But James Burke soon had other problems, beginning one night in December 2012 when a petty thief named Christopher Loeb picked the wrong SUV to rob. In the podcast, Christopher claimed that the bag contained sex toys, pornography, and what seemed to be snuff films that could link James to the LISK. John Ray: The man who patronized sex workers is in charge of the investigation of murdered sex workers? Maureen was the first of the Gilgo Four to disappear that summer night in 2007. Using new genetic genealogy tools, investigators were finally able to identify one of the victims found on Ocean Parkway. I couldn't process it because my whole life, I thought that she just got, like, stolen, and she never came back. John Oliva: The rumor mills were running wild. Erin Moriarty: Wouldn't something like that end most cop's careers? He reiterated thatto Oxygen.com this week, noting that there is no evidence that he is aware of to suggest that he had anything to do with the victims of the Long Island Serial Killer case. Sherre Gilbert: Oak Beach is a very eerie place to me. Change), You are commenting using your Facebook account. The Lifetime versionalso shows how a Suffolk County carpenter namedJohn Bittrolff might have been connected to the case. He says in an off-camera interview (with 48 Hours, I think) that he passed a lie detector test with flying colors. 48 Hours says the SCPD wouldnt comment on that. I could hear the commotion from the trains," says Cann. It wasn't enough. And I don't want to wait for that phone call. Or was it worse? When the old man told him, I called the cops, he replied, you shouldnt have done that. This could have two possible meanings: In one, Paks concern is for the freedom of the killer; in the other, his concern *is for her* as he could have recently been made aware, one way or another, that it was indeed a member(s) of SCPD who was threatening her life. Amber Costello, 27, disappeared in September 2010, after she left her home on Long Island to meet a client. Gus Garcia-Roberts: He was extremely powerful for a police chief. "I never got to really say those words.". , whose family life and 2010 death are depicted in Lifetimes new movie, Long Island Serial Killer: A Mother's Hunt for Justice., The film follows the Shannan'smother, Mari Gilbert (portrayed by Kim Delaney), as she fights to securejustice for her daughter, battling local police officials who she feels aren'ttaking the case seriously enough because Shannan and the other victims were sex workers. I think Hackett used Gilbert to fill an rx that night, (maybe Hackett had something going with selling pills) thats why I think he called her mother, to explain why he wrote it. The young prosecutor at the time was Thomas Spota, now the Suffolk County District Attorney. On June 6, 2010, Megan was seen exiting a Holiday Inn Express in Hauppauge at 1:30 a.m. Elizabeth Meserve: There's footage of her walking down a little side path I guess that's along the back or the side of the hotel. But a source told Newsday that he has not decided on any plans but to take several months to relax with boating in the summertime and stay out of the limelight. Even though James reputation has taken a hit, especially with Vice calling him a sex-obsessed narcissist and a middle-aged bachelor with a vulgar disregard for social niceties, the facts remain that there is no concrete evidence that ties him to the serial killings. The bodies of both women were dumped in wooded areas in the same area on Long Island's south shore: Tangredi in East Patchogue and McNamee in nearbyNorth Shirley, the Associated Press reported in 2017. Mr. Burke, 56, who pleaded guilty to civil rights and conspiracy charges, was sentenced to 46 months in prison in 2016. Gus Garcia-Roberts: they had their own little fiefdom there. Gus Garcia-Roberts: It happened to be James Burke's police truck. So why didn't they bring her home?". So, we actually had the FBI unit involved in that case in June of 2010. Gus Garcia-Roberts: his first priority clearly wasn't this serial killing on his turf. And then in other situations sort of intimidating and sort of brutish. I never met her. Pak is rumored to have been a pimp in Jersey City around that time also, so its not clear exactly what their deal was. Tangredi, 31, was found beaten and strangled to death in 1993, and McNamee, 20, was found murdered in the same manner the following year. He testified that his demotion was retaliation. JOHN RAY [at burial]: We come to perpetuate Shannan Are you surprised