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Long Island is viewed as a getaway location from the hustle and bustle of downtown New York. It is an area known for the Gold Coast mansions, incredible beaches, wineries, and fantastic golf courses. Long Island is also the location for LaGuardia and John F. Kennedy airports. Some 8 million people live on Long Island. In recent years, Long Island has gained attention for all the wrong reasons.
The bodies of 11 people were found in the Gilgo Beach area between 1996 and 2011. The legacy of the Getaway area was tainted. Residents were horrified. A serial killer was on the loose. Who was he? Would he be caught? The person responsible for these killings was named the Long Island Serial Killer. His murders and eventual capture began in May 2010 with a bizarre phone call.
Part 1: Shannon Gilbert Shannon Gilbert was a 23-year-old escort that lived in New York City. Shannon made connections with clients using Craigslist. And on the evening of May 1, 2010, she was contacted by a gentleman via Craigslist named Joseph Brewer who lived in Oak Beach, New York, a barrier island south of Long Island. Brewer lived in a gated community. Shannon agreed to meet Brewer at his home.
Shannon asked her business partner, Michael Pack, if he would drive her to Oak Beach. Shannon and Michael split the profits on jobs. The trip to Oak Beach was a bit of a drive according to Michael, but the job paid $450 for a few hours. There was really nothing else lined up for the night, so the two agreed on the job. Shannon went into the house and Michael waited patiently in the car.
Some time passed and Joseph Brewer came out to the car and told Michael to get Shannon out of his house. Michael stepped into the house to understand the situation and found Shannon in a state of panic. She accused Michael and Joseph of plotting to kill her and then quickly fled from the house. Shannon called 911 and told the operator she needed help because someone was after her. The call was incredibly odd at times because Shannon sounded paranoid and confused.
There are portions of the call that are inaudible, but the call Shannon made to 911 lasted some 23 minutes. The following is a small portion of that 911 call. At the end, you can make out Shannon say, "These people are plotting to kill me." What's your name? Shannon Gilbreth. Where are you? I'm right on...
Shannon then took off and began knocking on the doors for neighbors screaming for help. She showed up at the home of Gus Coletti saying, "Help me, help me." Coletti needed more information, but Shannon just kept saying, "Help me." Gus Coletti told Shannon he would get her help and would call the police.
Much to the surprise of Gus Coletti, Shannon took off again and started knocking on the door of another neighbor. What happened next was absolutely baffling. The people with her that night, Joseph Brewer and Michael Pack, would tell police that Shannon Gilbert vanished. She was there one minute and then she wasn't. It was very odd. Very odd.
While Shannon Gilbert's disappearance was tragic, it somehow set into motion the discoveries of human remains on Long Island. Part 2: Megan Waterman and Amber Lynn Costello Megan Waterman lived in Maine. She was 22 years old and the mother of a young daughter. Megan was a high school dropout working dead-end jobs at sandwich shops. Like Shannon, Megan got sucked into the world of escorting.
Her services were posted online at sites like Craigslist. At some point, Megan began a relationship with a man named Akeem Cruz, who oversaw her escort work. It is believed he forced her into the work and acted as her pimp. Their relationship was rocky and at times it was reported that Akeem was abusive towards Megan. Megan strived to make the best out of her situation.
She was supposedly told by Akeem that the money she made from her work could go towards a house where she could start a family. Akeem and Megan would take a bus to the New York City area to meet up with clients, and Megan would see them at a hotel. Her family wanted her to stop working, but Megan ignored their pleas. This was not a safe line of work, according to her family, and they knew of two times where Megan was robbed while working. It was 1:30 a.m. on June 6, 2010,
when Megan was last seen alive. Megan was walking out of a Holiday Inn Express in Halpag in Long Island towards a convenience store. Like Shannon, Megan mysteriously vanished. Megan's family and friends knew something had happened and they wanted answers. Amberlynn Costello was a 27-year-old from North Carolina and had experienced plenty of struggles. She was twice divorced and battling an addiction to heroin.
It was sometime in 2009 when Amber moved to Lindenhurst in Long Island to be with her sister. Amber was hoping that a change of scenery would help turn her life around. Amber's sister later told the press that Amber had found religion and was a very kind aunt. The move did get Amber into rehab, but it was a short-lived victory. Amber, just like Shannon and Megan, posted online for escort services.
