48 Hours - Investigation of the Gilgo Beach Murders

Episode Date: July 14, 2023

On the evening of July 13, 2023, New York, authorities took into custody Rex Heuermann of Massapequa, Long Island. The architect was arrested in connection with what has been called the Long Island Serial killer case. Since late 2010, the remains of at least 10 people have been found on Gilgo Beach. The investigation first began when a young woman by the name of Shannan Gilbert disappeared. While investigators were searching for Gilbert, they found the other remains. Gilbert’s body was finally found a year later, but police ruled her death an accident and determined it was not a result of a crime.Erin Moriarty has been covering this story since 2011. This “48 Hours” episode aired on Dec. 12, 2020. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Wondery Plus subscribers can listen to this podcast ad-free right now. Join Wondery Plus in the Wondery app today. Even if you love the thrill of true crime stories as much as I do, there are times when you want to mix it up. And that's where Audible comes in, with all the genres you love and new ones to discover. Explore thousands of audiobooks, podcasts, and originals, with more added all the time. thousands of audiobooks, podcasts, and originals, with more added all the time. Listening to Audible can lead to positive change in your mood, your habits,

and even your overall well-being. And you can enjoy Audible anytime, while doing household chores, exercising, commuting, you name it. There's more to imagine when you listen. Sign up for a free 30-day Audible trial and your first audiobook is free. Visit audible.ca. In 2014, Laura Heavlin was in her home in Tennessee when she received a call from California. Her daughter, Erin Corwin, was missing. The young wife of a Marine had moved to the California desert

to a remote base near Joshua Tree National Park. They have to alert the military and when they do, the NCIS gets involved. From CBS Studios and CBS News, this is 48 Hours NCIS. Listen to 48 Hours NCIS ad-free starting October 29th on Amazon Music. I'm Erin Moriarty. On the evening of July 13, 2023, New York authorities took into custody Rex Heuermann of Massapequa, Long Island. The architect was arrested in connection with what has been called the Long Island Serial Killer case. It's a huge development. Since late 2010, the remains of at least 10 people have been found on Gilgo Beach.

The investigation first began when a young woman by the name of Shannon Gilbert disappeared. While investigators were searching for Gilbert, they found the other remains. Gilbert's body was finally found a year later, but police ruled her death an accident and determined it was not a result of a crime. I've been covering this story since 2011. This 48 Hours episode aired on December 12, 2020. Do you remember the last time you spoke with your sister? I do. She called me Sunday night at 11.30 at a train station in New York. From Penn Station.

I could hear the motion from the train station. So you don't think she knew she was in danger at that time that she called you? No. From the time that she called me, it was poof, she was gone. My sister's missing. Like, this isn't normal. There was a ping from her phone after she went missing on Long Island. They knew that there was something very, very wrong here. A young lady was reported missing, Shannon Gilbert. A young lady was reported missing, Shannon Gilbert.

The missing persons unit had been involved in trying to locate this young lady, find out what happened to her. We found human remains. It seemed to be wrapped in burlap, which didn make any sense everyone assumed it was shannon gilbert but it wasn't was no the crime scene gets expanded i'm called and chief we found another set of remains they find another one and another one. We were dealing with a serial killer. But they're all 4'11", very petite, hazel, green eyes. This killer has a type. Right. Does he want the petite body because he wants to feel more empowered and more in control?

Is it easier to dispose of a lighter body? Investigators have found 10 sets of human remains. Here are gruesome discoveries, 10 victims in all. Things started to click as I was watching that. I have a feeling that this is Maureen. One of them, Maureen. I just had a feeling. The detectives came to my house and just said that Maureen has been positively identified as one of the victims on Ocean Parkway.

I have my sister's death always on the back of my mind. The killer, or killers, still are loose. No justice has been done. It's a symbol of the complete failure of the police department to do its job. My name is Geri Hart. I'm the commissioner of the Suffolk County Police Department. So it's, again, a very complex case, but I can tell you that we are fully committed to this investigation. We believe that the belt was handled by the suspect and did not belong to any of the victims.

