By
Melinda Cohenour
Happy New Year! May 2025 usher in a wonderful
year filled with good health, joy, love, inspiration, prosperity and
great discoveries.
This past year your author had great plans for family
research. Unfortunately, as happens with plans, life often delivers
detours, unexpected hazards, and heartbreaking roadblocks. Therefore,
this upcoming year requires a new route to embark upon. Some projects
will continue to demand attention; some may merely appear and entice our
pursuit.
1. The Gilgo Beach Serial Murderer (otherwise known as LISK, or the Long Island Serial Killer.
This case first drew my attention more than a decade ago when the
evening news announced the discovery on that brushy beach area of human
remains described as being bound in burlap, followed immediately
thereafter by the discovery of not one but three additional sets of
remains very near the first.
As the story continued to unfold, interested readers faced
numerous delays in news reports from investigating police. In the
beginning, actually, the police department itself became the news. A
seemingly unending litany of corruption, misdirection, criminal
activity, ongoing internal investigation and conviction of top officials
This complication led to the Gilgo Beach murders becoming, in
essence, cold cases. It was several years later those cases were brought
to the forefront. Old, old case notes and a mountain of evidentiary
materials were exposed to fresh eyes and new theories.
The initial count of victims exposed as a result of thorough
searches numbered eleven: Shannan Gilbert, the missing woman whose
disappearance first triggered the discovery in the first place; the four
women whose remains were first discovered and are known as the Gilgo
Beach four; partial remains consisting of four "packaged" sets of body
parts resulting from dismemberment (most were skulls, hands, feet, or
legs lacking torsos or trunks in most cases); and two puzzling skeletal
findings which would later become known as the Asian trans male dressed
in women's clothing and a toddler linked through DNA analysis to the
partial remains known as Peaches.
Years have been devoted to identification of the victims whose
remains had been strewn along a fairly compact stretch of beach. DNA has
been utilized extensively to accomplish that critical starting point.
In concert with the effort to identify the victims, forensic
teams have painstakingly examined the remains, the packaging materials,
the burial sites, and the binding materials (belts, duct tape, and so
forth) for clues to the identity of their murderer.
In July of 2023 a long awaited arrest was made. An unlikely
perpetrator was encircled by a team of law enforcement officers
representing several agencies and departments and taken into custody.
Rex Andrew Heuermann, a married man with a biological daughter and a
special needs stepson, who owned his own architectural firm located in a
prominent area of New York City was quickly subdued. He remains in
custody.
Initially charged with the murders of Melissa Barthelemy, Megan
Waterman and ber Costello, he was later charged also with the murder of
Maureen Mainard-Barnes.
Earlier in 2024, new charges for Heuermann were brought for the
murders of Jessica Taylor and ... Surprise, surprise ... an as yet
unconnected victim named Sandra Castilla whose death occurred in 1993.
Latest news: In December of 2024, charges were brought in the
death of Valerie Mack. This was the victim everyone expected to be named
along with Jessica Taylor. Their dismembered torsos were discovered
years ago in Manorville New York, Mack in 2000 and Taylor in 2003 and
their "missing parts" later discovered on Gilgo Beach. That brings the
victim count officially charged to Rex Heuermann to seven, six of whom
were tied to Gilgo Beach.
Shannan Gilbert is not believed to be one of his victims,
although the search for her led to the discovery of the additional
remains. Six of the victims were discarded on Gilgo Beach. Four sets of
remains have not been officially ascribed to Heuermann: Peaches, whose
dismembered torso revealed a unique tattoo on one breast of a peach
dripping either tears or blood, has not been identified although many
(including your author) have unsuccessfully attempted to follow posted
DNA family members and name her; second is Peaches' baby girl whose body
was found wrapped in a baby blanket with gold jewelry similar to pieces
left with her mother's remains; third the Asian male who appears to
have identified as female, and fourth Karen Vergara known for years as
Fire Island Jane Doe.
New evidence presented in the latest court documents indicate
police have been able to determine there were similarities between the
cutting instruments used to dismember Mack and Taylor, as well as the
garbage bags containing their remains, the bail application says.
No court date for trial hasn't as yet been scheduled although it is expected Heuermann will appear for interim hearings.
2. Five Brick Walls: Research will continue in the effort to locate
documentary or genetic proof to identify the individuals who provide the
genetic link needed. If found, a column will cover the find. (Fingers
crossed!)
3. Deeper research into newly discovered DNA matches of yours truly. Or,
for my grandson and granddaughter-in-love whose DNA test results I
manage.
4. Any groundbreaking discoveries related to DNA processes, methods, procedures, cures, etc.
5. Whatever may float my boat ...
This column is dear to me because Armchair Genealogy is my
passion. Please explore your own. It is unbelievable how CONNECTED you
may become to those ancestors who contributed to making you YOU!
Click on the author's byline for bio and list of other works published by Pencil Stubs Online.
This issue appears in the ezine at www.pencilstubs.com and also in the
blog www.pencilstubs.net with the capability of adding comments at the
latter.
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