Who is Mary Ellen O’Toole? Former FBI profiler says detectives may be expecting 'more victims' in Gilgo Beach murders
LONG ISLAND, NEW YORK: Former FBI profiler Mary Ellen O’Toole claimed that since Rex Heuermann was apprehended on Thursday, July 13, detectives were probably acting under the assumption that there were more victims unaccounted for. Heuermann has been charged with three counts of first degree murder and three of second degree murder in connection with the deaths of Melissa Barthelemy, Megan Waterman and Amber Costello, per Fox News.
The tranquil neighborhood in the small hamlet of Massapequa Park, located north of Gilgo Beach, was devastated by a string of horrible crimes known as the Gilgo Beach murders. Altogether 10 women and a toddler were found murdered over the course of a decade, leaving society in fear. Authorities have reportedly made a breakthrough by detaining New York-based architect Heuermann.
Who is Mary Ellen O’Toole?
O'Toole was a senior profiler for the FBI. She spent her career researching criminal behavior. She was one of the FBI's most experienced profilers before retiring in 2009. She assisted in the capture of, interrogation and understanding some of the most notorious criminals as well as in the investigation of other infamous cases. She has profiled the Green River Killer Gary Ridgway and Unabomber Ted Kaczynski. She helped in the cases of the abduction of Polly Klaas, the Red Lake massacre and the Zodiac killer case as well.
O'Toole has worked on a number of other well-known cases as well, including the abduction of Elizabeth Smart, the search for Natalee Holloway and the Columbine shootings among others. Her 32-year career in law enforcement began as a criminal investigator with the San Francisco District Attorney's Office. She served as an FBI agent for 28 years, working majorly in the famed Behavioral Analysis Unit (BAU), which was the subject of the popular crime drama 'Criminal Minds'.
O'Toole gained experience in criminal investigative analysis and offender behavior while serving in the unit. She has helped cops and prosecutors solve a number of crimes including murders, kidnappings, sexual assaults, school shootings, bombings and arson attacks, and extortion. She has specialized knowledge in the fields of targeted school violence, workplace assault and threat assessment. The FBI regarded O'Toole as its top "psychopathy" expert.
O'Toole keeps giving lectures on psychopathy and interviewing at the FBI Academy. She has worked as an adjunct faculty member for the FBI's acclaimed Leadership Development Institute (LDI) at the FBI Academy and routinely gives talks about everything from Sherlock Holmes to personal safety at the Smithsonian Institution. She is a Fellow of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences and also a certified FBI hostage negotiator.
'There likely are more victims out there'
In reference to the Gilgo Beach murders suspect Heuermann, O'Toole told Fox News that investigators were "probably operating off of the theory that there likely are more victims out there." She said, "So now they're going back and they're looking at cases that have been described as unsolved over the years and moving outside of New York State and New York as well."
O'toole further said, "It's more likely these serial sexual killers start to act out, if they're going to, they start to act out in their early to mid-twenties. So they're going to go back in time and they're going to timeline him. They'll go back to when he was in college and go back beyond."
