On September 6, 1988, in Belle Terre, Long Island, New York
On September 6, 1988, in Belle Terre, Long Island, New York, 17-year-old Martin “Marty” Tankleff awoke to find his parents, Arlene and Seymour Tankleff, brutally attacked in their home. Arlene, 54, was nearly decapitated in the bedroom, dead from multiple stab wounds and blunt force trauma. 
Seymour, 53, found in his office with stab wounds and a slashed throat, was still alive but died in the hospital without regaining consciousness. Suffolk County police quickly focused on Marty, citing his lack of visible distress as suspicious, despite his shock. Taken for questioning without an adult or lawyer, the high school senior endured an intense interrogation by Detective James McCready, who falsely claimed Seymour had woken and named Marty as the killer. Confused and trusting the police, Marty began doubting his own memory, verbally confessing to killing his parents with a barbell and a kitchen knife, though he refused to sign a written confession. He later recanted, telling relatives he was coerced.
Seymour, 53, found in his office with stab wounds and a slashed throat, was still alive but died in the hospital without regaining consciousness. Suffolk County police quickly focused on Marty, citing his lack of visible distress as suspicious, despite his shock. Taken for questioning without an adult or lawyer, the high school senior endured an intense interrogation by Detective James McCready, who falsely claimed Seymour had woken and named Marty as the killer. Confused and trusting the police, Marty began doubting his own memory, verbally confessing to killing his parents with a barbell and a kitchen knife, though he refused to sign a written confession. He later recanted, telling relatives he was coerced.At trial in 1990, prosecutors argued Marty used a barbell and a knife, found with what they claimed was blood but later identified as watermelon juice. No blood or DNA linked the barbell to the crime, and no physical evidence tied Marty to the murders. 
Nonetheless, he was convicted of two counts of second-degree murder and sentenced to 50 years to life, largely based on his coerced verbal confession. In 2004, Tankleff’s family hired private investigator Jay Salpeter, who uncovered new witnesses pointing to Jerry Steuerman, Seymour’s business partner who owed him over $500,000. Steuerman, present at a card game at the Tankleff home the night of the murders, reportedly changed his appearance, faked his death, and left town afterward. Witnesses, including a former associate, claimed Steuerman had hired hitmen to kill the Tankleffs over the debt.
Nonetheless, he was convicted of two counts of second-degree murder and sentenced to 50 years to life, largely based on his coerced verbal confession. In 2004, Tankleff’s family hired private investigator Jay Salpeter, who uncovered new witnesses pointing to Jerry Steuerman, Seymour’s business partner who owed him over $500,000. Steuerman, present at a card game at the Tankleff home the night of the murders, reportedly changed his appearance, faked his death, and left town afterward. Witnesses, including a former associate, claimed Steuerman had hired hitmen to kill the Tankleffs over the debt.In 2007, after an evidentiary hearing, the New York Appellate Division vacated Marty’s conviction, citing reasonable doubt and new evidence. All charges were dropped, and he was released in December 2007 after 17 years in prison. In 2014, Suffolk County awarded him $3.3 million for his wrongful conviction, followed by a $10 million settlement from New York State in 2018. 
As of October 2025, Marty, now 54, is a licensed attorney and advocate for the wrongfully convicted, working to establish a nonprofit to aid others. The murders of Arlene and Seymour remain unsolved, with Steuerman never charged and no definitive evidence against him. The case, featured in a 2008 *48 Hours* episode and a 2020 *20/20* special, underscores flaws in coercive interrogations and the justice system’s failure to protect the innocent.
As of October 2025, Marty, now 54, is a licensed attorney and advocate for the wrongfully convicted, working to establish a nonprofit to aid others. The murders of Arlene and Seymour remain unsolved, with Steuerman never charged and no definitive evidence against him. The case, featured in a 2008 *48 Hours* episode and a 2020 *20/20* special, underscores flaws in coercive interrogations and the justice system’s failure to protect the innocent.
