Crime Documentary - The Gilgo Beach killer story

  • 7 years ago
Viewer discretion is advised. Some may find this content disturbing. This is a documentary I found interesting.

Long Island serial killer (also referred to by media sources as the Gilgo Beach Killer or the Craigslist Ripper) is an unidentified suspected serial killer who is believed to have murdered 10 to 16 people associated with the sex trade, over a period of nearly 20 years, and dumped their bodies along the Ocean Parkway, near the remote Long Island, New York beach towns of Gilgo Beach and Oak Beach in Suffolk County, and the area of Jones Beach State Park in Nassau County.

The remains of four victims were found in December 2010, while six more sets of remains were found in March and April 2011. Police believe the latest sets of remains predate the four bodies found in December 2010.

On May 9, 2011, authorities surmised that two of the newest sets of remains might be the work of a second killer.[5] On November 29, 2011, however, the police announced their belief that one person is responsible for all 10 deaths, and that they did not believe the case of Shannan Gilbert, an escort who was missing when the first set of bodies were found, was related. "It is clear that the area in and around Gilgo Beach has been used to discard human remains for some period of time," said Suffolk County District Attorney Thomas Spota.

There has been much speculation in the media concerning the identity of the killer, currently known as "Unsub" (unknown subject). It has been suggested that the serial killer is most likely a white male in his mid-20s to mid-40s who is very familiar with the South Shore of Long Island and has access to burlap sacks, which he uses to contain the bodies. He may have a detailed knowledge of law enforcement techniques, and perhaps even ties to law enforcement, which have thus far helped him avoid detection.

Some have speculated that serial killer and former Long Island resident Joel Rifkin may have been responsible for some of the older remains found in March and April 2011, as four of the victims' bodies were never found. In an April 2011 prison interview with Newsday, Rifkin denied having anything to do with recently discovered remains.

On December 15, 2016, the attorney for the family of victim Shannan Gilbert said there's a connection between Suffolk County's former Police Chief James Burke and the murders. Burke was sentenced in November 2016 to 46 months in federal prison, along with three years of supervised release. The sentence came after Burke attempted to conceal his revenge beating of a man who stole a duffel bag filled with sex toys and pornography from his vehicle. Burke pleaded guilty in February to a civil rights violation and conspiracy to obstruct justice.

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