LISK VICTIMS
Gilgo Beach serial killings, a series of murders between 1993 and 2011 in which the remains of 11 people were found on the South Shore of Long Island, New York
The Search for Shannan Gilbert and the Discovery of the Gilgo Four
Shannan Gilbert was 23 when she vanished. Her remains were found in December 2011 in another beach community just down the road. On December 11, 2010, eight months into the search for Gilbert, a Suffolk County Police Department Canine
Unit continued their efforts near her last known location. Instead of finding Gilbert, they uncovered human remains.
Shannan Marie Gilbert
On the evening of May 1, 2010, 23-year-old Shannan Gilbert disappeared after leaving the home of a client and reportedly running through the gated community of Oak Beach. Gilbert had been transported to Oak Beach by a driver, who later received a call from the client to return Gilbert home after she began to exhibit irrational and erratic behavior. Despite multiple searches in the area where Gilbert was last seen, her body was not found until 18 months later.
On December 11, 2010, eight months into the search for Gilbert, a Suffolk County Police Department Canine Unit continued their efforts near her last known location. Instead of finding Gilbert, they uncovered human remains identified
later as 24-year-old Melissa Barthelemy (Jane Doe Number One).
Two days later, on December 13, 2010, three more sets of remains, initially labeled Jane Does Number Two, Three, and Four, were found along Ocean Parkway. These remains were later identified as Maureen Brainard-Barnes, 25; Amber Lynn Costello, 27; and Megan Waterman, 22. All four women had worked as Craigslist escorts and were last seen between July 2007 and September 2010.
On March 29, 2011, partial skeletal remains, known as Jane Doe Number Five, were uncovered.
This discovery led to the first link between the Gilgo Beach homicides and Manorville. The remains of Jane Doe Number Five were matched to Jessica Taylor, who had been identified through partial remains found in Manorville on July 26, 2003. Taylor, like the other victims, had worked as an escort.
Following the connection between the Gilgo Beach and Manorville cases via Jessica Taylor, the investigation into Shannan Gilbert’s disappearance expanded further, revealing additional links and discoveries across Long Island.
The investigation into Shannan Gilbert’s disappearance continued, and several months later, additional remains were discovered miles east of where the Gilgo Beach Four were found
On May 1, 2010, 23-year-old Shannan Gilbert vanished after leaving the home of a client and reportedly running through the gated community of Oak Beach. Gilbert had been transported to Oak Beach by a driver, who later received a call from the client to return her home when she started acting erratically. Despite extensive searches in the area, her body was not found until 18 months later.
On December 11, 2010, a Suffolk County Police Department Canine Unit searching near Gilbert’s last known location uncovered human remains later identified as 24-year-old Melissa Barthelemy (Jane Doe Number One). Two days later, on December 13, 2010, three more sets of remains, initially labeled Jane Does Number Two, Three, and Four, were found along Ocean Parkway. These remains were identified as Maureen Brainard-Barnes, 25; Amber Lynn Costello, 27; and Megan Waterman, 22. All four women were Craigslist escorts last seen between July 2007 and September 2010.
The investigation into Shannan Gilbert’s disappearance continued, and on March 29, 2011, partial skeletal remains, known as Jane Doe Number Five, were discovered miles east of the Gilgo Beach Four site. These remains were later matched to Jessica Taylor, whose partial remains had been found in Manorville on July 26, 2003. Taylor, like the other victims, had worked as an escort.
On April 4, 2011, three additional sets of remains were discovered along Ocean Parkway in Suffolk County. Among them were those of a female toddler, an unidentified Asian male, and what was initially referred to as Jane Doe Number Six. A week later, two more sets of remains were found in Nassau County. One set was confirmed through DNA analysis to be the mother of the female toddler, known as “Peaches” due to a peach-shaped tattoo. The other set was linked to remains found in Davis Park on Fire Island in 1996, broadening the investigation’s timeline and geographical scope.
On April 4, 2011, Jane Doe Number Six, initially identified as Manorville Jane Doe, was confirmed by the Suffolk County Police Department’s Homicide Unit to match remains discovered in Manorville on November 19, 2000. These remains, a white female with brown hair, were found by recreational hunters in a wooded area off Halsey Manor Road.
