Introduction

Have you ever heard of the chilling story of the Long Island Serial Killings, a haunting case that involved 11 women? It begins with Shannan Gilbert, who worked as an escort and had been reported missing by her mother. Prior to her disappearance, she had been seen as looking paranoid and panicked, which caused her to constantly run away. If it wasn’t for Shannan, the rest of the victims wouldn’t have ever gotten justice, however. 

The Gilgo Four

On December 11th, 2010, the Suffolk County Police Department was searching for Shannan when the first body was discovered. Melissa Barthelemy’s remains were discovered in a burlap sack and, just two days later, three more bodies were discovered: Maureen Brainard-Barnes, Amber Costello, and Megan Waterman. Their bodies were also found wrapped in burlap and disposed of at Gilgo Beach. 

Investigation

Taking what was already known about Shannan’s investigation, authorities presumed that the other four had a connection with her. They first interviewed Michael Pak, Shannon’s driver, and Joseph Brewer, the client she was last seen with. After these interviews, investigators still had no prime suspect pertaining to Shannan’s or the other four girls’ disappearances. Jimmy Burkes, the chief of police involved in Shannan’s case, was soon arrested on December 9, 2015, for abuse and coverup and then indicted for civil rights.

While questioning the victims’ families, authorities identified a connection: a phone call that a family member in each family received when each girl had disappeared. Each phone call was taunting each family member about their missing loved one.

New Investigation

On March 29, 2011, a new search for Shannan Gilbert was instituted. Police closed roads and quickly found 5 more unidentified bodies. Later, the bodies of an Asian male, a toddler (who was finally identified as Tatiana Dyke), and a female (Tanya Jackson, mother of Tatiana Dyke) were found within the same area as the other bodies previously discovered. Over the course of one year, 10 bodies were found but there were no prime suspects or leads. The police resumed the search for Shannan Gilbert and went to the spot where she was last seen in the marsh. Here, they found Shannon’s belongings. On December 13th, 2011, Shannan’s body was found naked far from where she and her belongings were last seen. The police started saying that Shannan’s death was accidental.

Nearly a decade later, Rex Huermann was arrested.

Authorities found that Rex had been in contact with many of the girls who had gone missing.

Family Reaction

Megan’s sister, Maureen, expressed that the girls deserve justice and to be remembered. Melissa’s mother addressed the killer via a media broadcast: “You’re a very weak man. You prey on small, innocent girls, and we’re gonna get you.” Many of the mothers were angry with the justice system, feeling that they weren’t trying hard enough to find the girls. They were all emotional; they missed their girls and begged for them to be found. Families joined together every year on the anniversary of when the bodies had been found to mourn the losses of the girls.

Trial

On July 13, 2023, Rex was charged with seven counts of murder and pleaded not guilty for each. The last piece of evidence that solidified his guilt was the discovery of his Chevy Avalanche; it was spotted at one of the victim’s locations at the time of the disappearance. He is currently being held in custody with no bail. Rex’s next trial is scheduled to begin in September of 2026, after Labor Day.

Conclusion

Although Rex wasn’t charged with all the murder counts, authorities have made a lot of progress with identifying the unknown bodies that had been discovered. Jane Doe No. 6 was identified to be Valerie Mack. (She also went by the name of Melissa Taylor.) Jane Doe No.7 was identified as Karen Vergata. In December of 2025, the father of Tatiana Dykes, Andrew Dykes, was charged with the murder of her and her mother, Tanya Jackson. Both these victims are no longer believed to be a part of the Gilgo Beach Murders.

If you would like to know more about these murders, we definitely recommend you watch the Netflix documentary Gone Girls: The Long Island Serial Killer! The film provides a lot more information and details about this case and will keep you at the edge of your seat.

References

Aizin, R. (2025, April 1). Gilgo Beach Murders Timeline: A Look at the Long Island Serial Killer Suspect’s Crimes, Arrests and Charges. People.com. Retrieved March 18, 2026, from https://people.com/long-island-serial-killer-murder-timeline-11706811

Gilgo Beach serial killings. (n.d.). Wikipedia. Retrieved March 18, 2026, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gilgo_Beach_serial_killings

Gilgo Case. (n.d.). Gilgo Case – The Long Island Serial Killer. Retrieved March 18, 2026, from https://www.gilgocase.com/#header

Long Island serial killings: A timeline of the investigation. (2025, April 13). CBS News. Retrieved March 18, 2026, from https://www.cbsnews.com/news/long-island-serial-killings-investigation-timeline-48-hours/

Sanchez, R. (2024, June 24). Gilgo Four. CNN. Retrieved March 18, 2026, from https://www.cnn.com/2023/07/21/us/gilgo-beach-four-killings-victims