Christmas killer hit with rare first-degree murder charge in slaying of beloved Long Island CVS worker

The lowlife who allegedly stabbed beloved Long Island CVS worker Edeedson Cine to death on Christmas Day is now facing upgraded charges of first-degree murder.

John Pilaccio, 43, saw his original second-degree murder charge boosted Wednesday to the most serious homicide charge on the books — a rare count typically reserved for the most violent and heinous killings, court records show.

Suffolk County prosecutors presented the case to a grand jury, which returned an indictment on the first-degree murder charge, according to public records.

Under New York State law, first-degree murder is a narrowly defined charge that prosecutors can only pursue when an intentional killing is paired with specific aggravating factors, such as killing a cop or murdering a witness during a crime. 

It wasn’t immediately clear what factors prosecutors determined constituted the upgraded count in this case. Court officials and sources close to Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney said that more details were expected to be released Monday. 

Prosecutors previously said Pilaccio allegedly confessed to killing Cine in a botched robbery driven by his debts. 

He entered the CVS roughly an hour before closing and violently murdered Cine after demanding the 23-year-old employee hand over cash, which he refused to do, prosecutors said. 

Cine, who had been working at the Lindenhurst store for 10 months, was rushed to Good Samaritan Hospital Medical Center in West Islip, where he was declared dead.

Pilaccio allegedly fled the scene after the killing, but was arrested just one day later.

Despite his supposed confession, he pleaded not guilty in court over the weekend before being hit with the upgraded indictment. 

Pilaccio is due back in court for an arraignment on the upgraded charges next Wednesday, according to court records.