The Long Island Serial Murders
The Initial Murders
Rita Tangredi
On November 1st, 1993, a 31-year-old woman named Rita Tangredi was last seen hitchhiking in East Patchogue, New York. She was a sex worker. Her remains were found on November 2nd off of a parkway in North Shirley. She had been strangled and beaten.
Sandra Castilla
On November 20th, 1993, the remains of Sandra Castilla were found in Southampton, New York.
Colleen McNamee
20-year-old Colleen McNamee was last seen on January 5th, 1994. She was seen getting into a small blue car at The Blue Dawn Diner in North Shirley. Colleen, like Rita, was a sex worker. Her remains were found on January 30th.
Jane Doe #7
On April 20th, 1996, legs wrapped in plastic were found along Blue Point Beach on Fire Island.
Jane Doe #3, Peaches
On June 28th, 1997, in Lakeview, New York, near Hempstead Lake State Park, an unidentified female torso was discovered inside of a Rubbermaid container. She was identified as a young African American female and had a tattoo of a peach on her left breast.
Jane Doe #6
On November 6th, 2000, a torso wrapped in garbage bags was found in Manorville.
Jessica Taylor
Jessica Taylor was a 29-year-old sex worker whose partial remains were found in Manorville on July 26th, 2003.
Shannan Gilbert
The unsolved murders that occurred on Long Island between 1993 and 2003 remained a mystery for the community, leaving investigators puzzled and residents on edge. It was not until the disappearance of a young woman, named Shannan Gilbert, in 2010 in Oak Beach - that the spotlight was once again cast upon these deaths.
Shannan Gilbert was a driven and intelligent young woman with a passion for the arts. She moved from a small town to Jersey City to pursue her dream of becoming a singer. To support herself, she took up waitressing and later engaged in sex work to make ends meet, intending to stop once she finished attending college.
On May 1st, 2010, Shannan went to Oak Beach, Long Island, for an appointment with a john. After an unsettling encounter with the john, she panicked and ran through the neighborhood, seeking help. Despite efforts by her boyfriend and family to find her and the gravity of the situation at-hand, Shannan's disappearance wasn't taken seriously by the police at first, and the 911 calls made that night were not adequately addressed.
This event marked the beginning of a mysterious and tragic series of events that would eventually be connected to the Long Island serial killer case, involving the disappearance of several women, including Shannan.
The Gilgo Four
Seven months after Shannan Gilbert's disappearance, a body was found near Gilgo Beach during a search for her. Although the police believed it could be Shannan, it turned out not to be her. However, the search led to the discovery of three more bodies in the area, all young women presumed to be involved in sex work. The bodies had been exposed to the elements, making their identification challenging.
Suffolk County Police formed a task force with specialists to investigate the case and consulted with the FBI for assistance. To avoid causing panic, the authorities initially refrained from labeling it the work of a serial killer until late January 2011, when four victims were officially identified. The victims were Maureen Brainard-Barnes, Melissa Barthelemy, Megan Waterman, and Amber Costello. The community was now aware of the presence of a serial killer, leading to heightened concerns for the safety of sex workers in the area.
Maureen Brainard-Barnes
Maureen Brainard-Barnes was a creative and determined woman with a passion for art and music. After facing challenging circumstances, she turned to sex work as a means to support herself financially. Using Craigslist to promote her services independently, Maureen expanded her work from Connecticut casinos to Manhattan, seeking better opportunities.
Tragically, Maureen went missing on July 14th, 2007. She was last seen meeting someone outside a motel for an out-call. Her friend received a mysterious call from an anonymous man claiming to know Maureen's location, suggesting she was in a "whorehouse in Queens."
Melissa Mary Barthelemy
Melissa Mary Barthelemy was a determined and ambitious young woman with a passion for cosmetology. After graduating high school with excellent grades while living on her own and working, she attended cosmetology school. Melissa eventually moved to the city to pursue her dream of owning her own salon. However, Melissa's life took a dark turn when she got involved with a man named Blaze, who was actually a pimp. Melissa began working as a sex worker, keeping this secret from her family until her younger sister, Amanda, found out.
On July 12, 2009, Melissa went missing after scheduling a meeting with a client on Long Island. Her mother attempted to report her disappearance to the police, but her concerns were initially disregarded. Finally, after ten days, an official investigation was initiated.
During the investigation, Melissa's phone records revealed important information, and DNA samples were collected to assist in identification efforts. Melissa's sister, Amanda, received disturbing and offensive calls from a man believed to be the killer, using Melissa's phone, taunting her about her sister's disappearance and work.
Megan Waterman
Megan Waterman's life took a tragic turn when she started dating a man with connections in New York. Some friends believe he forced her into sex work. In May 2009, Megan began advertising herself on Craigslist under the name Lexi and later as Tiffany, engaging in both incalls and outcalls.
On June 5th, 2010, Megan checked into a hotel in Long Island alone. She had conversations with friends and family but posted another Craigslist ad late at night. Surveillance footage showed her leaving the hotel lobby around 1:30 a.m., and a witness saw her walking toward a convenience store. When her boyfriend realized she was missing, he reported it to the police, providing her description but didn't meet them in person due to his criminal record.
Amber Overstreet Costello
Kim Overstreet and her younger sister Amber were born in Pennsylvania but grew up in Wilmington, North Carolina. While attending the University of North Carolina, Kim got involved in sex work through a woman named Theresa and her company, Coed Confidential. Amber followed her sister into this line of work as well.
