In a significant breakthrough in the Long Island Gilgo Beach murder investigation, law enforcement officials have officially identified a previously unidentified victim. The victim, formerly known as Fire Island Jane Doe No. 7, has been identified as Karen Vergata, a 34-year-old woman. The revelation came during a press conference held by Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond A. Tierney and the Gilgo Beach Investigative Taskforce on Friday morning, August 4.
Karen Vergata had been reported missing on February 14, 1996, and was believed to have been residing in Manhattan at the time of her disappearance. Sources close to the investigation suggest that she may have been working as an escort. While her connection to the suspected serial killer Rex Heuermann, 59, of Massapequa Park, remains uncertain, Heuermann is currently facing charges related to the murders of three out of the ten women discovered on Gilgo Beach, along Suffolk County's southern shoreline.
Rex Heuermann has also emerged as the prime suspect in the murder of another victim, Maureen Brainard-Barnes, who vanished in 2007. Sources informed ABC News that a resolution to the Brainard-Barnes case is anticipated in the near future.
Heuermann, an architect with an office on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan and a father of two, was taken into custody on Thursday, July 13, in connection with the murders of Megan Barthelemy, Megan Waterman, and Amber Costello. The remains of these women were uncovered on the south shore of Long Island during a police K9 training session in December 2010, exposing a series of interconnected crimes that became known as the Gilgo Beach murders.
The investigation has unveiled that the victims vanished between the years 2007 and 2010, with their remains discovered on Long Island in 2010, according to Suffolk County Police.
In a parallel development, authorities revealed that a belt recovered from the Gilgo Beach crime scene, bearing the initials "WH" or "HM," was employed in the binding of Maureen Brainard-Barnes. Notably, these initials correspond to the name of Heuermann's father.
This case remains fluid and is subject to further updates. As investigators continue to piece together the details, the Long Island community and the nation at large are gripped by the ongoing revelations in this chilling saga. Stay tuned for more updates on this evolving story, only on LongIsland.com.