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>> IT'S JUST SUCH AN EVIL,

DIRTY PLACE.

IT'S ISOLATED.

IT'S DESOLATE.

IT'S A RICH COMMUNITY.

YOU'VE GOT DOCTORS AND COPS

AND VERY, VERY WEALTHY PEOPLE

WHO LIVE THERE.

NO ONE IS EVER GONNA THINK THAT

THAT'S A BAD, DANGEROUS AREA,

BUT IT IS.

>> female narrator: ON THE

SOUTH SHORE OF LONG ISLAND,

A MAJOR POLICE INVESTIGATION

IS UNDER WAY.

TEN BODIES HAVE BEEN FOUND

SO FAR ON A SINGLE STRETCH

OF COAST.

>> THE CHIEF OF DETECTIVES CALLS

AND SAYS, "THEY'VE FOUND

ANOTHER BODY."

AND THEN SOMETIME LATER,

HE CALLS AND SAYS, "WE'VE FOUND

ANOTHER BODY."

AND THEN ANOTHER ONE.

>> narrator: THE CRIMES MAY BE

THE WORK OF MORE THAN ONE

SERIAL KILLER.

>> THEY'RE GONNA FIND MORE

BODIES, BECAUSE A SERIAL KILLER

DOESN'T STOP KILLING.

HE KEEPS KILLING TILL

HE GETS CAUGHT.

>> narrator: THE FIRST FOUR

VICTIMS WERE YOUNG WOMEN,

FOUND JUST MILES FROM WHERE

A FIFTH VANISHED AFTER

A TERRIFIED CALL TO 911.

>> WHEN ME AND MY MOM GOT

THAT PHONE CALL THAT MEGAN

WAS MISSING, I KNEW THAT

IF THEY FOUND HER, IT WASN'T

GONNA BE A HAPPY OUTCOME.

MOTHER'S INSTINCT.

>> narrator: AS THEIR FAMILIES

SEARCH FOR ANSWERS,

WHO WERE THESE WOMEN?

WHY WERE FOUR OF THEM HIDDEN

SIDE BY SIDE ON A LONG ISLAND

BEACH?

AND WHO IS THE KILLER,

STILL OUT THERE?

>> RIGHT NOW, ALL RIGHT,

FOR ANYONE TO COME OUT AND SAY

THAT IT'S A SPECIFIC PERSON,

A SPECIFIC OCCUPATION,

OR A SPECIFIC TYPE, I THINK,

IS UNFAIR, AND I THINK IT'S

MERE SUSPICION.

IT'S MERE SPECULATION.

ALL RIGHT, RIGHT NOW,

IT COULD BE ANYBODY.

>> narrator: ON THE NIGHT OF

MAY 1, 2010,

A WOMAN WHO WORKED AS AN ESCORT

IN THE ONLINE SEX TRADE LEFT

MANHATTAN FOR A ROUTINE JOB

ON LONG ISLAND.

HER NAME WAS SHANNAN GILBERT.

>> ON THAT NIGHT, THE CLIENT

CONTACTED HER ON CRAIGSLIST.

SHE CALLED HIM,

MADE ARRANGEMENTS TO

MEET HIM AT HIS HOUSE.

SHE HAD HER DRIVER,

MICHAEL PAK, DRIVE HER THERE.

>> HE SAID HE WAS IN LONG

ISLAND, SO WE WERE LIKE,

"OH, NO, TOO FAR."

BUT THEN HE OFFERED TWO HOURS

FOR $450.

AND SO SINCE THERE WERE NOT

ANY OTHER APPOINTMENTS,

SHE SAID, "OKAY, LET'S GO."

>> narrator: MICHAEL PAK

WAS SHANNAN'S BUSINESS PARTNER.

THEY SPLIT THE PROFITS

OF THE BOOKINGS SHE GOT ONLINE.

>> IT TOOK, LIKE, A WHILE

TO GET THERE.

IT GOT DARKER AND DARKER.

I WAS LIKE, "OH, MY GOD,

YOU KNOW, WOW.

WHERE ARE WE GOING?"

>> narrator: THEY WERE HEADING

THAT NIGHT TO A CLIENT NAMED

JOSEPH BREWER, WHO LIVED IN

A GATED COMMUNITY CALLED

OAK BEACH.

>> HE DROVE OUT IN AN S.U.V.,

AND THEN HE OPENED THE GATE,

AND THEN HE SAID FOLLOW HIM.

IT WAS VERY DARK, SO I COULD

ONLY SEE HIS LIGHTS.

AND THEN HE GOT OUT OF HIS CAR,

AND SHANNAN GOT OUT, AND THEY

WENT IN, UP TO HIS HOUSE.

>> WHILE SHE WAS AT THE CLIENT'S

HOUSE, SOMETHING WENT WRONG.

>>00 A.M.,

HE CAME OUT.

I WAS SHOCKED, YOU KNOW?

WHY IS HE COMING OUT, RIGHT?

'CAUSE I WAS, LIKE,

SLEEPING IN THE CAR.

AND THEN HE WAS, LIKE,

YOU KNOW, "GET HER OUT OF HERE."

I FOLLOWED HIM UP INTO

HIS HOUSE.

SHANNAN WAS STANDING THERE

RIGHT IN FRONT OF THE KITCHEN.

I WAS LIKE, "SHANNAN, LET'S GO."

WHEN I SAID, "LET'S GO,"

HE GRABBED HER FROM BEHIND,

AND I THINK HE WAS TRYING

TO PUSH HER OUT, BUT, YOU KNOW,

INSTEAD OF JUST PUSHING HER OUT,

HE KIND OF GRABBED HER.

SO SHE FREAKED OUT.

AND SHE SAID, UM...

OH, WHAT DID SHE SAY?

UM...

"YOU GUYS ARE TRYING

TO KILL ME."

>> THAT'S WHEN THE 911 CALL

STARTED.

SCREAMING, "HELP ME,

HELP ME, HELP ME."

>> I WAS IN, SHAVING,

00 IN THE MORNING.

AND SOMEBODY KNOCKED ON THE DOOR

AND WAS SCREAMING, "HELP ME,

HELP ME."

I ASKED HER WHAT THE PROBLEM

WAS, AND SHE WOULDN'T

ANSWER ME.

SHE JUST KEPT STARING AT ME,

YELLING, "HELP ME, HELP ME."

>> narrator:00 A.M.,

GUS COLETTI ALSO CALLED 911.

WHEN HE TOLD SHANNAN THE POLICE

WERE ON THEIR WAY, SHE RAN.

>> PEOPLE SAW A BLACK TRUCK

TAUNTING HER AS SHE'S RUNNING

DOWN THE STREET, SCREAMING

FOR HELP.

>> AT THAT POINT, SHE BOLTED OUT

AND RAN DOWN THE ROAD THAT WAY.

HE TOOK OFF AFTER HER.

THAT WAS THE LAST I SAW OF HER.

>> BETWEEN JOSEPH BREWER'S HOUSE

AND THE FRONT GATE,

MY DAUGHTER DISAPPEARED.

>> narrator: SHANNAN GILBERT'S

911 CALL LASTED 23 MINUTES.

BY THE TIME POLICE ARRIVED

20 MINUTES LATER, THERE WAS

NO TRACE OF HER.

MICHAEL PAK WAS QUESTIONED ABOUT

HER DISAPPEARANCE, AND SO WAS

JOSEPH BREWER.

NEITHER MAN WAS ARRESTED

OR NAMED AS A SUSPECT.

>> HER BOYFRIEND, ALEX, CALLED

ME AND TOLD ME THAT HE HADN'T

SEEN SHANNAN IN TWO DAYS.

HE WANTED TO KNOW IF I HAD HEARD

ANYTHING OR IF SHE WAS OVER HERE

WITH US, AND I TOLD HIM NO.

>> HER PHONE WAS OFF,

SO I FIGURED MAYBE

HER PHONE DIED.

LATER ON, THE NEXT DAY,

HER PHONE WAS STILL OFF,

AND THAT'S WHEN I GOT WORRIED,

AND THAT'S WHEN I MADE

PHONE CALLS, YOU KNOW?

I CALLED PAK.

I CALLED HER SISTER.

AND, YOU KNOW, 'CAUSE I DIDN'T

KNOW WHAT WAS GOING ON.

>> YOU KNOW, I HAD A VERY UNEASY

FEELING IN MY STOMACH BECAUSE

THEY ALWAYS, YOU KNOW, GOT INTO

FIGHTS, BUT IT WAS NEVER, LIKE,

TO THE POINT WHERE HE WAS GONNA

CALL ME UP AND SAY, "HEY,

HAVE YOU HEARD FROM

YOUR SISTER?"

SO IT WAS...

IT WAS REALLY FRIGHTENING.

SHE WOULD LOOK IN THE MIRROR,

AND SHE WOULD CRY.

SHE WOULD SING ALL THE TIME.

MY NICKNAME FOR HER WAS DIVA,

'CAUSE SHE ALWAYS TRIED TO ACT

LIKE A DIVA, YOU KNOW?

LIKE, SHE ALWAYS HAD

THE SUNGLASSES ON

AND THE MAKEUP AND THE HAIR

AND THE CLOTHES AND THE PURSES

AND THE SHOES.

IT WAS FUN TO WATCH, BUT

SOMETIMES SHE WAS OVER THE TOP,

YOU KNOW?

>> SHE WANTED TO WRITE.

SHE WANTED TO BE A SINGER.

AND RECENTLY, SHE HAD ENROLLED

IN COLLEGE.

>> narrator: ALONG WITH HER

COLLEGE STUDIES, SHANNAN DID

HER ONLINE ESCORT WORK.

SHE'D STARTED AT 21

WHEN SHE MOVED TO JERSEY CITY.

>> THE ESCORT SERVICE SHOWED

HER THE GLAMOROUS SIDE,

ALL THE MONEY AND ALL THE THINGS

THAT SHE COULD GET.

IT WAS QUICK.

IT WAS FAST.

IT WAS, YOU KNOW, A SHORTCUT.

>> narrator: SHANNAN MET HER

BOYFRIEND AT THE AGENCY.

HE WAS ONE OF THE DRIVERS THERE.

>> I MET HER DOING THIS,

SO IT WAS KIND OF HARD FOR ME

TO TELL HER TO STOP.

IT WAS, LIKE, A GOOD CONNECTION

WE HAD, YOU KNOW?

I WAS NEVER HER PIMP.

I WAS ALWAYS--I WAS--

WE STARTED OFF AS FRIENDS.

AND, UM...

AND THEN IT LED TO THAT,

YOU KNOW?

TO BOYFRIEND AND GIRLFRIEND.

SHE DID THIS ON HER OWN.

SHE WANTED TO DO THIS, YOU KNOW?

I NEVER FORCED HER TO DO

NOTHING.

>> narrator: SHANNAN VANISHED

FROM THE SOUTH SHORE

OF LONG ISLAND ON THE 1ST

OF MAY, 2010.

AS THE SUMMER SEASON BEGAN,

THERE WAS STILL NO SIGN OF HER.

>> WE TRIED TO FILE A MISSING

PERSONS REPORT AFTER SHANNAN

WAS MISSING FOR TWO DAYS.

WE CONTACTED THE LONG ISLAND

POLICE DEPARTMENT, AND THEY

BASICALLY DISMISSED US.

THEY TOLD US THAT WE WOULD HAVE

TO FILE IT WITH NEW JERSEY

BECAUSE THAT'S WHERE SHE

WAS LIVING.

AND IT DIDN'T EVEN MAKE SENSE

TO ME.

>> WE WERE CALLING THE POLICE,

"WHEN ARE YOU GONNA LOOK?

WHEN ARE YOU GONNA SEARCH?

WHEN ARE YOU GONNA TRY TO FIND

SHANNAN?

DO SOMETHING."

>> narrator: IMMEDIATELY AFTER

SHANNAN'S DISAPPEARANCE,

THE POLICE SEARCHED THE HOUSE

OF THE CLIENT, JOSEPH BREWER,

AND, OVER THE SUMMER,

CHECKED SOME LAND NEARBY.

AT THE END OF THE SUMMER,

THEY CAME BACK TO QUESTION

THE KEY EYEWITNESS ON THE NIGHT

SHE WENT MISSING.

>> WE DIDN'T HEAR ANOTHER WORD

ABOUT IT UNTIL AUGUST,

AND THEN IN AUGUST,

A PLAINCLOTHES DETECTIVE

IN THE MISSING PERSONS BUREAU

CAME TO MY DOOR, AND HE WANTED

TO KNOW WHAT SHE WAS WEARING,

WHAT I REMEMBER ABOUT HER.

SO I TOLD HIM EVERYTHING I KNEW,

AND I ASKED HIM, "WHY DID IT

TAKE FOUR MONTHS FOR YOU TO GET

AROUND TO LOOKING FOR HER?"

>> narrator: THAT WINTER OF

2010, THERE WAS STILL NO TRACE

OF SHANNAN.

THEN, ON DECEMBER THE 11TH,

A POLICEMAN FROM SUFFOLK COUNTY

K-9 UNIT SET OUT WITH HIS DOG

ON A ROUTINE TRAINING EXERCISE

ALONG THE ISOLATED OCEAN PARKWAY

NEAR OAK BEACH.

>> WHILE SEARCHING THE AREA

WITH A K-9 DOG, A CADAVER DOG,

AN OFFICER CAME ON THE REMAINS

OF A FEMALE.

>> ALL OF A SUDDEN, THERE WAS,

LIKE, THREE HELICOPTERS GOING

BACK AND FORTH RIGHT OVER

THE ROOFTOPS, VERY LOW

AND MAKING A RACKET.

I MEAN, THEY WERE SHAKING

THE BUILDING.

I SAID, "OH, BOY.

THEY MUST HAVE FOUND SOMETHING."

>> WE HAD DETECTIVES COME

TO THE HOUSE.

THEY TOLD ME THAT THEY WERE

ALMOST 100% SURE IT WAS

MY SISTER.

AND I JUST REMEMBER THINKING,

"OH, MY GOD, SHE'S DEAD.

I CAN'T BELIEVE IT."

>> narrator: TWO DAYS LATER,

POLICE BEGAN A FORENSIC SEARCH

OF THE AREA.