On September 2nd, 2010, Amber received numerous calls from a client. Amber's sister did recall who it was and they reportedly offered Amber $1,500 for services. Amber accepted and left her Long Island residence to meet the client. When Amber left the residence, she reportedly said, "If my sister calls, tell her I love her." Amber disappeared. Part 3: Discoveries
It was early December 2010, and Shannon Gilbert, Megan Waterman, and Amber Lynn Costello were missing. The police were contacted and their families were concerned. Megan's family had been working with private investigators since November. They believed her investigation required some assistance since some law enforcement agencies were overloaded with cases. On December 11, 2010, a police canine unit was near Gilgo Beach in Long Island.
Officer John Malia and Police Dog Blue were out searching for the remains of Shannon Gilbert. During the search, Blue detected something in the area. What happened next shocked many in law enforcement. It was a horrifying discovery that would haunt Long Island. The skeletal remains of a person were discovered. A few days later, the situation grew more disturbing.
Investigators found the remains of three other individuals. They had been bound at the ankles and were covered with burlap. The discoveries were made in a quarter-mile area, with the remains being an estimated 500 feet apart. Who were these people? Who killed them and why? Law enforcement was overwhelmed with a horrible mystery. The first person discovered was determined to be a woman. Who was she? What happened? Had law enforcement uncovered the remains of Shannon Gilbert?
Shannon's family believed that one of the women discovered was Shannon. However, her family would learn some shocking news. Also, this was just the beginning of a bigger headache for investigators.
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Progress on identifying the victims found near Gilgo Beach was made by January 2011. One of the victims was identified as Megan Waterman, who vanished some six months earlier when she walked out of a motel. Sadly, the ID was made on Megan's birthday. Her family was absolutely devastated. The other three victims were Maureen Brainerd Barnes, Melissa Bartholomew, and Amberlynn Costello.
Investigators and Shannon Gilbert's family were surprised that she was not one of the victims. Maureen Brainerd Barnes was a mother from Norwich, Connecticut, and she too was an escort. Like the other women, Maureen would travel to the New York City area where she would work out of a Super 8 motel. The day she disappeared was July 14th, 2007.
Her disappearance predated the cases of Shannon Gilbert, Megan Waterman, and Amberlynn Costello by three years. Melissa Bartholomew was a 24-year-old woman from Buffalo that had relocated to New York City. Melissa stayed in contact with her family, but they knew something was different about their daughter. Although they were suspicious, Melissa made a point to stay in touch. However, the calls came to an end and her family became worried.
Melissa's family soon learned she was an exotic dancer and she was also an escort. At one point, Melissa was a hair stylist, but discovered she could make more money as an exotic dancer and doing escort work. Melissa was last seen walking out of her apartment on July 12, 2009. She too was believed to be an early victim of the killer.
Not long after Melissa disappeared, her younger sister, who was 16 at the time, received a very disturbing phone call. "Is this Melissa's little sister?" a man asked. It would be the first of a series of sick phone calls made by an unknown male. These calls were received from late July until late August of 2009. The man making the calls was believed to be the killer, but who was he? Part 5: More Discoveries
On March 29, 2011, investigators at Gilgo Beach found another set of human remains. This was the fifth victim. It was only the head, hands, and forearms of a young woman. Her name was Jessica Taylor. She too had worked as an escort in Washington, D.C., but relocated to New York City
Jessica was 20 years old when she vanished. Life was difficult for Jessica. She had been arrested multiple times and had done time at Rikers Island. However, the other remains linked to Jessica were identified by law enforcement in 2003, roughly 50 miles from Gilgo Beach. A dog walker had made the horrific discovery. Investigators were dealing with a killer that had been at work for years.
The victims at the time were murdered sometime between 2003 and 2010. The way Jessica was discovered was different from the others. Her remains were scattered. Was it the work of the same person? Or were there multiple serial killers targeting escorts in the New York City area? When the remains of Melissa Waterman, Amberlynn Costello, Maureen Brainerd Barnes, and Melissa Bartholomew were discovered, they were wrapped in burlap.
A man that knew Jessica Taylor told a television show in 2016 that he was informed that Jessica's remains were also in burlap. However, there were more discoveries to be made at Gilgo Beach. April 4th, 2011, investigators uncover three more sets of remains. Then on April 11th, 2011, investigators found two more sets of remains along Ocean Parkway in Long Island.
The police were horrified to find five more sets of remains over a week-long period. One was an Asian male in women's clothing, a possible transgender victim. There were three Jane Doe adult females. There was an additional discovery that was beyond heartbreaking and horrible. An unidentified little girl, a toddler, was also discovered. The April 11 victims were found in different locations but were believed to be part of the case.
