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'Unraveled: The Real Story of the Long Island Serial Killer': Release date, plot and all you need to know on Discovery+ crime special

It is a two-hour special podcast dedicated to one of the nation's most notorious cold cases, the Gilgo Beach murders

Just over a decade ago, Suffolk County police officer John Malia and his dog made the startling discovery of the skeletal remains of Melissa Barthelemy, a Craigslist escort on Gilgo Beach, Long Island. In the following days, the bodies of more sex workers were found and thus began the search for the Long Island Serial Killer (LISK), also known as the Gilgo Beach Killer or the Craigslist Ripper.

The search for the killer remains open and after years of investigation, the identity of the killer has not yet been uncovered. What makes the case murkier was that former Police Commissioner, James Burke, who allegedly blocked FBI involvement in the case, had been indicted for alleged police brutality and other issues — and is even a person of interest in the case.

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In January this year, a new podcast detailing the case was launched. In 'Unraveled', Alexis Linkletter and Billy Jensen investigate the investigation itself. Now, a companion special will e released on Discovery+ in March. Read on to know more about 'Unraveled: The Real Story of the Long Island Serial Killer'.

Release date

'Unraveled: The Real Story of the Long Island Serial Killer' will begin streaming on discovery+ on Tuesday, March 9.

Plot

The official synopsis reads: On May 1, 2010, a young sex worker named Shannon Gilbert went missing. In searching for her, Suffolk County uncovered 10 additional bodies, beginning an exhaustive and coordinated investigation assisted by the FBI. After Gilbert’s body was finally recovered on December 13, 2011, most stories of the Long Island Serial Killer end. This is where 'Unraveled' begins.

For Long Island natives Linkletter and Jensen, this is a personal journey. In 'Unraveled', the two shed a light on the tight-knit community that may be hiding the clues to the mystery, reveal witnesses that have been silenced, and expose the tangled web of corruption, sexual deviation, and the potential cover-up of the Long Island Serial Killer (LISK).

Just two days after the discovery of Gilbert’s body, James Burke was named chief of police. Burke immediately blew up the investigation, dismantling the team that had handled the case from the beginning, and mysteriously blocked the FBI from assisting in the case any further. After Burke was arrested on civil rights violation charges in 2016, new doubts were cast on the integrity of the LISK investigation, and the corruption within the police force was blown wide open.

Now, with exclusive interviews from those who worked on the investigation, both then and now, as well as an explosive interview with Christopher Loeb, the man who helped put Burke behind bars, 'Unraveled' explores how corruption within the Suffolk County PD could have severe implications on the investigation. And, perhaps most ominously, how Burke, the then chief of police, is shrouded in accusations of being tied to the deaths.

Producers

'Unraveled' is produced by Joke Productions with Joke Fincioen, Biagio Messina and Jeff Kuntz as executive producers, with Thomas Cutler and Tim Baney as executive producers for Discovery+.

Trailer

The trailer for the special is not available yet but keep watching this space for updates!

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