In May 2020, Jane Doe Number Six was identified as Valerie Mack with the help of advanced forensic DNA technology provided by the FBI. Mack, who disappeared at 24 while living in Philadelphia, worked as an escort under the alias ‘Melissa Taylor’ (unrelated to Jessica Taylor). Mack’s family provided DNA samples, confirming they last saw her in Port Republic, New Jersey, in the spring and summer of 2000. This matched the timeline that Mack’s remains were dumped in Manorville at the end of 2000.
In early December 2011, Suffolk County Police found Shannan Gilbert’s purse and mobile phone in Oak Beach marshland. Two days later, Gilbert’s remains were discovered a quarter-mile east of her belongings.
In 2020, former Suffolk County Police Commissioner Geraldine Hart released previously undisclosed evidence, including photos of a belt believed to be used by the suspect but not belonging to any of the victims. In 2022, current Suffolk County Police Commissioner Rodney K. Harrison established a multi-agency task force, involving the FBI, New York State Police, Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office, and Suffolk County Sheriff’s Office, to reinvigorate the investigation and seek justice for the victims.
Gilgo Victim
Maureen Brainard-Barnes
Brainard-Barnes was born June 14, 1982, in New London, the daughter of Marie Ducharme of Groton and the late Robert Senecal.
Brainard-Barnes was last heard from on July 9, 2007 at 11:43 p.m. when she called a friend in Connecticut just minutes before midnight, telling her she was going to meet someone outside of the motel.
Gilgo Victim
Amber Lynn Overstreet Costello
Costello had moved to New York from Clearwater Florida and had completed a 28-day drug rehab, but had relapsed not long before her disappearance. Costello was last seen leaving her residence on foot on September 2, 2010 to meet a client who was picking her up at her house. Costello did not have her cellphone with her at the time and she was never reported missing.
Gilgo Victim
Melissa Barthelemy was born on April 14th, 1985, in Buffalo New York. July 10, 2009 Melissa Barthelemy was last seen at her residence, 1149 Underhill Ave. in the Unionport section of the Bronx on. The night that she was last seen, Barthelemy told a friend she was going to see a man and would be back in the morning. This friend was aware she was a sex worker, but Barthelemy offered no other details.
Gilgo Victim
Megan was born to Lorraine and Greg Waterman, they had another child Greg Jr. Megan Waterman was 22 years old when she was last seen on June 6, 2010 leaving her hotel Holiday Inn Express, located at 2050 Express Drive South in Hauppauge.
Gilgo Victim
Sandra Costilla
Two hunters discovered 28-year-old Costilla’s body in a wooded area in North Sea, Southampton, on November 21, 1993. She had been strangled to death and left partially clothed. Her remains were in the woods for several days prior
to being discovered.
Jessica Taylor, 20, who had worked as a working as an escort in Washington and briefly in New York before disappearing in July 2003. Remains belonging to Jessica Taylor, were found in a wooded area in Manorville on July 26, 2003. Her
additional remains (initially labeled “Jane Doe No. 5”) was discovered by a woman walking her dog off Halsey Manor Road in Manorville, about 45 miles east of the Gilgo Beach area, where her other remains were found on March 29, 2011
September 16, 2024
Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond A. Tierney, with representatives from local, state, and federal law enforcement partners, will hold a press conference to provide new information as to a Gilgo Beach homicide victim and update the public as to the ongoing investigations being conducted by the Gilgo Beach Homicide Investigation Task Force.
Asian Doe
The body of “Asian Doe,” was found in the dense brush off Ocean Parkway, Long Island, on April 4, 2011.
Asian Doe
On a chilly April morning in 2011, the body of a transgender individual, known only as “Asian Doe,” was discovered in the thick underbrush off Ocean Parkway on Long Island. The discovery sent shockwaves through the community, as the victim’s identity and story remained shrouded in mystery. Clad in a bra designed by Bill Blass, a pair of pants, and a “Rafaella” brand shirt, the unidentified person had been left in the wilderness with no clues to their past—only questions.
For years, the case stagnated, with investigators piecing together what little information they had. But recent breakthroughs in the Gilgo Beach homicide investigation provided a glimmer of hope in unraveling the enigma surrounding Asian Doe. Detectives now believe that this individual may have had connections to the Han community in southern China, more than seven thousand miles away. This potential link opened up new avenues of inquiry, drawing investigators into a cultural and geographic labyrinth far from the shores of Long Island.
forensic anthropologist sketches
The case took another turn during a crowded press conference held by Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond Tierney. In a bid to generate new leads, Tierney revealed several digitally altered images of Asian Doe. These images presented feminized versions of the victim, offering a glimpse into the life of the biological male who had been found dressed “exclusively in women’s clothing,” as Tierney described.
