A man has been given a sentence for the killing of a 16-year-old in Hempstead, which has been described as both heartbreaking and horrific.

Officials have announced that a 20-year-old from Long Island has been sentenced to twenty years in prison for the planned killing of a 16-year-old, whose body was discovered in March 2020.

On Friday, June 9th, the Suffolk County District Attorney declared the ruling for the sentencing of John Mann IV who inflicted fatal injuries on teenager Henry Hernandez. The convicted individual is to serve a term of 20 years in prison.

Mann, from Centereach, had admitted guilt prior to March 2023.

Mann admitted to the crime and court records show that Hernandez's bodily remains were discovered covered in two plastic bags inside a plastic container on the land of Mann's adjacent neighbor.

Upon additional inspection of the remains, it was discovered that Hernandez had been bound with duct tape on his hands and feet.

Duct tape was used to cover both his head and mouth.

During the investigation, it was discovered that the pair had met and become familiar with one another in March of 2019.

Hernandez soon after went to Mann's residence on Jay Road and took away his father's truck without permission.

On June 2, 2019, Mann enticed the victim to a site commonly identified as the "Sand Pit," where he bound Hernandez's body with duct tape and administered multiple blows with a blunt instrument.

After putting the body of his victim in a hole and covering it with debris, Mann transferred the remains of the teenager into a plastic tub. This tub was then placed on his neighbor’s property where it remained unnoticed for nine months.

District Attorney Raymond A. Tierney expressed his hope that Henry Hernandez and his family will feel a sense of justice as a result of the plea and sentence.

This is an incredibly tragic and disturbing instance.

He admitted to committing first-degree manslaughter and altering physical evidence.

After completing a 20-year sentence, Mann will be under supervision for five years.

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