Crime & Safety
Dateline NBC Special 'Hunt For The Gilgo Beach Killer' To Air Friday
Key players in Suffolk police's investigation, victims' family members, and former acquaintances of Rex Heuermann will speak.
![A Dateline NBC special on the Gilgo Beach Serial killings will show an interview with Shannan Gilbert's sister, Sherre Gilbert, on Friday.](https://patch.com/img/cdn20/users/24679441/20231109/081141/styles/patch_image/public/image003___09185659936.jpg)
LONG ISLAND, NY — A two-hour Dateline NBC special centered on the Gilgo Beach serial killer investigation, including key players in the investigation, victims' family members, and former acquaintances of Rex Heuermann will air on Friday.
The disappearance of escort Shannan Gilbert sparked a Suffolk police search that led to the discovery of eleven sets of remains in Gilgo Beach in 2011. Heuermann has been charged with murder in connection with the slayings of three women, all sex workers, whose remains were found along the roadway.
He is the suspect in the death of a fourth woman, Maureen Brainard-Barnes, investigators say.
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He has also been linked to two other women, including Gilbert and Karen Vergata, whose remains were found at Davis Park on Fire Island, according to an attorney for the victim's families.
A preview for "The Hunt for the Gilgo Beach Killer," features police officials, including former commissioner Stuart Cameron and current Commissioner Rodney Harrison.
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Cameron describes the discovery of remains in the area near where Gilbert went missing.
"We thought we had one homicide," he said. "We're looking for evidence and we find a second set of human remains. It's very, very, very uncommon ... but then a third set of remains, and then we find a fourth set of remains."
Gilbert's sister, Sherre, then questions how "crazy" the scenario is that investigators were looking for her sister and find "a serial killer's dumping ground."
"One of the biggest memories is her saying, 'I'm going to be famous one day.' This isn't how it was supposed to go," Sherre says.
Harrison is also shown reiterating what he previously told reporters about Heuermann's arrest.
"I'm very confident that he'll never see the light of day again," he says.
Heuermann’s former neighbor, Jimmy Mack, speaks out in his first TV interview, telling reporter Andrea Canning that he had a bad feeling about Heuermann immediately. He reveals the two had a confrontation, alleging Heuermann threatened to cut the tires of a car in Mack’s driveway which was partially blocking his sidewalk.
The death of Gilbert, whose remains were found in 2011, is also touched upon.
Her sister, Sherre, who speaks out for the first time since Heuermann's arrest, calls for Gilbert's case to be reexamined with "a fresh set of eyes."
"I want them to be extremely transparent about the investigation. I just want answers," she tells a reporter.
Heuermann's attorney, Michael Brown, has maintained his client's innocence.
The show will air at 9 p.m.
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