LAKE GROVE, NY – According to authorities, Brian Cordovano, 50, of Ronkonkoma, was sentenced to 30 years in prison for the April 2022 killings of Ian Saalfield, 45, of Lake Grove, and Robert Julian, 59, of Selden.
The case began on April 26, 2022, when Saalfield was reported missing by his wife. She informed police that her husband had been with Cordovano, a childhood friend, the previous evening. Saalfield left their home around 8:00 p.m. in his white 2015 Lexus, but never returned.
On May 2, 2022, law enforcement discovered Saalfield’s Lexus abandoned in a Holtsville parking lot. That same day, Cordovano was found suffering from an overdose at a Ronkonkoma motel. Police linked a silver 2004 Toyota Corolla left at the motel to Cordovano and determined it belonged to Robert Julian.
When officers visited Julian’s Selden home, they found both Julian and Saalfield deceased, each killed by gunshot wounds to the head. Investigators determined Cordovano killed the two on men the previous evening or late into the early morning.
“While no sentence can restore the lives of Mr. Saalfield and Mr. Julian or ease the pain of their families, this conviction ensures that a dangerous individual will no longer pose a threat to others,” said Suffolk County District Attorney Tierney. “We hope today’s sentencing provides some degree of closure to the victims’ loved ones.”
On October 9, 2024, Cordovano pleaded guilty before County Court Judge Stephen L. Braslow to:
- Two counts of Manslaughter in the First Degree (Class B violent felonies);
- Three counts of Robbery in the First Degree (Class B violent felonies); and
- Two counts of Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Second Degree (Class C violent felonies).
On November 20, 2024, Cordovano was sentenced to 30 years in prison. He was represented by attorney Christopher Gioe, Esq.
According to Newsday, Cordovano met with Saalfield, who had previously lent him money but had decided to stop doing so. Cordovano requested a ride from Saalfield, who agreed. They drove to Julian’s residence in Selden where Cordovano robbed both men of money and jewelry before fatally shooting them in the head at close range. Cordovano then abandoned Saalfield’s Lexus in the parking lot and returned to Julian’s home, where the victims’ bodies remained. He then left in Julian’s car, which was later found at the motel where Cordovano was suffering from a drug overdose.
Judge Braslow recommended that Cordovano “never be released from jail,” describing the crime as “close to the most brutal” he had encountered in three decades on the bench.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Frank Schroeder of the Homicide Bureau. The investigation was conducted by Detective Michael Repperger of the Suffolk County Police Department’s Homicide Squad.
