjudicated sex crimes.

Prosecutors previously said Burke was a "complete stranger" to the Patchogue girl when she approached his vehicle while alone outside of a Handy Pantry convenience store the evening of Dec. 10, 2024. After allegedly purchasing crack cocaine, Burke brought the girl to his mobile home on Valley Forge Drive, where she stayed for several days, prosecutors said at a February 2025 arraignment where he pleaded not guilty to first-degree kidnapping, second-degree rape and other felony charges. 

Prosecutors said detectives investigating the girl’s disappearance found video evidence that Burke, a maintenance worker for a property management company, had allegedly raped the minor inside his residence. He was also present while another man had sex with her in the back of Burke’s car, prosecutors said.

"The search of Burke's trailer revealed deplorable conditions," Assistant District Attorney Dana Castaldo told Wilutis in February 2025. "There was no running water inside of the trailer."

Police also found Burke, who was among 11 defendants charged in an 83-count indictment, kept newspaper clippings regarding the girl’s disappearance and her recovery from another man’s yacht three weeks later, Castaldo said. The girl first encountered Burke after being dropped off by another man at a nearby motel.

To date, two of Burke’s co-defendants have pleaded guilty and charges remain pending against eight additional defendants.

Francis Buckheit, 66, of East Islip, the owner of the boat where the girl allegedly stayed for the majority of her disappearance, filed a motion earlier this month seeking to suppress evidence and dismiss charges against him. Alton Harrell, 36, of Bellport, the man the girl allegedly first left home with, previously did the same. Buckheit and Harrell are facing 25 years to life in state prison if convicted of first-degree kidnapping.

Co-defendant Jacquelyn Comiskey, 52, of Bellport, pleaded guilty to sex trafficking of a child, promoting prostitution and endangering the welfare of a child last week and is expected to be sentenced to 12 years in state prison. She admitted meeting the girl on Buckheit's vessel and bringing her to an alleged drug dealer accused of raping her.

A trial will likely be held early next year for any remaining defendants in the indictment, attorneys have said.