By:Anthony Rifilato
Michael Modica, 23, was discovered face-down on the front lawn, his wrists and ankles bound with duct tape, on the morning of March 25 by a neighbor who was passing by the home on the corner of Grand Boulevard and McKinley Street.
The neighbor, Richard Homic, heard the family's three dogs barking frantically and discovered the body, which lay behind a white picket fence near some bushes and a 2 1/2-foot wall. The family dogs were by Modica's body.
Homic ran for help and reached a mailman, who called 911 on his cell phone. Homic could not be reached for comment.
As of Monday, police could not determine how or why Modica was killed, but said they believe that he was not the victim of a random killing. "It doesn't appear that it was a random act," said Lt. Kevin Smith. "It appears that he was targeted."
When police arrived sometime after 10 a.m., they found the front door of the home kicked in. "There was a home invasion," said Nassau Police Homicide Detective Sgt. Dennis Barry. Police did not say if anything was stolen from the home, but did say that there were no obvious signs that it was ransacked.
"Some neighbors heard strange noises early this morning," said Barry, adding that some residents reported hearing a loud crash and dogs barking. But other neighbors close by said they were either not alarmed by the barking or heard nothing at all.
"I didn't hear anything," said one neighbor who lives across the street but who asked not to be identified. "They weren't noisy people. I looked out and saw all the commotion."
Last Thursday, Modica was identified by his stepfather, Charles Bencivenga, who police said did not hear anything strange when he left for work at 5:30 a.m. After he was contacted by police, the stepfather came home that afternoon in shock, police said. It was unclear whether Modica was killed inside or outside the home and then left in the yard.
Before Modica's body was taken away on a stretcher at around 4:30 p.m., he lay on the ground, in plain view, neighbors and reporters said, until a mobile police command center parked in front of the home.
Police did take precautions so as not to expose children to the disturbing sight, and notified the school district and nearby Meadow Elementary School about the situation. "We did make sure our kindergartners and first-graders were picked up by a parent," said Principal Joan Flatley. "We gave [parents] alternate routes, like Milburn Avenue."
Some Meadow parents who live in the area said they grew worried when they heard the news. "It's certainly upsetting, especially for those of us who have school-age children here," said one parent who would not give his name. "It's so close to where you live, it brings it too close to home."
Witnesses said blood could be seen on Modica's head as he lay in the yard, and that he was wearing jeans but no shirt, which exposed some tattoos. Police explained that Modica was fully clothed, and that while there may have been a contusion to his head, it was not the cause of death. Even more baffling, there were no identifying wounds, such as a gunshot, stab wound or strangulation marks, that could help officials determine how Modica was killed.
"That's one of the aspects of this case that makes it more challenging," said Barry. "There's nothing that jumps out at the present time."
Modica's death could remain a mystery for some time. Smith explained that an autopsy last Friday proved inconclusive, and police may not be able to determine the cause of death until they receive a toxicology report, which could take over a month. "It's something they conduct when there are no outward signs," said Smith.
sub: Neighbors concerned, try to gather information
As the police investigated, removing items and some furniture from the large beige, English Tudor home and checking storm drains for evidence, the media and neighbors gathered near the corner of McKinley Street and Grand Boulevard throughout the day and night to watch the scene unfurl outside the home, with its white picket fence and well-manicured lawn.
"I haven't seen anything strange in that house," said Al Durhan, who has lived in the area for over 30 years and described the neighborhood as quiet, with barbeques in the summer and the occasional block party.
But neighbors knew little about the young man and his family. "They kept to themselves," said Durhan, who added that Modica's stepfather, who lived in the house for three years, would walk his three Labrador retrievers past his home, and seemed polite. "This whole block is quiet," he said. "Everybody minds their own business."
Police confirmed that Modica had worked as a bouncer, but did not know where or if he was currently employed. Some residents said that his stepfather worked in the construction business as a contractor. The family would not talk to reporters on Friday.
But while most neighbors said they did not know the young man, he could be seen occasionally, neighbors and police said, driving through the neighborhood in a nice car or sitting in front of his home.
"Most of the neighbors would tell you that they would see him frequently on the front steps of the house," said Smith.
Last Thursday night, the bright lights from police cars and news vans illuminated the quaint neighborhood, and curious and obviously concerned residents could be seen peering through their windows while talking on the phone as others milled about on the sidewalks. People came and went all evening, some returning to their homes and watching themselves on the evening news after they were interviewed.
"I was shocked," said Lindsey Brown, 20. "When you hear that someone your age is dead, tied up in front of their home, it's scary."
There was also some debate about how alarmed people should be, with some saying that Baldwin is taking a turn for the worse, while others, including the police, tried to quell the criticism and argued that Modica's death was an isolated incident.
"Things are starting to change," said Thomas McGrath, a Baldwin resident who doesn't live in Baldwin Harbor but came to the scene nonetheless. "It worries me, like what happened to that guy in Lynbrook."
Others brushed aside those fears, saying that they believed Modica was killed for personal reasons. "I'm not too worried," said one resident who didn't want his name used. "I don't think it was a random act."
Still, while police officers who escorted children and adults to nearby homes provided some reassurance, many said the situation was frightening. "We're all a little uneasy about it, until we know what it is," said one woman who asked not to be named. "I wouldn't want to come home to that, and see my son on the ground."
