Conroy told the newspaper in a jail interview, "I wish he wasn't dead." He did not admit guilt.
But the teenager's words come too late for Lucero's family. That's what brother Joselo Lucero said of the apology. He told Newsday that Conroy's actions prove otherwise.
The 19-year-old Conroy has a swastika tattoo, but says he is "not a white supremacist." He says he got the tattoo on a dare.
His lawyer says he plans to appeal his conviction.
The U.S. Department of Justice has said it is probing how police investigate bias attacks against Hispanics in Suffolk County.