that she is chosen for this higher purpose of justice? " from the time that she called me, it was poof. It was while searching for Shannan that they made that stunning discovery of the Gilgo Four, and in the spring of 2011, six more sets of remains: Victim No. John Ray: The murderer will be outed. Maureen Brainard-Barnes, 25, was the first of the Gilgo Four to disappear. Prosecutors say Spota and McPartland tried to cover up the beating of Christopher Loeb by then-Police Chief James Burke. "They're all 4' 11, very petite hazel green eyes," says Varrone. Sharing her story for the first time on television. Tangredi, 31, was found beaten and strangled to death in 1993, and McNamee, 20, was found murdered in the same manner the following year. The family said in a video at the time of her disappearance she would never have willingly left her daughter. Burke has already served federal prison time for the assault. And, if he were, do you think hed be very vocal about it, knowing what he just stumbled into? I just want answers. The bodies of both women were dumped in wooded areas in the same area on Long Island's south shore: Tangredi in East Patchogue and McNamee in nearby He decided to retrace the path authorities believe Shannan travelled. ". She skipped a grade. He called seven times, threatening her younger sister, and torturing her with details of Melissa's murder. John Oliva: He left his gun behind and she recovered his weapon. Thats what John Ray, attorney for Shannan Gilberts family, is suggesting. Burke has been remanded into federal detention, until his next hearing on Friday. Topics you care about, straight to your inbox. Other investigations, including the serial killer case, languished. No wonder it's been the subject of numerous films and documentary projects. She was just so beautiful. 6: Another set of remains police called Jane Doe number 6. In 2015, before James Burke was sentenced to severe 46 months along with three years of supervised release, he resigned from his post. His top priority was staying out of prison. Could it be true? And then to Sherre's shock, investigators said they didn't think Shannan was murdered. Spota was convicted on multiple charges in 2019 and is awaiting sentencing.). You can watch the full press conference here (and I do recommend watching the entire thing): Id like to make it known that James Burkes attorney, Joseph Conway, was quick to dismiss the claims as made at the press conference completely outrageous. Additionally, John Ray claimed he hasnt taken any of this to the FBI or authorities yet, though he plans to. And in 2018, Hart became the Suffolk County Police Commissioner. Erin Moriarty: Smart then. Tangredi and McNamee have not been included in the. Spota was eventually convicted of obstruction of justice, witness tampering, and conspiracy in the Chris Loeb case. Bittrolff was sentenced to two consecutive 25-years-to-life sentences in 2017 for the killings of Tangredi and McNamee and he is currently incarcerated at Downstate Correctional Facility in New York. James Burke, the Suffolk County Police Departments former top uniformed officer, was indicted in December 2015 and charged by federal prosecutors with orchestrating an elaborate scheme to conceal his own crime. Melissa moved from her home in Buffalo to New York City to work as a hairdresser. Lily Waterman: All things I do, like, remember of her are bad times when Akeem was hitting her, was hitting me, was just being, like, rude. She was gone," Cann tells "48 Hours" correspondent Erin Moriarty. also hackett is a proven liar. They even found pain pills in Burkes cell. Burke has a long history with law enforcement, beginning when he was a 14 year old witness in a brutal murder case, involving a 13-year old boy who had stones shoved down his throat in 1979. And the surprises kept coming. JOHN RAY [in the marsh]: To say that she drowned, as was theorized, is on its face an absurdity. That was last time I talked to her. Chief Varrone says he doesn't think Hackett is a murderer. Loeb watched the proceedings inside the Central Islip courtroom and took notes. Convicted of: Deprivation of civil rights; conspiracy to commit obstruction of justice. Is former Suffolk Police Chief James Burke connected toLISK? Many of the Gilgo Beach victims, whose bodies were discovered in December2010 wrapped in burlap and discarded on a stretch of Ocean Parkway, had also been strangled. Geraldine Hart: It's an item that we feel was handled by the suspect, did not belong to any of