On a late Wednesday evening in June 2015, the residential calm of Davidson Street in Wyandanch, New York, was shattered by a dozen gunshots. When the sounds subsided, 23-year-old Stephanie Almedina Rivera, a Hispanic female from Bay Shore, was found deceased, the victim of a triple homicide that also claimed the lives of 25-year-old William Madrey of Wyandanch and 23-year-old Ciara Smith of Deer Park. A fourth woman in the parked SUV with them was wounded but survived the attack. The gunman, who police believed to be a lone male, approached the vehicle just before midnight on June 3rd and opened fire before fleeing the scene.
The immediate aftermath of the shooting was filled with the grief of family members who gathered at the scene, seeking answers and justice. Stephanie’s family remembered her as a sweet person and the 'best aunt.' Her cousin, Jose Carrasco, described her as a loving, family-oriented person who was trying to get her life together and stated that whatever the shooting was about, it had nothing to do with her. While her family was perplexed by the violent act, Suffolk County police immediately began investigating a possible gang-related motive for the killings.
Investigators revealed that William Madrey was a self-admitted member of the Bloods street gang, a detail that became a central focus of their inquiry. Though Madrey's family disputed his current gang involvement, police explored this connection as a potential reason for the targeted violence. The investigation was hampered by a pervasive 'no snitching' culture in the neighborhood, a social code that discouraged cooperation with law enforcement and was believed to be a significant obstacle in solving the case. In the weeks that followed, a strange twist in the case emerged when three individuals, including Madrey's housemate and business partner Dominic Peterson, were arrested and charged with kidnapping and assaulting a man they believed was the shooter. Peterson’s attorney publicly named this man as Justin Rivera. However, Suffolk County authorities never officially confirmed if Justin Rivera was a suspect in the triple homicide. To date, no arrests have been made in the murders of Stephanie Almedina Rivera, William Madrey, and Ciara Smith, and the case remains unsolved. A reward was offered for any information that would lead to an arrest.
