In a long-awaited development, officials have finally identified one of the victims in the infamous Gilgo Beach murders, known as “Jane Doe Seven,” after 27 years since her partial remains were discovered. Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond A. Tierney made the announcement during a news briefing on Friday, revealing that Karen Vergata, 34, was identified through DNA genetic genealogy.
The Gilgo Beach killings, a haunting series of homicides, involved the discovery of eleven sets of human remains in or near Ocean Parkway on Long Island since 2010. While most of the remains have been identified, several victims have remained nameless until recent advancements in forensic technology.
The partial remains of Jane Doe Seven were found in Davis Park on Fire Island in 1996. DNA later linked these remains to another set of remains located along Ocean Parkway in Nassau County on April 11, 2011, as indicated by a Suffolk County police timeline of the case.
District Attorney Tierney stated that Vergata disappeared on February 14, 1996. She was living in Manhattan and was believed to be working as an escort at the time of her disappearance. Shockingly, no missing person complaint was filed when she went missing.
For years, the Gilgo Beach community had been on edge due to the discovery of multiple sex workers’ remains in the area. After over a decade of investigation, Rex Heuermann was arrested on July 13, charged with three counts of murder in connection with the deaths of Melissa Barthelemy, 24; Megan Waterman, 22; and Amber Lynn Costello, 27. He was also considered the prime suspect in the disappearance of Maureen Brainard-Barnes, 25, who vanished in 2007. These women were collectively referred to as the “Gilgo Four.”
The victims were all believed to be sex workers who had advertised their services on online platforms, according to the police. Rex Heuermann, a 59-year-old Manhattan architect, has pleaded not guilty to the charges and is currently being held without bail.
Prosecutors recently requested that Heuermann provide buccal samples to compare with DNA retrieved from the crime scenes, as investigators have already linked him to the case through DNA evidence found on discarded pizza allegedly tied to the crime. Heuermann’s defence attorney, Michael Brown, has maintained his client’s innocence and expressed their intention to go to trial.
The case remains a significant point of interest for the public, and the next pretrial conference hearing is scheduled for September 27. As the investigation progresses, authorities continue their efforts to seek justice for the victims and their families, hoping to bring closure to this heart-wrenching chapter in Long Island’s history.