The images, like the case itself, were haunting—offering a tantalizing glimpse of a life that was lived in secrecy and ultimately ended in tragedy. As the investigation continues, the hope remains that one day, the story of Asian Doe will be fully told, bringing closure to a life cut short and justice to those responsible.
Asian Doe 2024
National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) took on the challenge of breathing new life into the cold case of “Asian Doe.” Using the latest technology and expertise, they created three new sketches of the unknown victim. These images were sent to the Gilgo Beach Homicide Task Force, offering fresh perspectives on a case that had perplexed investigators for years.
“He was a teenager or very young adult,” Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond Tierney emphasized to the gathered reporters during a recent briefing. “It’s important that this victim get their name back.”
Forensic pathologists had carefully examined the remains of “Asian Doe” and concluded that the victim was between 17 and 23 years old at the time of death. The young person was slim, standing somewhere between 5’3″ and 5’9″, and had been dead for at least five years before their body was discovered. The case was grim, with the pathologists determining that the cause of death was blunt force trauma—a clear indication of homicide.
Previous reports had already revealed the brutal nature of the attack, noting that Asian Doe’s face and skull had been crushed, adding a layer of horror to the already tragic case.
Despite the proximity of the crime scene to other known victims, no charges have been brought against Rex Heuermann, the accused Long Island Serial Killer (LISK), in connection with Asian Doe’s murder. However, the location where the body was found raised questions. “It was about 300 or so feet from Megan Waterman,” D.A. Tierney remarked on Monday. “Between Megan Waterman and Jessica Taylor.”
The close geographical connection between Asian Doe and other victims already linked to Heuermann’s alleged crimes suggests a possible connection, but for now, the case remains unsolved, with Asian Doe still waiting for justice and a name.
Possibly connected cases to LISK Killer
July 14, 2023, Suffolk County Police have arrested Rex Heurermann in connection to the Long Island Serial Killer case.
February 1st, around 3:00 am she had left Hammerheads nightclub, which was located in a converted supermarket at 135 Sunrise Highway in West Islip and may have attempted to hitchhike back to her house in Brentwood.
The last verified sighting of her was near the exit of the nightclub
Learn More about Tina
Carmen Vargas
On September 11, 1989, a body was discovered along the right shoulder of Meadowbrook State Parkway in Freeport, NY by a passerby. The body was later identified as Carmen Vargas. Carmen was found with a towel over her face, a rope around her neck, and her ankles bound with a cord. Her body was located approximately a half mile south of Merrick Road in Long Island, New York.
Sandra Acosta
23 year Sandra Acosta disappeared after last being seen at 185 Nevins Street in Brooklyn. Acosta was 4’11, 100 lbs and lived on Douglass Street in Park Slope.On October 30, 1991, the body parts of Sandra Acosta, were discovered at a weeded lot near the Gowanus section of Brooklyn. Her two hands, feet, arms and legs were found, along with her head. Her torso was never recovered.
Tiffany Dixon
October 10, 1991 Tiffany Dixon, of Hart St., Bushwick, was last seen dropping her brother, Israel Morales, 8, at the corner of Smith St. and First Place in the Carroll Gardens section, where he is a third-grader at Public School 58. Norma Delgado, 28, the girl’s mother, said Tiffany then usually walked about four blocks to JHS 142, where she is a seventh-grader. But On Thursday the girl didnt arrive at school.
Judith Ramona Veloz
March 3, 1993 Judith Ramona Veloz. aka “Aries Jones” was last seen in the vicinity of 30th Street between 10th and 11th Avenue in Manhattan, NY
Judith left her childhood home at 16, pregnant at 17 and gave birth to a daughter in Spring 1992. Judith boyfriend and her daughters father was an older man, with a violent past, been grooming her and forcing Judith to work the streets and acted as her pimp. AJ passed away in 2005.
Karen Vergata
Her father last heard from her on his birthday on Valentine’s Day 1996 when she was living on West 45th Street in NYC.
July 2017, her father Dominic N. Vergata had her officially declared deceased. In that legal filing, the father states that he spoke to multiple law enforcement agencies to try to report her missing, hired a private Investigator to determine her whereabouts, and spoke to several acquaintances of hers.