NO ONE WAS PREPARED FOR

WHAT THEY FOUND.

>> DOWN NOW.

EVERYONE'S GONNA HAVE TO GO.

YOU'RE GONNA NEED TO GO

OUT PAST THE ROBERT MOSES

CAUSEWAY BRIDGE.

THE ENTIRE ROADWAY IS GONNA

SHUT DOWN.

>> I WAS IN POLICE HEADQUARTERS,

IN MY OFFICE, WHEN I GOT A CALL

THAT THEY HAD FOUND ANOTHER

BODY.

AND IT WAS UNBELIEVABLE.

AND THEN SOMETIME LATER,

THE CHIEF OF DETECTIVES

CALLED ME AND SAYS,

"WE FOUND ANOTHER BODY."

AND THEN ANOTHER ONE.

AND I CAN TELL YOU THAT

THAT WAS REALLY A SHOCK.

>> narrator: THE POLICE FOUND

FOUR BODIES IN ALL

HIDDEN JUST OFF THE OCEAN

PARKWAY.

THEY WERE LYING ABOUT

500 FEET APART,

WRAPPED IN BURLAP SACKS.

>> THE BODIES WERE PLACED

ON TOP OF THE GROUND,

BUT THEY WERE JUST DUMPED

OVER THE BRUSH AREA,

WHICH IS ON THE SIDE

OF THE HIGHWAY.

>> THE POLICE DO HAVE

A TERRIFYING MYSTERY

ON THEIR HANDS.

WE KNOW AT LEAST TWO OF THE

BODIES MAY BE THAT OF ESCORTS,

BUT NONE OF THE BODIES

HAVE BEEN OFFICIALLY IDENTIFIED.

>> narrator: EVERYONE ASSUMED

WHEN THE FIRST BODY WAS FOUND

THAT IT WAS SHANNAN GILBERT.

NOW THERE WERE FOUR,

IT SEEMED CERTAIN

SHE'D BE ONE OF THEM.

>> OH, WOW.

THAT DAY, WHEN I HEARD

THE BODIES WERE FOUND,

LIKE, MY--I PRETTY MUCH, LIKE--

MY CHEST, I FELT--

I JUST FELT--

OH, MAN, I JUST CAN'T EVEN--

I THOUGHT THAT--

I THOUGHT THEY FOUND HER.

>> narrator: SHANNAN HAD ONE

KEY FEATURE THAT MADE HER

EASY TO IDENTIFY.

HER BOYFRIEND, ALEX, HAD ONCE

HIT HER SO HARD, SHE HAD

A METAL PLATE IN HER CHIN.

>> ONE DAY, SHE CAME,

YOU KNOW, A LITTLE AGGRESSIVELY,

YOU KNOW?

SHE GOT PISSED OFF.

SHE WAS CURSING ME OUT,

KIND OF HIT ME.

AND I KIND OF, LIKE,

WENT OUT OF LINE, AND I HIT HER.

AND I DIDN'T THINK I HIT HER

THAT HARD, BUT I HIT HER,

AND I ACTUALLY, YOU KNOW,

FRACTURED HER JAW.

I FELT SO BAD THAT AFTER THAT,

I NEVER HIT HER AGAIN, EVER,

EVER AGAIN, NEVER HIT HER.

>> narrator: IT WAS THAT PLATE

FORENSIC INVESTIGATORS

WERE SEARCHING FOR.

THREE DAYS AFTER

THE DISCOVERIES,

THE POLICE CALLED THE FAMILY

WITH NEWS.

>> SHE WAS RULED OUT.

I CAN'T EVEN DESCRIBE THE

EMOTION THAT WE WERE FEELING.

IT WAS LIKE A ROLLER COASTER.

IT WAS JUST CRAZY,

CRAZY SITUATION.

I'M GLAD THAT NONE OF THE BODIES

WERE HERS, BUT AT THE SAME TIME,

IT JUST...

THE QUESTION REMAINS, YOU KNOW?

WHERE IS SHE?

>> narrator: THREE MILES FROM

THE GATED COMMUNITY WHERE

SHANNAN VANISHED, THE FORENSIC

INVESTIGATION CONTINUED,

AND NEW DETAILS WERE BEGINNING

FIRST, HOW THE VICTIMS DIED.

>> THE CAUSE OF THEIR DEATH

WAS ASPHYXIATION.

WE SURMISED THAT THEY WERE

KILLED SOON AFTER THEY

DISAPPEARED,

MAYBE NOT IMMEDIATELY

BUT SOON THEREAFTER.

>> narrator: THIS WAS

THE BEGINNING OF A CRIME

THAT IS STILL UNSOLVED TODAY.

THE MAN WHO HAD TO CATCH

THIS KILLER WAS THE POLICE

COMMISSIONER OF SUFFOLK COUNTY.

>> I'VE SEEN A LOT OF VIOLENCE,

MURDERS; YOU NAME IT.

BUT THIS WAS THE LARGEST CASE

THAT I'VE EVER HANDLED.

THEY WERE ALL SEX WORKERS.

THEY WERE ALL DUMPED

IN THE SAME PLACE.

CAUSE AND MANNER OF DEATH

WAS THE SAME.

I DON'T THINK IT'S A COINCIDENCE

THAT FOUR BODIES ENDED UP

IN THIS AREA.

YOU HAVE THESE COMMON

DENOMINATORS WHICH ARE POINTING

TO ONE PERSON.

WE'RE LOOKING AT THAT.

WE'RE LOOKING AT THAT,

THAT WE COULD HAVE

A SERIAL KILLER.

>> LONG ISLAND IS QUICK TO

THE CITY BUT YET FAR ENOUGH OUT

WHERE PEOPLE CAN HAVE BEAUTIFUL

SUMMER HOMES, WALK ON THE SAND,

BUT IT'S ALSO VERY COLD

AND ISOLATED.

>> narrator: IN DECEMBER 2010,

THE QUIET SUBURBAN STREETS

OF LONG ISLAND WERE AT

THE CENTER OF A MAJOR

UNFOLDING CRIME.

THE POLICE ANNOUNCED THAT

A SERIAL KILLER WAS AT WORK

ON THE ISLAND.

>> SUFFOLK COUNTY IS A VERY

SAFE, PEACEFUL COMMUNITY.

BUT TO THINK THAT YOU HAVE

A SERIAL KILLER LIVING

AND WORKING AND PLAYING

IN YOUR COMMUNITY

IS DISTURBING TO PEOPLE.

>> POLICE ARE BLOCKING OFF

OCEAN PARKWAY FOR YET ANOTHER

DAY TO FIND NEW LEADS IN

THE SHANNAN GILBERT CASE

AND ANY INFORMATION ON

THE SERIAL KILLER...

>> WE DIDN'T WANT TO CAUSE

AN UPROAR...

>> YET ANOTHER DISTURBING

DISCOVERY.

>> BUT IT WAS NECESSARY

TO GET THAT INFORMATION OUT.

>> THIS HAS BECOME A VERY,

VERY LARGE CRIME SCENE.

>> AND IT RAISED THE PROFILE

OF THE CASE.

THAT'S OBVIOUS.

>> narrator: THE POLICE

DISCOVERED THE KILLER'S

FOUR VICTIMS IN UNDERGROWTH

ON THE ISLAND'S SOUTH SHORE.

THEY WERE LYING THREE MILES FROM

A GATED COMMUNITY CALLED

OAK BEACH.

A FIFTH WOMAN, SHANNAN GILBERT,

HAD DISAPPEARED THERE

SEVEN MONTHS EARLIER.

BUT SHANNAN WAS NOT ONE

OF THE BODIES.

THE QUESTION NOW WAS,

WHO WERE THEY?

>> WHEN ME AND MY MOM GOT

THAT PHONE CALL THAT MEGAN

WAS MISSING, I KNEW THAT

IF THEY FOUND HER, IT WASN'T

GONNA BE A HAPPY OUTCOME.

MOTHER'S INSTINCT.

>> narrator: A MONTH AFTER

SHANNAN GILBERT WENT MISSING

FROM OAK BEACH, LORRAINE ELA'S

DAUGHTER DISAPPEARED FROM

A LONG ISLAND HOTEL 20 MILES

TO THE NORTH.

LORRAINE HAD BEEN SEARCHING FOR

HER FOR SIX MONTHS.

>> MEGAN WAS SEEN LEAVING

30 IN

THE MORNING BY HERSELF,

AND SHE VANISHED.

YOU COULD MEET MEGAN THE FIRST

TIME, AND YOU'D FALL RIGHT IN

LOVE WITH HER.

SHE DIDN'T TAKE CRAP

FROM NOBODY.

SHE WAS IN AND OUT OF JAIL

ON LITTLE PETTY THINGS.

SHE DRANK.

AND I THINK SHE GOT THAT ONE

FROM ME.

BUT WHEN SHE HAD HER DAUGHTER,

SHE HAD ACTUALLY STARTED

STRAIGHTENING HER LIFE OUT.

SHE DID EVERYTHING FOR

HER DAUGHTER.

HER DAUGHTER WAS HER LIFE.

HER FIRST CHRISTMAS,

MY DAUGHTER SPENT ALMOST

$1,000 ON HER FOR CHRISTMAS.

WHAT DOES A 3 1/2 MONTH OLD KID

KNOW ABOUT CHRISTMAS?

NOTHING.

HER BIRTHDAYS, MEGAN WOULDN'T

MIND DUMPING 500, 600, 700 BUCKS

A WHACK.

SHE WANTED HER DAUGHTER TO HAVE

THE BEST OF EVERYTHING.

SHE WANTED TO SAVE UP ENOUGH

MONEY SO SHE COULD GET

AN APARTMENT AND MOVE OUT

AND BE ABLE TO PAY HER OWN RENT

FOR A WHILE.

I THINK MEGAN WAS INTO

THE ESCORT MAYBE A MONTH OR TWO

WHEN I FOUND OUT.

AND THE PERSON THAT TOLD ME,

I DIDN'T BELIEVE HIM.

SO I LOGGED INTO CRAIGSLIST

MYSELF.

LET ME TELL YOU, IT'S NOT

AN EASY THING TO GO THROUGH.

I THINK I WENT THROUGH

HUNDREDS OF ADS BEFORE

I FOUND MEGAN.

>> narrator: MEGAN POSTED HER

ESCORT AD ON THE WEBSITE

CRAIGSLIST, BECAUSE ALONGSIDE

ITS LISTINGS FOR CARS

AND GOLF CLUBS AND APARTMENTS,

THERE WAS ANOTHER SERVICE

AVAILABLE.

>> HOW CRAIGSLIST WORKS IS,

WE WOULD GO AND GET A VISA CARD.

OKAY, WE WOULD PUT $25 ON IT.

YOU'D GET ONLINE.

YOU GO TO POST THE AD.

SO I WOULD HAVE, "ITALIA,

NEW GIRL IN YOUR AREA."

THEN THE DESCRIPTION STATING

MY HEIGHT AND MY WEIGHT,

YOU KNOW, MY SERVICES

THAT I PROVIDE.

AND THEN YOU POST--

I POSTED TWO PICTURES.

ACTUALLY, CAN YOU GIVE ME

A SECOND?

IF I CAN GET ON HERE...

UM, WERE THESE PICTURES

RIGHT HERE.

THE GUY CALLS YOU,

"CAN YOU TELL ME WHAT

YOUR SERVICES ARE?"

I DANCE TOPLESS.

I GO COMPLETELY NUDE,

AND I OFFER A MASSAGE.

AND, YOU KNOW, IT RUNS ABOUT

$175 FOR AN HOUR, OR $125 FOR

THE HALF HOUR, CASH ONLY.

AND IT USUALLY TAKES ME ABOUT

45 MINUTES, IF YOU'RE IN

THE LOCAL AREA, TO GET TO WHERE

YOU'RE AT.

>> IN THE OLD DAYS, PROSTITUTES

WERE IN THE OPEN, AND THEY

WERE WAVING DOWN CARS

AND ENCOUNTERING MEN.

IF A PROSTITUTE WAS VICTIMIZED

VIOLENTLY BY A JOHN,

TYPICALLY, THERE WOULD BE

WITNESSES WHO COULD TELL US

A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT TYPE

OF AUTOMOBILE SHE GOT INTO.

NOW WITH THE INTERNET,

IT'S ALL GONE INDOORS.

IT'S ALL GONE REALLY

UNDERGROUND.

>> WE TRIED TALKING TO MEGAN

ABOUT IT, TELLING HER THAT,

"IT'S NOT SAFE.

YOU'RE PUTTING YOUR LIFE

IN JEOPARDY WHEN YOU DO THIS.

WHY--WHY ARE YOU DOING IT?

YOU NEED TO STOP."

>> narrator: MEGAN'S MOTHER WAS

CONVINCED THAT WHATEVER HAPPENED

TO HER DAUGHTER ON LONG ISLAND

HAD STARTED A YEAR EARLIER

WHEN SHE WAS APPROACHED

IN PORTLAND, MAINE, BY A MAN

FROM NEW YORK.

>> SHE MET AKEEM AT A CLUB

IN PORTLAND.

I THINK HE STALKED HER

FOR A WHILE BEFORE HE ACTUALLY

APPROACHED HER,

TO SEE HOW SHE WAS.

AND I GUESS THEY STARTED

TALKING, AND EVENTUALLY,

HE TOLD HER THAT HE KNOWS HOW

SHE CAN MAKE SOME QUICK,

FAST MONEY.

SO MY DAUGHTER TOOK HIM UP

ON IT.

>> narrator: THE NIGHT MEGAN

DISAPPEARED ON LONG ISLAND,

SHE'D BEEN AN ESCORT FOR JUST

FIVE MONTHS.

AKEEM, THE MAN WHO MAY

OR MAY NOT HAVE BEEN HER PIMP,

WAS WITH HER.

HE WAS THE ONE THAT REPORTED

HER MISSING.

>> AKEEM CONTACTED MY MOM.

HE'S LIKE, "I WENT OUT

LAST NIGHT.

MEGAN CALLED ME AND TOLD ME

THAT SHE WAS GOING DOWN

TO THE STORE, AND THAT WHEN SHE

GOT BACK, SHE'D CALL ME,

AND SHE NEVER DID."

