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On July 8, 2014, construction workers in a wooded area near a ferry terminal in Bay Shore on Long Island, New York, discovered a human body missing its head, arms, and legs. Authorities later found the severed legs close by.
“When I first saw the body, I thought, ‘What kind of person would do something so horrific?’” recounted Ronald Tavares, who was working as a Suffolk County homicide detective then, to Snapped, airing Sundays at 6/5c p.m. on Oxygen.
Following media coverage of the shocking crime, the victim was identified thanks to a family tip and recognizable tattoos as Chenille Browne, a 27-year-old cherished Guyanese wife and mother of four. She lived in Brooklyn and commuted to her job at a department store in Manhattan.
Chenille’s husband, Dale Browne, was in the process of relocating from Guyana to the U.S. with their children once his paperwork was finalized. “Dale informed the police that the last conversation he had with Chinelle was on the morning of July 5,” reported NBC 4 New York correspondent Checkey Beckford on Snapped.
Chinelle Browne’s revealing autopsy
Because Chinelle’s body was found on Long Island, investigators briefly considered she may be a victim of the Gilgo Beach serial killer.
The investigation took a turn when more evidence emerged. Chinelle’s head and arms were discovered 25 miles away in Hempstead, a location not within the usual areas associated with the Gilgo Beach killer’s crimes.
Moreover, Chinelle’s autopsy showed she’d been stabbed 39 times, indicating a personal motive. “There’s rage there,” said Tavares.
Leah Cuevas emerges in the case
People living in Chenille’s apartment complex told detectives that on July 4, she had an argument with Leah Cuevas, a resident in the apartment below, who claimed ownership of the building, leading to disputes over rent and utilities.
“Chinelle was accusing Leah of scamming her,” said Beckford.
That friction was exacerbated by a bitter personal rift. Detectives learned that Chinelle and Cuevas had once been confidantes. “Leah shared with Chinelle that she had an affair with another man,” said Tavares. When Chinelle brought that up in front of Cuevas’ husband, Cuevas became enraged, according to Snapped.
“It got heated to the point where the New York City Police Department had to be called,” said Michael Mahan, a former Suffolk County homicide detective.
The fight continued on July 5. Neighbors said they heard Chinelle screaming inside Cuevas’ apartment, Mahan said.
After that blowout, Chinelle’s neighbors reported seeing Cuevas mopping the hallway outside her apartment. Detectives searched the residence.
Blood was found in the building hallway and in Cuevas’ living room. Empty bleach bottles, rubber gloves, and carpet cleaner were found in garbage cans.
A red flag sprang up. But the amount of blood found was not consistent with someone who’d been stabbed 39 times, Tavares said.
Detectives interview Leah Cuevas
Cuevas insisted to officials that she owned the building and didn’t hurt Chinelle. She did acknowledged that she got physical with Chinelle, whom, she’d claimed, was still alive after the altercation.
“She was quite proud that she beat her up and, yes, there could be a little blood in the apartment from that fight,” said Tavares.
Cuevas also claimed that Chinelle was seeing other men, who could have harmed her. Police followed up on this allegation and were unconvinced. “We had a sense that Leah Cuevas was indeed our perpetrator,” Tavares said.
Leah Cuevas arrested for murder
Police pulled Cuevas’ cell phone records to trace her whereabouts in relationship to where and when evidence was found. “Practically every single body part matched up to her locations,” said Beckford.
Investigators noted how evidence turned up near Long Island Rail Road stations. “We believe she got off the train and just walked through neighborhoods tossing body parts,” said former prosecutor Robert Biancavilla.
On July 23, 2014, Cuevas was charged with second-degree murder. As prosecutors pieced together Cuevas’ travel between Brooklyn and Long Island, the real owner of the Brooklyn building where Cuevas and Chinelle lived reached out.
She said that while doing a renovation, she pulled up a carpet and padding and found what looked like blood. Investigators analyzed this new evidence. “We had finally found our crime scene,” said Tavares.
In December of 2015, Cuevas was tried for the murder and dismemberment of Chinelle. Prosecutors argued that she used both acquaintances and public transportation to distribute the body parts in various locations.
On December 15, 2015, Cuevas was found guilty and was sentenced to 25 years to life in prison. Dale called his wife’s murder “pure unadulterated evil.”
Snapped airs new episodes on Sundays at 6/5c p.m. on Oxygen.