We're working very hard that we're dedicated to this investigation. What I want most is answers and justice. And I also want that the world to know like my sister mattered. In In the Pacific Ocean, halfway between Peru and New Zealand, lies a tiny volcanic island. It's a little-known British territory called Pitcairn, and it harboured a deep, dark scandal. There wouldn't be a girl on Pitcairn once they reach

the age of 10 that would still a virgin. It just happens to all of us. I'm journalist Luke Jones and for almost two years I've been investigating a shocking story that has left deep scars on generations of women and girls from Pitcairn. When there's nobody watching, nobody going to report it, people will get away with what they can get away with. In the Pitcairn. When there's nobody watching, nobody going to report it, people will get away with what they can get away with. In the Pitcairn Trials, I'll be uncovering a story of abuse and the fight for justice that has brought a unique, lonely, Pacific island to the brink of extinction.

Listen to the Pitcairn Trials exclusively on Wondery+. Join Wondery in the Wondery app, Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Hotshot Australian attorney Nicola Gaba was born into legal royalty. Her specialty? Representing some of the city's most infamous gangland criminals. However, while Nicola held the underworld's darkest secrets, the most dangerous secret was her own. She's going to all the major groups within Melbourne's underworld, and she's informing on them all. I'm Marsha Clark, host of the new podcast, Informants Lawyer X.

In my long career in criminal justice as a prosecutor and defense attorney, I've seen some crazy cases, and this one belongs right at the top of the list. She was addicted to the game she had created. She just didn't know how to stop. Now, through dramatic interviews and access, I'll reveal the truth behind one of the world's most shocking legal scandals. Listen to Informant's Lawyer X exclusively on Wondery+.

Join Wondery Plus in the Wondery app, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify. And listen to more Exhibit C true crime shows early and ad-free right now. It's really, really hard. I miss her so much. Melissa Cann will never forget that wintry day 10 years ago when she got the devastating news. I want answers. I just want answers.

The remains of her older sister, Maureen Brainerd Barnes, missing for more than three years, had been discovered on Long Island. Was there any relief in at least knowing what happened to your sister? Or was it worse? It's worse. You're waiting. I don't know. I don't know what I'm waiting on.

She'll never come back. Okay, good morning, everybody. Former Suffolk County Police Commissioner Richard Dormer was stunned to have found the remains of four young women on an isolated stretch of Long Island's Ocean Parkway near Gilgo Beach. It looks like a car pulled up and opened the door and the bodies were dumped into the bushes. Eventually police would find ten sets of remains in the area. Maureen and three others were found first and dubbed the Gilgo Four. Discarded in a similar fashion roughly 500 feet apart, each of them swathed in burlap.

I think burlap was selected because its ability to take dampness, moisture, and breathe, which would promote decay, as well as act as camouflage. Dominic Ferone was chief of the Suffolk County Detectives in 2010. Everybody knows the chief. He's retired from the police force force but is still haunted by the man who got away, the Long Island serial killer. It was probably the biggest case we ever had and

we put a tremendous amount of effort into that case. Maureen was the first of the Gilgo Four to disappear that summer night in 2007. Her sister Missy believed Maureen had gone to Manhattan for a modeling shoot. And when she was on her way home, made that call from Penn Station. I'll see you in the morning. Love you. That was the last time I talked to her. I don't think it's a coincidence that four bodies ended up in this area. Long Island Serial Killer. 48 Hours has reported on the Long Island Serial Killer from the beginning.

My sister was a wonderful person. And over the years, Missy talked to us about Maureen. She was very smart, very creative. She liked being a mom. She loved being a mom. But she faced obstacles as a single mom of two with no driver's license nor college degree. Maureen would come and use my laptop and she would go and look for the help

wanted ads. These are all the jobs that she applied for. She was looking for fast-food jobs, grocery store jobs, telemarketer jobs, I mean, over and over and over again. By early 2007, things seemed to be looking up for Maureen. She had got a job at a telemarketing place, and she was doing really well, and she got her own apartment, and she was really proud. She was a very giving person and very loyal. And she made a new friend, Sarah Carnes. We were office besties. You could never, ever, ever be bored around her. When Maureen went missing in 2007, her sister was filled with dread. I had a drive in me to be like, oh, I'm going to find my sister. Like, I'm not going to stop until I find my sister.

