NEW YORK (1010 WINS/WCBS 880) – Police, state troopers, and K-9 units are conducting an ongoing investigation in a wooded area on Long Island believed to be linked to the Gilgo Beach murders, according to sources.
“The Suffolk County Police Department, the New York Police Department and the New York State Police are working with the District Attorney's Office on an ongoing investigation,”the office of Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney said in a statement. “We do not comment on investigative steps while they are underway. We will make further statements when appropriate.”
The Suffolk County District Attorney's Office did not provide further details, but a source familiar with the investigation confirmed that the search is connected to the Gilgo Beach murder investigations.
A search has been ongoing in a wooded area off Wading River Manor Road in Manorville. Police dogs were also deployed in a different section of the woods off Ryerson Avenue near the Maples bar.
Rex Heuermann, 60, the main suspect in the Gilgo Beach murder, has remained jailed in Riverhead since his arrest last July outside his Midtown architectural consultant firm. He has maintained his innocence after being charged with the murders of four women—known as the “Gilgo Four”—whose remains were found along Ocean Parkway near Gilgo Beach in 2010 and 2011.
Local residents expressed support for the authorities' efforts to solve the long-standing case. "I guess they have to do something in order to complete the task,” One resident told WCBS 880. “It’s a sad thing.”
Hopes remain high within the community that the search efforts will get some findings. “Better late than never. Hopefully they'll find something," said one local.
Investigators are committed to continuing the search in the area through the weekend.