Farmingville Man Indicted for Stabbing Estranged Wife in Front of Teen Daughter

A Suffolk County grand jury on March 2 indicted 57-year-old Marcos Aurelio Marques-Leal on second-degree murder and related counts in the Feb. 12 fatal stabbing of his estranged wife, 46-year-old Adriana (Paulino) Barbosa, at a home on Granny Road in Farmingville, prosecutors announced. Authorities say the attack unfolded in front of the couple’s teenage daughter, reported as 16 by Daily Voice; Supreme Court Justice Richard Ambro ordered Marques-Leal held without bail. He faces 25 years to life if convicted on the top count and is due back in court March 25.

Investigators allege Marques-Leal forced entry into the house after first trying a locked side door and attempting to kick it down, then throwing a large planter through a sliding glass door to gain access, according to multiple accounts. Family members and police say Barbosa and the teen retreated to a bedroom and locked the door while the teen called 911; detectives allege Marques-Leal then forced his way into the bedroom armed with a knife.

Emergency crews responding to a reported stabbing at about 8:15 p.m. found both Marcos Leal and Adriana Barbosa suffering stab wounds at the residence listed in initial reporting as 144 Granny Rd., Farmingville. Barbosa was taken to Stony Brook University Hospital and pronounced dead there; Leal was transported to a hospital with serious injuries. Reports indicate the teenage daughter was treated at a hospital for non-life-threatening injuries after attempting to intervene.

The indictment returned March 2 includes second-degree murder and several related counts; reporting across outlets lists additional charges such as first-degree burglary, aggravated criminal contempt or criminal contempt, and endangering the welfare of a child. Greater Long Island reported that Marques-Leal pleaded not guilty and that homicide detectives will coordinate with the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office as they gather evidence. The DA’s office, led by Raymond A. Tierney, released a statement saying, “No family should endure such terror, and no child should carry the trauma of seeing a parent killed before their eyes. We will pursue justice with unwavering determination, while keeping the victims at the center of this case.” Tierney added, “The charges in this indictment reflect a horrifying act of domestic violence that claimed the life of an innocent woman and forever changed the life of a child who witnessed it.”

Community members and the Brazilian Gospel Church have organized fundraising for Barbosa’s family; a GoFundMe description called Adriana Barbosa “a truly extraordinary woman whose life was cut short prematurely” and “a loving mother, daughter, sister, and friend — a light in the lives of all who knew her.” Homicide investigators and the DA’s office continue building the case ahead of the next scheduled court appearance on March 25.