Before the Fathers Day Massacre
Melinda Brady, 29, was convicted of third-degree burglary and obstructing governmental administration with a set bail at $1.5 million bond or $175,000 cash. Her Husband David Laffer,33, was convicted for first-degree murder for the victims of the Medford Long Island New York pharmacy massacre.
Read our Coverage of the Father’s Day Massacre
Read our Coverage of the Arrest of the Father’s Day Murderer
This event has shattered many families and have left police speechless being “the most cold-blooded robbery-homicide in Suffolk County history,” As Suffolk County Assistant District Attorney John Collins said.
Police Commissioner Richard Dormer was at a loss of words for Laffer and Brady, because they were a couple with out any previous criminal records or history of violence.
Dormer said, “It is very difficult to comprehend this…to suddenly engage in this type of violent behavior is beyond understanding. It doesn’t make sense. I don’t have the answer.”
OxyContin Epidemic in America
Brady and Laffer fell into the epidemic of addiction to prescription medications that is causing a cancer in our society. The addiction to prescription pills and just like any addiction it hurts more people then just themselves. The problem with drugs like OxyContin is that it’s making drug addicts out of people that would have normally never become addicted to a control substance.
To Laffer’s neighbors he looked and acted like a good citizen in his Medford, Long Island suburban community. His neighbor, Trish Bohlert, attended their wedding and said, “Something must have made him snap because of his personality because I can’t picture him robbing a store, much less hurting people.”
Laffer graduated in 1995 from Patchogue High School and joined the army before he was 18. He served from 1994 to 2002 and raised the ranks to private first class. Laffer posted on his Facebook account that he belonged to a military intelligence unit and has a proficiency in fire arms.
Brady and Laffer got married in 2009, the couple was only married for two years. Laffer proposed to Brady at an Islanders hockey game. Brady said, “The question appeared up on the score board. It said “Melinda, will you marry me? Love David” I was shocked and surprised. I was so happy.”
Brady shortly joined a wedding forum after Laffer’s proposal in 2006. There she revealed that she was taking large amount of painkillers.
In November of 2007 Brady wrote, “I just had work done on my teeth and I am in so much pain today, I didn’t even go to work…I am swollen and have stitches in my mouth. The Vicodins made me get sick this morning which hurt me even more.”
In June of 2008 Brady wrote, “I have been so down lately. I am never like this. This only started when I started having surgery on my teeth. I am usually a very happy and fun person to be around…I have been on pills after pills for this infection and it won’t go away.”
Friends on the wedding forum tried to warn Brady about the amount of painkillers and antibiotics she was taking. They told her to stop. Brady’s friends say she has had an addiction to painkiller.
Two weeks before the shooting Laffer got fired form his job at COSA Xentur Instrument Corp. He was accused of stealing from another employee. The job provided Laffer with health benefits.
A friend of the couple, Joanna Martino said that “This past weekend Melinda (Brady) was trying to find out if anyone knew what hospital she can go to get a“scrip” (prescription) of pain pills.” Brady was looking for a doctor that would was unmoral to feel her prescriptions, because she no longer had health insurance.
“She was saying frantically, “I need pills! I need pills!” she was acting like a complete drug addict.” Martino told reports.
Brady told reporters that “[Laffer] was doing it [robbing the pharmacy] because he lost is job and I was sick. I’m sorry that he did all this… nobody was supposed to get hurt.”
Peter Spano was another one of Laffer’s neighbors. Spano got a good look at Laffer the day he was arrested. Spano said “(He) looked withdrawn, like a skull. He looked like death. He looked like there was nothing in him.”
– Cesar V, the Addiction Reporter