HE WENT TO THE HOTEL

AND KNOCKED ON THE DOOR.

MEGAN DIDN'T ANSWER.

SO THEY OPENED UP THE DOOR,

AND MEGAN WASN'T THERE.

I KNEW THAT SHE WAS DOING

MORE THAN DANCING, BUT I GAVE

HER THE BENEFIT OF THE DOUBT.

SHE HAD ALSO TOLD ME THAT AKEEM

WAS IN THE BATHROOM WITH HER.

THEY HAD THIS SIGN THAT

IF SHE MADE SOME KIND OF NOISE,

HE'D COME OUT AND PROTECT HER.

BUT I FOUND OUT LATER ON

THAT HE ALWAYS LEFT THE ROOM.

>> narrator:30 A.M.,

MEGAN LEFT HER BAG

AND POSSESSIONS IN THE ROOM

AND WALKED ALONE INTO

THE PARKING LOT.

>> IF SHE HAD ONLY STAYED

IN THE HOTEL ROOM, SHE WOULD

BE HERE TODAY.

>> WE WANT TO BRING TO JUSTICE

THIS ANIMAL THAT HAS OBVIOUSLY

TAKEN THE LIVES OF A NUMBER

OF PEOPLE.

WE ENCOURAGE ANYONE THAT HAS

ANY INFORMATION TO CALL

OUR HOTLINE.

>> narrator: THE FIRST INSIGHTS

INTO THE MIND OF THE SERIAL

KILLER WERE NOW EMERGING

FROM THE INVESTIGATION

ON LONG ISLAND.

HE'D HIDDEN HIS FOUR VICTIMS

IN A PLACE WHICH SUGGESTED

HE KNEW THE AREA.

IT WAS PERFECTLY CHOSEN

TO MAKE A FORENSIC SEARCH

ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE.

>> PEOPLE DON'T WALK THAT AREA.

THEY DON'T WALK THEIR DOGS.

THEY DON'T WALK ACROSS THAT AREA

TO GO TO THE BEACH.

AND SO THE BODIES COULD LIE

THERE WITHOUT BEING DISCOVERED.

WE NEEDED TO GET SOME RESOURCES

HIGH-RISE BUCKETS THAT

CAN LOOK DOWN ON THE TERRAIN.

WE GOT CADAVER DOGS.

WE GOT RECRUITS FROM OUR

POLICE TRAINING BUREAU.

AND SO WE COMMENCED

A COMPREHENSIVE SEARCH

FROM ONE END OF THE BEACH AREA

TO THE OTHER.

>> narrator: AS THAT SEARCH

GOT UNDER WAY, ANOTHER FAMILY

CONTACTED THE POLICE.

SHANNAN GILBERT, IT TURNED OUT,

WASN'T THE ONLY WOMAN MISSING

ON LONG ISLAND.

SHE'D DISAPPEARED SEVEN MONTHS

EARLIER, IN MAY 2010.

A MONTH LATER, MEGAN WATERMAN

VANISHED FROM A NEARBY HOTEL.

NOW IT EMERGED A THIRD WOMAN

HAD BEEN MISSING SINCE

SEPTEMBER.

HER NAME WAS AMBER COSTELLO.

>> SOMEONE CALLS ME.

AND THEY WERE LIKE,

"HAVE YOU HEARD FROM AMBER?"

AND I SAID, "NO, WHY?"

THEY'RE LIKE, "BECAUSE FOUR

BODIES HAVE BEEN FOUND

ON GILGO BEACH, AND THEY

BELIEVE, YOU KNOW, THAT THE

GIRLS WORKED ON CRAIGSLIST."

RIGHT THEN, I KNEW THAT ONE

OF THOSE GIRLS WERE GONNA BE

MY SISTER.

>> narrator: AT THE TIME OF

HER DISAPPEARANCE, AMBER WAS

LIVING IN A SMALL TOWN JUST

SEVEN MILES NORTH OF THE BEACH

WHERE THE BODIES WERE

DISCOVERED.

>> WE HAD ONE RULE IN OUR

NOBODY FIGHTS ALONE.

AND THAT'S JUST THE WAY IT IS.

SO THAT'S HOW IT WAS

WITH ME AND HER.

SHE WAS BUILT LIKE

A BRICK HOUSE.

SHE WAS SHORT,

BUT SHE WAS VERY CURVY.

SHE WAS A BEAUTIFUL GIRL.

SHE REALLY WAS.

SHE WAS A BEAUTIFUL GIRL.

AND...

SHE--SHE HAD A SMILE AND A LAUGH

THAT WOULD JUST LIGHT UP A ROOM.

IT REALLY WOULD.

I KNOW EVERYBODY SAYS THAT,

BUT IT REALLY--IT WOULD MAKE

YOU LAUGH.

SHE HAD THIS RETARDED LAUGH

THAT WHEN SHE STARTED LAUGHING,

YOU WOULD JUST LAUGH AT HER,

BECAUSE IT WAS THE MOST

HIDEOUS-SOUNDING THING

YOU EVER HEARD, YOU KNOW?

BUT IT MADE OTHER PEOPLE LAUGH,

AND IT WAS GREAT.

HOW IT BEGAN WAS, SHE HAD A

LITTLE JOB AT THE WAFFLE HOUSE,

YOU KNOW, BUSTING HER TAIL

FOR NOTHING,

AND SHE JUST WANTED MORE,

FAST.

AND I HAD A FRIEND IN COLLEGE

WHO OWNED AN ESCORT AGENCY.

YOU KNOW, SHE WANTED ME TO

ANSWER PHONES FOR HER.

YOU KNOW, HERE I AM,

HEARING THESE GIRLS TALK ABOUT

MAKING ALL THIS MONEY,

SOME OF THEM, $700,

$900 AN HOUR, AND THEY'RE NOT

HAVING SEX WITH THESE GUYS,

AND I'M LIKE, "THERE'S NO WAY."

SO TAMMY WAS LIKE, "WHY DON'T

YOU GO ON A CALL WITH SOMEONE?

IF YOU THINK YOU CAN DO IT,

WE'LL SET YOU UP."

AND I WENT, AND IT WAS

A BACHELOR PARTY FOR

A GROUP OF GOLFERS

AT THE BEAU RIVAGE,

AND I STARTED DOING IT,

AND I WAS GOOD AT IT.

I MADE A LOT OF MONEY AT IT.

>> narrator: KIM STARTED WORKING

AS A HIGH-END ESCORT FOR

A LICENSED AGENCY THAT TOOK

A PERCENTAGE BUT SCREENED

ITS CLIENTS AND HAD STRICT

SAFETY MEASURES.

>> I HAD A LITTLE TRAVEL

SUITCASE, LITTLE TINKER BELL

SUITCASE, AND IT HAD MY LITTLE

BLACK LIGHT THAT I WOULD

HOOK UP.

IT HAD MY CD PLAYER WITH

MY MUSIC CD.

IT WAS KIND OF LIKE A SHOW,

YOU KNOW?

I HAD A ROUTINE.

AMBER WOULD SEE ME TRAVELING.

SHE'D SEE ME MAKING

ALL THIS MONEY.

YOU KNOW, I HAD A BRAND-NEW CAR.

SHE WAS LIKE, "SCREW THIS."

YOU KNOW, SHE WAS LIKE,

"I'M COMING TO WORK WITH YOU."

AND I'M LIKE, "OKAY, COME ON."

YOU KNOW, JOIN THE TRAIN,

YOU KNOW?

THINKING THAT IT WOULD NEVER

TURN OUT THE WAY IT DID.

>> narrator: AMBER DECIDED

TO WORK OUT OF LONG ISLAND

AND IN MARCH 2010,

NINE MONTHS BEFORE THE BODIES

WERE FOUND, MOVED TO A TOWN

JUST NORTH OF OAK BEACH.

SHE ALSO DECIDED THAT

IN THIS QUIET NEIGHBORHOOD,

SHE'D WORK IN A DIFFERENT WAY

FROM HER SISTER,

CUTTING OUT AN ESCORT AGENCY

AND POSTING HER OWN ADS

ON CRAIGSLIST.

>> WE WERE COMING BACK FROM

THE MALL, YOU KNOW,

AND KIM SAID TO ME, "WELL,

WHAT WOULD YOU THINK IF WE WERE

DOING ESCORTS?"

I SAID, "LISTEN."

I SAID, YOU KNOW, "IT'S ON YOU."

I SAID, "BUT I'M NOT TAKING

ANY MONEY FROM YOU.

I'M NOT ANSWERING ANY PHONES.

I'M NOT ARRANGING ANY DATES."

I SAID--YOU KNOW, I SAID,

"I'M NOT GETTING CAUGHT UP

IN IT, AND, YOU KNOW, LIKE--

LIKE I'M A PIMP."

>> SHE'S LIKE, "WELL, I'M GONNA

POST ON CRAIGSLIST, YOU KNOW.

WOULD YOU MIND POSTING WITH ME?"

I WAS LIKE, "WE'LL TRY IT.

IF YOU'RE DOING IT,

I'M DOING IT."

SO HERE WE GO,

TAKING OUR PICTURES.

YOU KNOW, NOT EXPLICIT.

I WAS IN JEANS AND A TANK TOP,

GIRL-NEXT-DOOR TYPE.

HER, PRETTY MUCH THE SAME THING.

AND WE POSTED.

>> THEY HAD THEIR CREDIT CARD.

THEY WENT ONLINE.

AND HERE IT IS ON CRAIGSLIST,

THIS WHOLE SECTION

ABOUT ESCORTS.

AND, YOU KNOW, ALL IT IS

IS JUST ADS FOR--YOU KNOW,

FOR PROSTITUTION.

YOU KNOW, SO THEY PAY,

AND THEY PUT THIS AD UP.

AND I MEAN, THEY HIT "ENTER"

ON THE COMPUTER, AND THEN...

>> AND LO AND BEHOLD,

WITHIN 20 MINUTES,

IT RANG OFF THE HOOK.

I MEAN, I COULDN'T BELIEVE IT.

>> I WAS LIKE, "HOLY ."

I SAID, "I CAN'T EVEN BELIEVE

THAT IT'S THIS FAST."

>> I'M TELLING YOU, WE PROBABLY

MADE $3,000 THAT FIRST WEEK

APIECE.

>> FROM THAT MOMENT ON,

YOU KNOW, IT WAS ENGINES ON.

YOU KNOW, GROUND CONTROL

TO MAJOR TOM, YOU KNOW?

IT'S JUST...

YOU KNOW?

I MEAN, THE PHONE WOULD RING

- 00,- 00,- 00,- 00,

- 00,- 00,- 00,- 00,

ALL THE WAY AROUND THE CLOCK.

IT DIDN'T MATTER.

IT JUST--NONSTOP.

>> narrator: THERE WAS ONE

DOWNSIDE TO THE FAST MONEY OF

AMBER'

THE RISKS WERE HIGH.

IN AN ESCORT AGENCY,

THE CALLS WERE SCREENED

AND LOGGED.

IF YOU DIDN'T COME BACK FROM

A JOB, THE POLICE WOULD BE

CALLED IN MINUTES.

HERE, AMBER'S ONLY PROTECTION

WAS HER INSTINCTS.

>> YOU GOT GUYS ON THERE

THAT DON'T WANT TO PAY $75.

YOU KNOW WHAT I'M SAYING?

AND THEN YOU'VE GOT GIRLS THAT

WILL SEE GUYS FOR $75 ON THERE,

AND I MEAN, I THINK THAT'S

RIDICULOUS.

YOU KNOW WHAT I'M SAYING?

THEY'LL DO ANYTHING,

AND THEY'LL MEET UP ANYWHERE,

AND THERE'S NO RESTRICTIONS.

THERE'S NO RULES.

>> narrator: BY SEPTEMBER 2010,

ANOTHER FACTOR WAS INFLUENCING

AMBER'S JUDGMENT.

SHE AND HER ROOMMATE

WERE USING HEROIN.

>> AT THAT POINT, SHE WAS TAKING

CALLS THAT I WOULD NEVER

HAVE TOOK.

FOR AMBER, AT THE END,

IT WAS KEEPING THAT HIGH GOING.

YOU KNOW, SHE HAD TO MAKE

THAT MONEY.

I THOUGHT, "DAMN.

WHAT DID I DO?"

YOU KNOW, WHAT DID I DO?

I REALLY, YOU KNOW,

SCREWED HER UP,

BECAUSE UNFORTUNATELY,

IT'S NOT GONNA GO A GOOD PATH

FOR HER, YOU KNOW?

IT'S NOT ABOUT THE MONEY

ANYMORE.

IT'S ABOUT KEEPING THAT HIGH

GOING.

>> narrator: ON SEPTEMBER 2ND,

AMBER WENT ONLINE

AND POSTED AN AD ON CRAIGSLIST

UNDER HER USUAL ALIAS.

>> I HAD TALKED TO AMBER

THAT DAY.

WE TALKED EVERY DAY.

SHE SAID THAT THIS GUY

HAD CALLED.

SHE SET UP A CALL FOR

LATER THAT NIGHT.

IT WAS FOR A COUPLE HUNDRED

DOLLARS.

>> YOU KNOW, HE WAS A--

YOU KNOW, RIGHT AWAY, HE--

YOU KNOW, HE ASKED HER

ABOUT, YOU KNOW, LIKE...

YOU KNOW, "HOW MUCH IS IT

PER HOUR?"

YOU KNOW, AND,

"WELL, WHAT IF I WANTED

TO KEEP YOU FOR, YOU KNOW--

FOR THE NIGHT?"

>> HE CALLED HER THREE TIMES

THAT DAY.

>> YOU KNOW, SHE JUST--

THE GUY KEPT CALLING HER,

YOU KNOW?

AND I KEPT HEARING HER,

YOU KNOW, LIKE, HAMMING HIM UP.

>> SHE GAVE HIM DIRECTIONS

ON HOW TO GET TO THE HOUSE.

00,

HE CALLED, AND I GUESS THAT WAS

HIM TELLING HER THAT

HE'S DOWN THERE.

>> SHE WAS GETTING GUSSIED UP.