Missy called the police, reported Maureen missing in her hometown of Norwich, Connecticut, and also in New York City. She didn't run away. Someone has her. This isn't normal. My sister is gone. Missy logged into Maureen's email accounts and got a shock. In the days before Maureen disappeared, she was under enormous financial pressure. Maureen was about to be evicted from her apartment and was facing an ugly, expensive court battle for custody of one of her young children. From her emails, I could see how desperate she was to get money to be able to save herself from being evicted. And save her son?

Save custody of her son? Yeah. She was terrified because her baby was going to be taken away from her forever. But she's working. Yep. It wasn't enough. Working that stupid telemarketing job was not enough. Maureen's emails revealed another secret. She was a sex worker. It wasn't modeling that brought her to New York.

Instead, she and Sarah had gone to earn extra money as sex workers, advertising on Craigslist. workers advertising on Craigslist. It was kind of devastating to learn, but my main focus was to find my sister. I didn't care what she was doing. Sarah helped Missy reconstruct Maureen's last weekend. Sarah described how they learned they had been banned from Craigslist for a few days, and they couldn't post ads for clients. So they decided to update their photos instead and hired a photographer. She picked old 40s Hollywood glamour. The way her curls fell that day just looked so

40s with the makeup and everything like that. She was just so beautiful. All dressed up, the two young women wandered around Times Square like carefree tourists. It was just awesome. We were untouchable. But the next day, Sarah returned to Norwich and says Maureen remained to make more money. You've been flagged by Craigslist. You're not able to put your ad on Craigslist. So how would Maureen meet anybody on that Sunday? She had regulars.

So does that mean whoever took her and killed her was someone she had seen before? Most likely. But Missy had no luck in her search. Months became years. All she knew was that someone had taken her sister. How old was this person? How did this person look?

How did he break through her guard? her guard. Miles away in Maine, a 14-year-old girl struggles with what happened to her mother. I want them to find out who did it. Who vanished when she was just three years old. Part of you is, like, missing. It's just, like, something's always off.

She tells her story on television for the very first time. Have you ever wondered who created that bottle of sriracha that's living in your fridge? Or why nearly every house in America has at least one game of Monopoly? Introducing The Best Idea Yet, a brand new podcast from Wondery and T-Boy about the surprising origin stories of the products you're obsessed with and the bold risk-takers who brought them to life. Like, did you know that Super Mario, the best selling video game character of all time, only exists because Nintendo couldn't get the rights to Popeye?

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As a kid growing up in Chicago, there was one horror movie I was too scared to watch. It was called Candyman. It was about this supernatural killer who would attack his victims if they said his name five times into a bathroom mirror. But did you know that the movie Candyman was partly inspired by an actual murder? I was struck by both how spooky it was, but also how outrageous it was. spooky it was, but also how outrageous it was. Listen to Candyman, the true story behind the bathroom mirror murder, early and ad-free

on Wondery Plus and the Wondery app. It's never going to be over. She's always going to be gone. I can't bring her back. Not a day goes by that 14-year-old Lily Waterman doesn't miss her mom, Megan. I would do anything to bring her back, but I can't, and it just, like, frustrates me so bad. Lily was just three years old when Megan vanished.

Megan's family says the 22-year-old from Scarborough, Maine, was a spunky but troubled kid who loved fashion. And in this video at the time of her disappearance, the family said she would never have willingly left her daughter. This little girl was her life. Lily, do you remember when your mom disappeared? Do you remember when your mom disappeared? Yeah. It's very, like, blurry because it was so long ago. I was just very, like, confused on why she, like, wasn't around.

That's all I can, like, remember, really. Lily says her memories of her mother's boyfriend, Akeem Cruz, are clear. All things I do, like, remember of her are bad times. When Akeem was hitting her, was hitting me, was just being, like, rude. It was scary. You were scared for your life. Why did she stay with him? Fear. Megan's aunt, Elizabeth Meserve, says the family encouraged Megan to leave Cruz.

She was afraid he would hurt her family, he would hurt Liliana. Cruz began taking Megan to Long Island, where he pushed her into prostitution. When she was away, Megan called Lily every night. And when she didn't call, then I know that was her last day. June 6, 2010. Megan was seen exiting this hotel in Hoppog at 1.30 a.m. There's footage of her walking down a little side path, I guess, that's along the back or the side of the hotel. She never returned.

