💔BOMBSHELL: A friend’s chilling account about Emily Finn and Austin Lynch — “They were deeply in love, but his response to her breakup worried me” — shines light on the terrifying tension that built over weeks; Emily, who had dreamed of dancing professionally and attending SUNY Oneonta, visited his home for a routine breakup conversation that escalated into tragedy, and investigators say messages exchanged that day contain cryptic warnings no one saw coming.
**************
Friends honor Long Island teen slain in botched murder-suicide with pink ribbon tribute
A soft splash of color adorned the trees outside the Long Island dance studio where Emily Finn spent her formative years — pink ribbons placed there Saturday by some of her closest friends.
The tribute came from a group of youngsters at American Ballet Studio in Bayport, and included three young women so dedicated to the victim, they plan to get tattoos in honor of their connection.
Katelyn Guterwill, 18, Brynne Ballan, 18 and Maya Truglio, 16, who called their pal “Emmie,” said they’re still trying to process Finn’s fatal shooting — allegedly at the hands of her ex-boyfriend.
The girls plan to honor their friendship by getting matching tattoos of their “oh sugar” group chat, which they created together.Brigitte Stelzer
“She was just the best person ever and it’s horrible that she’s gone,” Ballan said.
They chose pink because it was Finn’s favorite color.
Friends and loved ones were expected to gather Sunday in Sayville for Finn’s wake, with a funeral slated for Monday morning.
Ballan got this tattoo after the fatal shooting, modeled after Finn’s own handwriting from a note written by the slain girl.Brigitte Stelzer
The Sayville High School grad and dedicated dancer was killed Wednesday inside the Nesconset home of Austin Lynch, police said, after stopping by to return some of his belongings.
Lynch, 17, allegedly killed Finn, then turned the gun on himself but survived. He was expected to face a second-degree murder charge, according to Suffolk County cops.
Finn had just begun studying to become a teacher at SUNY Oneonta, a dream she talked about constantly, her friends said.
The girls said their friendship with Finn was built on routines like mall trips, coffee runs, beach days and concerts that now feel impossible to replace.Brigitte Stelzer/copyphoto
Sources said she and Lynch were together about 3 ¹/₂ years but split as Finn left for college, saying, “it was time for her to move on,” and she wanted “to just have freedom, have fun.”
The girls listed the small rituals that filled their friendship with Finn — mall trips, coffee runs, beach days, concerts — time spent together that now feels impossible to replace.
“She loved life. I feel like she was so full of it,” Guterwill said.
Finn, who performed the lead in last year’s “Nutcracker,” was remembered by her friends as the dancer who always knew what to do backstage.@emily_finn1015/Instagram
Finn, who performed the lead in the studio’s production of the “Nutcracker” last year, was the friend who always knew what to do backstage and never hesitated to help.
“If I needed help putting on a costume or headpiece, I just go to Emily,” Guterwill said.
Ballan added that Finn could “bake anything, make anything, any craft, that was Emily” calling her “the most patient person I ever met, so independent.”
Lanora Truglio said the dance community is dedicating this year’s Nutcracker performances to Finn to help the children who knew her begin to heal.Brigitte Stelzer
Inside the studio, instructors said younger dancers adored her.
Lanora Truglio, 48, a third-grade teacher whose daughter Maya will be dancing the role Emily performed last year, said the loss has shaken the children.
“The kids are very, very sad. They are distraught. They lost a wonderful dancing peer as well as a best friend. We’re all coming together as a community to mourn Emily and to keep her spirit alive,” she said.
Friends said they chose pink for the tribute because it was Emily Finn’s favorite color and a shade she wore regularly.Brigitte Stelzer
“We are dedicating this year’s Nutcracker performances to her and future events will also be dedicated to Emily in a way to try to help these children heal,” she added.
The girls said they will carry her into everything that comes next.
“There are [no] words to describe that … forever, in everything we do,” Truglio said.
The three teens said they returned to the Bayport studio because it was the place where they spent years dancing alongside Finn.Brigitte Stelzer
Guterwill added, “I don’t think I’ll ever find the words to describe it.”
“But we’ll continue to live for her and everything we do. She’ll always be with us,” Truglio said.What do you think? Post a commentThe trio will mark their bond in ink — matching tattoos for their group chat, “oh sugar.”
Ballan also carries a second tattoo on her right arm: “Love, Emmie,” copied exactly from Finn’s handwriting on an old card.
