In May 2010, Shannan Gilbert, a 23-year-old woman from Long Island, called 911, saying people were after her. She disappeared shortly after. Months later, in December 2010, police discovered human remains near Gilgo Beach, which were later identified as four women—Maureen Brainard-Barnes, Amber Costello, Megan Waterman, and Melissa Barthelemy. These women, now known as the Gilgo Four, were all in their 20s, petite in stature, and had worked as online escorts. Brainard-Barnes had disappeared in July 2007, while Barthelemy vanished in July 2009. Waterman disappeared in June 2010, and Costello in September 2010. Following Barthelemy's disappearance, her sister received threatening phone calls from a man using Melissa's cellphone, who claimed to have killed her. Waterman's disappearance was linked to a disposable phone, and her last known location was a Holiday Inn Express in Hauppauge, Long Island. Costello's roommate described one of her clients as an "ogre" driving a first-generation Chevrolet Avalanche and offering her $1,500 for a single night. By May 2011, six more sets of remains were found, bringing the total number of bodies discovered near Gilgo Beach to 10, including the four from the Gilgo Four. However, it was unclear whether the same person was responsible for all the deaths. In December 2011, Shannan Gilbert's remains were found, but police believed she had drowned accidentally. In February 2022, a new task force was formed to investigate the case, leading to the identification of Rex Heuermann as a suspect. Investigators connected Heuermann to the victims through cellphone records, the use of burner phones, and a DNA match from a pizza crust found in a trash can to a hair found with Waterman's body. Heuermann was arrested in July 2023 and charged with the murders of Barthelemy, Waterman, and Costello. He was also considered the prime suspect in Brainard-Barnes' death. In 2024, Heuermann was charged with the 1993 murder of Sandra Costilla and the 2003 murder of Jessica Taylor. That same year, he was also charged with the 2000 murder of Valerie Mack. In April 2026, Heuermann pleaded guilty to seven counts of murder, including the deaths of Barthelemy, Waterman, Costello, Brainard-Barnes, Taylor, Mack, and Costilla. He admitted guilt in the killing of an eighth victim, Karen Vergata, and was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.