The disappearance of Shannan Gilbert on May 1, 2010, from Oak Beach on Long Island, N.Y., marks a tragic event that led to a series of shocking discoveries by the Suffolk County Police Department. Gilbert, a 23-year-old escort, called 911 in distress before vanishing after visiting a client in the gated community. Following her disappearance, a search ensued, uncovering the bodies of four young women – Melissa Barthelemy, Amber Costello, Megan Waterman, and Maureen Brainard-Barnes – who had also worked as online escorts like Gilbert and vanished between 2007 and 2010.
Further investigations along the beach revealed more grim findings, including the remains of additional victims, including women, a toddler with her mother, and an Asian male dressed in women’s clothing. Some remains were linked to previous cases of dismembered torsos found in Manorville. Among the victims was Karen Vergata, who went missing in 1996, with body parts discovered on Fire Island and Tobay Beach.
In a tragic turn of events, Gilbert’s skeletal remains were found in a marsh near Oak Beach in December 2011. While the circumstances of her disappearance remain unclear, authorities believe she may have accidentally perished in the inhospitable marshland. The case of the Long Island Serial Killer, suspected to be responsible for these heinous crimes, is the focus of the Netflix documentary series, “Gone Girls: The Long Island Serial Killer,” which delves into the investigation and features interviews with relevant individuals.
Rex Heuermann, an architect and father of two, was arrested in July 2023 after DNA evidence allegedly linked him to the murders of Barthelemy, Costello, and Waterman. Authorities claim Heuermann carried out the killings while his family was out of state, using burner phones to arrange meetings with the victims. His arrest brings a sense of closure to the decades-long search for the perpetrator behind these tragic events.
During their investigation, authorities uncovered that Heuermann was reportedly fixated on the police inquiry, conducting over 200 searches regarding the pursuit of the unidentified murderer. Some of these searches included inquiries such as “Why couldn’t law enforcement track the calls made by the Long Island serial killer” and “Why has the Long Island serial killer not been apprehended.” Furthermore, investigators allegedly found numerous online searches related to assaulting and tormenting women, child sexual abuse material, violent pornography, as well as searches about his victims and their families. He was formally charged with second-degree murder in the case of Brainard-Barnes in January 2024 following DNA evidence linking him to the crime. Subsequently, he faced charges for the killings of Taylor, whose remains were discovered along Ocean Parkway and Manorville, and Sandra Costilla. Costilla’s remains were found on Nov. 20, 1993, in a wooded area by two hunters, displaying multiple sharp force injuries across her body. Heuermann was later charged in December 2024 with the murder of Mack, whose remains were also found in the same area as Taylor’s. Prior to Mack’s murder, Heuermann reportedly viewed pornographic images depicting breast mutilation and bondage by rope, mirroring the injuries inflicted on Mack. Notably, a hair from Heuermann’s preschool-aged daughter Victoria was found in a sealed garbage bag containing some of Mack’s remains. Heuermann is currently detained at the Suffolk County Jail and has pleaded not guilty. The documentary “Gone Girls: The Long Island Serial Killer” will be available for streaming on Netflix starting March 31.
