Gilgo Beach Murders. "LISK"

The LISK case involves multiple victims found along Gilgo Beach. A suspect was arrested in 2023. The Long Island Serial Killer (LISK), also known as the Gilgo Beach Killer, is the nickname given to an unidentified individual (or possibly multiple individuals) responsible for the deaths of at least 10 women, with some estimates suggesting the number could be higher. The victims were primarily sex workers and young women who disappeared from the Long Island area, particularly around Gilgo Beach and other nearby locations. The case remains unsolved, despite numerous investigations over the years. The LISK is believed to have started killing in the early 1990s. The majority of the known victims were found between 2007 and 2010.

The bodies of many of the victims were discovered along or near Ocean Parkway, which leads to Gilgo Beach. Several were found wrapped in burlap sacks, a consistent feature of the case. Some victims had been dismembered.

LISK’s signature was the use of burlap sacks and the remote disposal of bodies in marshy, wooded areas are key aspects of the killer’s signature. The victims were often found in close proximity to each other, which suggests that the killer had an intimate knowledge of the area.

In December 2010, the remains of several women were discovered by police near Gilgo Beach during a search for Shannon Gilbert. This led to the identification of the initial victims, and the investigation into the Long Island Serial Killer began in earnest.

While several victims have been confirmed, it is believed that the Long Island Serial Killer may have had more victims whose bodies have not been discovered. Investigators believe that some remains could still be out there, waiting to be found.

A Long Island, New York man has been arrested and charged with the murders. He is currently in court. However, we are not naming the man at this time, since his trial is still on-going…….you know, guilty until proven guilty and whatnot.

Known Victims

1. Shannon Gilbert – 24 years old. Disappeared on May 1, 2010, Discovered on December 2010. Gilbert was a sex worker who disappeared after visiting a client’s home in Oak Beach, Long Island. Her body was not initially found with the other victims. She was last seen fleeing from a client's house in a panic. Her body was discovered in a nearby marsh. Though the circumstances of her death remain unclear, her case remains a part of the broader investigation into the serial killer.

2. Maureen Brainard-Barnes – 25 years old. Disappeared on July 9, 2007. Discovered on December 2010. Maureen was a sex worker who disappeared from the Bronx. She was later found in a burlap sack along Ocean Parkway, near Gilgo Beach. Her remains were discovered alongside the remains of several other women. Her body showed signs of strangulation, consistent with the other victims' causes of death.

3. Megan Waterman – Disappeared on June 6, 2010. Discovered on December 2010. Waterman was last seen in a motel room near the Long Island Expressway. Her body was found in the same area as Maureen Brainard-Barnes, wrapped in burlap. Waterman had been working as a sex worker and was in contact with a client shortly before she disappeared.

4. Amber Lynn Costello- Disappeared on September 2, 2010. Discovered on December 2010. Amber Lynn Costello, a sex worker from North Babylon. Her remains were found near the remains of the other three victims. Like the others, her death was attributed to strangulation.

5. Jessica Taylor – 20 years old. Disappeared in 2003 (the exact date is unknown). Discovered the same year. Jessica's remains were discovered near a highway in Manorville, Long Island, and were later linked to the Long Island Serial Killer. She had been dismembered, and her body parts were found scattered. Her death was determined to be a result of strangulation, and investigators believe she may have been one of the LISK's earlier victims.

6. Valerie Mack – 24 years old. Disappeared in 2000 (the exact date is unknown). Discovered the same year. Mack’s dismembered remains were discovered in 2000, but her body parts were not initially connected to the Long Island Serial Killer case. Her full body was discovered later, and in 2003, DNA testing confirmed her identity. Mack was a sex worker, and had been strangled like the others.

7. Barrett “Barbie” Bernard – Age is unknown. Her murder is estimated to be between 1997 – 2003. Barrett’s exact identity is unclear, but she is believed to have been one of the early victims of the Long Island Serial Killer. She was reportedly active in prostitution in the area at the time of her death.