Back in Scarborough, the family heard from Cruz that Megan was missing. They reported her disappearance to the police. Chief Dom Verone says Akeem Cruz was already on his radar. We knew his background and we knew at that time that they had crossed state lines coming from Maine to Long Island. So we actually had the FBI unit involved in that case in June of 2010. He set up all her dates. Wouldn't he know the last person she saw? You would think. That was a very, very heavy part of the investigation. Verone concluded Cruz did not know who Megan's client was that night and had nothing to do with her disappearance. Detectives continued their search for her, and in December 2010, found her, one of the Gilgo Four.

The police found her, and so Lily said, they found my mom, so why didn't they bring her home? But when Lily grew older and more tech savvy, she typed her mom's name into the Internet search bar. Was that tough? Yeah, for sure. I couldn't process it because my whole life, I thought that she just got, like, stolen, and she never came back. I didn't realize how, like, the line of work she was doing, how, like, brutal it was. I didn't realize that part of it.

Police say the remains of Melissa Bartholomew and three other victims were found in burlap bags in shallow graves along this beach in December. How often do you think about Melissa? Every single minute of the day. Lynn Bartholomew's 24-year-old daughter, Melissa, had been missing a year and a half when her remains turned up on Gilgo Beach. It just didn't happen to the girls. I mean, it destroyed all of our families.

Melissa moved from her home in Buffalo to New York City to work as a hairdresser. At some point, she turned to sex work. When she stopped calling home in July of 2009, her mother panicked. We get on the internet, we start calling hospitals. I didn't know what, but I knew something had to be wrong. About a week later, her then 15-year-old sister got a call from Melissa's phone. We agreed not to show her face. She was so excited.

Oh my God, Melissa's finally calling me. And then there's a guy on the other end. Suffolk County police told 48 Hours that they believed the caller was in fact Melissa's killer. hours that they believed the caller was in fact Melissa's killer. He called seven times, threatening her younger sister and torturing her with details of Melissa's murder. The last of the Gilgo Four to disappear was Amber Costello, a sex worker who vanished from her home on Long Island in September of 2010. She was an amazing person. She really was. Amber's friend and former roommate, Dave Schaller, says she was a drug addict who used sex work to support her habit.

As amazing as she was, was as tormented as she was. Verone says Amber, Megan, Melissa, and Maureen were all asphyxiated. There were other striking similarities. Very petite, five foot or under, 100 pounds, hazel, green eyes. You believe this killer has a specific type of woman that he was choosing to kill. Right. Verone worked with the FBI to come up with a profile of the killer.

He says the fact that the women posted ads online allowed the killer to scroll through photos in search of his ideal victim. If he desires a particular height and weight and eye color, he can do that. All right. Everybody ready? Yeah. We do that. All right. Everybody ready?

Yep. We're married. Our father. Who art in heaven. Who art in heaven. Hallowed be thy name. The Gilgo Four had another thing in common. Ready?

Let's go! Families who love them. Look at them go. They're beautiful. Oh my God, they look so beautiful. They do. Wow. They're beautiful. They do. Wow. They're beautiful just like all the girls.

That's right. In December of 2011, they erected a cross. And as the sun went down, they held a vigil in their honor. I remember Shannon for the loving daughter. It was the search for Shannon Gilbert that led to the discovery of the Gilgo Four. Remember her also as our girl's angels. And remember Shannon for Shannon. And their families embraced Shannon's mother, Mary,

as one of their own. But where was Shannon? When the police found the Gilgo Four, Cherie Gilbert, 22 at the time, was certain her missing sister Shannon would be among them. What's the first thing that comes to mind when you think about Shannon? Her singing. The jokes that we would tell. Like Maureen Brainerd Barnes, Megan Waterman, Melissa Bartholomew, and Amber Costello, Shannon was working as an escort the night she vanished.

She was a talented young woman from a troubled family, dreaming of a singing and acting career. At the age of 16, she graduated from high school. She skipped a grade. Smart then, really smart. Yeah, she had a lot of potential. Shannon was visiting a client in the gated community of Oak Beach, Long Island, eight miles from Gilgo Beach, when she vanished on May 1st, 2010. Her family filed missing persons reports and drove from home in upstate New York to Oak Beach, desperate to find her. Oak Beach is a very eerie place to me. It seems very desolate, very isolated, cold.