I'M LIKE, "HERE'S THE

CELL PHONE.

TAKE YOUR CELL PHONE."

SHE JUST SAID, "I'M NOT

GONNA TAKE IT."

EVERYTHING WAS JUST COMPLETELY

DIFFERENT THAN NORMAL.

NORMALLY, SHE WOULD TAKE THIS

AND THAT, YOU KNOW, HER BAG,

HER--THE CELL PHONE.

WELL, THIS TIME, SHE WASN'T.

I WALKED HER OUTSIDE, YOU KNOW,

AND SHE WALKED DOWN THE BLOCK.

SHE--YOU KNOW, AND, YOU KNOW,

THAT'S IT.

SO I WENT BACK INTO THE HOUSE.

>> GOD.

WHAT DID SHE GO THROUGH?

WHAT SHE MUST HAVE WENT THROUGH.

I KNOW SHE WAS PROBABLY

THINKING, "GOD, I WISH

KIM WAS HERE."

YOU KNOW?

>> narrator: LIKE MEGAN,

AMBER LEFT WITHOUT A BAG

OR HER PHONE.

IT SUGGESTED THE MAN THEY DROVE

OFF WITH, THE KILLER STILL AT

LARGE TODAY, DOES NOT APPEAR

OUT OF THE ORDINARY

OR ALARMING.

HE'S A MAN PEOPLE FEEL

COMFORTABLE WITH.

>> narrator: IN DECEMBER 2010,

TWO FAMILIES WERE WAITING

TO HEAR IF THEIR DAUGHTER

AND SISTER WERE AMONG

THE FOUR VICTIMS

OF THE LONG ISLAND

SERIAL KILLER.

>> FROM THE TIME THAT THEY CAME

AND DID MY DNA TILL THE DAY THAT

THE DETECTIVES WERE KNOCKING

ON MY DOOR, IT WAS

THE LONGEST MONTH OF MY LIFE.

>> EACH TIME, THE QUESTIONS

TATTOOS, DESCRIBE TO A TEE,

JEWELRY, SHOES, ANYTHING,

PHONE CALLS, FRIENDS,

PEOPLE THAT THEY COULD BE

IN CONTACT WITH.

>> narrator: THE CONDITION

THE BODIES WERE FOUND IN

MEANT THE ONLY WAY

TO IDENTIFY THE VICTIMS

WAS BY MATCHING DNA

EXTRACTED FROM THE BONES

TO THE DNA OF THE WOMEN

WAITING FOR NEWS.

>> MY SON CALLS ME UP,

TOLD ME THAT THE DETECTIVES

ARE ON THEIR WAY TO MY HOUSE.

AND I DON'T EVEN THINK

I WAS HOME FIVE MINUTES,

AND THEY WERE KNOCKING

ON MY DOOR.

BUT I HAVE TO...

I GOT TO GIVE THEM ALL CREDIT

FOR THE WAY THEY DID IT.

'CAUSE MEGAN'S DNA ACTUALLY

CAME BACK ON HER BIRTHDAY.

>> THERE WAS TWO DETECTIVES

THERE THAT TOLD ME THAT

MY SISTER HAD POSITIVELY

BEEN IDENTIFIED...

THROUGH DNA.

AND, UH...

YOU KNOW, I KNEW.

I HAD PREPARED MYSELF

THE WHOLE TIME.

I KNEW.

BUT OF COURSE, THE FIRST

EMOTION IS, LIKE,

YOU JUST DON'T WANT TO HEAR IT.

>> narrator: IN THE EARLY DAYS

OF THE MANHUNT ON LONG ISLAND,

THE LEADS CAME RAPIDLY.

BACK IN 2006, A SERIAL KILLER

HAD MURDERED FOUR SEX WORKERS

ON THE JERSEY SHORE,

AND THE STYLE OF THE KILLINGS

LOOKED SIMILAR.

>> THEY WERE STRANGLED.

AND THEY WERE DUMPED

IN A DRAINAGE DITCH.

SO THAT BECAME A FOCUS.

WE'RE IN TOUCH WITH

POLICE DEPARTMENTS

THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY,

BECAUSE WE'RE AWARE

THAT SERIAL KILLERS CROSS

STATE LINES.

>> narrator: ON LONG ISLAND,

POLICE WERE CHASING DOWN

OTHER LEADS, LOOKING

AT EVERY ASPECT

OF THE DEAD AND MISSING

WOMEN'S LIVES.

THEY SEIZED A LAPTOP

FROM THE MAN WITH MEGAN

ON THE NIGHT SHE DISAPPEARED.

HE WAS THE ONE WHO CALLED

HER FAMILY TO REPORT HER

MISSING FROM THE LONG ISLAND

HOTEL.

AMBER'S CLIENTS IN HER

CRAIGSLIST OPERATION

WERE ALSO BEING SCRUTINIZED.

AND DETECTIVES CAME TO TALK

TO THE MAN WHO WITNESSED IT

FROM THE INSIDE.

>> THE POLICE CAME A COUPLE

TIMES, YOU KNOW, AND QUESTIONED

ME BECAUSE IT WAS MY CELL PHONE

THAT SHE WAS USING.

I WENT OVER ALL THE CELL PHONE

RECORDS AND TEXT MESSAGES

WITH THEM IN DEPTH.

YOU KNOW, WHO WAS THE REGULARS?

IF THERE WAS ANYBODY WHOM

I THOUGHT WAS, YOU KNOW,

STRANGE.

>> narrator: THE SHOCK

OF AMBER'S DEATH HAD HELPED

HER ROOMMATE KICK HIS DRUG HABIT

AND START TO GET CLEAN.

>> YOU KNOW, THEY KEPT COMING,

ASKING ME QUESTIONS.

I WAS ONLY A COUPLE MONTHS SOBER

AT THAT POINT,

SO EVERYTHING WASN'T

100% BACK TOGETHER

IN MY HEAD YET.

>> narrator: SHANNAN GILBERT'S

DISAPPEARANCE SPARKED

THE SEARCH THAT UNCOVERED

THE BODIES.

SHE WAS STILL MISSING,

AND HER BOYFRIEND

IN JERSEY CITY WAS CONVINCED

THE POLICE HAD BEEN

MONITORING HIS PHONE.

>> ME BEING HER BOYFRIEND,

I LIVED WITH HER.

I WOULD SAY, FROM THE DAY

SHE WENT MISSING, I WOULD SAY

I WAS PROBABLY, YEAH,

PHONE TAPPED.

ANYBODY INVOLVED, IF THEY KNEW

HER VERY WELL, THEY WERE

PROBABLY PART OF THE--

PART OF THE WHOLE CIRCLE BEING

TAPPED AND STUFF LIKE THAT.

>> narrator: SOON AFTER

THE BODIES WERE DISCOVERED,

POLICE RETURNED TO OAK BEACH

TO RE-INTERVIEW JOSEPH BREWER,

ONE OF THE LAST PEOPLE

TO SEE SHANNAN ALIVE.

>> MR. BREWER VOLUNTARILY

CONSENTED TO BEING INTERVIEWED

BY US.

HE'S BEEN MOST COOPERATIVE,

AND WE APPRECIATE HIS HELP

IN THIS MATTER.

>> WHAT ABOUT THE SPOTLIGHT

THAT YOU'VE BEEN CAST IN

FOR THE MEDIA AND--

>> I'M NOT THE VICTIM.

I DON'T--YOU KNOW, I FEEL BAD

FOR THEM.

YOU KNOW, THEY'RE WITHOUT THEIR

CHILDREN ON CHRISTMAS, AND I

HOPE THE BEST FOR THEM.

>> WHAT ABOUT YOUR REPUTATION?

>> YOU KNOW, I'LL HAVE TO LIVE

WITH THAT.

>> narrator: BREWER WAS NOT

A SUSPECT.

DETECTIVES HAD ALSO QUESTIONED

MICHAEL PAK, SHANNAN'S DRIVER.

>> I TOOK A POLYGRAPH.

I PASSED WITH FLYING COLORS.

HE GRILLED ME.

HE WAS SAYING THINGS LIKE,

YOU KNOW, "OH, YOU KNOW,

I KNOW IT COULD HAVE BEEN

AN ACCIDENT, YOU KNOW?

IT'S OKAY, YOU KNOW,

IF SOMETHING HAPPENED.

AND THEN"--YOU KNOW, "AND THEN

SOMETHING HAPPENED BY ACCIDENT."

I WAS LIKE, "YEAH,

BUT IT DIDN'T HAPPEN.

YOU KNOW, THE LAST TIME

I SAW HER, SHE WAS ALIVE,

AND, YOU KNOW, SHE WAS RUNNING."

>> narrator: POLICE SAID PAK

WAS ALSO NOT A SUSPECT,

WHICH LEFT SHANNAN GILBERT'S

MOTHER ASKING,

IF IT ISN'T THEM, WHO IS IT?

SHE FELT SURE THAT OAK BEACH,

WHERE HER DAUGHTER VANISHED,

HELD THE ANSWER.

>> I'M VERY INTERESTED WITH

PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY.

THERE IS WHERE MY DAUGHTER

DISAPPEARED.

I'VE PAID FOR A COUPLE OF SITES

THAT YOU CAN ACQUIRE INFORMATION

ON PEOPLE.

I MEAN, IT'S AMAZING

WHAT 10 BUCKS WILL BUY YOU.

NOTHING IS SACRED,

NO ONE IS PRIVATE.

IT'S OUT THERE.

I TOOK ONE COMPUTER COURSE

IN COLLEGE, BUT IT REALLY JUST

TAUGHT YOU THE BASICS.

BUT IT'S LIKE, THE MORE YOU

FIND, THE MORE YOU KNOW

THAT'S OUT THERE TO FIND,

SO IT'S KIND OF LIKE

AN ADDICTION.

>> narrator: THE OTHER FAMILIES

WERE CHASING THEIR OWN LEADS,

INVESTIGATING ANYTHING

THAT MIGHT SHED LIGHT

ON THE NIGHT EACH WOMAN

MET HER KILLER.

>> I LOGGED BACK INTO

CRAIGSLIST.

WHEN SOMEBODY LOGS IN TO ANSWER

AN AD, THEY HAVE AN I.P.S.

ADDRESS THAT CRAIGSLIST

ACTUALLY KEEPS.

I STARTED PUNCHING IN

"GILGO BEACH," "OAK BEACH,"

JUST TO SEE WHAT KIND OF PEOPLE

WERE OUT THERE, BECAUSE I WANT

TO KNOW, WHO DID SHE GO TO MEET

30 IN THE MORNING

THE MORNING THAT

SHE DISAPPEARED?

SHE DISAPPEARED? ME AND MEGAN BOTH

ME AND MEGAN BOTH

ARE AFRAID OF THE DARK.

MEGAN WOULD NOT WALK ACROSS

A STREET BY HERSELF

IF IT WAS DARK OUT.

SO FOR HER NOT TO TAKE HER

CELL PHONE OR HER POCKETBOOK,

SHE HAD TO HAVE KNOWN THIS

PERSON THAT PICKED HER UP.

>> IMMEDIATELY AFTER, I WAS

SUPER DETECTIVE, YOU KNOW?

I WAS GOING BACK THROUGH

MY BOOKS, MY RECORDS,

MY PHONE LOGS.

ANYBODY THAT WOULD STAND OUT

TO ME THAT I THOUGHT THAT

MAYBE I DID SEE HIM.

MAYBE I SEEN HIM.

THEN IT GOT TO THE POINT WHERE

I'M JUST, LIKE, SO INTRIGUED.

I WANT TO KNOW, WHY DID HE

CHOOSE AMBER OVER SOMEONE ELSE?

AND HOW DID HE DO IT?

LIKE, YOU KNOW, WHAT DID HE

LURE HER WITH EXACTLY?

>> narrator: THAT KILLER HAS

TAKEN ONE VERY SURPRISING

AND PUBLIC RISK.

FROM THE HEART OF MANHATTAN,

HE MADE CONTACT WITH A VICTIM'S

FAMILY.

>> narrator: IN DECEMBER 2010,

AS THE HUNT FOR THE LONG ISLAND

KILLER CONTINUED,

ONE INCIDENT BECAME A FOCUS.

IT HAPPENED JUST AFTER

ONE OF HIS VICTIMS WENT

MISSING.

THREE WOMEN HAD DISAPPEARED IN

LONG ISLAND IN 2010.

THERE WAS STILL NO TRACE

OF SHANNAN GILBERT.

MEGAN WATERMAN WAS CONFIRMED

AMONG THE DEAD,

AND SO WAS AMBER COSTELLO.

THE THIRD VICTIM,

DISCOVERED BESIDE THEM,

WAS MELISSA BARTHELEMY.

SHE HAD VANISHED ONE YEAR

EARLIER, IN 2009,

AND SOMETHING ABOUT HER

MADE THE KILLER TAKE

AN EXTRAORDINARY RISK.

>> A FEW DAYS WENT BY,

AND THERE WERE NO PHONE CALLS

FROM HER, AND IT JUST WASN'T

LIKE HER.

HER BOYFRIEND CALLED ME

AND SAID, "I HAVEN'T HEARD

FROM MELISSA.

HAVE YOU HEARD FROM HER?"

AND I SAID, "NO, I'VE BEEN

TRYING TO CONTACT HER."

>> I ACTUALLY STARTED

CALLING HOSPITALS, JAILS.

I GOT AHOLD OF AN ATTORNEY

IN NEW YORK CITY, AND HE EVEN

DID A LITTLE INVESTIGATION,

AND NOBODY KNEW WHERE MELISSA

BARTHELEMY WAS.

IT WAS LIKE SHE VANISHED.

>> SHE WAS SO FEISTY,

AND SHE USED TO DO CRAZY THINGS

EVEN WHEN SHE WAS REAL SMALL.

SHE HAD A PET RABBIT.

IF WE HAD THE CAMERA OUT,

SHE WOULD CLIMB INSIDE THE CAGE

SO YOU COULD TAKE A PICTURE

OF HER IN THE CAGE.

SHE WAS QUITE SILLY.

