Police have arrested the husband of Melissa Molinari after her body was found on December 9.
Molinari's body was discovered in Rocky Point Barrens State Forest off Currans Road in Middle Island, a week after she was reported missing.
Suffolk County Police have not given extensive details regarding the discovery. They said her husband, Marcello Molinari, has been arrested and charged with second-degree murder.
Authorities said the Suffolk County Medical Examiner will perform an autopsy.
Centereach, from Centereach, was last seen by her family leaving her home on Lolly Lane in Centereach on November 21. She lived here with her husband and four children. Police say she did not take her car.
Melissa Molinari was reported missing by her friend, not her husband, and at the time of the appeal for her whereabouts, police did not say that her disappearance was suspicious.
They did say that her friends and family, including her husband, were cooperating with authorities.
Before finding her body, police returned to a water basin opposite Melissa Molinari's home to search for her. Detectives and a canine went in the water basin in search of her and stayed in the area for about an hour.
After her disappearance, neighbor Gina Bastone reflected on the news and Molinari leaving her children.
She spoke to News 4 New York and said: "I find it very surprising she didn't take that car, she was in it all the time. Literally, seven times a day I would see her going in and out of the house.
"That's what I'm shocked about, that she would leave the kids, because she was so hands-on, its just weird. Got to be so hard."
Newsweek has contacted the Suffolk County Police Department for comment.
According to website Crimegrade, Centereach is considered very safe and has been awarded an A+ grade for crime. This means the rate of crime here is much lower than the average US city.
It said: "Centereach is in the 99th percentile for safety, meaning 1% of cities are safer and 99% of cities are more dangerous.
"The rate of crime in Centereach is 6.98 per 1,000 residents during a standard year. People who live in Centereach generally consider the south part of the city to be the safest.
"Your chance of being a victim of crime in Centereach may be as high as 1 in 92 in the southeast neighborhoods, or as low as 1 in 206 in the south" of the hamlet.
Centereach has also received a score of A+ for violent crime in the area. Meaning the rate of violent crime here is very low compared to other areas.
The rate of violent crime in Centereach is 0.73 per 1,000 residents during a standard year according to the website.
