Gilgo Beach Serial Killings: Police Reveal Clue Handled by Suspect

Eventually, police linked four of the bodies to one serial killer, whom they could not find. Years passed, and the case remained a mystery.

Then, Thursday, investigators at a news conference showed a photograph of what they said was a significant piece of evidence collected “at the initial stage” of the investigation: a black leather belt, embossed with a pair of letters about 1 inch tall.

Investigators believe it spells out the initials “W H” or “H M.”

“We do believe this item was handled by the suspect,” Geraldine Hart, the Suffolk County police commissioner, said at the news conference at Suffolk County Police Department headquarters. She declined to say whether the belt was used as a murder weapon.

Additionally, police have created a new website where the public can obtain information and leave tips about the case, Hart said.

The announcement led reporters to ask: Why now publicize a long-held piece of evidence?

Hart said, in part, “We have decided now to leverage social media.”

For years, the bodies discovered near Gilgo Beach, which is on Long Island’s South Shore, about 40 miles from midtown Manhattan, shocked residents and defied explanation.

The macabre drama began to unfold in May 2010, when Shannan Gilbert, a 24-year-old aspiring actress from Jersey City, New Jersey, who worked as a prostitute, was reported missing on Long Island.

While searching for Gilbert, police discovered four other bodies in December of that year, between Cedar Beach and Gilgo Beach on the north end of Jones Beach Island.

This prompted a wider police search, eventually leading to the discovery of more remains. Ultimately, nine women (including Gilbert), a man and a toddler were discovered in the area. Investigators have said they believe a serial killer was responsible for several of those deaths — all of them women who had worked as prostitutes.

Gilbert’s remains were found in December 2011, but investigators have said they do not believe her death is linked to the serial killer. Gilbert’s family has disagreed with the assessment and have demanded the release of more evidence from the case, including 911 recordings.

Hart, the police commissioner, said at the news conference that Gilbert’s case “does not match the pattern of the Gilgo Beach homicides,” but she had not ruled a connection.

This article originally appeared in The New York Times .