AFTER MELISSA GRADUATED FROM

HIGH SCHOOL, SHE WENT TO

BEAUTY SCHOOL, AND, BOY,

EVERY DAY, YOU NEVER KNEW

WHAT COLOR HER HAIR

WAS GONNA BE.

SOME DAYS IT WAS PLATINUM

BLONDE.

THE NEXT DAY, IT WOULD BE

BRIGHT RED.

>> narrator: MELISSA HAD

A YOUNGER SISTER SHE WAS

VERY CLOSE TO.

FOR THIS INTERVIEW, AMANDA

ASKED US TO HIDE HER IDENTITY.

>> SHE WAS VERY PROTECTIVE

OF ME, SO ANYTHING I DID,

SHE'S LIKE, "NO,

YOU CAN'T GO THERE."

OR, "NO, YOU'RE NOT LEAVING

BY YOURSELF."

SHE'S JUST ALL OF A SUDDEN,

"OH, I'M GONNA MOVE TO

NEW YORK."

AND I'M LIKE,

"DON'T LEAVE ME HERE."

>> SHE WANTED TO GO TO NEW YORK

TO EARN ENOUGH MONEY, COME HOME,

OPEN A SALON, AND BUY HERSELF

A HOME.

>> I DIDN'T LIKE IT.

I JUST DON'T THINK SHE SHOULD GO

TO A BIG CITY LIKE THAT ALONE.

THEY'RE GONNA EAT HER UP THERE.

I JUST--I HAD A--

NOT A BAD FEELING, BUT I...

>> I WAS TERRIFIED.

MY LITTLE GIRL,

BUT SHE WAS A GROWN WOMAN

AT THAT POINT, AND I HAD

TO LET HER GO.

>> narrator: MELISSA SETTLED

IN THE BRONX, WHERE RENT

WAS CHEAP, AND GOT A JOB

AT A HAIRDRESSER.

HER SISTER, AMANDA, WOULD COME

DOWN TO VISIT HER, AND AT FIRST,

SHE SEEMED OUT OF DANGER.

>> WE WENT FOR PEDICURES,

AND SHE'D TAKE ME SCHOOL CLOTHES

SHOPPING AND GO TO THE MOVIES.

JUST SISTER BONDING STUFF.

>> narrator: THEN 12 MONTHS

AFTER SHE ARRIVED IN THE CITY,

THE NEWS COMING HOME BEGAN

TO CHANGE.

>> SHE STOPPED WORKING AT

THE HAIR SALON, AND SHE TOLD ME

THAT SHE WAS WORKING IN

A TOPLESS NIGHTCLUB.

SHE'S LIKE, "MOM, DON'T WORRY.

YOU KNOW, THIS IS A NEW ERA.

PEOPLE DO THIS ALL THE TIME TO

PUT THEIRSELF THROUGH SCHOOL.

IT'S GOOD MONEY."

SO...

AND AGAIN, WHAT WAS I TO DO?

>> THE LAST TIME SHE WAS HERE,

IT WAS AROUND CHRISTMAS,

AND SOMETHING WAS WRONG

WITH HER.

I DON'T KNOW WHAT IT WAS.

SHE KEPT CUDDLING WITH ME

AND TALKING TO ME.

AND I WAS TRYING TO GET OUT

OF HER, "MELISSA, WHAT'S

THE MATTER?"

AND SHE WAS LIKE, "NOTHING.

I'M JUST GETTING A LITTLE SICK

OF NEW YORK, BUT I HAVE TO MAKE

SOME MORE MONEY, AND MAYBE IN

ANOTHER YEAR OR TWO,

I'LL COME BACK."

>> narrator: THE SUMMER AFTER

THAT LAST VISIT HOME,

MELISSA DISAPPEARED

FROM THE BRONX.

ON JULY 9, 2009,

SHE LEFT HER APARTMENT

ON UNDERHILL AVENUE,

DEPOSITED $900 IN HER

BANK ACCOUNT, AND TOLD

HER BOYFRIEND SHE MIGHT

HEAD OUT TO LONG ISLAND.

THEN SHE VANISHED.

>> WE KNEW THAT MELISSA HAD BEEN

IN TELEPHONE CONTACT WITH HER

SISTER, AMANDA.

AND LITTLE BITS AND PIECES

BEGAN TO EMERGE THAT THE FAMILY

DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT AND DIDN'T

MAKE VERY MUCH SENSE.

THE POLICE SAID,

"TALK TO THE SISTER."

WELL, LYNN QUESTIONED AMANDA,

AND AMANDA BROKE DOWN CRYING,

AND SHE SAID, "MOM, MELISSA

CONFIDED IN ME SOME THINGS THAT

I'M NOT SUPPOSED TO TELL YOU."

AND AMANDA, ALL OF A SUDDEN,

PRESENTED A FACT PATTERN THAT

WAS POSITIVELY FRIGHTENING.

>> narrator: MELISSA TOLD

HER PARENTS SHE'D STARTED

WORKING IN A TOPLESS BAR.

SHE TOLD HER SISTER

A LITTLE MORE.

THE TRUTH WAS, LIKE MEGAN

IN PORTLAND, MAINE,

MELISSA WAS BEING RECRUITED.

>> I DIDN'T FULLY UNDERSTAND

THEN.

I THINK SHE WAS JUST STRUGGLING

ON MONEY, AND SHE WAS KIND OF

PUSHED TO DO IT.

>> SO SHE MET THIS REALLY GREAT

GUY, WHO TOLD HER THAT,

"IF YOU WANT TO MAKE SOME

ADDITIONAL MONEY, YOU CAN

ATTEND A PARTY."

>> SHE WASN'T, LIKE, CLEAR ABOUT

EVERYTHING SHE WOULD TELL ME.

SOMETIMES SHE'D SAY

SHE WAS STRUGGLING.

>> NOW SHE'S TOLD BY THE SAME

GUY, "LOOK, YOU CAN MAKE

MORE MONEY IF YOU BECOME

A LITTLE MORE ACTIVE AT

THESE PARTIES.

AND YOU DON'T HAVE TO DO

ANYTHING WITH ANYONE

YOU DON'T WANT TO DO."

>> I KIND OF OVERHEARD THINGS.

PEOPLE POSTING STUFF ON

CRAIGSLIST AND SEEING OTHER

PEOPLE'S POSTS; KIND OF PUT

THE PIECES TOGETHER.

>> MELISSA WAS ACTUALLY WORKING

WITH THIS GUY WHO WAS SETTING UP

DATES FOR HER AND WORKING OFF

CRAIGSLIST.

SHE TOLD US HE WAS HER

BOYFRIEND, BUT HE WAS HER PIMP.

HE ACTUALLY PUT HER

IN THE HOSPITAL THREE TIMES.

SHE HAD HEAD TRAUMA.

HE COLLAPSED HER LUNGS.

BUT WE KNEW NONE OF THIS,

AND SHE HID IT ALL FROM US.

>> narrator: HER FAMILY WAS

MORE FEARFUL THAN EVER

AND TURNED TO THE POLICE

TO REPORT MELISSA MISSING.

>> I CALLED THE 43RD PRECINCT,

AND I WAS TELLING HER,

"OUR DAUGHTER HASN'T ANSWERED

HER PHONE IN THREE DAYS,

AND WE SPEAK TO HER DAILY."

AND WE JUST KNEW THAT SOMETHING

WAS WRONG.

SHE HUNG UP ON ME.

>> WE COULDN'T EVEN GET PAST

THE DESK SERGEANT.

THE LADY THAT ANSWERED THE PHONE

THREE DAYS IN A ROW WOULDN'T

EVEN TAKE MY DAUGHTER'S NAME.

>> narrator: THE FAMILY ASKED

TO A LOCAL LAWYER IN BUFFALO

FOR HELP.

>> IT SEEMED SIMPLE ENOUGH,

SO I GOT ON THE PHONE TO COMPEL

THE NYPD TO TAKE A MISSING

PERSONS REPORT.

THEY TOLD ME THAT THEY DON'T

TAKE MISSING PERSONS REPORTS

FOR PROSTITUTES UNLESS THEY'VE

BEEN MISSING FOR TEN DAYS.

>> narrator: SEVEN DAYS AFTER

MELISSA'S DISAPPEARANCE,

WHEN THE POLICE WERE STILL

REFUSING TO TAKE A MISSING

PERSON REPORT, SOMETHING

HAPPENED TO SUGGEST MELISSA

WAS IN THE HANDS OF THE KILLER

AND POSSIBLY STILL ALIVE.

>> WE WERE HOPING SOMEDAY

SHE'D CALL US.

AND THEN HER LITTLE SISTER GOT

A PHONE CALL.

>> I WAS WITH MY COUSIN,

AND WE WERE AT HER HOUSE

JUST WATCHING TV, AND ALL OF

A SUDDEN, MY PHONE RINGS.

I LOOK AT IT, AND IT SAYS

"MELISSA," SO I WAS LIKE,

"THANK GOD."

>> AMANDA'S LIKE, "WOW,

OH, MY GOD, IT'S MELISSA."

AND SHE ANSWERS THE PHONE,

AND THERE'S A GUY ON THE OTHER

END, AND SHE'S LIKE,

"WHERE IS MY SISTER?

WHO IS THIS?"

>> HE WAS JUST VERY CALM.

HE WAS IN CONTROL.

THERE WAS NOTHING I COULD DO

ABOUT IT.

>> AMANDA SAID THAT HE SOUNDED

LIKE HE WAS WHITE, AND HE

SOUNDED LIKE HE WAS MIDDLE-AGED.

SHE WOULD ASK HIM A QUESTION.

HE WOULD ANSWER BACK.

>> HE KNEW WHAT HE WAS DOING.

HE DID IT THE WAY HE WANTED TO.

>> narrator: IT WASN'T UNTIL

THE THIRD CALL THAT POLICE

WERE TRACING THE SIGNAL.

IT WAS COMING FROM MANHATTAN.

HE WAS SPEAKING TO AMANDA

FROM ONE OF THE MOST CROWDED

PLACES IN THE COUNTRY,

WHERE THE STREETS WERE

OVERLOOKED BY HUNDREDS OF

SURVEILLANCE CAMERAS.

>> IT WAS VERY DIFFICULT

TO TRACK THE PHONE.

IF YOU'RE IN A CROWDED AREA

AND YOU'RE IN MANHATTAN,

EVERYBODY KNOWS THAT

THERE ARE CAMERAS EVERYWHERE.

EVERYBODY'S GOT A CELL PHONE

STUCK TO THEIR EAR.

SO WHICH CELL PHONE IS IT?

>> narrator: EACH CALL LASTED

LESS THAN THREE MINUTES,

AND EVEN WHEN THE POLICE

MANAGED TO PINPOINT HIS EXACT

LOCATION, THE SURVEILLANCE

FOOTAGE SHOWED ONLY HUNDREDS

OF PEOPLE, MANY WITH A PHONE

TO THEIR EAR.

>> HE WOULD TALK ABOUT

THE THINGS THAT HE'S DONE

TO MELISSA.

HE WAS DESCRIBING ACTS

MORE OF VIOLENCE THAN OF SEX.

>> EVERY TIME HE CALLED,

IT SORT OF GOT A LITTLE MORE

DETAILED, LIKE HE WAS PLAYING

A GAME WITH HER.

>> narrator: THE CALLS WENT ON

FOR A MONTH AND A HALF.

THERE WERE SEVEN IN ALL.

>> WE BELIEVE THAT THESE CALLS

WERE MADE BY THE KILLER.

IT SOUNDS LIKE HE WAS AWARE

OF WHAT HAPPENED TO THE VICTIM,

SO THIS YOUNG LADY HAS HAD

CONTACT OVER THE PHONE

WITH THE KILLER.

>> EVERY TIME MY PHONE WOULD

RING AND I'D SEE HER NAME,

MY HEART WOULD STOP,

AND I'D HAVE THAT SENSE

OF POSSIBLE RELIEF.

"MAYBE IT'S HER THIS TIME."

BUT IT WASN'T.

>> SHE WAS DEVASTATED.

EVERY CALL, SHE WAS, LIKE,

MORE PANICKY.

>> IT'S ALL ABOUT POWER,

ABOUT CONTROL.

THIS FITS IN WITH THE

SERIAL KILLER MENTALITY.

>> THE FINAL CALL WAS, UH,

HE ACTUALLY SAID WHAT

HE DID TO HER.

HE ACTUALLY TOLD AMANDA

THAT HE KILLED HER SISTER.

"YOU SHOULD HAVE SEEN HER FACE.

GONNA WATCH HER BODY ROT.

THEN MAYBE I'LL COME TELL YOU

PERSONALLY."

>> IN MY MIND, I FEEL THAT

HE HELD HER FOR AT LEAST

A MONTH.

YOU KNOW, I STILL DON'T SLEEP

AT NIGHT.

I NEVER, EVER, EVER TURN OFF

MY PHONE.

I PAID MELISSA'S CELL PHONE

FOR OVER A YEAR, JUST HOPING

THAT ONE MORE CALL WOULD

COME IN.

>> narrator: THE KILLER WHO

MADE THOSE CALLS IS STILL

OUT THERE.

WHO HE IS AND WHY HE'S KILLING

REMAINS A MYSTERY.

>> OKAY, I GUESS EVERYBODY

IS SET.

WE'RE ALL READY.

AND GOOD MORNING, EVERYBODY.

THIS IS OBVIOUSLY A MAJOR

INVESTIGATION.

AND WE IN THE SUFFOLK COUNTY

POLICE DEPARTMENT HAVE

ALLOCATED MAJOR RESOURCES

TO THE CASE.

NOW, I WANT TO ASSURE EVERYBODY

THAT WE'RE ON TOP OF THIS

INVESTIGATION.

>> narrator: IN THE FIRST MONTHS

OF 2011, SUFFOLK COUNTY POLICE

HAD FOUR BODIES AND NO SUSPECT.

THEN, AS NOW, THE PRESSURE

AND SPECULATION WAS MOUNTING.

WHO IS THIS KILLER?

CRIMINAL PROFILERS AGREE

HE KNOWS THE LOCAL AREA,

HAS A JOB, AND IS PROBABLY

MARRIED.

HE'S SELECTING VICTIMS WHO

LOOK LIKE THE GIRL NEXT DOOR.

