New York officials released forensic sketches and flyers Monday to help identify a potential new victim in the Gilgo Beach serial killings, seeking leads in the nearly 20-year-old case.
The remains, known as “Asian Doe,” were discovered in 2011 near the bodies of at least 10 others close to Gilgo Beach on Long Island, NBC News reports.
At a news conference Monday, Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney said “Asian Doe” may have been a sex worker, like most of the identified victims found nearby.
Police described “Asian Doe” as a biological male of Asian descent, found wearing women’s clothing. The new forensic sketches show facial reconstructions of the victim as both male and female, as it’s unclear what Doe identified as, at the tine of death.
“Asian Doe” is believed to be of Southern Chinese descent, standing between 5 feet, 3 inches and 3 feet, 9 inches tall. They were between 17 and 23 years old at the time of death, and died from blunt force trauma at least five years before being found in 2011
“Prior to 2006, this person had friends, possible classmates or co-workers and a family,” Tierney said. “Someone knows this individual and we need that person or persons to contact us.”
As CrimeOnline previously reported, police arrested Manhattan architect Rex Heuermann on July 13 last year, for the deaths of three of the four women known collectively as the “Gilgo Four.” The bodies were found within days of each other on Gilgo Beach in December 2010.
Heuermann has been charged with murder in the deaths of Melissa Barthelemy, 24; Megan Waterman, 22; and Amber Lynn Costello, 27; and is the prime suspect in the death of 25-year-old Maureen Brainard-Barnes.
He’s now facing two additional murder charges for the deaths of Sandra Costilla and Jessica Taylor.
CNN reports that when asked if Heuermann was a suspect in the unidentified victim’s death, Tierney said the body was discovered along the same stretch of Ocean Parkway where victims Megan Waterman and Jessica Taylor were found.
“I think it was about 300 or so feet from Megan Waterman in that same stretch of the parkway. So it was between Megan Waterman and Jessica Taylor,” Tierney said.
“Each one of these victims, it’s a separate crime scene. Start from that separate crime scene and you work your way up, which we’re doing. It’s all nice to speculate, but it basically doesn’t matter until you can bring charges, and we’re certainly not at that stage.”
Crime Stoppers is currently offering $2,500 reward for information that leads to Asian Doe’s identification.
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[Feature Photo: Asian Doe/NCMEC]