The case became more complex with five unidentified victims. Could any of these victims be Shannon Gilbert? One of the Jane Does turned out to be the mother of the toddler. However, another Jane Doe was linked to something incredibly gruesome. In 1996, human legs were found at Fire Island, which is roughly 16 miles east of Gilgo Beach. They were linked to one of the Jane Does discovered in 2011.
Now the case spanned at least 15 years. Would it go back further? Were there more victims? December 2011 would give investigators the answer to an important question. It was December 6th, 2011, when items belonging to Shannon Gilbert were discovered. Shannon's ID, a cell phone, shoes, and her jeans were recovered. On December 13th, 2011, the remains of Shannon Gilbert were found.
Police determined that Shannon's death was an unfortunate accident. She may have died from exposure or may have drowned. Her autopsy was ruled inconclusive. Shannon's family had an answer. It was devastating news for a family that had been through a great deal of grief. Part 6: A Long Road The FBI officially joined the investigation in 2015. They did assist with the case in the early stages, but it was nothing official.
A police commissioner at the Times told the press, "Bringing the FBI to the table with all of its expertise and resources is a step in the right direction." The police, the FBI, the families, and the community needed answers. But the puzzle may have been solved a year before. During the early 1990s, two escorts were murdered in Long Island. Colleen McNamee, age 20, and Rita Trangretti, age 31.
Both were brutally beaten and strangled. Around the same time, a woman named Sandra Castilla was found dead. Were they taken by the same serial killer who dumped the bodies along Gilgo Beach? The police found their suspect after years of investigating the deaths of Colleen and Rita. In 2014, DNA linked a man named John Bittroff to both cases. He was a carpenter, a husband, and father that lived in Manorville, Long Island.
Three years later, Bittroff was found guilty of the deaths of Colleen and Rita. He was sentenced to two consecutive life sentences. Was John Bittroff also responsible for the deaths of the others found at Gilgo Beach? While investigators tried to rule him as the suspect or not the suspect, another crazy twist in the case made headlines. Andrew Frey, a 54-year-old man from Long Island, was arrested in 2019.
Andrew attempted to kidnap two escorts in order to place them into trafficking. Both times, the women escaped. A search of the home where Andrew lived and his car led to the discovery of handcuffs, knives, guns, rope, and zip ties. Andrew was also known for being violent towards escorts.
The police made images of a belt available to the public. It was found at one of the crime scenes. The belt has "WH" or "HM" embossed on it and was used in the crime. Police wanted to know if anyone recognized the belt. Another piece of evidence was Shannon Gilbert's 911 call from May 2010. Twelve years later, it was released to the public and provides some clues to the final moments of Shannon Gilbert's life.
Also, a video would be released of the surveillance footage showing Megan Waterman. Her final moments were caught on camera. The video of Megan was released in case people remembered seeing Megan with the suspect that night. One of the Jane Doe victims would be identified. Her name was Valerie Mack, and she too was an escort. Valerie was last seen by her family in 2000 in New Jersey.
Although she had disappeared, Valerie was not listed as a missing person. While Valerie's family and friends learned her fate, there was more to be reported about the case. The twisted case of the Gilgo Beach Killer was coming to a close. Part 7: A Suspect Emerges It was July 13th, 2023, when Rex Heuermann was arrested and charged with three murders tied to the victims found at Gilgo Beach.
He is being charged for the murders of Melissa Bartholomew, Megan Waterman, and Amber Costello. Rex lived in Long Island and worked in Manhattan. He was caught following the development of a task force that was created in January of 2022. One of the first clues was linking a vehicle that was last seen with Amber Lynn Costello before her disappearance. The vehicle was a Chevrolet Avalanche, and it was a vehicle that had been used by Heuermann.
Cell phone records were investigated and law enforcement believed that Heuermann used burner phones to contact his victims. Also, a burner phone may have been used to taunt the sister of Melissa Bartholomew. DNA was also used to link Heuermann to his victims. 16 months of work led to the arrest of Heuermann. The suspect's home and a storage unit were searched. He is currently in jail. Part 8: Conclusion
There is nothing close to a happy ending for the families and loved ones of those who died. Closure might be the best word to describe what they have experienced. What we know of the victims is that they were trying their best in a difficult world. We should not forget these victims, and we hope that those who remain unidentified in this case are identified soon.