2 Long Island women charged with sex trafficking in case of Emmarae Gervasi’s disappearance; 7 total arrested

[Artaxerxes II]

https://nypost.com/2025/01/29/us-news/l ... ppearance/

Two Long Island women were arrested for their roles in the month-long disappearance of 14-year-old Emmarae Gervasi — increasing the number of suspects in the case to seven.

Suffolk County police charged Jacquelyn Comiskey, 52, and Elizabeth Hunter, 34, with sex trafficking and endangering the welfare of a child on Monday, according to court records viewed by The Post.

Comiskey allegedly transported Gervasi to Bunice Knight’s Copiague home on Jan. 2 — a day before the teen was found on a boat.

Comiskey allegedly did so in exchange for crack cocaine, Newsday reported.

She claims to be a loving grandmother on her Instagram page, according to Greater Long Island.

Hunter’s alleged connection to the case stems from an incident on Dec. 13, court records show.

The two women appeared on Tuesday at Suffolk County First District Court in Central Islip, where they pleaded not guilty to the charges.

A judge set both their bails at $750,000.

Hunter is facing an additional charge for promoting an obscene sex performance by a child under 17. She pleaded not guilty.

She also faces an unrelated petit larceny case from Aug. 9, 2024, in which she entered a not-guilty plea.

The teen first went missing from her Patchogue home around 5 p.m. Dec. 9, when she jumped into a car allegedly driven by Francis Buckheit.

A court-ordered ankle monitor the teen was wearing was found cut off a block away from the home.

Security cameras captured her knocking on doors at a Bohemia motel the next day, but she disappeared again.

The teen was found aboard a 56-foot boat owned by Buckheit and docked at a marina in Islip on Jan. 3.

Her father, Frank Gervasi, acting on an anonymous tip, busted onto the boat and rescued his daughter.

After finding his daughter, Gervasi claimed she was a victim of sex trafficking.

Buckheit was arrested on Jan. 3 when he drove up to the dock drunk.

He was charged with kidnapping, rape and endangering the welfare of a child.

Ten days later, Knight was arrested and charged with rape and endangering the welfare of a child.

Frank Gervasi reacted to the news of Knight’s arrest in a Facebook post.

“What happens in the dark will come to the light as I said over and over again.”

Three other men have also been charged in the case.

Alton Harrell, 63, was arrested on Jan. 17, while Daniel Burke, 63, and Robert Eccleston, 63, were arrested on Jan. 24.

Harrell was connected to the case with an incident that occurred on Dec. 9, while Burke and Eccleston are suspected of crimes committed on Dec. 10.

They were all charged with kidnapping, rape and endangering the welfare of a child.

All seven defendants have pleaded not guilty to their charges related to the case.

[RoosterDance]

Though it is impossible to know the facts for this case from this article alone, it sounds to me like the typical story of a teen on the run. A great number of the people involved could have been completely oblivious to what even was going on. Just found a lost girl asking for a ride or something. But yet they get charged with kidnapping and endangering. And so it's not surprising that all of them plead not guilty. But again, it's impossible to know for sure.

This in particular seems like a point that could use more elaboration.

A court-ordered ankle monitor the teen was wearing