Lee Ann Reidel

Case details

Lee Ann Reidel was sentenced to 25 years to life in prison on April 28, 2004 for her role in a murder-for-hire plot that resulted in a mistaken-identity killing.

Timeline

• January 17, 2001 — A gunman shot someone fitting Paul Reidel’s description outside a gym in Long Island; Alexander Algieri was killed outside the gym.
• July of 2000 — Lee Ann took the couple’s infant son and moved in with her mother in Florida.
• 1998 — Lee Ann married Long Island gym owner Paul Reidel.
• April 26, 2004 — A Miami man, Ralph Salierno, received a life sentence after fatally shooting Alexander Algieri outside the gym on January 17, 2001.
• March 26, 2004 — A jury pronounced Lee Ann Reidel guilty on all counts after a six-week murder-for-hire trial; she faced sentencing on April 28 for first-degree murder, second-degree murder, and conspiracy to commit murder.
• April 28, 2004 — Lee Ann Reidel was sentenced to 25 years to life in prison.

Background

Lee Ann Reidel married Long Island gym owner Paul Reidel in 1998. Lee Ann had an issue with her new husband’s crack cocaine addiction. After being separated for six months, the couple reconciled when Paul agreed to go into rehab.

In July 2000, Lee Ann took the couple’s infant son and moved to Florida to live with her mother. During the summer of 2000, Lee Ann left Paul abruptly. She took their children and $120,000 of his money and moved to Florida to begin a new life.

Paul Reidel, described as an ex-convict who spent six years in prison on drug charges, later forced Lee Ann to bring their toddler son back to Long Island pending the outcome of a custody battle. A plan to scare Paul Reidel transformed into a plot to have him murdered.

The offence

On January 17, 2001, a gunman shot someone fitting Paul Reidel’s description outside his gym in Long Island. Alexander Algeri (also spelled Algieri/Algeri in the record) was shot and killed as he left his gym outside a Long Island fitness center. Salierno intended to kill Reidel’s estranged husband Paul but botched the job.

Ralph Salierno, the triggerman, enlisted an accomplice, Scott Paget, and drove from Florida to New York to kill Paul Reidel. Paget and Salierno mistakenly shot and killed Algeri because he had the same dark hair, build, and drove the same model sport utility vehicle as Paul Reidel. Salierno shot Algeri while Algeri was retrieving music CDs from his car.

Investigation and arrests

Detectives made their first break in the case by arresting Scott Pagett (also spelled Paget) on suspicion connected with the shooting. In interrogation, Pagett fingered a Florida strip-club bouncer named Ralph “Rocco” Salierno as the actual triggerman.

Authorities discovered that Ralph Salierno and Lee Ann were having an affair. Based on this information, authorities charged the two for the murder of Alexander Algeri.

Trial

Charges and verdict

Lee Ann Reidel was convicted of first-degree murder, second-degree murder, and conspiracy to commit murder. The jury returned guilty verdicts on all three counts after deliberations that took 29 hours over four days, and jurors requested a reading of the first-degree murder charge and the elements of that crime six times during deliberations.

The jury found Lee Ann guilty even though it was described as a case where she did not participate in the actual killing.

Prosecutors’ theory

Prosecutors alleged that Alexander Algeri was the unintended victim of a scheme to murder Paul Reidel for his insurance money. Prosecutors claimed that the only way and Salierno could be together was for Ralph to kill her estranged husband Paul so they could inherit money and his share of the fitness club.

Defence positions and evidentiary disputes

Lee Ann denied any involvement. Her lawyers argued that prosecutors got the story wrong.

During the trial, both Lee Ann and Ralph each tried to pin the murder on each other. Lee Ann was described as not addressing the court during sentencing.

Defense attorney Bruce Barket portrayed Salierno as an obsessive, manipulative man and argued that he took it upon himself to kill Paul Reidel so that he could have Lee Ann all to himself. Barket said Lee Ann retained appeals counsel and that a notice of appeal had been filed.

The defense tried unsuccessfully to argue that Paget and Paglianti were not credible and had motives to lie.

Witness testimony and quoted statements

Drug addict and drug dealer testimony formed key evidence against Lee Ann Reidel and Salierno.

Scott Paget, described as a drug addict, admitted he drove the getaway car after Salierno shot and killed 32-year-old Alexander Algeri in a case of mistaken identity. Paget testified that Salierno told him Lee Ann Reidel had given him a photograph of Paul and directions to his home and business.

Drug dealer Michael Paglianti testified that he was present when Lee Ann gave Salierno a photograph and said: “I want him f---ing dead.”

Sentencing

On April 28, 2004, Lee Ann Reidel was sentenced to 25 years to life in prison.

At sentencing, Judge Louis Ohlig chastised Lee Ann for continuing to maintain her innocence despite evidence that she hired, and later had a baby with, a man who was supposed to kill her husband. Judge Ohlig asked: “When is this charade going to end?” and “Do you know how many families were affected here? How many lives were affected here?”

Assistant District Attorney Denise Merrifield took issue with defense counsel’s statements questioning the jury’s verdict. Merrifield said: “Justice has been served here, your honor.” Merrifield also said: “She, because of her own greed and evil heart, wanted her husband dead ... This defendant is the most self-absorbed defendant I have ever prosecuted.”

Lee Ann did not address the court during sentencing.

Defense attorney Bruce Barket asked Ohlig to “tread lightly” because he was about to send a wrongly convicted person away to prison.

After sentencing, Ohlig told Reidel he gladly would have given her a harsher sentence had the prosecutor’s office asked for it.

Appeals and related proceedings

Defense attorney Bruce Barket stated that there would be an appeal. Barket said Lee Ann had retained appeals counsel and that a notice of appeal had been filed.

Related persons and outcomes

Ralph Salierno

Ralph Salierno was convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to life without parole. Salierno was described as a 35-year-old sometimes-loan-shark collection agent.

Salierno was sentenced Monday to life without parole for the January 17, 2001, shooting death of 32-year-old Alexander Algeri outside a Long Island fitness center.

Scott Paget

Scott Paget pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and faced sentencing of 18 years to life in prison because of cooperation against Salierno and Riedel. Paget was described as a drug addict and a drug addict bodybuilder.

Family and victim impact

Christie Stoll, the victim’s sister, told Ohlig: “Our brother is gone and the hole in our hearts will never be filled because of [Lee Ann's] greed and hatred of her husband,” “Even though Lee Ann Reidel wasn't there on the night of Jan. 17, 2001, she just as well might have been. Lee Ann Reidel is just as guilty as Ralph Salierno.”

Salvatore Algeri, the victim’s father, said he had no quarrel with the prosecutor’s recommendation of 25 years to life, saying: “They chose to give her a lesser sentence. Good for her,” “Justice has been done. She's going to serve her time. That's good with us.”

During sentencing proceedings, an unidentified person yelled out: “Lee Ann, we love you. You'll be home soon, sweetheart.” A relative of Algeri’s yelled back: “Forget it!”

Other details

Lee Ann’s trial was described as a six-week murder-for-hire trial. Jurors were escorted out a side entrance to cars in a secured parking lot because they did not wish to speak to reporters. The record described separate trials in the same Suffolk County courtroom before separate juries for Lee Ann and Ralph Salierno. Prosecutor Denise Merrifield prosecuted Salierno and Reidel simultaneously before separate juries.

During trial, the jury deliberated after being sequestered, and the deliberations included repeated requests for the first-degree murder charge and elements.

Paul Reidel hired a New York lawyer and forced Lee Ann to bring their toddler son back to Long Island pending the outcome of a custody battle.