Long Beach native murdered Lynbrook teen by strangling her and repeatedly hitting her in the headMINEOLA, N.Y. – Acting Nassau County District Attorney Madeline Singas announced that a Long Beach native was sentenced today for the brutal murder of 18-year-old Lauren Daverin on a Rockville Centre footbridge in August 2013.
Maxwell Sherman, 20, was sentenced to 18 years to life in prison by Acting Nassau Supreme Court Justice Meryl Berkowitz. Sherman pleaded guilty in April to the top charge of Murder in the 2nd Degree (an A felony).
“Because of the cold-blooded brutality of this crime, it is just that Maxwell Sherman pay a heavy price for tragically and inexplicably cutting Lauren Daverin’s life short,” Acting DA Singas said. “It is my fervent hope that today’s sentence gives Lauren’s loved ones a small amount of closure and peace.”
Acting DA Singas said that on the evening of Aug. 22, 2013, the victim, Daverin, 18, of Lynbrook, went to meet friends on a footbridge at Merrick Road and Sunrise Highway in Rockville Centre. Sherman, who had recently returned to Long Island to stay at his parents’ house in Long Beach, also was present on the footbridge.
As the night continued, many people left the footbridge. Witnesses stated that the last two people on the footbridge were Sherman and Daverin. Sometime during the 9 p.m. hour, Sherman killed Daverin by strangling her and hitting her repeatedly in the head.
Around 10 p.m., many of the individuals who were on the footbridge returned to discover the lifeless body of Daverin and called police. Sherman was not at the footbridge when the witnesses returned.
On Aug. 23, 2013, Sherman, who had visible injuries indicating that he had been in a struggle, went to the Rockville Centre Police Department to report that he had been assaulted by two people after he left the footbridge. Sherman confirmed to police that he was the last person on the bridge with the victim.
On Aug. 24, 2013, a witness went to the Rockville Centre Police Department and reported that he had seen something on the footbridge on the date of the murder. The witness stated that he had been riding his bike over the footbridge on the way to a bank at approximately 9 p.m. when he saw Sherman on top of Daverin.
The witness continued to the bank but returned shortly thereafter and saw Daverin’s body alone on the footbridge. After the witness identified Sherman in a photo array, the defendant was arrested by the NCPD Homicide Squad on Aug. 24, 2013.
Assistant District Attorneys Everett Witherell and Michelle Lewisohn of Acting DA Singas’ Major Offense Bureau are prosecuting the case. Sherman is represented by William Petrillo, Esq.