Armchair Genealogy

 

By Melinda Cohenour

Happy New Year! May 2025 usher in a wonderful year filled with good health, joy, love, inspiration, prosperity and great discoveries.

This past year your author had great plans for family research. Unfortunately, as happens with plans, life often delivers detours, unexpected hazards, and heartbreaking roadblocks. Therefore, this upcoming year requires a new route to embark upon. Some projects will continue to demand attention; some may merely appear and entice our pursuit.

1. The Gilgo Beach Serial Murderer (otherwise known as LISK, or the Long Island Serial Killer.

This case first drew my attention more than a decade ago when the evening news announced the discovery on that brushy beach area of human remains described as being bound in burlap, followed immediately thereafter by the discovery of not one but three additional sets of remains very near the first.

As the story continued to unfold, interested readers faced numerous delays in news reports from investigating police. In the beginning, actually, the police department itself became the news. A seemingly unending litany of corruption, misdirection, criminal activity, ongoing internal investigation and conviction of top officials

This complication led to the Gilgo Beach murders becoming, in essence, cold cases. It was several years later those cases were brought to the forefront. Old, old case notes and a mountain of evidentiary materials were exposed to fresh eyes and new theories.

The initial count of victims exposed as a result of thorough searches numbered eleven: Shannan Gilbert, the missing woman whose disappearance first triggered the discovery in the first place; the four women whose remains were first discovered and are known as the Gilgo Beach four; partial remains consisting of four "packaged" sets of body parts resulting from dismemberment (most were skulls, hands, feet, or legs lacking torsos or trunks in most cases); and two puzzling skeletal findings which would later become known as the Asian trans male dressed in women's clothing and a toddler linked through DNA analysis to the partial remains known as Peaches.

Years have been devoted to identification of the victims whose remains had been strewn along a fairly compact stretch of beach. DNA has been utilized extensively to accomplish that critical starting point.

In concert with the effort to identify the victims, forensic teams have painstakingly examined the remains, the packaging materials, the burial sites, and the binding materials (belts, duct tape, and so forth) for clues to the identity of their murderer.

In July of 2023 a long awaited arrest was made. An unlikely perpetrator was encircled by a team of law enforcement officers representing several agencies and departments and taken into custody. Rex Andrew Heuermann, a married man with a biological daughter and a special needs stepson, who owned his own architectural firm located in a prominent area of New York City was quickly subdued. He remains in custody.

Initially charged with the murders of Melissa Barthelemy, Megan Waterman and ber Costello, he was later charged also with the murder of Maureen Mainard-Barnes.

Earlier in 2024, new charges for Heuermann were brought for the murders of Jessica Taylor and ... Surprise, surprise ... an as yet unconnected victim named Sandra Castilla whose death occurred in 1993.

Latest news: In December of 2024, charges were brought in the death of Valerie Mack. This was the victim everyone expected to be named along with Jessica Taylor. Their dismembered torsos were discovered years ago in Manorville New York, Mack in 2000 and Taylor in 2003 and their "missing parts" later discovered on Gilgo Beach. That brings the victim count officially charged to Rex Heuermann to seven, six of whom were tied to Gilgo Beach.

Shannan Gilbert is not believed to be one of his victims, although the search for her led to the discovery of the additional remains. Six of the victims were discarded on Gilgo Beach. Four sets of remains have not been officially ascribed to Heuermann: Peaches, whose dismembered torso revealed a unique tattoo on one breast of a peach dripping either tears or blood, has not been identified although many (including your author) have unsuccessfully attempted to follow posted DNA family members and name her; second is Peaches' baby girl whose body was found wrapped in a baby blanket with gold jewelry similar to pieces left with her mother's remains; third the Asian male who appears to have identified as female, and fourth Karen Vergara known for years as Fire Island Jane Doe.

New evidence presented in the latest court documents indicate police have been able to determine there were similarities between the cutting instruments used to dismember Mack and Taylor, as well as the garbage bags containing their remains, the bail application says.

No court date for trial hasn't as yet been scheduled although it is expected Heuermann will appear for interim hearings.

2. Five Brick Walls: Research will continue in the effort to locate documentary or genetic proof to identify the individuals who provide the genetic link needed. If found, a column will cover the find. (Fingers crossed!)

3. Deeper research into newly discovered DNA matches of yours truly. Or, for my grandson and granddaughter-in-love whose DNA test results I manage.

4. Any groundbreaking discoveries related to DNA processes, methods, procedures, cures, etc.

5. Whatever may float my boat ...

This column is dear to me because Armchair Genealogy is my passion. Please explore your own. It is unbelievable how CONNECTED you may become to those ancestors who contributed to making you YOU!

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This issue appears in the ezine at www.pencilstubs.com and also in the blog www.pencilstubs.net with the capability of adding comments at the latter.

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