Theresa hosted parties for her employees, which involved drugs, leading to Amber's heroin use. After leaving Coed Confidential, the sisters turned to Craigslist for advertising. They lived together in Florida and then Long Island for several years.
On September 2nd, 2010, Amber went to meet a client and didn't return. Despite concerns, their involvement in the sex industry made them hesitant to involve the police. Kim decided not to file a missing person's report, fearing it wouldn't be taken seriously. The disappearance of Amber left Kim and their friends deeply worried and desperate for answers.
The Investigation Continues…
In March and April 2011, the police resumed their search along the Ocean Parkway and made several more disturbing discoveries. On March 29th, they found a fifth body, belonging to Jessica Taylor, whose skull and forearm matched remains previously found in Manorville in 2003. On April 4th, they found three more bodies within the area, one of which was identified as Valerie Mack, also known as Jane Doe #6, who had disappeared in 2000. The other two bodies were an unidentified Asian male and a toddler, both found wrapped in a blanket.
Unlike the first four bodies, the subsequent discoveries did not conform to the same pattern, leading investigators to believe they were likely not linked to the initial four. On April 11th, two more bodies were found in Nassau County, belonging to unidentified women. One of them was identified as Jane Doe #3, known as "Peaches," the mother of Baby Doe, and the other as Jane Doe #7.
Shannan’s Discovery
The search for Shannan Gilbert continued almost two years after her disappearance. During a search of the marsh at Oak Beach, her belongings were found near Dr. Peter Hackett's home. Two days later, Shannan's nude body was found in the same area. Commissioner Dormer suggested that Shannan may have been in a hysterical state, discarding her belongings as she moved through the marsh.
The cause of Shannan's death remained uncertain. Her family met with the chief Medical Examiner, who informed them that they still had limited information about what happened to Shannan. The condition of her remains made it difficult to determine the cause of death definitively. There were concerns about whether she was under the influence of drugs, but the tests yielded negative results.
Despite ongoing investigations, Shannan's case remains open, leaving her family with unanswered questions about her tragic and untimely death. She was only 24 years old when she passed away, and her family continues to seek justice and closure.
The First Arrest
In 2013, Timothy Bittrolff's DNA was partially matched to evidence found at the crime scenes of the murders of Rita Tangredi and Colleen McNamee. This discovery led investigators to focus on his brother, John, who resided in Manorville, the same location where the torsos of Jessica Taylor and Valerie Mack were found. John's DNA was eventually obtained and confirmed to be a match, leading to his arrest in 2014. He was convicted for the murders of Rita and Colleen on July 5th, 2017, and received two consecutive sentences of 25 years to life.
During the trial, the prosecution revealed that John was a suspect in at least one of the 10 murders attributed to the Long Island Serial Killer (LISK). However, only the murders of Rita and Colleen were brought to trial and resulted in his conviction. The LISK case remains unsolved, leaving unanswered questions about the other victims and the possibility of additional suspects.
Second Arrest
On Thursday, July 13th, 2023, a Manhattan architect named Rex Heuermann, was arrested and charged with first and second-degree murder for the deaths of Megan Waterman, Melissa Barthelemy, and Amber Costello. While Heuermann was not yet charged for the death of Maureen Brainard-Barnes, investigators have named him as the prime suspect.
The evidence gathered from cellphone records and the discovery of a first-generation Chevrolet Avalanche linked Rex Heuermann to the Long Island Serial Killer (LISK) case. The burner phones used to communicate with the victims before their disappearances and after their deaths were traced back to locations near Heuermann's home in Massapequa Park and his office in Midtown Manhattan. The patterns of communication and travel suggested his involvement in the murders of all three women.
The evidence related to Amber Costello's case, in particular, pointed to the presence of a large, white male with "dark bushy hair" and "big oval style 1970s type eyeglasses," who was seen with a first-generation Chevrolet Avalanche parked in her driveway. The burner cellphone linked to Heuermann communicated with Amber both before and after her disappearance, indicating his involvement in her case.
The joint investigation by multiple law enforcement agencies, including the Suffolk County Police Department, New York State Police, Suffolk County Sheriff's Office, and the FBI, led to the arrest of Rex Heuermann on July 13th, 2023, at his office near the Empire State Building in Manhattan.
LISK Case Today
Although Heuermann was connected to the murders of Maureen Brainard-Barnes (not yet charged), Megan Waterman, Melissa Barthelemy, and Amber Costello, it is important to note that the investigation did not definitively link him to all the murders attributed to the Long Island Serial Killer. The LISK case remains open and unsolved, leaving the possibility of other suspects or accomplices involved in the remaining killings.
Even though Shannan Gilbert’s death remains unresolved, her case has had a significant impact on the Long Island community and the investigation into other unsolved cases. Her disappearance shed light on a series of heinous crimes that had plagued the area for years, prompting renewed efforts by law enforcement and the public to seek justice for the victims and their families.
It is essential to remember and honor Shannan Gilbert, as well as the other victims of these crimes. Their legacies serve as a reminder of the ongoing need for justice, compassion, and support for those affected by violent crimes. May the efforts to uncover the truth about Shannan's murder, as well as the remaining unsolved murders continue, and hopefully lead to justice.