>> IT'S A NEIGHBOR.

IT'S A FATHER, MAYBE.

YOU KNOW, IT'S...

WHO KNOWS?

IT COULD BE THE FRICKIN'

MAILMAN.

WHO KNOWS?

YOU DON'T KNOW.

>> narrator: THE PHONE CALLS

FROM MANHATTAN GIVE OTHER CLUES.

HE'S BRAZEN AND CUNNING

AND TAKES PLEASURE

IN TERRORIZING A TEENAGER

FROM A CROWDED STREET.

>> THAT BLOWS MY MIND.

TO TORMENT AND TORTURE

A 15-YEAR-OLD GIRL,

WHAT KIND OF MAN ARE YOU?

>> narrator: HE'S ALSO

METICULOUS ENOUGH TO LEAVE

POLICE WITH NEXT TO NOTHING.

>> THEY DON'T HAVE ANYTHING

TO WORK WITH.

THEY DON'T HAVE A MURDER SCENE.

THEY DON'T HAVE A WITNESS.

THEY DON'T HAVE DNA.

THEY DON'T HAVE A CRIME SCENE.

WHAT THEY HAVE IS A BAG OF BONES

AND HOPE.

>> narrator: A PROLIFIC KILLER

WHO MIGHT SEEM PERFECTLY

ORDINARY TO HIS NEIGHBORS

AND FAMILY IS SOMETHING SUBURBAN

LONG ISLAND HAS SEEN BEFORE.

>> WHEN POLICE NOTICED A PICKUP

TRUCK WITH NO LICENSE PLATES,

THEY GAVE CHASE.

WHEN THE TRUCK STOPPED,

THEY BECAME SUSPICIOUS

AND FOUND THE PARTIALLY

DECOMPOSED BODY OF A WOMAN

IN THE BACK OF JOEL RIFKIN'S

TRUCK.

>> narrator: IN THE MID-'90s

TWO LOCAL MEN,

APPARENTLY COINCIDENTALLY,

STARTED KILLING WOMEN.

A POSTAL WORKER NAMED

ROBERT SHULMAN KILLED

FIVE PROSTITUTES.

JOEL RIFKIN KILLED 17.

AT THE TIME, HE WAS A LANDSCAPE

GARDENER LIVING AT HOME

WITH HIS ELDERLY MOTHER.

>> BASICALLY, HIS OPERATION

CONSISTED OF PICKING UP

THE WOMEN, HAVING SEX WITH THEM,

KILLING THEM, AND DISPOSING

OF THEM.

>> narrator: FROM HIS PRISON

CELL, RIFKIN GAVE POLICE

HUNTING THE NEW KILLER

HE WILL BE A LOCAL

WHO WORKS WITH BURLAP,

PROBABLY A FISHERMAN,

A LANDSCAPER, OR A CONTRACTOR.

DAVE SCHALLER, AMBER'S ROOMMATE

IN BABYLON, HAD SEEN FOR HIMSELF

THE SCALE OF THE SECRET

ONLINE SEX TRADE IN THESE

QUIET SUBURBAN STREETS.

>> THIS IS THE NEIGHBORHOOD,

YOU KNOW?

THERE AIN'T NOTHING DIFFERENT

HERE THAN ANYWHERES ELSE,

YOU KNOW?

IT HIDES WELL, YOU KNOW?

THAT'S THE BEST WAY TO PUT IT,

YOU KNOW, TO HIDE IN PLAIN

SIGHT.

THIS IS WHERE IT HAPPENS,

YOU KNOW?

EVERYBODY THINKS IT'S IN

THE INNER CITIES AND STUFF

LIKE THAT, BUT IN REALITY,

YOU KNOW, THERE'S PROBABLY MORE

GOING ON--JUST AS MUCH GOING ON

IN SUBURBIA THAN THERE IS

ANYWHERES ELSE.

THE EXECUTIVES AND THE PEOPLE,

YOU KNOW, WHO RUN THESE

COMPANIES OR, YOU KNOW,

THE DOCKWORKER, THE GUY

WHO'S A CONSTRUCTION WORKER,

THAT'S THE CLIENTELE.

AND YOU KNOW WHAT?

THIS IS WHERE THEY LIVE.

THERE'S A LOT OF NO-GOOD

GOING ON BEHIND CLOSED DOORS,

ESPECIALLY IN THESE AREAS.

YOU KNOW, THEY'RE THE MOST

OVERLOOKED THING, YOU KNOW?

EVERYBODY OVERLOOKS SUBURBIA.

>> MOST OF MY PEOPLE WERE

BUSINESS WORKING MEN, YOU KNOW?

CORPORATE AMERICA...

THAT ARE JUST FREAKS

AND LIKE TO BE FREAKS.

THEY CAN BE WHAT THEY FANTASIZE

ABOUT ON THOSE CALLS.

>> I KNEW THIS WAS DANGEROUS,

YOU KNOW?

THERE WAS ONE GUY WHO WAS

STALKING HER.

HE WOULD CALL AND TELL HER,

YOU KNOW, "I'M LOOKING

THROUGH THE FRONT WINDOW

OF YOUR HOUSE, YOU KNOW,

AND I SEE YOU STANDING THERE."

THERE WAS THIS OTHER GUY

WHO WAS A REALTOR GUY.

HE WOULDN'T HURT HER, BUT HE

WOULD, LIKE, PUT HIS FOOT

ON HER CHEST AND, LIKE,

FLEX HIS ARMS AND .

YOU KNOW, JUST, LIKE,

VERY STRANGE THINGS TO MAKE

HIMSELF VERY--SEEM VERY

POWERFUL, YOU KNOW?

>> narrator: POLICE BELIEVE

THIS KILLER, LIKE OTHER SERIAL

KILLERS BEFORE HIM, IS A REGULAR

CLIENT WHO DOESN'T KILL EVERY

SEX WORKER HE SEES.

AFTER HE MURDERED HER SISTER,

KIM OVERSTREET POSTED AN AD

ONLINE TO TRY AND LURE HIM

TO A MEETING.

>> HONEST TO GOD, I WAS ON

A MISSION AT THAT POINT.

I WAS GOING TO KNOW, OKAY?

THAT WAS IT.

AND WHEN I SEEN THEM,

I WOULD KNOW.

I ALSO THOUGHT, "WELL, MAYBE

HE'LL JUST TRY AND DO IT TO ME."

AND I WAS READY.

I KNOW THAT IT'S GONNA TAKE

THIS GUY SLIPPING UP AND MAKING

A MISTAKE IN ORDER TO BE CAUGHT.

AND HE WILL.

EVENTUALLY, SOMEBODY

WILL GET AWAY.

IF THEY PREPARE THEMSELF

MENTALLY AT THIS POINT,

FROM THIS POINT ON,

READ A COUPLE BOOKS ON IT

SO THAT YOU KNOW WHAT YOU'RE

COMING ACROSS AND YOU CAN

RECOGNIZE THE SIGNS OF IT.

OKAY, THAT'S WHAT I DID.

AND YOU'VE GOT TO BE ABLE

TO FIGHT, BECAUSE IF YOU CAN'T

FIGHT, YOU'RE NOT GONNA

GET AWAY.

>> narrator: THIS KILLER

IS PART OF A GROWING TREND

IN INTERNET CRIME.

HE IS SELECTING HIS VICTIMS

ONLINE, USING THE COVER

OF A FAST AND ANONYMOUS

SEX TRADE.

>> WHEN A SEX WORKER PUTS AN AD

ON CRAIGSLIST, WITHIN MINUTES,

THEY GET MANY, MANY HITS.

IT COULD RUN INTO THE HUNDREDS.

NORMAL, RUN-OF-THE-MILL

MURDERS, THERE'S A RELATIONSHIP

BETWEEN THE KILLER

AND THE VICTIM.

THESE ARE STRANGER-STRANGER

CONTACTS.

>> narrator: HE'S NOT THE FIRST

KILLER TO USE CRAIGSLIST TO HUNT

HIS VICTIMS.

IN 2009, A MEDICAL STUDENT

ATTACKED THREE WOMEN HE'D MET

ON THE WEBSITE, KILLING ONE

OF THEM.

>> BECAUSE THE INTERNET OFFERS

ANONYMITY, YOU KNOW, IN THESE

CHAT ROOMS, CRAIGSLIST,

AND THE LIKE, I THINK PEOPLE

GENERALLY TEND TO FEEL SAFE

ON THEM, UNTIL THEY AGREE

TO ACTUALLY COME IN CONTACT

WITH ONE ANOTHER.

>> narrator: THE KILLER BEGAN

SELECTING HIS TARGETS ONLINE

IN 2007,

AND THE FIRST WOMAN HE KILLED

HAD CHARACTERISTICS

THAT LINKED THEM ALL.

>> I'VE ALWAYS LOOKED FOR

MY SISTER, 'CAUSE I HOLD ON

TO HOPE THAT MAYBE ONE DAY

YOUR SISTER WILL COME WALK

THROUGH THE DOOR AND, YOU KNOW,

SAY, "HEY, I'M OKAY."

YOU KNOW, "HEY, GUYS."

>> narrator: THE KILLER'S MOST

RECENT VICTIMS ARE BELIEVED TO

BE AMBER AND MEGAN, WHO

DISAPPEARED AFTER SHANNAN

IN 2010.

MELISSA HE KILLED IN 2009.

BUT HIS FIRST VICTIM WAS BACK

IN 2007, AND HER NAME

WAS MAUREEN BRAINARD-BARNES.

HER STORY CONFIRMS A PATTERN

THAT LINKS THEM ALL.

>> MAUREEN DIDN'T REALLY PLAY

TOO MUCH FOOTBALL.

SHE WAS MORE GIRLY GIRL.

I WAS THE MORE TOMBOY.

MY BROTHER WAS A FOOTBALL STAR

HIS WHOLE LIFE.

I ALWAYS PLAYED WITH THE BOYS,

AND THEY COULDN'T CATCH ME;

I WAS FAST.

WE USED TO STACK UP GROCERY

CARTS ON TOP OF EACH OTHER,

AND WE'D SIT THERE AND JUST

LOOK AT THE STARS AND TELL

EACH OTHER EVERYTHING ABOUT

OURSELVES.

WE WERE LIKE BEST FRIENDS.

WE WERE, YOU KNOW,

LIFETIME BEST FRIENDS,

EVEN THOUGH, YOU KNOW,

WE WERE BROTHER AND SISTERS.

>> narrator: THE MOST HIGHLY

PRIZED COMMODITY IN AN ONLINE

SEX INDUSTRY WORTH

ABOUT $3 BILLION A YEAR

IS ORDINARY AMERICAN GIRLS

LIKE MAUREEN,

THE GIRL NEXT DOOR.

>> MAUREEN WAS BEAUTIFUL,

BUT I DON'T THINK THAT SHE

REALLY CONVINCED HERSELF

THAT SHE WAS.

SOMEONE CONTACTED HER ON

MYSPACE, AND THEY SAID THAT

THEY WANTED HER TO COME DOWN

AND DO MODELING, AND MAUREEN

WAS LIKE, "OH, GREAT.

THIS IS AWESOME."

>> narrator: THAT OFFER

WAS FROM NEW YORK.

IT SEEMED TEMPTING AND

APPARENTLY HARMLESS,

BUT IT PUT MAUREEN ON THE RADAR

OF AN ONLINE INDUSTRY

HUNTING FRESH NEW FACES.

>> I THINK THAT SHE SAW IT AS,

YOU KNOW, "I COULD PROVIDE

AND BE THIS BIG PERSON."

AND AS SOON AS SHE GOT TO

NEW YORK, IT PROBABLY WAS

A DIFFERENT THING THAN WHAT

SHE THOUGHT IT WAS GONNA BE.

KIND OF GOT SOME HINTS

THAT MAYBE SHE WAS DOING

SOMETHING ELSE.

I DID CONFRONT HER A LITTLE BIT

ABOUT IT, AND SHE WAS LIKE,

"NO, I'M JUST DOING MODELING."

AND, YOU KNOW, IT WOULD UPSET

HER, SO I KIND OF BACKED AWAY.

>> narrator: FROM THE MOMENT

MAUREEN POSTED HER FIRST ONLINE

AD, SHE WAS IN THE KILLER'S

DOMAIN, AND HE MADE HIS

SELECTION.

ON THE 6TH OF JULY, 2007,

SHE TRAVELED FROM CONNECTICUT

TO NEW YORK AND CHECKED INTO

THE SUPER 8 HOTEL ON

46TH STREET NEAR TIMES SQUARE.

THE ONLINE SEX TRADE

DELIVERED HER TO HIS DOOR.

>> WHEN SHE DIDN'T COME HOME

THAT MONDAY, I WAS CALLING

HER VOICE MAIL.

THEN A FEW DAYS LATER, I CALLED

MY BROTHER, AND HE WAS LIKE,

"WELL, LET ME SEE.

SHE'LL ANSWER MY PHONE."

AND HE CALLED, AND HE WAS LIKE,

"NOW IT'S GOING STRAIGHT

TO VOICE MAIL."

>> narrator: MAUREEN'S BROTHER

AND SISTER IMMEDIATELY

BEGAN TO SEARCH FOR HER

THEMSELVES.

THEY FOUND THE REACTION

THEY ENCOUNTERED HARD TO BEAR.

>> AFTER MAUREEN WENT MISSING,

MY BROTHER AND MY HUSBAND JUMPED

ON THEIR BIKES, AND THEY WENT

TO MANHATTAN TO GO ASK PEOPLE,

YOU KNOW, "HAVE YOU SEEN

MY SISTER?

YOU KNOW, DO YOU KNOW HER?"

THEY SAID, "IT'S A DIFFERENT

WORLD OUT THERE.

NO ONE CARES.

EVERYBODY'S TOO BUSY TO STOP

AND ACTUALLY TALK TO YOU

AND WANT TO HELP.

NOBODY'S SEEN HER.

NO ONE KNOWS HER."

>> narrator: BACK HOME IN

CONNECTICUT, THEY TURNED

TO THE POLICE

TO REPORT HER MISSING.

>> THE POLICE OFFICER WAS LIKE,

YOU KNOW, "MAYBE SHE RAN AWAY.