the victims, and was found at one of the crime scenes along Ocean Parkway. James Burke, 60, of Massapequa, passed away peacefully on January 20th, 2022 with his loving family by his side. In early 2012, James Burke became Suffolk County Police Chief. They were all sex workers in 5: Jessica Taylor, an escort missing since 2003, Victim No. I dont believe Charles Peter Hackett called Shannon Gilberts mother to let her know why he ordered drugs for Shannon. March 9, 2020: Suffolk sues Spota, McPartland and Burke for back pay and benefits, July 17, 2019: Discord over law firm to recoup funds from Burke, April 10, 2019: Records: Burke finishing prison sentence Thursday, March 21, 2019: Unsealed court letter reveals details of investigation into Spota, March 11, 2019: Bellone signs bill to recoup Burke pay; targets Spota, March 8, 2019: Court rejects bid by James Burke to vacate 2016 corruption conviction, March 5, 2019: Suffolk lawmakers vote to sue to recoup Burke salary, Feb. 13, 2019: Vote delayed on bill to recoup Burke salary, Feb. 7, 2019: Panel passes bill to take back Burke salary and benefits, Dec. 13, 2018: Proposal to sue Burke for $1.5M settlement tabled, Nov. 26, 2018: Ex-police chief James Burke released from prison, sent to halfway house, March 3, 2018: Editorial: Break up the game among Long Island political insiders, Feb. 1, 2018: Suffolk agrees to settle Christopher Loebs lawsuit, officials say, Jan. 26, 2018: Spota, former aide make brief court appearance in cover-up case, Dec. 23, 2017: Arc of Thomas Spotas career marked by close relationship with police. Her family filed missing person's reports and drove from home in upstate New York to Oak Beach, desperate to find her. While police have officially linked 10 victims, whose remains were found primarily near beaches along Long Island's south shore in 2010 and 2011, to the investigation, an additional six bodies were found in the same area at around the same time. A week later, a quarter of a mile from her belongings, they finally found Shannan. Also check out my true crime books here, which are available in paperback, audiobook, and eBook formats. MISSY CANN [at candlelight vigil]: We remember Shannan for the loving daughter Remember her also as our girls' angel and remember Shannan for Shannan. It's just like something is always off. Burke, who was named Suffolk police chief 2023 Cinemaholic Inc. All rights reserved. Instead, based on her frantic 911 call, they theorized she might have been high on drugs and had run into the marsh, where she died of hypothermia or possible drowning. Maureen and three others were found first and dubbed the Gilgo Four. Gregory McLaughlin is producer-editor. The victim was John Pius, and Burke served as the teen witness against other suspects, who were charged with killing Pius, because he witnessed them stealing a mini-bike. Missy Cann: Because this person, whoever killed my sister, thought that they were taking away my sister's voice. Patti Aronofsky is the senior producer. RICHARD DORMER | Former Suffolk County Police Commissioner [to reporters in 2011]: We found the pocketbook belonging to Shannan Gilbert. "Some say the call was ), The Lifetime versionalso shows how a Suffolk County carpenter namedJohn Bittrolff might have been connected to the case. He also is reported to have refused help from the FBI to work the LISK case, an act that makes many suspicious of what he might have been hiding. Ray fought for and won access to the 911 calls made that night. Burke and Spota met in 1979, when the brutal murder of a boy found behind a school rocked the peaceful suburb of Smithtown, Long Island. Check out never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! My sister is gone. I mean, over and over and over again. Link your TV provider to stream full episodes and live TV. You were scared for your life. James Burke was the top investigator in Spotas office, at one point, before he was recommended for the Chief of Departments job with Suffolk Police. James Burke Now: Long Island Serial Killer Update | Where is Ex case is probably seperate, but she was killed in his back yard.. I miss her so much. Missy Cann: She had got a job at a telemarketing place and she was doing really well. Missy Cann: She didn't run away. Gilbert is was not just randomly placed there by a separate serial killer either but by the same group of guys. The Gilgo Four had another thing in common families who love them. Maybe he was afraid the FBI would uncover his private life was intertwined