'48 Hours' back on 'Long Island Serial Killer' case
Mari Gilbert visits the site where her daughter, Shannan Gilbert, was found dead inside a wooded area along the eastbound Ocean Parkway between Oak Beach and the Robert Moses Causeway. Joining her was her daughter, Sarra Gilbert and her husband, Manny Martinez. (March 10, 2012) Credit: James Carbone
"48 Hours" is reprising its investigation of the Long Island serial killer case this Saturday, and promising new information. Which would be .?.?.?
Just got off the phone with Erin Moriarty, who has been "48's" lead reporter on the serial killer broadcasts, and she said her hour in fact uncovers several things, most notably that there were missteps in the first police response to the Shannan Gilbert 911 call.
"When she called initially, she didn't know where she was and when she said Jones Beach [she was actually in Oak Beach] the call was transferred to New York State Police .?.?. and when residents called, the responding officer [from Suffolk County] had no idea she had called and said she was at risk .?.?."
Bottom line: This lead to precious time lost in the subsequent investigation, and Gilbert's body would not be discovered for another year and a half .?.?.
Meanwhile, as you know, the search for Gilbert's body would uncover a horrific crime — women who had been killed and their bodies discarded. On that, Moriarty tells me that the key part of Saturday's program is her interview with former Suffolk County Chief of Detectives Dominick Varrone, who explained some of these initial missteps. However, per Erin, he doesn't believe the cops have any hard leads on a suspect in the serial killer case.
More from the news release:
"Gilbert’s call was directed to the New York State Police because Gilbert was panicked and couldn't tell police exactly where she was. It took a month before her call was tied to a missing persons report filed by her family in New Jersey, where she lived, and in that time evidence was lost. Moriarty also talks with a man who has inserted himself into the police investigation. Gilbert, an online escort, went missing in May 2010. Her skeletal remains were found in a Long Island marsh in December 2011, and her clothes were found a quarter of a mile away. The search for Gilbert led to police finding a serial killer’s graveyard .?.?.
"Former Suffolk County Chief of Detectives Dominick Varrone spoke with 48 HOURS about what authorities believe were her last hours alive. "
Full program airs on WCBS/2, Saturday night at 10 .?.?."48's" first look at the case aired July 12, 2011.
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