Who is John Mallia? How a seasoned cop and a mom seeking answers helped revive Gilgo Beach murders case
LONG ISLAND, NEW YORK: For more than a decade, the unsettling discovery of 11 human remains near Gilgo Beach caused panic on the streets of Long Island. Despite an extensive investigation, the chilling case remained static until Thursday, July 13, when a 59-year-old Manhattan architect was arrested in connection to the deaths, called the Gilgo Beach murders. The remains of four escorts were found on the Long Island beach in December 2010.
Rex Heuermann was arrested from his Manhattan office and was later charged with three counts of first-degree murder and three of second degree murder in the deaths of Melissa Barthelemy, Megan Waterman and Amber Costello. He has also been named a prime suspect in the death of a fourth victim, Maureen Brainard-Barnes, but authorities have not formally accused him in the case because of missing cell phone records. New court documents revealed that police traced Heuremann with the help of a burner phone that he used to contact the alleged victims. Another important piece of evidence that linked him to the murders was a piece of his hair that was allegedly found at the bottom of a burlap bag used in wrapping Waterman’s body.
Who is John Mallia?
The investigation into the Gilgo Beach murders picked up steam after December 2010 when a veteran Suffolk County Police Department officer, John Mallia, and his search dog, Blue, came across “a set of human remains." The remains were identified as those of 24-year-old Barthelemy, who was last seen alive in July 2009. Days later, bodies of Waterman, 22, Costello, 27, and Brainard-Barnes, 25, were discovered, wrapped in burlap bags. Brainard-Barnes was the first woman to be reported missing by her friends in July 2007.
Earlier, it was reported that Mallia was searching for the body of 23-year-old Shannan Gilbert when he discovered other victims’ remains and revived the investigation. Gilbert, an escort from New Jersey, was also found dead on Gilgo Beach after being reported missing in May 2010. Authorities noted that Gilbert made a 22-minute long 911 call on May 1, 2010, at 4.51 am shortly after she finished a date with a customer named John Brewer in Oak Beach on Long Island. The long frantic call was followed by two even shorter calls to the dispatcher for help. Brewer acknowledged seeing Gilbert that evening, but according to authorities, he was not connected to her death, according to NBC News.
Melissa Barthelemy, Amber Costello, Megan Waterman, Maureen Brainard-Barnes, Jessica Taylor, Valerie Mack - whose identities are known & suspected victims of the Long Island Serial Killer. This is an incredible day for their families. #longislandserialkiller #lisk #longisland pic.twitter.com/MPiMY6YgJ0
— Crime of the Truest Kind Podcast (@TruestKind) July 14, 2023
How did Mari Gilbert revive the investigation?
For many years, Investigators believed that Gilbert was not a victim of a crime despite many an autopsy, claiming that she could have been strangled. Most recently, Suffolk County officials noted that Gilbert was the victim of a “tragic accident” and may have been using drugs or succumbed to the elements after she reached the beach and became disoriented. However, Mari, Gillbert's mother, never accepted these arguments and persisted in her efforts to secure justice for her daughter. Mari’s struggles to keep the investigation alive even inspired the 2020 Netflix movie, 'Lost Girls'. She died in 2016 before the mystery behind her daughter's case was solved.