with the escort scene on Gilgo Beach. Burke pleaded guilty in February 2016 to conspiracy to commit obstruction of justice and violating the victims civil rights and was sentenced in November 2016 to 46 months in prison. Erin Moriarty: Why did she stay with him? In 2014, whenBittrolff was arrested for the two 1990s murders, then-Suffolk County District AttorneyTom Spota dismissed any potential links to the Gilgo Beach case, saying there was no"evidentiary or investigative link" between the two, according to PIX 11. But she faced obstacles as a single mom of two with no driver's license nor college degree. Ray vows he'll never stop fighting for Shannan. He is most and bam a serial killer was born. Varrone says her skeletal remains were found collapsed in thick brush. Former Suffolk police chief James Burke in 2015 was the subject of Senator Boyle's calls for answers on the Long Island Serial Killer case. Sara Karnes: It was just awesome. Burke had an unlikely rise up the ranks, in part because he had a powerful backer, Suffolk County District Attorney Thomas Spota. Suffolk Chief of Department James Burke, as a sergeant in the First Precinct 20 years ago, twice lost his police-issued service weapon at the same time that he That's what keeps Shannan's sister Sherre going, too. And he says he was not allowed to share what he knew about the serial killer with the new investigators. Elizabeth Meserve: She was afraid he would hurt her family; he would hurt Lilliana. Ive had a feeling it has to be someone in Law Enforcement because they really did a shitty job with the whole investigation and on purpose I assume. Part of you is like missing. Prior to Pak, Gilbert worked for an escort agency that was very successful, (it gets caught at the W in Hoboken in 2009). He was born in The wrongful death claim has been dismissed. View Tribute Book. Tangredi and McNamee have not been included in the 10 official deaths linked to the so-called Long Island Serial Killer, nor are they among the six additional women, including Shannan Gilbert, subsequently found in the same area. Maureen's emails revealed another secret: she was a sex worker. Honestly, I dont even know where to start. OAK BEACH, N.Y. (CBSNewYork) -- There's a new push for answers in one of Long Island's most notorious criminal cases: the Gilgo Beach murders. How could the person not be caught? But Hart insists Shannan's case is still open. Shaheen Tokhi is the associate producer. So how would Maureen meet anybody on that Sunday? By May 2011, police had discovered sixmoresets of remains in the area, bringing the total to 10 sets of remains -- including the Gilgo Four. Chromebooks are excellent alternatives to traditional laptops and have built-in security software. I don't know. I COMPLETELY AGREE!! Convicted of: Deprivation of civil rights; conspiracy to commit obstruction of justice. And Loeb didn't know that. Dominick Varrone: We knew his background and we knew at that time that they had crossed state lines coming from Maine to Long Island. Varrone concluded Cruz didn't know who Megan's client was that night and had nothing to do with her disappearance. Please enter valid email address to continue. Erin Moriarty: And save her son? A new regime led by James Burke took over the department. There are remains of the victims at Gilgo that may be attributed to the handiwork of Mr. Bittrolff and that investigation is continuing, he said, asPIX 11 reported., A spokesperson for the Suffolk County Police Department told Oxygen.com that they wouldn't discuss whetherBittrolff is, or ever was, asuspect in those murders.Biancavilla did not immediately return Oxygen.coms request for comment this week.. But my main focus was to find my sister. However, in 2017, Robert Biancavilla, then an assistant district attorney in Suffolk County,suggested a possible link. Reprints & permissions | Shannan was visiting a client in the gated community of Oak Beach, Long Island, eight miles from Gilgo Beach when she vanished on May 1, 2010. If she trusted Michael Pak soo much, why did she refuse to get into his car the night she disappeared?? He reiterated thatto. Many have long suspected that when the DAs office refused help from the FBI on the LISK case, Burke was the reason behind that. She was a talented young woman from a troubled family dreaming of a singing and acting career. Her sister Missy believed Maureen had gone to Manhattan for a modeling shoot, and when she was on her way home, made that call from Penn Station. Discarded in a similar