New Suffolk County police commissioner Rodney Harrison (prime left) and district legal professional Ray Tierney (backside left) have vowed to search out the serial killer or killers behind the grisly murders of Megan Waterman (from prime), Amber Lynn Costello, Melissa Barthelemy and Maureen Brainard-Barnes. They had been among the many 11 our bodies unearthed close to Gilgo Seaside, Lengthy Island, starting in December 2010. Relations reminiscent of Lorraine Ela (pictured holding flowers, with Lynn Barthelemy) are hopeful they are going to lastly get justice.
NY Publish photograph composite
Melissa Cann final noticed her sister Maureen Brainard-Barnes alive in July 2007 when her sibling took the prepare from Connecticut into Manhattan and vanished.
“It’s been about 15 years since she went lacking,” Cann, 37, instructed The Publish. “It's loopy as a result of if feels prefer it was yesterday. I used to be solely 22.”
Her 25-year-old sister’s disappearance consumed most of Cann’s personal younger maturity. Armed with Maureen’s emails, she made frequent journeys to New York Metropolis making an attempt to retrace her steps, pushed legislation enforcement to exhaust each useful resource and misplaced many nights of sleep.
“It took up a whole lot of my time, however I needed to come to the conclusion that I wasn’t going to be the one to search out her. I needed to sit and wait and that was horrible,” Cann stated.
In December 2010, Brainard-Barnes’ physique was discovered on a stretch close to Gilgo Seaside, LI, together with three different girls: Megan Waterman, 22, Melissa Barthelemy, 24, and Amber Lynn Costello, 27. They had been all intercourse employees of petite stature, promoting their companies on Craigslist. And their our bodies had been wrapped in burlap.
Since then, 11 our bodies in all have been unearthed within the space. The grisly murders, believed to be the work of a serial killer or killers, have captivated the general public, stumped native police and pissed off victims’ relations nonetheless ready for an arrest.
Now Cann, a soft-spoken, married mom of 5 communicates with detectives weekly — or extra typically — and nonetheless clings to the concept her sister’s killer will probably be delivered to justice.
“I at all times really feel hopeful. With out hope, what do you've got?” she stated.
Legislation enforcement doubles down
Renewing her sense of optimism are two current key personnel adjustments in Suffolk County — new district legal professional Ray Tierney and police commissioner Rodney Harrison.
Cann stated the items in place at the moment are “strong.”
Earlier this month, Harrison held a press convention on the web site of the grotesque dumping floor, vowing to resolve the case.
“We won't relaxation till we deliver these accountable to justice,” stated Harrison, the previous NYPD chief of division.
“There’s a dedication, a relentless pursuit to determine the people and convey them to justice. That’s for the relations to listen to, to allow them to know that we are going to not relaxation, and we'll be sure that we do all the pieces we've to do to carry them accountable.”
He added that there have been “some nice leads which can be placing us in an important place to resolve this case. We’re getting there however nonetheless some work must be finished to get us throughout the end line.”
Lorraine Ela, the mom of sufferer Megan Waterman, instructed The Publish, she was “form of skeptical” previous to watching Harrison’s press convention.
“I'm uninterested in listening to the identical crap come out of everybody’s mouth,” she stated in an e-mail. “[But] I used to be very happy with the phrases from Mr. Harrison. He appears to take care of the victims. I imagine Mr. Harrison will work this case with dignity.”
911 name might present clues
Police initially discovered the stays of the primary 4 girls whereas looking for Jersey Metropolis resident Shannan Gilbert, a 24-year-old Craiglist escort who, after visiting a John in Oak Seaside, made a frantic 23-minute name to 911 insisting somebody was making an attempt to kill her. “There’s somebody after me … they’re making an attempt to kill me,” she reportedly instructed the 911 operator. She was by no means seen alive once more.
In December 2011, police situated her stays in a close-by marsh. The official reason behind her dying is “undetermined,” and authorities have theorized she drowned or died of a drug overdose. However a 2016 impartial post-mortem stated her dying was “in line with homicidal strangulation.”
