Dan's Papers - June 27, 2008 - Crime, Tragedy At Westhampton Beach Manse

Residents in the tiny village of Westhampton Beach were reeling from the shock of hearing that an incident of apparent domestic violence left one man dead and his wife in critical condition in the hospital last Saturday.

A Polish couple, Ryszard Pawlak, 58, and his wife Lacyna, 54, were caretakers for the Seafield Lane estate of Len and Kathryn Conway. The couple lived in a three-bedroom house with two adjacent two-car garages on one corner of the 10-acre property,

Last Saturday morning at 7:34, the Westhampton Beach police were on patrol when they noticed smoke coming out of this caretaker's cottage. They attempted to enter the home, but were driven back by intense smoke and heat, according to their reports. The Westhampton Fire Department arrived at the scene, and removed Lacyna Pawlak from the cottage. She was airlifted to Stony Brook University Medical Center, where she was listed in intensive care as of Tuesday, with a severe skull fracture and multiple burns. According to the police report, her husband was discovered in a garage on the premises, where he had committed suicide after allegedly attacking his wife and setting fire to their house.

Police would not give any more details on the nature of the attack or the suicide because the case is under investigation.

On Sunday morning, Len Conway, who has lived with his wife in their 24-room, 16,000 square-foot mansion built at the turn of the 20th century for 15 years, said he was "still in shock from this tragedy." He said he was away at the time of the fire. "Ryszard and Lacyna have worked for us as caretakers since 1994 - they were long-time employees and friends," Conway said. He said he had "no idea" what led to this tragic turn of events, and that he only hoped Lacyna would recover from her injuries. Conway, an entrepreneur who works in financial management, has been a visible presence in the Village of Westhampton Beach, and was a driving force behind the renovation and opening of the Westhampton Beach Performing Arts Center during the early 1990s. He is now the president of this center.

Neighbors of the exclusive Seafield Lane estate said they were shocked and mystified to hear the tragic news about these caretakers. Ken Balato, who lives nearby, said he would see the couple around the estate, and described them as "hard workers." "I knew Ryszard better than his wife, and I would say he was a hard-working, soft-spoken man, and he was always friendly toward me - just a nice guy," he said. "I don't see how something like this could happen. They seemed happy and content to me, but you never really know what goes on, so I have no explanation. It's very sad."

But Balato added that Ryszard Pawlak had suffered injuries from a fall he had taken at work about three months ago, and that he "may have been depressed from that." He also said Pawlak had recently gotten out of his wheelchair, and was "making a recovery."

Chip Porter, a broker at Prudential Real Estate in Quogue who has lived in Westhampton Beach for 20 years, said he has known Len Conway for years. "He's done nothing but fabulous things for our community, and it's sad that they had this tragedy on their property," he said. Porter said he had seen the caretakers on several occasions while visiting at the Conway estate. "They seemed like low-key people, and you didn't even know they were there. That's why this surprised me."

Norma Reynolds, of Norma Reynolds Real Estate, a long-time businesswoman of Westhampton Beach, said she has never experienced anything like this in the small village. "I think it's shocking and really sad for our community," she said. "It could happen anywhere, but you'd never think it would happen here."

"I was shocked when I heard the horrible news of this couple, but who knows what goes on in people's private lives," said Marcia Altman, a broker at Brown, Harris, Stevens Real Estate, who is a co-broker for Conway's property, which is for sale. The house was featured on the NBC television show, "Open House NYC."

Altman said that when the Conways bought the house in the 1990s, they spent three years renovating it, and "employed the most people in Westhampton Beach."

Last Saturday night, a police barricade blocked off both ends of Seafield Lane, and police cars abounded in the neighborhood. Just a few blocks away, Westhampton Beach Main Street was packed with crowds shopping in stores and dining in restaurants. Most people were still unaware of the tragedy that had happened earlier that day, as the news was just making its way to the village.

"I just heard about it, and I'm totally surprised," said Joy Gould, a long-time summer renter, who was sitting on a Main Street bench around 11 p.m. Saturday night. "I love this town, and I've always felt safe here. I've never heard of anything terrible like this."