New Long Island Serial Killer...

We have a new serial killer here in Long island, New York. Bodies are being found in Nassau and Suffolk counties, in fact, with the four recently discovered, it brings the total up to 8, in the same proximity to each other. Police are combing the area fearful that they may find yet another set of bodies, “clusters of four” they are calling them. The first four were found in December, the second four were discovered in the past two weeks.

The one thing connecting the victims seems to be that they were all young women who went missing after advertising as prostitutes on Craigslist. This common denominator has resulted in the killer being dubbed the “Craigslist Killer.“ Police are scouring the area where the bodies were found for physical evidence, but they are really hoping someone will call in with a tip that will give them a lead. Right now they are checking cell phone records of the victims to see if there is anything there that ties them all together. The investigators speculate that the killer or killers live in the area and are very familiar with it.

Investigators are working on a profile of the killer. What is alarming is that they suspect it may be an ex-police officer or someone in law enforcement. They feel the killer may have some knowledge of law enforcement procedures and techniques based on their study of the murder sites. One clue that they are basing this speculation on is that the killer made several spiteful phone calls to the victims’ families which were placed from places where the calls could not be traced by police, such as Penn Station. The areas are also very crowded so that viewing film in security cameras would not be helpful in picking out the killer. The killer always stays on the phone under 3 minutes, maybe knowing that it takes 3 to 5 minutes to trace a call by police. (I have to say, even I know that from watching television and movies). Most of the calls have been a male’s voice. Serial killers of this type have above average intelligence and are very social people. Probably someone no one would suspect of ever being involved in such crimes.

This whole investigation started when a 24 year old woman, Shannon Gilbert, disappeared last May. Police were searching for her and found the first four bodies. None of the 8 bodies found to date were Gilbert’s.

Serial killers are terrifying and yet fascinating. Whether you read about them in fiction or nonfiction, there is something about them that pulls you in. How can a human being get satisfaction from killing another human being? The more they do it, the easier it gets and sometimes the more they need to do it. If they ever catch this one, I am sure it will become a book and a movie.

I just hope they catch him soon because this one hits just too close to home!