Valerie Mack
Valerie Mack was 24 years old and living in Philadelphia when she went missing. Relatives last saw Mack in the spring or summer of 2000 in Port Republic, New Jersey, but she was never reported missing by police, Police told Valery’s Parents that she has a history of running away, and most likely doesn’t want to be found. Her partial skeletal remains were found in Manorville in September 2000 but were initially known as “Jane Doe No. 6.”
Alicia Adams
Alicia Adams, a 22, was discovered naked and mummified in the brush about 2 months after she was last seen in April 2013 near the Imperial Hotel in East New York, Brooklyn.
She had a green dragon tattoo on her upper left chest and another tattoo on her right thigh with the words “Daddy Rock.” Her body was found near South Conduit Avenue, close to the woods that lead to Long Island, into Nassau County.
Andre Jamal Isaac
Andre Isaac, also known as “Sugar Bear,” was a professional drag queen who disappeared from East New York in 2002. According to a friend, Isaac was last seen shortly before Thanksgiving, getting into a car with a “secret friend.” The vehicle was described as a red BMW-type coupe driven by a Hispanic man. On December 17, 2002, a plastic bag containing a partial human torso was found in Arverne, Queens, NY. The bag contained a skirt, a black bodysuit, and a tank top. The bag was found on Beach 63 Street between Larkin Street and the boardwalk; however, this location may be slightly inaccurate, as Beach 63 does not connect with Larkin or the boardwalk.
Unidentified Asian man
The skeletal remains of a yet-to-be-identified Asian man were found along Ocean Parkway on April 4, 2011.
It is estimated that the man was between 17 and 23 years old at the time of his death. He was approximately 5 feet 6 inches tall with bad teeth.
Asian Male died between 2001 and 2006 – discovered 750 yards east of the Gilgo Four. His body was found just 0.3 miles east of the Gilgo Four and roughly 0.6 miles west of Jessica Taylor’s skull.
He was found wearing women’s clothing. Therefore, it is possible that he may have lived as a woman.
Peaches
June 28, 1997, a dismembered body was discovered in a wooded area of Hempstead Lake State Park, Lakeview, New York. The torso was found on the west side of Lake Drive, about 200 yards north of Peninsula Boulevard. Both arms,
head, and legs below the knee were severed, she had become known as “Peaches” because of a bitten tattoo of a peach on her left breast. “Peaches” was the nickname given to a black or biracial female whose
torso was discovered in Hempstead Lake State Park in 1997. Her nickname originates from a distinctive tattoo she had. She was inside a plastic Rubbermaid container along with a red towel and a floral pillowcase, covered
by plastic garbage bags
Lindsay Harris
Lindsay Marie Harris (September 3, 1983 – May 2005) was a young woman whose dismembered legs were found in a wooded area near Interstate 55 in 2005. She was identified 3 years later.
On May 4, 2005, Harris disappeared from her home in Henderson, Nevada. She was last seen making a bank deposit at the bank near her home. Her rental car was found abandoned in the desert at the southern end of the valley and her credit cards had not been used. Later that November, America’s Most Wanted aired a segment on Harris’ disappearance.
On March 3, 2007, woman’s torso, stabbed and stuffed inside a suitcase, washed ashore in Mamaroneck. One of her leg bones and her right foot with her toe nails half polished washed up from the Long Island Sound later on March 27 among the rocks in Cold Spring Harbor. On March 28, her severed leg bone washed up in a plastic bag a short distance away at the estate of Cablevision billionaire James Dolan. The rest of her has never been found.
Jamie Seymour
Jamie Diane Seymour was 21 years old when she was last seen in Brick Township, NJ on July 22, 2005. She had moved out of her Jackson Township residence and was drifting from place to place. On July 22, she called her father and said she was heading to the Port Authority New York area.
Victoria Camara
August 11, 2003 at 7:18 a truck driver discovered the body of a Hispanic female in the desert area just south of the haul road located approximately 1200 feet west of US 95, mile marker 52. August 11, 2003 LVMPD Detectives identified the body of the Hispanic female as Victoria Camara. More
Prosecutors revealed in June, 2024 that Heuermann allegedly used a planning document between 2000 and 2002, This document is considered crucial evidence in the ongoing investigation into the Gilgo Beach murders. DA Tierney
announced the significance of two phone numbers linked to the case. Tierney confirmed that one of the number 917-294-4402 is linked to a Danielle Faith Goodling in Queens.
Red More
Ginkgo Beach Crime Scene
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