PATCHOGUE, N.Y. — Gary Cowell, 72, of Patchogue, pleaded guilty to dismembering the body of Yvette Leonard and discarding her remains in multiple locations after her death, Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond A. Tierney announced Thursday.
Cowell admitted to charges of Unlawful Concealment of a Human Corpse and Tampering with Physical Evidence , both Class E felonies. He faces a maximum sentence of 1 1/3 to 4 years in prison when he is sentenced.
“This defendant’s actions following Ms. Leonard’s death denied the victim of the dignity and respect that she deserved,” said District Attorney Tierney. “We hope that this plea allows Ms. Leonard’s family some measure of closure after enduring immense pain.”…