The Long Island Serial Killer: Gilgo Beach and the Hunt for Justice

The Bodies Along Ocean Parkway

By Victor J. Fisher

January 20, 2025

In December 2010, a police officer searching for a missing woman named Shannan Gilbert made a disturbing discovery along Ocean Parkway on Long Island’s South Shore. He found human remains wrapped in burlap. Then more remains. Then more. By spring 2011, investigators had recovered the bodies of ten people in the dense brush along Gilgo Beach.

Shannan Gilbert was not among them. Her body was found separately, over a year later, in a marsh several miles away. Whether she was a victim of the same killer remains debated.

What police had stumbled upon was the work of a serial killer who had operated undetected for years, perhaps decades. The investigation would span thirteen years, multiple agencies, and countless frustrations before an arrest finally came in July 2023.

The Gilgo Beach case demonstrates both the challenges of investigating serial murder and the importance of persistence when those challenges seem insurmountable.

The Victims

The Gilgo Beach victims shared common vulnerabilities. Most were young women who had worked as escorts, advertising their services through Craigslist and similar platforms. They came from various states, drawn to the New York metropolitan area by the promise of money. They had families who loved them and were devastated by their disappearances.

The initial four victims discovered in December 2010 became known as the “Gilgo Four”: Melissa Barthelemy, Maureen Brainard-Barnes, Megan Waterman, and Amber Lynn Costello. All had disappeared between 2007 and 2010. All had been strangled and wrapped in burlap before being dumped along Ocean Parkway.

Additional searches revealed more victims. Jessica Taylor, whose torso had been found in Manorville in 2003, had her remaining remains discovered along Ocean Parkway. So did another unidentified woman, known as “Jane Doe No. 6.” An Asian male and a toddler, apparently mother and child, were also found. The investigation revealed that Ocean Parkway had served as a dumping ground for possibly multiple killers over many years.

The families of these victims faced a particular agony: not only the loss of their loved ones but the stigma that came with their work. Some media coverage emphasized the victims’ professions rather than their humanity. Advocates pushed back, insisting that these were daughters, sisters, and friends who deserved justice regardless of how they had earned money.

The Investigation’s Struggles

The Gilgo Beach investigation was plagued by jurisdictional complexity, investigative missteps, and the passage of time.

The bodies were found in Suffolk County, but the victims had disappeared from various locations across New York and beyond. Information was scattered across multiple police departments, none of which had complete pictures of the pattern.

The investigation’s leadership was also troubled. Suffolk County Police Chief James Burke, who initially led the effort, was later convicted of federal civil rights violations for an unrelated incident involving the beating of a suspect. His conduct cast a shadow over the department and raised questions about what opportunities might have been missed.

Physical evidence was limited. The killer had been careful. Bodies were wrapped to prevent trace evidence transfer. Dump sites were isolated and rarely visited. Years had passed between murders and discovery, degrading whatever evidence might have existed.

The families of victims grew increasingly frustrated. They formed advocacy groups, pushed for media attention, and demanded answers that police could not provide. Their persistence kept the case in the public eye when it might otherwise have faded into the cold case files.

The Breakthrough

The breakthrough came through genetic genealogy, the same technique that had identified the Golden State Killer in 2018.

Investigators obtained DNA from evidence connected to the murders. They uploaded genetic profiles to genealogy databases and began the painstaking process of building family trees. By tracing relatives who had submitted their own DNA for ancestry research, investigators narrowed their focus to a specific family line.

The investigation converged on Rex Heuermann, a 59-year-old architect who lived in Massapequa Park, Long Island, with his wife and two adult children. Heuermann matched the profile in several ways: he was a large man who had access to vehicles, he had worked in Manhattan where some victims had operated, and his movements could be traced to relevant times and places.

In March 2023, investigators obtained a pizza crust discarded by Heuermann and extracted DNA. It matched evidence from the crime scenes. On July 13, 2023, Rex Heuermann was arrested and charged with murder.

The Charges

As of early 2025, Rex Heuermann faces charges in the murders of six women: Melissa Barthelemy, Maureen Brainard-Barnes, Megan Waterman, Amber Lynn Costello, Sandra Costilla, and Jessica Taylor. Prosecutors have indicated that additional charges may follow as the investigation continues.

Heuermann has pleaded not guilty. His defense attorneys have challenged the evidence and the investigative process. The trial, when it occurs, will test whether the circumstantial and forensic evidence can meet the burden of proof beyond reasonable doubt.

The families of victims have expressed relief that an arrest has finally been made, while cautioning that justice has not yet been fully served. They continue to advocate for their loved ones, insisting that the victims be remembered as people rather than case numbers.

What Took So Long?

Thirteen years elapsed between the discovery of bodies at Gilgo Beach and the arrest of a suspect. Why did justice take so long?

Victim Vulnerability

The victims’ work in the sex trade made them particularly vulnerable and particularly invisible. Missing persons reports were not always filed promptly. Investigations received fewer resources than cases involving victims from other backgrounds. The killer appears to have deliberately targeted people whose disappearances would attract less attention.

Jurisdictional Fragmentation

Multiple agencies were involved, each with limited information. Better information sharing might have connected patterns sooner. The creation of a unified task force eventually helped, but years were lost to fragmented investigation.

Forensic Limitations

The killer was forensically aware. Evidence was scarce. Traditional investigative techniques produced limited results. The breakthrough required genetic genealogy, a technology that did not exist when the crimes were committed and was not widely adopted by law enforcement until the late 2010s.

Leadership Problems

Troubled leadership within the Suffolk County Police Department undermined the investigation at critical moments. Personal and institutional failures created dysfunction that may have delayed progress.

Lessons from Gilgo Beach

Every Victim Matters

The Gilgo Beach victims were marginalized in life, and their deaths initially received inadequate attention. Their families’ advocacy eventually forced continued investigation. We must ensure that all victims receive equal efforts regardless of their backgrounds or professions.

Technology Evolves

Genetic genealogy cracked a case that traditional forensics could not. Law enforcement must continue adopting new technologies and revisiting cold cases as capabilities improve. The impossible becomes possible with scientific advancement.

Persistence Pays

Thirteen years is a long time. Many involved in the investigation retired, moved on, or died during that period. But those who remained committed eventually achieved an arrest. Cold cases require sustained attention and resources even when progress seems impossible.

Families Are Partners

The families of Gilgo Beach victims kept this case alive through advocacy and media engagement. Law enforcement should view families as partners rather than obstacles. Their determination can sustain investigations through difficult years.

The Road Ahead

Rex Heuermann is presumed innocent until proven guilty. The legal process will determine his fate. But regardless of the trial’s outcome, the Gilgo Beach case has already taught us important lessons about vulnerability, persistence, and the evolution of forensic science.

The victims along Ocean Parkway were someone’s daughters, sisters, friends. They deserved safety they did not receive in life. They deserve justice in death. The investigation continues, and perhaps additional victims will be identified and additional charges filed.

For the families who spent over a decade demanding answers, the arrest provides a measure of hope. True closure, if it comes at all, awaits the conclusion of the legal process and perhaps answers to questions that may never be fully resolved.

Until next time, stay curious, stay vigilant.

Yours in darkness,

Victor J. Fisher