Devastating reason mourners wore pink to services for LI teen slain by ex in botched murder-suicide
Over a thousand people came to a Long Island funeral home on Sunday to honor Emily Finn, and many of them wore pink as a tribute to the lively teen whose life was abruptly ended in a botched murder‑suicide.
Inside Raynor & D’Andrea Funeral Home in West Sayville, visitors saw Emily’s pink ballet slippers, a poster of the smiling girl with her high‑school marching band flute, and items highlighting the 18‑year‑old’s academic successes before she was shot dead—allegedly at the hands of her former boyfriend.
Emily’s mother, Cliantha, donned a pink sweater, part of the family’s wish to showcase the girl’s favorite color, a theme echoed everywhere: dozens of pink ribbons, bandanas, boots, jackets and bows shrouded the room.
“He just had that special spark,” a friend recalled. “She was bursting with life, and she loved her family, brother, and grandparents so deeply.”
“The only thing she ever truly wanted was to make the world a better place, and it’s all been taken away, just like that,” the grieving teen was quoted as saying. “I can’t stop crying.”
The accused killer, 18‑year‑old Austin Lynch, now faces second‑degree murder charges for allegedly shooting Emily inside his Nesconset home on a Wednesday during her Thanksgiving break from college before turning the gun on himself, according to police.
Emily, a recent Sayville High School graduate, had trained at the American Ballet Studio in Bayport and landed the lead in a “Nutcracker” production last year. She was enrolled as a teacher‑student at SUNY Oneonta when she was killed.
She was to be cremated, with her ashes displayed in a pink box alongside a bouquet of pink flowers, baby photos and recent snapshots.
Emily, her mother, father Ryan, and her brother Kyle embraced mourners who were visibly tearful.
“Emily was the best, just the best,” another friend, who identified only as Hailey, told The Post. “She was an amazing dancer and a wonderful friend—such a family‑first person.” She added, “Seeing everyone who loved her still keeps my mind picturing her laughing among them. I’m completely crushed. I’m devastated.”
Lynch, who had recently enlisted in the Marines, will be arraigned on the murder charge as soon as he has recovered sufficiently from his injuries, the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office said.
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