The quiet, sandy shores of Gilgo Beach, Long Island, became a chilling backdrop for a series of gruesome discoveries. Beginning in 2010, the search for a missing woman unearthed a horrifying secret: the remains of ten individuals scattered along the nearby Ocean Parkway. The grim findings ignited fears of a serial killer, setting off a complex and protracted investigation that continues to unfold.
This timeline chronicles the key events of the Gilgo Beach murders investigation, from the earliest discoveries to the most recent developments. It details the painstaking process of identifying victims, the emergence of Rex Heuermann as a prime suspect, and the ongoing quest for justice in a case that has captivated and horrified the nation.
Early Discoveries and Unidentified Victims
The Gilgo Beach investigation is inextricably linked to earlier discoveries of human remains across Long Island, some dating back years before the first bodies were found along Ocean Parkway. These initial findings, while seemingly unconnected at the time, would later become crucial pieces of the puzzle.
- April 20, 1996: The partial remains of Karen Vergata are found on Fire Island. Her identity remains a mystery for over two decades, finally revealed in 2022 through advanced DNA analysis. Vergata, 34, was involved in sex work and last contacted her family on Valentine’s Day, 1996.
- June 28, 1997: The partial remains of an unidentified woman, nicknamed “Peaches” due to a distinctive tattoo, are discovered in a plastic container in a West Hempstead state park.
- September 2000: The partial skeletal remains of Valerie Mack are found in a wooded area in Manorville. Mack, 24, worked as an escort in Philadelphia and was last seen by her family in Port Republic, New Jersey, during the spring or summer of 2000.
- July 26, 2003: The partial skeletal remains of Jessica Taylor are discovered in the same Manorville woods where Valerie Mack’s remains were found. Taylor, 20, was an escort working in New York City at the time of her disappearance.
FILE – In this March 29, 2011, file photo, a Suffolk County Police Department officer and dog search the Gilgo Beach area on New York’s Long Island.
The Search for Shannan Gilbert and a Series of Tragic Disappearances
The disappearance of Shannan Gilbert in 2010 triggered the search that would ultimately uncover the horrors of Gilgo Beach. The weeks and months leading up to her disappearance saw several other young women, all involved in sex work, vanish without a trace.
- July 9, 2007: Maureen Brainard-Barnes, 25, disappears after traveling from Norwich, Connecticut, to New York City for sex work. She tells a friend she’s meeting a client and is never heard from again. Cellphone records later place her last known location on Long Island.
- July 10, 2009: Melissa Barthelemy, 24, a sex worker living in the Bronx, vanishes after telling a friend she’s meeting a man. Cellphone data indicates her phone was last used on Long Island.
- July 17, 2009: Disturbingly, a man begins using Barthelemy’s phone to taunt her family, making several calls over the following weeks. In one chilling call, he claims to have killed her.
- May 1, 2010: Shannan Gilbert, a sex worker, disappears from Oak Beach after fleeing a client’s house in a panicked state. A recorded 911 call captures her distress, claiming people are after her, but she also refuses offers of assistance. Witnesses describe her as disoriented.
- June 6, 2010: Megan Waterman, 22, a sex worker from Maine, is last seen at a Hauppauge motel.
- September 2, 2010: Amber Lynn Costello, 27, disappears after leaving her West Babylon home to meet a client. A witness reports seeing a Chevrolet Avalanche, believed to be the client’s vehicle.
The Grisly Discoveries at Gilgo Beach
The search for Shannan Gilbert led to a series of horrific discoveries along Ocean Parkway, transforming Gilgo Beach from a quiet coastal community into the epicenter of a major criminal investigation.
- December 11, 2010: During a training exercise, a police officer and his dog stumble upon the remains of Melissa Barthelemy.
- December 13, 2010: The bodies of Amber Lynn Costello, Maureen Brainard-Barnes, and Megan Waterman are found along the same stretch of Ocean Parkway.
- December 14, 2010: Suffolk County Police Commissioner Richard Dormer publicly announces the discoveries, raising the specter of a serial killer. The search intensifies, expanding to encompass the surrounding area in a desperate attempt to locate Shannan Gilbert and any further victims.
FILE – Crime scene investigators use metal detectors to search a marsh for the remains of Shannan Gilbert, Dec. 12, 2011 in Oak Beach, New York.
More Remains and the Fate of Shannan Gilbert
The investigation continued to yield grim results in the following months, with more remains being discovered and the tragic fate of Shannan Gilbert finally revealed.
- March 29, 2011: Partial remains of Jessica Taylor are found along Ocean Parkway.
- April 4, 2011: Additional remains of Valerie Mack are discovered, along with the remains of a female toddler later identified as the daughter of “Peaches,” and the remains of an unidentified Asian male estimated to have died years earlier.
- April 11, 2011: More remains of Karen Vergata and “Peaches” are found along Ocean Parkway.
- December 13, 2011: Shannan Gilbert’s skeletal remains are located in a marsh near Oak Beach. Police conclude she likely drowned accidentally, but her family disputes this finding, suspecting foul play.
The Arrest of Rex Heuermann
After years of investigation, a breakthrough finally came in 2023 with the arrest of Rex Heuermann, a Long Island architect.
- January 2022: A new task force is formed to reinvigorate the Gilgo Beach investigation.
- July 13, 2023: Rex Heuermann is arrested and charged with the murders of Melissa Barthelemy, Megan Waterman, and Amber Lynn Costello. Police also suspect him in the murder of Maureen Brainard-Barnes.
- January 16, 2024: Heuermann is charged with the murder of Maureen Brainard-Barnes, with DNA evidence linking him to the crime.
Rex Heuermann, right, appears in Suffolk County Supreme Court with his attorney, Michael Brown, Wednesday, Nov. 15, 2023, in Riverhead, N.Y.
The Ongoing Investigation
While the arrest of Rex Heuermann marks a significant development, the investigation into the Gilgo Beach murders remains active. Many questions remain unanswered, and the families of the victims continue to seek justice and closure. The investigation continues to explore Heuermann’s potential involvement in other unsolved cases and to identify any possible accomplices. The long and complex journey to uncover the full truth behind the Gilgo Beach murders is far from over.
