The search for two men reported missing two weeks ago on Long Island ended Friday with the gruesome discovery of their dismembered bodies in Coram, as police unraveled a series of crimes that they say began with a coke deal and ended in the pair's execution.

Darren Lynch, of Middle Village, Queens, was charged Friday with two counts of second-degree murder after he led police to the makeshift graves of two people police say he killed and buried near his family home in Coram.

His girlfriend, Leah Reynolds, was charged with helping hide the murder weapons. Police are still piecing together what led to the killings and are continuing to search the graves. "We lost a couple of people who know the answers. We have another one under arrest who knows some answers," said Suffolk Det. Lt. Edward Reilly. "There are still other people out there who have answers."

Lynch, 28, a Longwood High School graduate and ex-con, and Reynolds, 22, who lived with him, were charged in the deaths of Joseph Odierno, 35, of Miller Place, and Jairo Santos, 22, of Washington Heights in Manhattan.

The two had been missing since July 16. Police found body parts Thursday in a sump just off a Coram road leading to Lynch's parents' home, where more remains were buried in the backyard next to a dog's grave.

The victims' families struggled to make sense of the killings Friday. Santos' sister said he was a law-abiding, devout Catholic with aspirations to earn an MBA and help his family. "He didn't know the people who killed him," said Diana Santos, 26, of Washington Heights. Odierno's wife, Jessica, said her family was "absolutely traumatized.""That guy is a horrible person," Odierno said of Lynch. "My husband is a good man." She said she had no idea how her husband was connected to Santos, Reynolds and Lynch. "I don't even know who any of these people are," she said.

Based on admissions by Lynch and a witness, officials Friday described a bizarre trail that began when Santos, Odierno and a third man whom police did not identify arranged for a group of men from Manhattan to sell cocaine to Lynch.

Police said on July 16, the group met at the C.W. Post Campus in Brookville, where Santos was a student.

They drove to a spot near Lynch's parents' home in Coram, where Lynch paid $20,000 for a kilogram of coke, after which the sellers left. Lynch quickly discovered the coke was "beat" - a bag of white powder - and pulled a handgun on Odierno, Santos, and the third man, police said. "I'm going to get my money back and you're going to help me," Lynch told the men, according to a Suffolk detective.

Lynch forced the men to drive in Odierno's Cadillac Escalade to an apartment building in Washington Heights, where Lynch believed the sellers would be found, police said. He told the third man to go inside, but he ran off.
Lynch then forced Santos and Odierno to drive to Middle Village, escorted them to his apartment, bound and repeatedly shot them on his kitchen floor, police said.

Lynch cut up the bodies in the bathtub with a power saw and hacksaw before packing them in plastic bags and bins, police said. Reynolds, who works at a TGI Friday's restaurant, was in the apartment during the killings, police said. Lynch told detectives she "was a dutiful girlfriend" and followed his order to go into another room as he killed the men.

Reynolds pleaded not guilty Friday to a charge of hindering prosecution.

At her arraignment, Suffolk prosecutor John Scott Prudenti said she "was present during the transportation" of the bodies. Her role is still under investigation, police said.

Two days after Santos and Odierno disappeared, Old Brookville and Suffolk police began missing-persons investigations. July 23, Old Brookville police found the third man, who identified Lynch and related the story of the deal and abduction. "He assumes that something very bad happens to Odierno and Santos," Reilly said.

Over the next several days, detectives gathered evidence to support a search of Lynch's apartment. "We didn't know if the individuals were being held for ransom. We didn't know if they were alive . particularly since the Odierno family had hired a private detective, we suspected that perhaps a ransom was demanded, and they were told not to contact police," said Chief of Detectives Dominick Varrone.

Drugs, weapons found in the raid Wednesday on Lynch's apartment, Lynch and Reynolds were arrested, and cocaine, heroin, marijuana, handguns and rifles, a loaded AK-47, and a Tec-9 machine pistol were seized, police said.

Police said Lynch admitted killing and burying Santos and Odierno and led police to the sump, less than a half-mile from the ranch home his parents, who are both deaf, share with one of his siblings. "People are homing pigeons, and they will return to where they are comfortable," said Dep. Insp. Robert Oswald.

Reynolds told police she hid in her mother and stepfather's Holtsville home the three handguns Lynch allegedly used in the killings, a Nassau officer said. Neighbors said the wooded area where Lynch buried some of the remains was a hangout for teenagers and that a pungent odor had hung over the area in recent days.

"You walked right into the wall of the smell," said Tara Nagengast, 34. Lynch was arraigned Friday morning in First District Court in Central Islip and charged with two counts of second-degree murder. He is being held without bail.

HOW THE CRIME UNFOLDED

Police account of the drug-deal-linked double murder:July 16, 10 p.m. Jairo Santos, Joseph Odierno and a third man arrange meeting at C.W. Post between several coke dealers and Darren Lynch, the buyer.11 p.m.

The group drives to a spot near the Lynch home in Coram, where money and drugs are exchanged. The dealers leave; Lynch learns the coke is fake.11:30 p.m.-12:30 a.m. Lynch kidnaps the three at gunpoint and forces them to Washington Heights; the third man escapes.

July 17, 12:30 a.m.-1:30 a.m. Lynch drives to his Queens apartment.

He kills Santos and Odierno, police say. 1:30 a.m.-4 a.m. Lynch buries remains behind parents' house and nearby sump.

July 18 Old Brookville and Suffolk police start separate missing persons cases.

July 23 Old Brookville police find third man, who identifies Lynch.

July 26 Leah Reynolds hides guns used in the killings in her parent's attic in Holtsville.
Wednesday Lynch and Reynolds arrested. Lynch leads police to burial spots in Coram.