Crime & Safety

LIVE BLOG: SCPD Top Cop Updates Gilgo Case

Commissioner Richard Dormer provides insight on progress into the Ocean Parkway serial killer investigation.

In a televised interview Tuesday evening on CBS's "48 Hours Mystery" program, Suffolk County Police Commissioner Richard Dormer is interviewed on progress on the Gilgo serial killer case and what investigators have found out regarding the human remains of 10 people, four of which were young women believed to be the victims of a serial killer.

Patch decided to provide a live news stream for readers who forgot to set their DVR or passed out early due to record breaking heat today.

9:53PM: As background Patch has a timeline of the Gilgo Beach Serial Killer case from the day the first human remains were found in mid December 2010. Get the rundown of the many searches, revelations, press conferences and police activity in the past six months.

Find out what's happening in Babylon Villagewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

9:58PM: Here's a link to a segment preview offered up by CBS on tonight's program. I like Erin Moriaty. She tends to ask good questions. The program is using great visual images for narration aspect.

10PM: Segment kicks off as 'Long Island Serial Killer' segment, lots of graphic images, poignant commentary from missing woman Shannan Gilbert's sister and quotes from Dormer who calls the case "a huge investigation" and describes Gilgo and Oak Beach areas as "serial killer disposal site."

Find out what's happening in Babylon Villagewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

10:10PM: Dormer says the whereabouts of Gilbert is a "64,000 dollar question," and "I don't know" when asked what happened to her. Gilbert's sister relates family went out to beach area on their own to try and find Shannan early on. Report confirms all four women found in December by police were strangled and found wrapped in burlap. Shannan made a 23-minute call to police the night she went missing. Family lawyer claims Shannan said "they are going to kill me."

10:11PM: Gus Colletti, Oak Beach resident for 30 years, relates how he heard screaming at 5:30 a.m. from a woman wanting help the day Gilbert went missing. He said he called 911, and told the woman to sit down and then the woman, later identified as Shannan, bolted out the door. Colletti saw a car with an Asian man stopping in front of house (later identified as Michael Pak, Shannan's driver). Shannan went to hide under the boat and when she left the car followed her, said Colletti.  Gilbert's family lawyer says Shannan runs down the street and vanishes into thin air. Police arrive at 6 a.m., says lawyer, though Dormer doesn't agree with timeframe, but admits there was delay. Officer was dispatched and Colletti said the officer wasn't concerned.

10:12PM: Gilbert family said police didn't investigate initially. They say Shannan had dreams of becoming an entertainer.

10:15PM: Newsday reporter interviewed on what he calls the "biggest most complex murder case to date." I'm guessing he wasn't around to cover the Son of Sam serial case that terrorized Long Island and New York city residents about 30 years ago.

10:19PM: Familes of young women talk about how they had to lobby police to investigate cases of missing women. They claim police were reluctant to investigate as the women being reported missing were escorts.

10:26PM: My Cablevision Internet just went out. Got it back. Blogging live can be tough without network access.

10:29PM: Still no new revelation or insight on progress of case. Now talking about Amber Costello, North Babylon resident, who lived about 10 miles from remains site on beach.

10:31PM: Costello's friend tells how Amber left to meet client without cell phone or purse for a $1,500 date. "He [killer] got inside her head," friend says and says the client that night wanted to kill her. "No doubt in my mind."

10:32PM: Segment focuses on next victim, youngest one. Megan Waterman met her client at same place one of other murdered girls met their last client.

10:33PM: Most of segment focuses on background of victims, and last activities before they went missing. Heart breaking as all apparently had family members and friends in their lives.

10:35PM: Another victim's family recounts doing their own search efforts and family members say police failed families and lives could have been saved if police action had been taken sooner. Another commercial break.

Gives me time to read up on David Berkowitz' terror on NY and Long Island between July 1976 and August 1977. I was 16 at the time I realize. And I remember my parents telling me not to go parking in a car anywhere.

10:41PM: As someone who has reported on the case since the first remains were found December 11, 2010, I'm finding this segment a bit hard to follow and I know all the details.

Show resumes. Now the additional six bodies are mentioned. Suffolk County District Attorney Thomas Spota is shown during a police conference. Jessica Taylor, Jane Doe, baby girl, Asian male in 20s, skull and bag of human bones mentioned by Moriaty.

Shannan Gilbert mystery doesn't fit pattern, says Dormer. The segment focus now is on Oak Beach, three miles from dumping ground and the men involved and tied to Gilbert's disappearance: local resident who saw Shannan that night, West Islip resident Joe Brewer. Brewer talked with Erin, but is not on camera. He said he solicited Shannan but not for sex, just companionship.

But as the Gilbert lawyer notes, who visits someone at 1 a.m. and it's not for sex? Brewer refused to pay Shannan's price for her visit and that's when he says she called police.

10:56PM: Dormer defends police response and that initial officer responding did appropriate search effort and that searches took place in summer and winter before first remains were found. "I disagree strongly [implications that women being sex workers had an impact on investigation]. This was a normal case of investigation."

"This [Shannan's disappearance] was not taken lightly by police or the district attorney," said Dormer.

Segment ends with note about $25,000 reward for information leading to arrest.

The search for Shannon Gilbert goes on as does the investigation into who killed four young women and six others.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

To request removal of your name from an arrest report, submit these required items to arrestreports@patch.com.