The family learned that Shannon's driver dropped her off here at her client's house at 2 a.m. Nearly three hours later, Shannon made a panicked 23-minute call to 911. Still on the phone, she fled the client's home and ran to a neighbor's door and then another's, begging for help. And then she disappeared. Weeks and then months pass with no word from Shannon. Former chief of detectives Don Verone says the police questioned her client and dismissed him as a suspect, but took her disappearance seriously. Canine searched the area of Oak Beach exhaustively for Shannon Gilbert. It was while searching for Shannon that they made that stunning discovery of the Gilgo Four, and in the spring of 2011, six more sets of remains. Victim number five, Jessica Taylor,

an escort missing since 2003. Another set of remains, police called Jane Doe, number six. Number seven, to their surprise, a toddler girl. Number eight, an Asian man. Number nine and ten, a female skull and a bag of another person's bones, both found in nearby Nassau County. Police weren't sure if these newly discovered bodies were victims of the same killer. They kept looking for Shannon, and in December of 2011, a year and a half after she disappeared. They found the pocketbook belonging to Shannon Gilbert. Shannon's purse, shoes, cell phone, even her jeans were found in the marsh. The items were found a distant report. A week later, a quarter of a mile from her belongings.

And yellow crime scene tape. They finally found Shannon. To get that phone call when I was in school, it was just devastating. And then, to Cherie's shock, investigators said they didn't think Shannon was murdered. investigators said they didn't think Shannon was murdered. Instead, based on her frantic 911 call, they theorized she might have been high on drugs and had run into the marsh where she died of hypothermia or possible drowning. She's running, running down the street, pounding on doors,

runs into this marsh. The Gilbrek family didn't believe her death was accidental and retained Long Island attorney John Ray. She was put there. He decided to retrace the path authorities believe Shannon traveled. We're going into the marsh now. Barone says her skeletal remains were found collapsed in thick brush. To say that she drowned as was theorized is on its face an absurdity. Ray also commissioned a second autopsy. A private

forensic pathologist determined that a damaged hyoid bone in Shannon's neck suggested she may have been strangled. He said that that would be consistent with homicide. Ray soon turned his attention to one Oak Beach resident, a local physician, Dr. Peter Hackett. Shannon had last been seen in the area near his home, and her belongings were found scattered in the marsh behind his house. And two days after Shannon disappeared, Cherise says Hackett made a disturbing phone call to Shannon's mother, Mary Gilbert.

He identified himself, told Mary that he was running a home for wayward girls and that Shannon wanted to enter the home. A New Jersey detective told us Hackett told him the same story. But when Mary Gilbert went out to talk to him, Dr. Hackett denied it. I never saw her. I never met her. Despite Hackett's denials, Ray believes the doctor did encounter Shannon early that morning and gave her improper medical treatment. Ray filed a civil suit against Peter Hackett in 2012 for wrongful death and malpractice.

The wrongful death claim has been dismissed. Malpractice claims are still pending. It wasn't an accident. If it were an accident, her belongings wouldn't have been found behind Peter Hackett's home. Her jeans wouldn't have been removed. Dr. Hackett declined our request for an interview. Previously he wrote us saying, quote, I never treated her. She was never in my home. He says he only called Shannon's family to offer support. And we didn't pay that much attention to him. I

don't think we missed anything. Chief Ferone says he doesn't think Hackett is a murderer. He says some call him a storyteller. I do not think Suffolk County has put any effort into investigating Peter Hackett to this day. And in 2015, John Ray helped the Gilbert family bury Shannon in a Long Island cemetery not far from Oak Beach. It was sad. You know, my mom was really, really, really emotional, and we all were. And it was just basically like our final goodbye to Shannon. We come to perpetuate Shannon.

Are you surprised that she's chosen for this higher purpose of justice? We come to perpetuate Shannon. Are you surprised that she's chosen for this higher purpose of justice? Well, I'm not. The murderer will be outed. I have to prove it, and I intend to prove it. Shannon, rest now. We all have much to do. Go inside the case at 48hours.com Shannon would still be alive today if Suffolk County Police had actually done their job.

