Episode 142: Shannan Gilbert's Disappearance and the Long Island Serial Killer

In May 2010, 24-year-old escort Shannan Gilbert vanished after a frantic episode in Oak Beach, Long Island, captured on a bizarre 911 call where she claimed people were trying to kill her. Her disappearance prompted searches that uncovered the remains of multiple women along Ocean Parkway, including the "Gilgo Four" (Melissa Barthelemy, Maureen Brainard-Barnes, Megan Waterman, Amber Lynn Costello) and others, revealing a suspected serial killer targeting Craigslist escorts. Shannan's skeletal remains were found in 2011; authorities ruled her death accidental (likely drowning/exposure), but her family and an independent autopsy argue for homicidal strangulation. The case exposed police bias against sex-worker victims, corruption under Suffolk County Police Chief James Burke (later imprisoned), and slow progress. In 2023, architect Rex Heuermann was arrested and charged with seven murders (Gilgo Four plus Jessica Taylor, Valerie Mack, Sandra Costilla), based on DNA, burner phones, hair evidence, and planning documents. He awaits trial in 2026. Shannan's death remains uncharged to him, with ongoing debate over whether she fits the pattern. Her mother, Mari Gilbert, became a fierce advocate before her tragic 2016 murder by her daughter. The Netflix film Lost Girls highlights the families' struggles and societal biases in the case. This month's Branch of Hope sponsored charity is: The Parents of Murdered Children. POMC provides ongoing emotional support, education, prevention, advocacy, and awareness for survivors of homicide victims, while working toward a world free of murder. It is the only national self-help organization specifically focused on the aftermath of murder. It emphasizes helping survivors reconstruct a "new life" after acute grief and dealing with the criminal justice system. To find more information go to pomc.org Sources:

New York police ID woman and child whose remains were discovered near Gilgo Beach. (2025, April 23). ABC7 Los Angeles. https://abc7.com/post/gilgo-beach-murders-nassau-county-police-reveal-id-victim-peaches-toddler-tanya-tatiana/16230830/?userab=abcn_du_cat_topic_feature_holdout-474*variant_a_control-1938,abcn_news_for_you_exp-528*variant_c_bptt-2205

Ostby, I. (2024, July 9). Is “Lost Girls” Based on a True Story. Netflix Tudum. https://www.netflix.com/tudum/articles/lost-girls-release-date-news-true-story

Gallagher, E. (2025, April 8). How Gone Girls compares to Lost Girls & what the documentary adds about the Long Island serial killer. ScreenRant. https://screenrant.com/gone-girl-the-long-island-serial-killer-documentary-lost-girls-movie-comparison-reveals/

Tucker, E. (2024, September 16). A timeline of the Gilgo Beach serial killings case and the investigation that led to a suspect. CNN. https://www.cnn.com/2024/01/15/us/gilgo-beach-murder-case-timeline

Fequiere, R. (2025, April 23). The Long Island Serial Killer victims: Names, ages, photos, news. Netflix Tudum. https://www.netflix.com/tudum/articles/gone-girls-the-long-island-serial-killer-victims

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This episode of The Dark Oak was created, researched, written, recorded, hosted, edited, published, and marketed by Cynthia and Stefanie of Just Us Gals Productions with artwork by Justyse Himes and Music by Ryan Creep