May 1, 2010: Shannan Gilbert disappears
Shannan Gilbert , 23, was working as an escort. In the early morning hours of May 1, 2010, Gilbert made a frantic phone call to 911 . She had been at a client’s home on Long Island, and said she believed someone was after her. She took off running and told the 911 operator there were people trying to kill her. Then, Gilbert vanished.
Police would do an exhaustive search for Gilbert. Months passed without a sign of the missing woman and then, in December 2010, near Gilgo Beach, a police officer and his K-9, Blue, found human remains. But it wasn’t Gilbert. Instead, they found the bodies of four women.
December 2010: The Gilgo Four
Police found the bodies of four women near Gilgo Beach on New York’s Long Island. The women became known as the Gilgo Four and were identified as Maureen Brainard-Barnes, Amber Costello, Megan Waterman and Melissa Barthelemy. Police say all of the women were petite and three of them were wrapped in burlap. Police began their hunt to find a serial killer.
The killer had a type
Dominick Varrone, who was Suffolk County chief of detectives at the time, said there were striking similarities among the Gilgo Four . “Very petite. 5 foot or under, 100 pounds,” Varrone said. The women were also all in their 20s and were all working as online escorts.
July 6, 2007: Maureen Brainard-Barnes’ final weekend
Maureen Brainard-Barnes is often referred to as the first of the Gilgo Four. She went missing in July 2007. Brainard-Barnes was a single mother of two living in Norwich, Connecticut. She had begun working as an escort, posting ads on Craigslist and other websites to meet clients. On July 6, 2007, her cellphone was contacted by a burner cellphone — a prepaid phone that anyone can buy and use anonymously. Between July 6 and July 9, there were 16 interactions between the caller using a burner phone and Brainard-Barnes’ cellphone.
