The search for answers

It all started with a frantic 911 call in the dead of night on May 1, 2010. Shannan Gilbert, a 23-year-old escort, told dispatchers, “These people are trying to kill me.” That call sparked an exhaustive K-9 search near Gilgo Beach on Long Island, but police didn’t find Shannan. Instead, they uncovered the remains of four other women: Maureen Brainard-Barnes, Melissa Barthelemy, Megan Waterman, and Amber Costello.

Known as the “Gilgo Four,” these women were all in their 20s, petite, and working as online escorts. Three were discovered wrapped in burlap, similar to material found in hunting shops. The case, which has been reported on for years, left families devastated and searching for justice.

The victims' stories

Maureen Brainard-Barnes was the first to vanish in July 2007. Her sister, Missy Cann, remembers Maureen calling from Penn Station just before she disappeared. Later, someone used Maureen’s phone from Long Island, a detail that became a crucial breadcrumb for investigators.

In July 2009, 24-year-old Melissa Barthelemy went missing from Manhattan. Her younger sister, Amanda, actually received calls from Melissa’s phone shortly after, from a man who taunted her, saying, “I killed Melissa.” Police traced those calls to midtown Manhattan, believing it was the killer’s first major mistake.

By June 2010, Megan Waterman—a devoted mother—disappeared after being seen on surveillance video at a hotel. Cellphone records tracked her to Massapequa Park. Amber Costello, the final victim of the four, was small but "tormented," according to her roommate Dave Schaller. Schaller recalled a persistent client who offered Amber significantly more money than her usual rate. He noted that the man, who he described as looking like an "ogre," managed to get Amber to leave her purse and phone behind—something she never did. Schaller watched her walk to the client's car that midnight, and he never saw her again.

Why it matters

For years, these families lived in the dark, wondering what happened to their loved ones. The case highlights the vulnerability of people in the sex work industry and the chilling reality of how a series of small, overlooked clues—like a missing phone or a suspicious client description—eventually pointed investigators toward a prime suspect.