The Unsolved Long Island Serial Killings

A vicious killer is still at large. The Long Island Serial Killer (also known as the Gilgo Beach Killer or the Craigslist Ripper) claimed the lives of at least 10 victims, however there are believed to be many more.

He lives in infamy on the shores of Long Island, New York. It is believed that this serial killer began operating around 1996, although some believe his crimes go back even further.

Now nearly twenty-five years later, he still remains undiscovered. All of his known victims were connected with the sex industry. The last time many of these women were seen was before meeting with a client. These victims were sex workers, many of whom placed ads for their services on Craigslist.

While this Long Island area has traditionally been viewed as a sleepy beach town, in reality the isolated community harbors many bone-chilling secrets.

The Crime Scenes

While it is believed that the Long Island Serial Killer began his killing spree around 1996, the bodies of his victims were not discovered until 2010. Four bodies were found in December of 2010 on Gilgo Beach. A few months into 2011, six more bodies were found as police combed over Gilgo Beach and expanded their search zone to Jones Beach, and waterfront areas in Nassau County.

Photo: New York Post

The Long Island Serial Killer scattered the remains of his victims across Long Island. One victim’s remains were found both in Manorville and on Gilgo Beach in 2010. Another’s were found divided between Tobay Beach and Fire Island. The killer dismembered many of his victims, leaving the torso in one area and the head and limbs in another.

Before the first four bodies were discovered in December 2010, the remains of four identified women turned up in New Jersey. While these crimes have not been officially linked, the patterns and following autopsies have revealed eerie similarities to the victims of the Long Island Killer.

All four New Jersey women were prostitutes and had been strangled to death, a common crime against sex workers. Their bodies were dumped near water and their shoes were missing. The similarities in the crime scenes is unnerving.

The New Jersey killer, known as the Atlantic City Serial Killer and Eastbound Strangler, remains at large as well. The murders he committed transpired between October 2006 and November 2006. There are many questions that remain unanswered and secrets that are left to be uncovered, but the Eastbound Strangler and the Craigslist killer might just be one and the same.

The Victims 

Victims Discovered in December 2010

• Maureen Brainard-Barnes 

Age: 25

Last seen: July 9, 2007

Standing at four feet eleven inches, Maureen was a struggling young mother. She began working in the sex industry to pay her mortgage and bills. After her disappearance in 2007, an unidentified man made a phone call to one of her friends. The man refused to identify himself, but said that Maureen was alive and well in Queens.

• Melissa Barthélemy

Age: 24

Last seen: July 10, 2009

Melissa had been living in the Bronx and working as an escort through Craigslist, at the time of her disappearance. Phone records show that there were many incoming and outgoing calls to Manorville around the time of her disappearance. Following her disappearance, Melissa’s sister received calls from an unknown man. The man told Melissa’s sister that Melissa was dead and that he was going to “watch her rot.”

• Megan Waterman 

Age: 22

Last seen: June 6, 2010

Megan went missing after placing an ad on Craigslist as an escort. At the time of her disappearance, she had been living with her boyfriend, 15 miles northeast of Gilgo Beach.

• Amber Lynn Costello 

Age: 27

Last seen: September 2, 2010

Amber was last seen before reportedly going to meet a client that had offered $1500 for her services. Amber was a known heroin user, and was living 10 miles north of Gilgo Beach at the time of her disappearance.

Victims Discovered in 2011 

• Jessica Taylor

Age: 20

Last seen: July 2003

The naked and dismembered torso of Jessica Taylor was found on July 26, 2003, in Manorville, New York. The skull, hands, and forearms of her remains were uncovered on May 9, 2011 at Gilgo Beach.

• Jane Doe No. 6

Like Jessica Taylor, the torso of Jane Doe No.6 was found on November 19, 2000, in Manorville. The head, right foot, and hands of the victim were uncovered on April 4, 2011 at Gilgo Beach.

• John Doe 

The only male victim, John Doe was discovered on April 4, 2011 at Gilgo Beach. The body appeared to be of a biological Asian male who died from blunt-force trauma. It is believed the victim lived as a woman and worked as a sex worker.

• Jane Doe No. 3

Jane Doe No.3 was an unidentified African-American female, who’s torso was found on June 28, 1997. On April 11, 2011, they uncovered more of the victim’s body parts near Jones Beach State Park.

• Baby Doe 

The only known child victim of the Long Island Serial Killer. Her body was found on April 4, 2011, about 250 feet away from the remains of Jane Doe No. 6. However, DNA testing revealed that the toddler was the daughter of Jane Doe No. 3.

• Jane Doe No. 7

The severed legs of Jane Doe No. 7 were found on Fire Island on April 20, 1996. The skull and several teeth were discovered on April 11, 2011 at Tobay Beach.

Who could be the Long Island Serial Killer?

There are theories surrounding who could be the Long Island Killer, however, no arrests have been made. It is likely that the killer still remains at large. Popular suspects have been James Burke, John Bittrolff, Joseph Brewer, and Dr. Peter Hackett. There may be more than one killer, there may not be.

Photo: Suffolk County Police Department

Police in Long Island have recently disclosed that a belt embossed with the letters that resemble either “WH” or “HM” were uncovered at one of the crime scenes. While this may bring new leads, as of 2022, the Long Island Serial Killer has yet to be apprehended.

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