In early 2012, weeks after the discovery of Shannon Gilbert's remains, her family's attorney, John Ray, dug in, trying to understand what had happened to her. The Suffolk County Police Department failed to protect the lives of these people who are now gone. failed to protect the lives of these people who are now gone. Yet, with 11 dead and no killer in custody, the Suffolk County Police Department went through an upheaval that would have a lasting impact on the case. We won't know for certain. First, Chief of Detectives Dominic Ferron suddenly found himself out of a job. I get a phone call that I'm being told to retire

within 15 days or I'd be demoted to captain. I'm yanked off the case. I was pushed out. Verone had been spearheading what would become the largest unsolved murder case in New York's history. I had a tremendous amount of knowledge in the case. And he says he was not allowed to share

what he knew about the serial killer with the new investigators. That had to hurt the credibility of the investigation. That hurt the investigation and the public's perception. A new regime led by James Burke took over the department. Don't become a statistic. Burke was named the new Suffolk County police chief. He was extremely powerful for police chief. Longtime newspaper reporter Gus Garcia-Roberts is writing a book about Burke.

He was charming. It's an individual, split-second decision. And then in other situations, intimidating and sort of brutish. More akin to like a mob boss than a police chief. Burke had an unlikely rise up the ranks, in part because he had a powerful backer, Suffolk County District Attorney Thomas Spoda. They had their own little fiefdom there.

Burke and Spoda met in 1979 when the brutal murder of a boy found behind this school rocked the peaceful suburb of Smithtown, Long Island. There's a lot of Smithtown, Long Island. There's a lot of pressure to solve the case. The victim was 13-year-old John Pius Jr. Tom Spoda was the young, sort of ambitious prosecutor. His specialty was getting that witness who said exactly what the case needed in order to sort of clinch it.

James Burke was just 14 at the time. Everybody called him Jimmy back then. Burke and others testified against four teenage boys. Tom Spoda by then had taken a shine to the kid and had taken him under his wing to some extent. The ambitious young Spoda later became district attorney of Suffolk County. James Burke became a cop and by age 27 was already a sergeant

in the police department. We're one of the highest paid departments in the country. Former Suffolk County detective John Oliva, who investigated gang violence, says Burke's background set him apart from most other cops there. A lot of professional guys, you know, most guys have a college degree

or they were in the military. I heard that James Burke had none of that. Burke's unprofessional behavior set him apart, too. He's a reckless character driven by sex. In the early 1990s, he had sex with a prostitute in his police car and also failed to safeguard his weapon.

He'd left his gun behind, then she recovered his weapon. Internal Affairs investigated the incident, but Burke kept his job. Oliva suspects Boda may have protected him. Wouldn't something like that end most cops' careers? Something like that should end most cops' careers. I mean mean he became police chief. Chief of the department, four-star. And the man tasked with

finding the elusive serial killer. We have 11 dead people and nobody's found anybody connected to them. Something that frustrates attorney John Ray. The man who patronized sex workers is in charge of the investigation of murdered sex workers? Burke ended cooperation with the FBI on the serial killer case. Was it because Burke didn't want to share credit or was it to keep out prying eyes? It could be a combination of both. Many believe losing FBI technology and expertise slowed down the investigation. If I'm the chief of department and I've got dead bodies on the side of the road, I would

take any help I could get. But James Burke soon had other problems, beginning one night in December 2012 when a petty thief named Christopher Lowe picked the wrong SUV to rob. It happened to be James Burke's police truck and Loeb didn't know that. Loeb stole Burke's duffel bag containing his gun belt, porn, and sex toys. Loeb was arrested, locked into a room, and chained to the floor. According to court testimony, detectives began to beat him before Burke himself took over. He starts slapping Chris Loeb, choking him, grabbing him by his ears, yelling at him, threatening him that he's going to give

him a hot shot, which is a laced heroin injection, which would be fatal. Every time I asked for a lawyer, I got hit again. I got hit again. I got choked. I got choked. I got punched. I got slapped. I got kicked. The rumor mills were running wild. It was out there that this had occurred. When the FBI investigated, Burke, with the help of his mentor, District Attorney Tom Spoda, began a cover-up.