Harrison additionally stated he would launch the 911 name to the general public if it didn’t intervene with the police investigation.
Gilbert’s household legal professional John Ray, who has heard the 911 tapes however is beneath a court docket order to not communicate in regards to the particular content material, instructed The Publish they might “shock the general public.” He added we'd be taught the police’s account of Shannan’s dying is “willfully false.” Legislation enforcement have beforehand stated that two male voices may be heard within the background, stated to be Gilbert’s driver and the person who employed her. (Each have been cleared by cops.)
Gilbert’s sister Sherre Gilbert has not heard them herself. Her mom, Mari, who was killed in 2016 by her schizophrenic daughter, Sarra, was given a transcript years in the past. Sherre stated she is aware of it could be “tough to listen to my sister’s final phrases. However something to assist her case.”
She hoped that in releasing the tapes, it could present her sister’s dying was no accident and that she was frightened for her life.
And perhaps it should present a helpful lead. “We wish to know if the general public can determine every other voices on the tapes,” Sherre added.
Different twisted cellphone calls gave investigators clues to the killer’s identification. Simply days after Barthelemy’s disappearance on July 10, 2009, a person used her cellphone to name her little sister Amanda. In all, he made a handful of taunting calls, saying Barthelemy, who was residing within the Bronx on the time, was a “whore.”
Cops traced a few of the calls to Midtown Manhattan and Massapequa, which is 10 miles from Gilgo Seaside.
Theories however no arrests
Through the years, the case has been saddled with scandals and sideshows which have sullied the investigation — and uncovered corruption amongst native officers.
In 2015, then-Suffolk County Police Chief James Burke was busted for the 2012 assault of a handcuffed suspect who swiped a bag of intercourse toys and porn from Burke’s trunk. The sordid incident was lined up by then District Legal professional Thomas Spota, who was later sentenced to 5 years within the conspiracy. It was alleged that Burke stonewalled the FBI from getting concerned within the investigation as a result of they knew of his assault.
In that very same 12 months, the FBI formally joined the investigation, and in 2018, former FBI agent Geraldine Hart took over as commissioner. Utilizing a database that collects DNA from genomics-services firms like 23andMe, they had been in a position to determine Jane Doe 6 as Valerie Mack, a 24-year-old escort and mom of 1.
Final 12 months, the division launched photos of a black belt tied to one of many victims and believed to have been dealt with by a suspect. It was embossed with the initials “WH” or “HM.” In addition they launched GilgoNews.com to gather suggestions and supply updates.
The grim thriller has been fodder for numerous documentaries, crime specials and even Netflix’s 2020 film “Misplaced Ladies,” based mostly on a 2013 ebook by Robert Kolker delving into the lives of the victims. It’s additionally ignited the creativeness of true-crime sleuths and produced various unfounded theories.
Some have speculated that Burke was someway concerned within the killings. Others have floated Dr. Peter Hackett, a former Oak Seaside resident who known as Gilbert’s mom and allegedly took care of her that evening. (Police have cleared him, however the Gilberts filed a wrongful dying go well with in opposition to him in 2012. Hackett has denied involvement and the go well with was tossed in 2018.)
Cann stated she doesn’t purchase any of the theories.
“Hey, it’s Burke, it’s Hackett. It’s none of them. As a result of if it was, one in all them would have been arrested by now. I do know for a truth these detectives wish to resolve this case,” she stated, including the hypothesis harms the investigation and stops the general public from coming ahead with suggestions as a result of they suppose legislation enforcement has their man.
“I would like folks to say in the event that they noticed my sister in New York Metropolis. I would like them to place in a tip. Don’t take into consideration the names which have been floated. There hasn’t been a suspect but.”
Sherre echoed these sentiments: “We wish to maintain the general public concerned and get justice. All of them deserve justice, not simply Shannan.”
And as extra time goes by since her liked one’s disappearance, Ela confronts one other robust calendar milestone later this month.
“Megan’s birthday is January 18, and he or she would have been 34,” Ela wrote. “However [she’s] ceaselessly 22.”
Post a Comment