fashion, they were placed roughly 500 feet apart, each wrapped in burlap. Hackett was prescribing drugs for the whole community. Gus Garcia-Roberts: He starts slapping Chris Loeb choking him grabbing him by his ears, yelling at him, threatening him that he is going to give him a hot shot, which is a laced heroin injection which would be fatal. Quite odd. Follow me on Twitter and on Facebook. Maureen's friend, Sara Karnes, can't believe they haven't found her killer in all these years. Missy Cann: Maureen would come and use my laptop and she would go and look for the help wanted ads. Missy Cann: It was kind of devastating to learn. He blocked the FBI getting into the investigation because he is involved and knows who actually did it. Disgraced Suffolk County Police Chief James Burke was released from prison in April, 2019. At the time this was written, he has not been charged for anything related to the Long Island Serial Killer case. Geraldine Hart: She has a name and she's a person. Brewer was drugging them. GERALDINE HART [to reporters]: Today we are announcing that Jane Doe #6 has been positively identified as Valerie Mack. Lynn Barthelemy: Every single minute of the day. For more than a decade now, the elusive murderer alternately dubbedthe "Long Island Serial Killer," the "Gilgo Beach Killer," and the "Craigslist Ripper" has remained at large. Why brewer seen with three of the victims. Homes for wayward/troubled girls? That is an antiquated expression used in the 1930s and 40s, apt to be used by elderly people. Megan was last seen on June 6, 2010, leaving a Holiday Inn Express in Hauppauge, N.Y. Melissa Barthelemy, 24, went missing in July 2009. She's always going to be gone. She had been working as an escort in New York City when she vanished in June 2007. She was looking for fast food jobs, grocery store jobs, telemarketer jobs. Still on the phone, she fled the client's home, and ran to a neighbor's door-- and then another's -- begging for help. We were untouchable. Elizabeth Meserve: And when she didn't call, then I know that was her last day. The Long Island serial killer mystery came to light in a characteristically strange way. Even the true scope of the killings isn't fully clear. Well, I'm not. Erin Moriarty: you've been flagged by Craigslist. Long Island Serial Killer DNA Link Discovered FBI On Game http://www.GilgoBeachCoverUp.com, Yes he is involved. In 2015, then-Suffolk County Police Chief James Burke was busted for the 2012 assault of a handcuffed suspect who swiped a bag of sex toys and porn from Oliva suspects Spota may have protected him. Burke was named the new Suffolk County police chief. in 2017. But when Lily grew older and more tech savvy, she typed her mom's name into the internet search bar. Dominick Varrone: She's running running down the street, pounding on doors, runs into this marsh. Lily Waterman: If I could talk to her, I would just want to tell her that, like, I love her I never got to really say those words and, like, know what love really was like understand how much I really care about her. John Ray: I do not think Suffolk County put any effort into investigating Peter Hackett to this day. Trump asks for mistrial in E. Jean Carroll rape lawsuit, U.S. to let Afghan evacuees renew temporary legal status, First Republic Bank seized by regulators, then sold to JPMorgan Chase, Texas man who lost wife and son in shooting shares story, Tornado hits Virginia Beach, damaging up to 100 homes, More Americans escape Sudan as country teeters on edge of civil war, Mental health of LGBTQ youth worsening in current "hostile political climate", Stray bullet strikes college baseball player during game, Texas police say, MasterChef Australia host Jock Zonfrillo found dead at 46, The Hunt for the Long Island Serial Killer, Members of the Suffolk County Police Department search an area of beach where police found human remains nearby, on April 5, 2011 in Babylon, New York. Sherre Gilbert: Yeah, she had a lot of potential. DOMINICK VARRONE [to reporters in 2011]: The items were found a distance apart . John Ray: he identified himself, told Mari that he was running a home for wayward girls and that Shannan wanted to enter the home . Back in Scarborough, the family heard from Cruz that Megan was missing. Maureen Brainard-Barnes was the first of the Gilgo Four to disappear. Gus Garcia-Roberts: Tom Spota was a young, sort of ambitious prosecutor whose specialty was getting that witness who said exactly what the case needed in order to clinch it.