Other investigations, including the serial killer case, languished. His first priority clearly wasn't this serial killing on his turf. His top priority was staying out of prison. Mr. Spoda, is there anything that you can say to us, sir? Do you plan to resign, sir? Spoda was eventually convicted of obstruction of justice, witness tampering, and conspiracy in the Chris Loeb case. A tumbling fall from grace.

Political shock waves on Long Island tonight. And in February 2016, James Burke pleaded guilty to violating Loeb's civil rights and conspiracy to obstruct justice. He was sentenced to 46 months in federal prison. He got what he deserved. Burke declined our request for an interview. There's always been throughout his career this thin line between being a cop and being a criminal. With the serial killer case seemingly stalled,

With the serial killer case seemingly stalled, graffiti appeared accusing the former chief of being the serial killer. Investigators don't believe Burke had anything to do with the murders, but that hasn't stopped the gossip. complete absence of trust in the law enforcement system in Suffolk County which regardless of any veracity of that graffiti I think it's completely deserved. Why are these serial killer cases harder than regular homicides? Because they're a stranger to the victim, which is unusual in homicide cases. Geraldine Hart, a career FBI agent, was assigned to the Long Island Bureau when the agency was cut out from the serial killer investigation. Not having the FBI involved consistently from the beginning has definitely hindered this investigation. And in 2018, Hart became the Suffolk County Police Commissioner.

We are fully committed to this investigation. We are utilizing every technique available, every technology that we can. Today, we are announcing that Jane Doe No. 6 has been positively identified as Valerie Mack. has been positively identified as Valerie Mack. Using new genetic genealogy tools, investigators were finally able to identify one of the victims found on Ocean Parkway. She has a name and she's a person and she has a family. Valerie Mack, who was 24 years old in 2000 when she went missing,

was described as 5 feet tall and approximately 100 pounds with brown hair and hazel eyes. Many of these characteristics are shared by the Gilgo Four. Identifying Valerie gave investigators new leads. New associates and friends and family to talk to, people who can tell us her whereabouts and her connections. The department also released images of evidence. A black leather belt embossed with the letters HM or WH was recovered during the initial stages of this investigation. Hart says the belt belonged to a large male. It's an item that we feel was handled by the suspect, did not belong to any of the victims, and was found at one of the crime scenes along Ocean Parkway. To attorney John Ray, it's

too little, too late. Why isn't there an explanation as to why, after nine years, the initials of the belt were finally, for the first time, revealed? What's more, Ray says he has offered Shannon's computer, papers, and cell phones to the department. Hart has declined to look at them, saying there's no way to know if the evidence has been tampered with. But Hart insists Shannon's case is still open. So you're saying that they're still investigating her death? Certainly. As a possible homicide? As a possible homicide. Ray fought for and won access to the 911 calls made that night. He's forbidden by court order from sharing the contents, but insists they shed light on Shannon's disappearance.

Ray vows he'll never stop fighting for Shannon. John, tell me why you become emotional even talking about this. It's hard to say. I've put a good part of my life devoted to this case. It just seems to me that this young lady, this human being, this woman, Shannon Gilbert, deserves justice. That's what keeps Shannon's sister Cherie going too. Do you think at some point you're going to know what happened to your sister? I hope. I pray. But I don't know.

I pray, but I don't know. It's the same feeling 14-year-old Lily Waterman is grappling with. She thinks about her mom, Megan, every day. If I could talk to her, I would just want to tell her that, like, I love her. I never got to really say those words and like know what love really was, like understand how much I really care about her. I just want her to know like she has a special place in my heart. No one can ever replace her or come like above her. Maureen Brainerd Barnes was the first of the Gilgo Four to disappear. Maureen's friend Sarah Carnes can't believe they haven't found her killer in all these years.

It's been 10 since they found her and they haven't found him. And, like, I don't want to wait for that phone call. Maureen's sister, Missy Kahn, will wait as long as it takes. Because this person, whoever killed my sister, thought that they were taking away my sister's voice. But he didn't know that my sister had a sister like me. So whether he's caught five months from now, ten years from now, I just hope he knows that I'll be sitting in that courtroom.

And he didn't weaken me or my family. He just strengthened me. I'm Erin Moriarty, 48 hours, and this is my life of crime. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. The role of a journalist is to bring Americans a greater understanding. We have to make sure that we're right, that we're fair, but also hopefully bring Americans closer together.