OAK BEACH, N.Y. (WCBS 880) — Previously unreleased surveillance footage and photo evidence was made public Tuesday while the Suffolk County Police Department doubled the reward in hopes of solving the infamous Gilgo Beach serial killer case.
Suffolk County Police Commissioner Rodney Harrison at a press conference announced the release of surveillance video showing one of the victims, Megan Waterman, at a hotel on Long Island right before her murder in June 2010.
"The video shows several different angles from security cameras located in the lobby of the Holiday Inn Express located in Hauppauge which were recorded on June 4 to June 6 in 2010," Harrison said. "Based on what we know right now, we believe she did leave the hotel that night to meet her killer."
Authorities discovered the remains of Waterman, a 22-year-old Craigslist escort from Maine, in an isolated area of Gilgo Beach in December 2010 during a search for Shannan Gilbert, of Jersey City, who disappeared after working as an escort in Oak Beach.
During the search effort, officers discovered the body of the first victim on Dec. 11, 2010. The remains of three more victims were discovered just two days later. Over the next several months, the bodies of the remaining victims, including an unidentified female toddler, were discovered. Gilbert's remains were located on Dec. 13, 2011.
The cold case involves 11 victims whose remains were discovered near Gilgo Beach off Ocean Parkway between 2010 and 2011.
No arrests have been made in the case.
Harrison has vowed to make solving the case a top priority.
"I can only share my vision on being transparent going into the future regarding this case," Harrison said. "During my timeframe in NYPD we always went to get videos out just to hopefully jar somebody's memory that can give us some information that can help lead us in the right direction in the investigation."
Harrison on Tuesday also announced the Crime Stoppers reward is doubling to $50,000 for information that leads to an arrest and conviction in the case. It's the largest reward in the Suffolk County Police Department's history.
"Please, anybody has any information, minor tips or major tips, please share it," Harrison said.
The department has also revamped the GilgoNews.com website so investigators can effectively release more information to the public in a timely manner, according to Harrison.
Tips can be submitted to the website or by calling Crime Stoppers at 1-800-220-TIPS.
Earlier this year, Harrison announced the formation of the multi-agency Gilgo Beach Homicide Investigation Task Force comprised of investigators from the FBI, New York State Police, Suffolk County Police Department Homicide Squad, Suffolk County District Attorney's Office and the Suffolk County Sheriff's Office.
Members of the task force will work to retrace the steps of the victims prior to their deaths, focus on identifying the remaining victims, continue to use new scientific techniques to advance the investigation and review all of the evidence gathered throughout the years in an effort to find the person responsible for the murders.
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