Sherman charged with sexual abuse

Maxwell Sherman, front right, appeared in court on the morning of Sept. 22 for indictment.

Bill Kelly/Herald

Maxwell Sherman, the 18-year-old former Rockville Centre resident accused of murdering Lynbrook teen Lauren Daverin-Gresham on Aug. 22, was arraigned on the morning of Sept. 25 and indicted on additional charges.

Sherman was charged with second-degree murder by the Nassau County Police Department when he was arrested on Aug. 24. He was indicted by a grand jury and Judge Meryl Berkowitz on Sept. 19 for murder in the second degree with the intent to cause death, and sexual abuse in the first degree. He will be held in custody with no bail.

Sherman, who arrived handcuffed in a charcoal suit, blue shirt and red tie and said little during the proceedings, pleaded not guilty.

“Maxwell pleaded not guilty today to his entire indictment,” said Sherman’s attorney, William Petrillo. “Max comes from a loving extended family, all of whom believe in him.”

Sherman, who lived in Long Beach, allegedly strangled Daverin-Gresham on the footbridge crossing Merrick Road in Rockville Centre, leaving her nude and in a pool of blood. This is not Sherman's first arrest; he was charged with residential burglary and harboring a runaway in Lincoln County, Washington this July.

Police and prosecutors have yet to reveal any details of what happened to Daverin-Gresham. The indictment is the first mention of the possibility of sexual abuse in the case.

“We just want justice for Lauren,” said Kathleen Daverin, Lauren’s mother. There’s really nothing else I can say. She’s not coming home, so there’s nothing else I can say…. I would just like the kid to look me straight in the face and tell me why he did this to my daughter.”

Sherman is due back in court on Oct. 30 for a conference.