A Long Island carpenter recently convicted of two murders may be connected to the unsolved Long Island Serial Killer case, says a prosecutor.

As CrimeOnline previously reported, John Bittrolff, 51, was convicted of double murder in July. He is now serving a 50-year prison sentence for the murders of Rita Tangredi, 31, who was found dead in 1993, and Colleen McNamee, 20, who was found killed in 1994. Both women were beaten so severely that brain tissue leaked from their skulls.

Both women were also believed to be prostitutes, as were the presumed victims of the Long Island Serial Killer who have been identified. Police searching for a missing escort came across the presumed killer or killers’ dumping ground near Gilgo Beach in Long Island in December 2010. After finding four bodies there along the Ocean Parkway shoulder, investigators continued searching and found additional sets of remains on the same barrier island and elsewhere on Long Island.

The partial set of remains of another presumed victim was found in Manorville, where Bittrolff lived until his arrest in 2014. Jessica Taylor, 20, was a known prostitute and her killer dismembered her remains. Her torso was found in 2003, shortly after she went missing.

Additional body parts, including the victim’s head, were found after the discovery of the Gilgo Beach grave, not far from site where the first four presumed victims were found.

According to the Daily News, Suffolk County Assistant District Attorney Robert Biancavilla said that Bittrolff could have a connection to the LISK murders, and that remains found near Gilgo Beach “may be attributed to the handiwork of Mr. Bittrolff.”

The A.D.A. did not specify which possible LISK victim Bittrolff may be connected to, but said that some of the remains found shared similarities to the remains of the women Bittrolff has been convicted of killing.

A spokesperson for the Suffolk County Police Department (SCPD) declined to comment on Biancavilla’s claim, the first time that someone from inside the Suffolk County District Attorney’s office has publicly named anyone in connection to the unsolved murders.

“The SCPD does not comment on ongoing homicide investigations,” the spokesperson said.

Feature photo: Suffolk County Police Department