By Hector Flores and Scott Brinton
At press time, Nassau County and city police officials were investigating the death as a case of murder or suicide.
According to police reports, on Wednesday, July 9, city authorities called Nassau County police to check on Flannery, who lived on the second floor of 27-35 Wilson Ave. Flannery had failed to report to work, prompting the call.
At 9 a.m, First Precinct police officers arrived at the apartment and discovered Flannery's body on her bedroom floor.
On July 10, the Nassau County Medical Examiner's Office performed an autopsy on her body and determined that she had died from one of the two gunshot wounds to her head. The office, however, couldn't determine whether the death was a suicide, a homicide or an accident, and is continuing its investigation before ruling on the death.
A next-door neighbor, who asked not to be identified, described Flannery as a quiet, nice young woman who kept to herself. "From what I understand, she had two brothers, but they are not from the area," the neighbor said. "A few people heard some noise, but they thought it was just fireworks. From what I was told, this could have been a suicide, but she wasn't the type of person who would commit suicide."
On Wednesday, police cordoned off Wilson Avenue with yellow tape and set up a command post outside Flannery's apartment, remaining there throughout the day. Police gave Flannery's dog to a waiting family member or friend. They also towed a car from the shingled home.
At one point, police stood by the side of the home and pointed to a broken shingle on the second floor, where there was believed to be a bullet hole. Police also hauled several bags of evidence from the home.
Several passersby paused at the police line to speculate about what had happened and speak with the small assembly of newspaper and television reporters who had gathered at the scene. Local residents said repeatedly that they couldn't believe a New York City police officer was killed with a gunshot to her head in their neighborhood, which they believed to be generally safe.
According to published reports, Flannery, who was divorced, was a 12-year NYPD veteran assigned to the Traffic Control Division in Manhattan, and was scheduled for promotion to captain.
