The Long Island Serial Killer is known to have committed 11 murders between 1996 and 2010. The remains of the victims were found along the beaches of Long Island in 2010 after the disappearance of 23-year-old Shannan Gilbert. An investigation that was initiated to find one woman, led to the discovery of a series of murders, termed as the Gilgo Beach serial killings. Most of the 11 known victims, were sex workers.
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Although the murders are known to have begun in 1996, the case of the serial killings only came to light in 2010. The investigation is still ongoing, more than a decade later, with a suspect being tried in court for some but not all of the murders. While many of the disappearances going uninvestigated is one of the reasons for this delay, the fact that the murders date far too much into the past is another.
Rex Heuermann is the current suspect who authorities have charged with the murders committed by the Long Island Serial Killer. Heuermann was allegedly one of the victim’s clients and his vehicle was identified by the victim’s friend. Additionally, his cell phone records proved that he was in contact with many of the victims.
Heuermann’s DNA also matched with the DNA found laced around one of the victims, making the evidence against him stronger. Heuermann, the suspected Long Island Serial Killer, pleaded not guilty. He is currently being tried for some of the Gilgo Beach serial killings. He is now being held in jail without a chance for bail.
When did the Long Island Serial Killer suspect get caught?
In May 2010, Shannan Gilbert contacted 911 to report that someone, was following her and trying to kill her. Gilbert worked as an escort and was returning from a client’s place on Long Island when this happened. Before she could get help, Gilbert disappeared, triggering an elaborate search for her. Months later, in December, authorities found human remains on the beach. Upon investigating, they found out that they weren’t Gilbert’s but belonged to four other women, who were victims of the Long Island Serial Killer.
This discovery led to the search for the Long Island Serial Killer. Subsequently, six more victims’ remains were recovered but authorities could not establish that the same killer was responsible for all deaths. The women were identified and one of their disappearances dated back to 1996. The other women disappeared in the years after that, making it a case of a scattered series of murders. The pattern of most of them being prostitutes though, was consistent.
Shannan Gilbert’s remains were found in 2011 but authorities believed that her death might be an accident. As late as 2022, a task force was put together by the Suffolk County Police. The force was quick to narrow down on a suspect within six weeks. While it was the description of his vehicle and his mobile use that created suspicions, the fact that his DNA matched the DNA found on the Long Island Serial Killer’s victims’ remains, was the final clue that led to Rex Heuermann.
‘The Hunt for the Gilgo Beach Killer’ is an episode of NBC’s Dateline. It digs deeper into the series of murders that are classified as the Gilgo Beach serial killings. The episode is from the 32nd season of Dateline and aired in November 2023.