MAYBE SHE DOESN'T CARE."

I DON'T KNOW IF HE WAS TRYING

TO MAKE US FEEL BETTER OR WHAT,

BUT IT MADE IT SEEM LIKE

HE DIDN'T CARE AT ALL.

AND, LIKE, MY BROTHER WAS SO

UPSET, HE HAD TO WALK OUT

THE DOOR.

I GRABBED THE MISSING PERSONS

PAPERS.

WE RETURNED THEM THAT WEEK.

TOOK THEM 2 1/2 YEARS

TO PUT HER IN THE DATABASE.

>> narrator: THE IRONY IS THAT

MAUREEN HAD ACTUALLY STOPPED

WORKING AS AN ESCORT WHEN

SHE DISAPPEARED.

SHE WAS LIVING BACK IN

CONNECTICUT WITH HER TWO

YOUNG CHILDREN AND WAS LOOKING

FOR A JOB SHE COULD

FIT AROUND CHILD CARE.

>> SHE WOULD COME TO MY HOUSE,

GO THROUGH THE PAPERS.

SHE APPLIED FROM, YOU KNOW,

STOP-AND-SHOP JOBS

AND DUNKIN' DONUTS JOBS.

IT WASN'T LIKE MAUREEN

DIDN'T LOOK.

SHE LOOKED.

>> narrator: THEN IN JULY 2007,

SHE GOT AN EVICTION ORDER.

THE WEEK BEFORE THE COURT

HEARING, MAUREEN WENT BACK

ON CRAIGSLIST AND ARRANGED TO

MEET THE CLIENT IN MANHATTAN.

THE LAST SIGNAL ON HER

CELL PHONE CAME FROM

LONG ISLAND, JUST MILES

FROM OAK BEACH.

>> ALL RIGHT, THREE.

NOW WE'RE GONNA MOVE DOWN

THE BEACH A LITTLE BIT,

SEE IF WE CAN FIND MORE.

>> narrator: ON MARCH 29, 2011,

THREE MONTHS AFTER THE FIRST

VICTIMS WERE FOUND,

THE STORY OF THIS KILLER

TOOK AN UNEXPECTED TURN.

TWO MILES TO THE EAST OF HIS

FIRST VICTIMS, POLICE FOUND

A HEAD, HANDS, AND FOREARM.

THEY WERE THE REMAINS OF A WOMAN

NAMED JESSICA TAYLOR.

>> WE KNOW THAT MISS TAYLOR

HAD LIVED AND WORKED

AS A PROSTITUTE IN WASHINGTON,

D.C., BUT HAD FLED FROM THERE

TO NEW YORK CITY, WHERE SHE

REMAINED FOR A FEW DAYS

PRIOR TO HER DISAPPEARANCE.

>> TAYLOR WAS IDENTIFIED FROM

A TATTOO ON HER BACK.

THIS, AGAIN, WAS ANOTHER CHANGE.

TO BE HONEST WITH YOU, I WASN'T

SURPRISED.

I MEAN, I WAS THINKING FOUR.

YOU KNOW, THERE MAY BE MORE

OUT THERE.

>> narrator: WHAT MADE THIS

TWIST MORE DISTURBING WAS THAT

THE REST OF JESSICA TAYLOR'S

BODY WAS FOUND

EIGHT YEARS EARLIER

IN A LONG ISLAND TOWN 40 MILES

AWAY, AND THAT DISCOVERY

WAS JUST THE BEGINNING.

>> narrator: AT THE END OF MARCH

2011, POLICE DISCOVERED A FIFTH

BODY ON THE SAME STRETCH OF

BEACH AS THE FIRST FOUR VICTIMS,

THIS TIME, A DISMEMBERED WOMAN

WHO'D BEEN KILLED YEARS EARLIER.

IN EARLY APRIL,

A FURTHER SEARCH BEGAN.

ONCE AGAIN, NO ONE WAS PREPARED

FOR WHAT THEY FOUND.

>> IT'S ALL BEEN VERY STARTLING.

ALL OF IT HAS BEEN.

I REALLY--I DON'T HAVE

A REACTION FOR YOU

BECAUSE IT'S JUST AMAZING

THAT WE'RE FINDING THESE THINGS.

SO OBVIOUSLY, WE HAVE

A LOT OF WORK TO DO.

>> WE INITIALLY FOUND FOUR,

AND THEN WE FOUND SIX MORE.

TOTAL OF TEN.

>> narrator: IN EARLY APRIL

2011, DAYS AFTER THE DISCOVERY

OF THE FIFTH BODY,

THE POLICE FOUND MORE HUMAN

TWO WOMEN WHO'D BEEN

DISMEMBERED, AN ASIAN MAN

WHO'D BEEN BEATEN TO DEATH,

AN INFANT CHILD

ABOUT 18 MONTHS OLD,

AND TWO UNIDENTIFIED REMAINS

TO THE SOUTH.

>> THIS WAS A TWIST IN

THE STORY.

THIS WAS SOMETHING THAT

WE WEREN'T EXPECTING.

I MEAN, WE WERE EXPECTING,

YOU KNOW, SEX WORKERS,

PROSTITUTES, AND SO THIS WAS

AN EQUATION THAT REALLY

THREW US FOR A LOOP AT FIRST.

WE WERE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT

WHAT WAS GOING ON HERE.

>> THEY'D FOUND MORE,

AND IT STARTED ALL OVER AGAIN.

>> I WAS JUST LIKE,

"OH, MY GOD."

LIKE, A BABY.

>> HOW COULD THE POLICE FIND

ALL THESE BODIES IN THE SAME

AREA ALL OF A SUDDEN?

THERE ARE SO MANY WHYS.

>> EACH TIME THEY FOUND SOMEBODY

ELSE, IT WAS LIKE THE COPS

JUST CAME AND BANGED ON MY DOOR.

IT'S LIKE IT BRINGS EVERYTHING

RIGHT BACK TO THE BEGINNING.

IT WAS HELL.

IT WAS DEVASTATING.

>> narrator: LONG ISLAND WOKE UP

TO THE NEWS THAT AN ALMOST

UNBELIEVABLE CRIME WAS UNFOLDING

ON ITS SOUTH SHORE.

ON THE ISOLATED OCEANFRONT

BESIDE BEACHES PACKED WITH

TOURISTS IN SUMMER, POLICE HAD

FIRST FOUND FOUR BODIES,

AND NOW THEY'D FOUND SIX MORE.

>> THERE WAS DIFFERENT THEORIES

OUT THERE, EVEN WITHIN

LAW ENFORCEMENT.

THE WAY THE BODIES WERE DISPOSED

OF WAS A LITTLE DIFFERENT.

IS IT MORE THAN ONE KILLER?

>> narrator: THE LATEST FIND

RAISED THE POSSIBILITY THAT

MORE THAN ONE KILLER

MIGHT BE AT WORK AND THAT

IT MIGHT BE AS MANY AS FOUR.

>> IT'S A TOUGH AREA.

IT'S VERY EASY TO MISS

SOMETHING.

AND IF THERE ARE ANY MORE BODIES

OUT THERE, WE WANT TO FIND THEM.

THIS IS THE BIGGEST INCIDENT

IN MY CAREER AND IN THE CAREER

OF MANY OF THE OFFICERS THAT

ARE WORKING THIS CASE.

AND IT GOT BIGGER.

IT'S NOW LARGER THAN LIFE.

>> WHAT WE DO KNOW FOR CERTAIN

AND WHAT IS NOW VERY CLEAR

IS THAT THE AREA IN AND AROUND

GILGO BEACH HAS BEEN USED

TO DISCARD HUMAN REMAINS

FOR SOME PERIOD OF TIME.

>> narrator: THE DISCOVERY OF

ONE BODY LED TO NINE MORE,

AND THIS STRIP OF OCEANFRONT

ROAD WAS UNCOVERED AS A DUMPING

GROUND FOR MULTIPLE KILLERS.

IT HAD ALL STARTED WITH

THE SEARCH FOR ONE WOMAN

WHO DISAPPEARED FROM OAK BEACH,

A 23-YEAR-OLD ESCORT NAMED

SHANNAN GILBERT.

>> IT WAS JUST MY FEAR THAT SHE

WAS JUST LYING THERE SOMEWHERE,

AND SHE WAS JUST THERE,

AND NOBODY EVEN WANTED TO GO

LOOK FOR HER.

>> narrator: SHANNAN'S FAMILY

HAD WAITED AGAIN FOR NEWS THAT

SHE WAS AMONG THE BODIES.

AND AGAIN, THE POLICE CALLED

THEM TO SAY SHE'D BEEN

RULED OUT.

A YEAR ON, HER MOTHER

WAS MORE CONVINCED THAN EVER

THAT THE ANSWER TO HER

DAUGHTER'S DISAPPEARANCE

LAY IN THE LONG ISLAND

COMMUNITY.

>> THESE ARE THE BOOKS

THAT SHANNAN HAD.

IT'S FILLED WITH NAMES,

ADDRESSES,

AND PHONE NUMBERS OF CLIENTS.

AND SLOWLY BUT SURELY,

MY FRIENDS AND I WERE GOING

THROUGH EVERY NAME AND EVERY

NUMBER.

THE MAJORITY OF CLIENTS IN HERE

ARE VERY WEALTHY, WELL-TO-DO.

IN FACT, ONE OF OUR--

ONE OF MY LAST CONVERSATIONS

WITH MY DAUGHTER WHEN SHE CAME

TO VISIT, SHE SAYS, "MOMMY."

SHE SAYS, "I'M OKAY.

YOU WOULDN'T BELIEVE

THE CLIENTS I HAVE.

THESE ARE DOCTORS.

THEY'RE LAWYERS.

THEY'RE JUDGES.

THEY'RE TEACHERS.

THE MONEY IS INCREDIBLE."

SHE SAID, "I'M GOING TO SCHOOL.

WHEN I GET MY DEGREE, MOM,

I PROMISE, I'M GONNA STOP."

I THOUGHT THAT SINCE SHE'S

SO SMART, IF ANYTHING WAS BAD

OR NOT A SAFE SITUATION

OR A SAFE PLACE, THAT SHE

WOULD LEAVE.

AND SHE TRIED TO THAT NIGHT.

>> narrator: ON THE NIGHT OF

MAY 1, 2010, SHANNAN MET UP

WITH HER DRIVER, MICHAEL PAK,

IN MANHATTAN.

AFTER SHANNAN'S SUCCESS ON

CRAIGSLIST, THEY'D BOTH QUIT

THE ESCORT AGENCY THEY WORKED

FOR AND GONE FREELANCE TOGETHER.

>> WE'RE LIKE, "ALL RIGHT,

FORGET THIS, YOU KNOW?

WE CAN JUST DO IT OURSELVES."

SO--YEAH, SO WE DID.

YOU KNOW, CUT OUT

THE MIDDLEMAN.

>> narrator: THAT NIGHT,

PAK SAYS SHANNAN POSTED HER AD

NOT ON CRAIGSLIST

BUT ON A RIVAL SITE

CALLED BACKPAGE.

SHE WAS BOOKED BY A CLIENT

NAMED JOSEPH BREWER WHO LIVED

IN THE GATED COMMUNITY OF

OAK BEACH.

SHANNAN HAD BEEN IN HIS HOUSE

FOR ABOUT TWO HOURS WHEN BREWER

CALLED MICHAEL PAK INTO

THE HOUSE.

>> SHE FREAKED OUT.

SHE SAID, "YOU GUYS

ARE TRYING TO KILL ME."

SHE WENT BEHIND THE COUCH,

CROUCHED DOWN, AND THEN I--

SO I WENT THERE, AND I LOOKED

AT HER, AND I SAID, YOU KNOW,

"SHANNAN, WHAT ARE YOU DOING?"

YOU KNOW, AND THEN I WAS TRYING

TO THINK, YOU KNOW, "IS SHE

REALLY MESSED UP ON DRUGS OR..."

SO I TRIED TO TEST HER BY

ASKING HER, "HAVE YOU SEEN

THE MOVIE FEAR AND LOATHING IN

LAS VEGAS?"

SHE SAID, "YES."

SO I THOUGHT, "OH, OKAY.

SO SHE IS COHERENT, THEN.

SHE'S JUST ACTING."

AND THEN, YOU KNOW, I HEARD,

LIKE, A 911 OPERATOR, A LADY

ON HER PHONE.

AND THAT'S WHEN I REALIZED,

"OH, SHE'S ON THE PHONE

WITH 911."

SO I THOUGHT, "OH, SHE'S TRYING

TO SET ME UP."

SHE'S SAYING, YOU KNOW,

"YOU GUYS ARE TRYING

TO KILL ME."

SHE WANTS ME TO LEAVE,

SO I LEFT.

>> narrator: THE DRIVER WAS BACK

IN HIS CAR WHEN HE SAYS HE SAW

SHANNAN RUNNING FROM THE HOUSE

AND STARTED TO FOLLOW HER.

>> I TURNED THE LIGHTS ON

AND EVERYTHING, AND I DROVE

SLOWLY, AND I SAID, "SHANNAN,

WHERE ARE YOU, SHANNAN?"

YOU KNOW, 'CAUSE THERE WERE,

LIKE, HIGH--HIGH BUSHES.

>> YOU COULD SEE A CAR COMING,

AND IT WAS STOPPING AND GOING,

STOPPING AND GOING.

I RAN DOWN OFF THE DECK,

AND I MET HIM OVER THERE,

AND I STOPPED HIS CAR.

>> HE SAID HE'S GONNA CALL

THE COPS, AND I SAID, "NO,

YOU DON'T HAVE TO DO THAT."

>> AT THAT POINT, SHE BOLTED OUT

AND RAN DOWN THE ROAD THAT WAY.

HE TOOK OFF AFTER HER.

THAT WAS THE LAST I SAW OF HER.

>> I COULDN'T FIND HER.

I CALLED HER NAME, AND THEN

I CALLED HER ON THE PHONE.

AND I SAID, "SHANNAN,

WHERE ARE YOU?"

I COULDN'T FIND HER.

THAT'S IT.

