Previously unidentified victim of Gilgo Beach murders to be identified
Police in Long Island announced Friday they will release the identity of a previously unidentified victim of the unsolved Gilgo Beach murders.
The Suffolk County Police Department said in a statement they had positively identified the “Manorville Jane Doe,” also referred to as “Jane Doe #6," whose remains were located in Manorville in 2000 and Gilgo Beach in 2011.
It was not immediately clear when they would make the announcement, but police told ABC News it was "unlikely" anything would be released Friday or Saturday.
The Gilgo Beach murders have long been shrouded in mystery.
In 2010 and 2011, the remains of 10 people were discovered in Gilgo Beach in weedy sections of Ocean Parkway near Jones Beach. Five of the victims had not yet been identified until the announcement Friday.
A suspect has not been caught; however, police previously told ABC News they are working under the assumption that a serial killer is to blame in some, if not all, of the killings.
Police made the grisly discover while searching for a missing sex worker, Shannan Gilbert. Her body was eventually found in December 2011 in nearby Oak Beach, which is also along Ocean Parkway. Police do not believe her death is tied to the others because she "doesn't match the pattern of the Gilgo Beach homicides," but have also said that her death is part of the active investigation into the Gilgo Beach murders.
In January, police released what they called a "significant piece of evidence" involving the murders. The evidence was a photograph of a black leather belt embossed with the letters "WH" or "HM," depending on how it's held.
Suffolk County Police Commissioner Geraldine Hart said at a press conference she believed the suspect in the murders "handled" the belt, but would not elaborate.
A website was also launched for the case, gilgonews.com, to provide updates and collect tips.
The identification of Jane Doe #6 was made using DNA technology, according to police.
