Here Are All The Facts The Police Know, And Some Theories, About The Infamous Long Island Serial Killer
Babylon, New York. When a 24-year-old New Jersey woman named Shannan Gilbert was reported missing by her family on May 1st, 2010, nobody would have guessed that the investigation into her disappearance would lead to the discovery of a full-blown serial killer.
Shannan vanished in Oak Beach, a diminutive beachfront community on Long Island that only had 286 residents back in 2010.
After 19 months of looking for her, Shannan’s body was found in a swamp on December 13th, 2011, just half a mile away from where she disappeared from.
From May 1st of 2010 to December 13th of 2011, police came to a horrific conclusion while searching for Shannan.
There was a serial killer loose on Long Island, and he had been active for quite some time. This case hits especially close to home for me since I grew up just a little over 30 minutes away from where the victims of this killer were discovered in Gilgo Beach.
Now, 11 years after being discovered, there’s still a lot that’s unknown about this infamous and elusive killer dubbed the Long Island Serial Killer, but here’s what we do know…along with a few theories.
Facebook; pictured above is Shannan Gilbert
There Are 10 Victims That Have Been Confirmed, But Shannan Isn’t One Of Them
Suffolk County Police Department; pictured above is victim Melissa Barthelemy
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Shannan’s death was ultimately deemed an accidental drowning and police do not think she is one of the victims of the Long Island Serial Killer. There are 10 victims that police are sure were murdered by this man though.
The first 4 victims that were discovered were given the name “The Gilgo Four” by investigators: 24-year-old Melissa Barthelemy, 27-year-old Amber Lynn Costello, 25-year-old Maureen Brainard-Barnes, and 22-year-old Megan Waterman.
The 6 victims that were linked to the Long Island Serial Killer following The Gilgo Four were:
20-year-old Jessica Taylor.
A white woman between 30 and 40 years old only known as Jane Doe #6 since she has never been identified.
A 2-year-old little girl who was determined to be the child of Jane Doe #6.
An Asian male between 17 and 23 years old who was found wearing women’s clothing who has not been identified.
An African American woman believed to be between 20 and 30 years old known as “Peaches” as well as Jane Doe #3 who has not been identified.
A white woman between 18 and 50 years old known as Jane Doe #7, as well as “Fire Island Jane Doe,” who also has not been identified.
New Evidence In The Case Was Released Earlier Last Year
In January of 2020, authorities shared in a press conference a new piece of evidence in the case: a black leather belt with either “WH” or “HM” embossed in it.
It was not a belt that belonged to one of the victims, but it was determined to have been touched by a suspect whose identity is unknown.
The belt came from one of the crime scenes on the Ocean Parkway and was first found about 9 years ago.
Suffolk County Police Department; pictured above is the belt
Even Though There Is Not A Lot Of Evidence, This Is Most Likely The Profile Of The Long Island Serial Killer
There really is not a lot of evidence to determine a profile, but even so, this is most likely what it is.
Authorities suspect the Long Island Serial Killer is a white male, most likely in his mid-30s or 40s while he was active.
He might be in a relationship and he might also be married. He has a stable job. He has a truck or a car that is more on the larger side.
He’s organized and understands forensics and law enforcement.
He most likely lives or did on the South Shore of Long Island. Given that The Gilgo Four were all reported missing from Memorial Day to Labor Day, he might be something of a seasonal killer that only does so around holidays. He’s charming.
There May Have Been More Than 10 Victims
NamUs; pictured above is a photo of the cherry shaped tattoo from the jane doe known as “Cherries”
While authorities have not made a connection to the people I’m about to name, there is some speculation that they may have victims of the Long Island Serial Killer: 19-year-old Tina Foglia, a Hispanic or African American woman between 35 to 50 years old known only as “Cherries,” 39-year-old Tanya Rush, an unidentified woman in her 20s that was wearing a gold pig necklace, 31-year-old Natasha Jugo, and Shannan Gilbert.
The Long Island Serial Killer Was Active For About 20 Years
All of the victims of the Long Island Serial Killer were found on the South Shore of Long Island, and authorities suspect he was active for around 20 years. Two whole decades, and he was never caught.
Nobody Has Been Arrested In Connection With The Case
To date, nobody has been arrested as the Long Island Serial Killer, although there are several persons of interest and suspects.
If you have any information about the Long Island Serial Killer, please reach out to the Suffolk County Police Department Homicide Squad detectives at 631-852-6396. If you wish to remain anonymous you can reach out to Crime Stoppers at 1-800-220-8477.
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