>> narrator: THAT WAS THE LAST

TIME SHANNAN WAS SEEN ALIVE.

POLICE QUESTIONED JOSEPH BREWER

AND MICHAEL PAK, BUT NEITHER IS

A SUSPECT IN HER DISAPPEARANCE.

>> OKAY, EVERYBODY,

WE'RE READY TO START.

AND GOOD AFTERNOON.

WE'RE HOPING THAT BY HAVING

THIS PRESS CONFERENCE AND

GETTING THE MESSAGE OUT

TO THE PUBLIC THAT SOMEBODY

WILL RECOGNIZE SOMEBODY,

AND THAT WILL BE A BREAK

IN THE CASE.

>> narrator: BY SEPTEMBER 2011,

THE DNA WAS COMING BACK ON

THE NEW,

THREE WOMEN WHO'D BEEN

DISMEMBERED, AN ASIAN MAN

BEATEN TO DEATH, AND A CHILD.

THEY WERE THOUGHT AT FIRST

TO BE THE SEPARATE VICTIMS

OF SEPARATE KILLERS, BUT STRANGE

NEW LINKS WERE NOW EMERGING.

>> THIS IS A MYSTERY

WITH A LOT OF TWISTS AND TURNS.

>> narrator: LIKE THE FIFTH

VICTIM, THE BODY PARTS OF ONE

OF THE WOMEN HAD BEEN FOUND

OVER A DECADE EARLIER IN ANOTHER

LONG ISLAND TOWN.

SHE AND THE CHILD,

ABOUT 18 MONTHS OLD,

WERE WEARING MATCHING JEWELRY.

>> THE TODDLER NOW WAS

CONNECTED.

IT APPEARS TO BE THE MOM.

WE KNOW THAT SEX WORKERS

SOMETIMES TAKE THEIR TODDLERS

WITH THEM.

AS CRAZY AS IT SOUNDS,

IT HAPPENS.

THE OTHER TWIST WAS, THE

THE ASIAN MALE WAS WEARING

WOMEN'S CLOTHES.

VERY SMALL STATURE, SLIM.

AGAIN, THE THEORY IS THAT THIS

PERSON MAY HAVE BEEN WORKING

IN THE SEX BUSINESS.

>> narrator: IT ALSO EMERGED

THAT ANOTHER UNIDENTIFIED

VICTIM WAS LINKED WITH

A GRISLY DISCOVERY 15 YEARS

EARLIER ON NEARBY FIRE ISLAND.

>> ONE OF OUR RETIRED DETECTIVES

CALLED THE HOMICIDE SQUAD

AND SAID, "YOU SHOULD LOOK

AT THE LEGS THAT WERE FOUND

IN 1996."

AND THE DNA MATCHED UP.

>> narrator: THE POLICE WERE NOW

WORKING ON THE THEORY THAT

EVERY ONE OF THE VICTIMS

DISCOVERED WAS CONNECTED TO THE

SEX TRADE, AND THAT LED THEM TO

A VERY FRIGHTENING CONCLUSION.

>> narrator: WHEN TEN BODIES

WERE DISCOVERED ON LONG ISLAND

LAST WINTER, IT SEEMED POSSIBLE

THAT POLICE HAD ACCIDENTALLY

STUMBLED ON THE DUMPING GROUND

OF SEVERAL DIFFERENT KILLERS.

THIS WINTER, POLICE ARE PURSUING

A NEW THEORY.

>> SERIAL KILLERS EVOLVE.

THEY CHANGE IN HOW THEY DO

THINGS.

WE BELIEVE IT'S ONE PERSON,

ONE KILLER.

>> narrator: THEY THINK HE

STARTED KILLING 15 YEARS AGO.

BUT IN 2007, HE REFINED HIS

METHODS AND WENT ONLINE.

MAUREEN BRAINARD-BARNES WAS

THE FIRST VICTIM CONNECTED

TO CRAIGSLIST, AND THE OTHERS

FOLLOWED IN 2009 AND 2010.

>> THEY'RE GONNA FIND MORE

BODIES, BECAUSE A SERIAL KILLER

DOESN'T STOP KILLING.

HE KEEPS KILLING TILL

HE GETS CAUGHT.

>> narrator: THE ONE PERSON

POLICE BELIEVE IS NOT CONNECTED

IS SHANNAN.

>> THERE DOESN'T SEEM TO BE

ANY CONNECTION.

EVERYTHING IS DIFFERENT.

IT IS SOME COINCIDENCE THAT

SHE WENT MISSING IN THE SAME

AREA WHERE THE BODIES WERE

DUMPED.

BUT WHEN YOU LOOK AT IT CLOSELY

AND YOU LOOK AT THE EVIDENCE,

SHANNAN GILBERT IS A SEPARATE

CASE.

>> narrator: SO THE WOMAN WHOSE

DISAPPEARANCE STARTED IT ALL

IS STILL MISSING.

IT APPEARS THAT WHATEVER ELSE

HAPPENED TO SHANNAN THAT NIGHT,

SHE DID NOT ENCOUNTER

THE SERIAL KILLER WHO MURDERED

THE OTHER FOUR WOMEN,

WHICH LEAVES HER MOTHER,

LIKE THE OTHER FAMILIES,

SEARCHING FOR ANSWERS.

>> ME AND THE OTHER VICTIMS'

FAMILIES, WE'RE ONE BIG FAMILY

NOW,

NOT BY BLOOD.

WE WERE BROUGHT AS A FAMILY

BY TRAGEDY.

>> WE'RE JUST TRYING TO HELP

EACH OTHER RIGHT NOW.

LET EVERYBODY GET THROUGH IT

UNTIL THEY FIND THIS GUY.

AND I JUST HOPE THEY FIND HIM

IN OUR LIFETIME, THAT IT DON'T

TAKE MORE DEATHS.

I MEAN, FOR ALL WE KNOW,

HE COULD HAVE PICKED TWO OR

THREE GIRLS UP THIS SUMMER

AND BE DOING THE SAME THING

TO THEM.

>> MY NAME IS MARI GILBERT.

MY DAUGHTER IS SHANNAN.

SHE IS OUT THERE.

WE'RE GONNA FIND HER,

AND WE'RE GONNA FIND OUT WHO

HURT SHANNAN AND ALL THE OTHERS.

THANK YOU.

>> narrator: IN THE PARKING LOT

BESIDE OAK BEACH, THE FIVE

FAMILIES GATHERED FOR

A PRESS CONFERENCE TO KEEP

THE SEARCH FOR SHANNAN

IN THE PUBLIC EYE.

IN THE LAST YEAR,

THEY HAVE GROWN INCREASINGLY

CRITICAL OF THE POLICE

INVESTIGATION.

>> WHEN WE CALL SUFFOLK'S POLICE

DEPARTMENT, THE ONLY THING

THEY TELL US IS, "LIKE WE TOLD

YOU BEFORE, WE AIN'T GONNA

TELL YOU NOTHING."

WELL, YOU GUYS NEED TO REALIZE

SOMETHING.

NOT ONLY WAS OUR DAUGHTERS

VICTIMS; THEIR FAMILIES

WERE ALSO VICTIMS.

FOR YOU TO SIT THERE AND TELL US

THAT, "WE CAN'T TELL YOU

NOTHING," THAT MAKES US THINK

THAT YOU'RE PUTTING THIS OFF

TO THE SIDE...

>> MY DAUGHTER WAS MELISSA

BARTHELEMY.

>> BECAUSE OF THE PROFESSION

THAT THESE GIRLS HAD.

>> I DON'T BLAME THEM FOR

BEING UPSET.

THEY WANT A CONCLUSION.

THEY WANT THIS PERSON CAUGHT.

BUT THE OCCUPATION OF THE VICTIM

HAS NO BEARING ON THE

INVESTIGATION.

WE HAVE A MURDERER OUT THERE.

>> narrator: THE FIVE FAMILIES

HAVE ALSO BECOME AN ONLINE

NETWORK SHARING WHAT THEY'VE

LEARNT ABOUT THE SEX TRADE

THEIR DAUGHTERS AND SISTERS

WERE DRAWN INTO.

THEY'RE ALL ANGRY AT CRAIGSLIST.

FIVE WOMEN HAVE NOW BEEN KILLED

AFTER ADVERTISING AS ESCORTS

ON ITS PAGES.

>> THEY THOUGHT IT WAS

A SAFE WAY TO ADVERTISE,

AND I REALLY THINK THAT

CRAIGSLIST SHOULD HAVE MORE

PEOPLE MONITORING THESE SITES,

AND THEY NEED TO BE HELD

ACCOUNTABLE.

>> narrator: CRAIGSLIST HAS

TWICE SHUT DOWN ITS ADULT

CONTENT PAGES AND TIGHTENED

ITS REGULATIONS.

BUT EVEN IN THE NEW

"CASUAL ENCOUNTERS" SECTION,

THERE IS NOT MUCH DOUBT ABOUT

THE NATURE OF SOME OF THE ADS.

LORRAINE ELA IS DETERMINED

TO WARN OTHERS

ABOUT THE WAY ORDINARY AMERICAN

GIRLS GET RECRUITED FOR

THE SEX TRADE.

>> THEY TARGET CERTAIN PEOPLE.

AND MY DAUGHTER, BEING

SOFTHEARTED, FRIENDLY, OUTGOING,

THAT'S WHAT THESE MEN LOOK FOR.

HE GOES AFTER THE WEAK ONES.

AND MY DAUGHTER WAS ONE OF THEM.

>> narrator: MELISSA CANN

RECENTLY FOUND AN AD HER SISTER

MAUREEN POSTED ON A WEBSITE

CALLED SEXY JOBS.

SHE BELIEVES THIS WAS THE START

OF THE ROAD THAT LED MAUREEN

TO ESCORTING.

>> YOU KNOW HOW THEY ALWAYS SAY

WEED IS THE GATEWAY DRUG

TO COCAINE OR HEROIN.

THIS IS CONSIDERED THE GATEWAY

DRUG OF THE SEX INDUSTRY.

THEY POST THEIRSELVES UP ON

THERE FOR, LIKE, PHONE SEX JOBS

OR STRIPPING OR, YOU KNOW,

MODELING, NUDE MODELING.

SO IT'S LEGIT.

BUT THIS IS HOW SOME GIRLS

GET FOUND BY, YOU KNOW,

ESCORT AGENCIES.

>> narrator: HER BROTHER, WILL,

NEVER STOPPED SEARCHING

FOR MAUREEN.

HE DIED IN A MOTORCYCLE ACCIDENT

TWO YEARS AFTER SHE DISAPPEARED.

THE OTHER MOTHERS HAVE BECOME

MELISSA'S SURROGATE FAMILY.

>> I'M VERY, VERY FORTUNATE

TO EVER HAVE MET THEM,

EVER TO KNOW THEM.

>> narrator: SHANNAN'S MOTHER

IS STILL OUT THERE LOOKING.

THE MYSTERY OF HER DAUGHTER'S

DISAPPEARANCE IS STILL UNSOLVED.

>> I DON'T BELIEVE THAT I'LL

FIND HER ALIVE.

BUT IT'S OKAY,

BECAUSE SHE'S STILL ALWAYS

GONNA BE WITH ME EVERY DAY.

AND NO MATTER HOW LONG IT TAKES

AND NO MATTER HOW MANY TIMES

I NEED TO COME HERE,

I'M GONNA BRING HER HOME.

>> narrator: AS FOR THE KILLER,

POLICE HAVE RECEIVED OVER 1,200

TIPS SUGGESTING HIS IDENTITY.

ONE GIVEN TO THE BARTHELEMY

FAMILY'S LAWYER WAS FROM

A WOMAN WHO BELIEVED IT WAS

HER FORMER HUSBAND.

>> ONE TIP STANDS OUT.

IT TALKS ABOUT A MAN WHO IS

INVOLVED IN THE TECHNICAL WORLD.

HE'S GOT AN ELABORATE BASEMENT.

HE HAS AN EX-WIFE WHO DESCRIBED

HIM AS BEING MYSTERIOUSLY ABSENT

DURING THE PERIODS OF TIMES

THAT THESE GIRLS WERE ABDUCTED.

AND I'M HOPEFUL THAT IT WILL

LEAD TO AN ARREST

AND A CONVICTION

AND A LIFE SENTENCE.

>> narrator: THAT INFORMATION

HAS BEEN PASSED ON

TO THE POLICE.

FOR NOW, THE INVESTIGATION

CANNOT RULE OUT THE POSSIBILITY

THAT THEY WILL FIND MORE BODIES

OR THAT THE KILLER

WILL KILL AGAIN.

>> ANY TIME THERE'S A SERIAL

KILLER LOOSE, THAT'S A CONCERN.

WE BELIEVE THAT KILLER

MADE A MISTAKE AT SOME POINT.

WE HAVE TO FIND THAT MISTAKE.

I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO SAY

TO THE WOMEN IN THE SEX BUSINESS

TO BE CAREFUL IN THEIR CONTACTS.

>> LET ME GIVE THE ADVICE TO YOU

THAT WAS GIVEN TO ME

WHEN YOU GO TOO FAST

AND YOU GET TO THE TOP,

THERE'S NOWHERE TO GO BUT DOWN,

ONE WAY OR THE OTHER.

WHEN YOU'RE MAKING THAT MONEY

AND YOU'RE HUSTLING THESE GUYS

AND, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE THINKING

THAT YOU'RE LIVING ON TOP

OF THE WORLD, YOU JUST NEED

TO STOP AND THINK, "WELL,

WHAT'S AFTER THE TOP?"

WE JUST WENT THROUGH LIFE

CAREFREE.

IF ANY DAMAGE WAS GONNA BE DONE,

IT WAS GONNA BE FROM US,

AND IT DOESN'T WORK LIKE THAT.

IT JUST DOESN'T.

NOT FOR ME, NOT FOR HER.

NOT FOR YOU.

I'M NOT EVER GONNA SAY,

"NO, I WON'T WORK."

FROM TIME TO TIME, I ALWAYS PUT

ADS UP JUST TO SEE WHAT BITES,

AS FAR AS MY SISTER'S KILLER

GOES.

IT'LL INTRIGUE HIM.

AND THAT'S WHAT I'M HOPING I DO,