As a recent article in the Lake Wylie Pilot notes, Long Island beaches have a long, if not proud, history as dumping ground for murder victims. Mindful of this reality, investigators are now revisiting two murders dating to 2008 that may help shed light on the identity of the current so-called Long Island serial killer.
The circumstances in the disappearance and subsequent discovery of the remains of Tanya Rush, a 39-year-old prostitute from East New York, and a second unidentified victim bear some similarities to the current yet-to-be-solved murders.
The New York Post reports that Rush’s dismembered remains were found stuffed in a suitcase along the Southern State Parkway in Bellmore on June 27, 2008. Police are loath to disclose details about the second victim.
While the MO is similar to the one used by the current killer or killers, there are notable differences. The current killer has a telltale predilection for stuffing his victims into burlap bags before depositing them along the beach. In addition, except for skeletal remains, including a pair of human teeth, discovered near Jones Beach in late April, most of the victims’ remains were left intact.
At the same time, there is a tantalizing temptation to seek linkage between the earlier and more recent victims, all of whom were “women of the street.”
Authorities in Suffolk County now believe that at least two killers are responsible for dumping the eight bodies found within the past several months.
Another development in the investigation that seems to point backward rather than forward is a renewed interest in the whereabouts of Jersey City resident Shannan Gilbert who vanished after arranging to meet a client from Craigslist on Fire Island. It was there last December while looking for clues related to Gilbert’s disappearance that authorities stumbled upon the first four sets of remains.
The blog Newswroom Jersey further cites the Bayridge Journal as reporting that three men have been questioned in connection with Gilbert’s disappearance. One of the men, Dr. Peter Hackett, was formerly the head of the Suffolk County Emergency Medical Services. He is said to have told investigators that saw Gilbert running at night near Oak Beach.
NOTE: For the latest developments in this story, please click here.
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