Suffolk County’s new police commissioner on Tuesday announced the creation of a special joint task force to solve the decade-old Gilgo Beach murders.
The renewed effort aims to track down the serial killer or killers responsible for the deaths of at least 10 people whose remains were discovered on the Long Island waterfront in 2010 and 2011.
“I believe this case is solvable and identifying the person or people responsible for these murders is a top priority,” said Suffolk County Police Commissioner Rodney Harrison, the NYPD’s former chief of department.
The Gilgo Beach Homicide Investigation Task Force will include investigators from the FBI, New York State Police, Suffolk County Police Department Homicide Squad, Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office and the Suffolk County Sheriff’s Office.
The remains of 10 people were found on Gilgo Beach in Long Island in 2010 and 2011. EPA/ANDREW GOMBERT
The locations where the bodies were found near Gilgo Beach. ReutersThe crack team will take a fresh look at the mass of evidence previously collected in the case that has long captivated the public, stumped authorities and frustrated the families of victims waiting for an arrest.
The group of detectives will also use new scientific techniques to advance the probe, and hopefully uncover the identity of the remaining victims.
Suffolk County cops looking into the disappearance of Shannan Gilbert — a 24-year-old sex worker who went missing under mysterious circumstances — found the remains of another woman, Melissa Barthelemy, along Ocean Parkway in December 2010. In the days that followed, the remains of three other women were found.
Shannan Gilbert was the first victim found in 2010. AP
The victims include eight women, one man and a toddler. Reuters
Crime scene investigators using metal detectors to search for the remains of Shannan Gilbert on December 12, 2011. AP Photo/James Carbone, PoolBy spring 2011, the number had climbed to 10 — eight women, a man and a toddler.
Suffolk County cops are offering a $25,000 reward for information that leads to an arrest in the case. Anyone with information is asked to call 1-800-220-TIPS or visit P3Tips.com.
