Long Island Serial Killer Docu-Series: Netflix Explores Gilgo Beach Murders
Long Island Serial Killer Docuseries Highlights Decades-Long Investigation, Systemic Failures
Netflix's new three-part docuseries, *Gone Girls: The Long Island Serial Killer*, examines the over-decade-long investigation into the Gilgo Beach murders and the eventual arrest of Rex Heuermann. The series focuses on the challenges faced by families of the victims, particularly the Gilbert family, and alleges systemic failures within law enforcement that hampered the investigation.
The documentary centers on the disappearance of Shannan Gilbert in 2010, which triggered the discovery of the remains of eleven individuals along Ocean Parkway near Gilgo Beach. While investigators concluded Shannan's death was due to accidental drowning, her mother, Mari Gilbert, relentlessly pursued the investigation, believing her daughter's death was connected to the others. This belief persisted until Mari's own tragic murder in 2016 at the hands of her daughter, Sarra, who was later convicted and sentenced to 25 years in prison.
The series highlights the alleged dismissal of the victims, many of whom were sex workers, by law enforcement and the media. This alleged dismissal, according to the documentary, significantly hindered the investigation. Long Island Press reporter Jaclyn Gallucci states in the series that the prevailing attitude was that "if you’re not a sex worker, you don’t have anything to worry about."
The docuseries features interviews with friends and family members of the victims who claim they provided information about a man matching Heuermann's description, including his vehicle, a first-generation Chevrolet Avalanche, years before his arrest. Dave Schaller and Bear Brodsky, former roommates of victim Amber Lynn Costello, recount an incident where they encountered Heuermann, who they later identified as the same man shown on television following his arrest.
The series also delves into controversies surrounding former Suffolk County District Attorney Thomas Spota and former Police Chief James Burke, who oversaw the initial investigation. Both men are mentioned as having faced separate legal issues unrelated to the Gilgo Beach murders, and neither participated in the documentary. The current Suffolk County District Attorney, Ray Tierney, is interviewed and attributes the rapid identification of Heuermann to the work of a new investigative team assigned after he took office in 2022. This team used DNA evidence, including a hair recovered from a victim and Heuermann's discarded pizza crust, to link him to the crimes.
Heuermann, a New York City architect, was arrested in July 2023 and charged with the murders of seven women: Amber Lynn Costello, Megan Waterman, Melissa Barthelemy, Maureen Brainard-Barnes, Jessica Taylor, Sandra Costilla, and Valerie Mack. He has pleaded not guilty and requested separate trials, a request prosecutors have opposed. A trial date has yet to be set. *Gone Girls: The Long Island Serial Killer* is currently streaming on Netflix.
Netflix's new three-part docuseries, *Gone Girls: The Long Island Serial Killer*, examines the over-decade-long investigation into the Gilgo Beach murders and the eventual arrest of Rex Heuermann. The series focuses on the challenges faced by families of the victims, particularly the Gilbert family, and alleges systemic failures within law enforcement that hampered the investigation.
The documentary centers on the disappearance of Shannan Gilbert in 2010, which triggered the discovery of the remains of eleven individuals along Ocean Parkway near Gilgo Beach. While investigators concluded Shannan's death was due to accidental drowning, her mother, Mari Gilbert, relentlessly pursued the investigation, believing her daughter's death was connected to the others. This belief persisted until Mari's own tragic murder in 2016 at the hands of her daughter, Sarra, who was later convicted and sentenced to 25 years in prison.
The series highlights the alleged dismissal of the victims, many of whom were sex workers, by law enforcement and the media. This alleged dismissal, according to the documentary, significantly hindered the investigation. Long Island Press reporter Jaclyn Gallucci states in the series that the prevailing attitude was that "if you’re not a sex worker, you don’t have anything to worry about."
The docuseries features interviews with friends and family members of the victims who claim they provided information about a man matching Heuermann's description, including his vehicle, a first-generation Chevrolet Avalanche, years before his arrest. Dave Schaller and Bear Brodsky, former roommates of victim Amber Lynn Costello, recount an incident where they encountered Heuermann, who they later identified as the same man shown on television following his arrest.
The series also delves into controversies surrounding former Suffolk County District Attorney Thomas Spota and former Police Chief James Burke, who oversaw the initial investigation. Both men are mentioned as having faced separate legal issues unrelated to the Gilgo Beach murders, and neither participated in the documentary. The current Suffolk County District Attorney, Ray Tierney, is interviewed and attributes the rapid identification of Heuermann to the work of a new investigative team assigned after he took office in 2022. This team used DNA evidence, including a hair recovered from a victim and Heuermann's discarded pizza crust, to link him to the crimes.
Heuermann, a New York City architect, was arrested in July 2023 and charged with the murders of seven women: Amber Lynn Costello, Megan Waterman, Melissa Barthelemy, Maureen Brainard-Barnes, Jessica Taylor, Sandra Costilla, and Valerie Mack. He has pleaded not guilty and requested separate trials, a request prosecutors have opposed. A trial date has yet to be set. *Gone Girls: The Long Island Serial Killer* is currently streaming on Netflix.
