Long Island Serial Killer – Still At Large?
Between 1996 and 2010, at least 10 victims are associated with the Long Island Serial Killer. Most of the victims appear to have been prostitutes. Their bodies have been dumped in the South Shore area of Long Island, New York.
Discovery of Mass Graves
It’s a bitterly cold morning in December, 2010. A police officer and his dog are running through training routines on the beach near the Ocean Parkway in Long Island.
The dog darts away, having sniffed something. Following behind, a gruesome discovery is soon made. A burlap sack, almost rotten through. Inside is the skeletal remains of a person.
Searching the immediate area, police are shocked to find 3 more bodies. Richard Dormer, the Suffolk County Police Commissioner sums it up best:
Four bodies found in the same location pretty much speaks for itself. It’s more than a coincidence. We could have a serial killer.
All four bodies are identified. Each of them are 20 something year old escorts who advertised their services on Craigslist. It is believed they had been strangled elsewhere before being brought to this stretch of beach.
Four months later, in March and April 2011, four more bodies are discovered nearby. The search is expanded. Five days later, a partial set of remains and the skull of another victim is found. Ten bodies overall.
Suffolk Police offer a reward of $25,000 for information leading to the arrest of the killer. The largest reward they have ever issued.
The Long Island Serial Killer
The later bodies are identified as four females, one male and a female toddler. In addition to these bodies, police are investigating 6 other cases. They are not officially linked but could be related.
The police build a profile of the killer. The New York Times states that he is:
Most likely a white male in his mid 20’s to mid 40’s who is very familiar with the South Shore of Long Island and has access to burlap sacks, which he uses to hold the bodies for disposal.
Newsday speculates that serial killer Joel Rifkin could be responsible for the earlier murders. He denies this in an interview from prison.
Suspects
James Burke: Former Suffolk County Police Chief. Jailed in 2016 for 46 months for beating a man over a theft. Shannan Gilberts families lawyer claimed he was known to like having rough sex with prostitutes. Burke allegedly blocked an FBI probe into the murders during his time as police chief.
John Bittrolff: A married carpenter who lived in Suffolk County. In 2014, Bittrolff was convicted of murdering two prostitutes and suspected of murdering a third. The case related back to killings in the early 90’s. According to Suffolk County prosecutor Robert Biancavilla, the cases had many similarities to the later killings. He also thought it likely that Bittrolff was responsible for more killings. Bittrolff lived just three miles from where some of the bodies were found. The DA doesn’t believe the cases are related.
There have been several other suspects, but the links are tenuous at best or the police quickly discounted them. I feel it would be wrong to name them here.
Who is the Long Island Serial Killer?
Simply put, nobody knows. He or she could be still at large. They could be dead or incarcerated for another crime. Maybe they just moved areas and have continued to kill. Or they simply stopped killing once the bodies started to be discovered. They could restart again when they feel the attention has died down.
Sources:
Long Island Serial Killer (wikipedia.org)
Shannan Gilbert and others (gilgonews.com)
Cops confirm new remains human (newyork.cbslocal.com)
Shannon Gilbert death (inews.co.uk)
Nursery owner found dead at 48 (patch.com)
Image Header (pixabay.com)