Right now, authorities in New York are giving an update
on the Gilgo Beach murder investigation. Let's lis
in live of what has formerly been known as Fire Isl
Jane Doe. On April 2019 96 female remains consisting of
legs and feet were found on the Bayside shore of Fire
Island about a mile west of Davis Park Beach. Then
approximately 15 years later on April 11, 2011,
additional remains consisting of a skull were
discovered at to Bay Beach in Nassau County. Those
remain that skull was found following the discovery o
the remains of Jessica Taylor and the skull was found
on the same day as the remains of what is commonly com
to be referred to as peaches was found on Jones Beac
Thereafter, in July of 2011, the Suffolk County crime
lab linked the two sets of remains via DNA analysis.
And by that, I mean, the legs that were found in the
vicinity of Davis Park were compared with the remains
found at to Bay Beach and it was determined that it was
the same person since 2011. That victim was known by
various names including fire Island, Jane Doe. Today we
are here to announce that as part of the Gilgo task
force re examination of all the evidence in the case,
we were able to identify Fire Island Jane Doe as Karen
Verda, who was 34 years old at the time of her
disappearance. I believe we hav a picture of MS Verda.
I think it's important that we remember and honor. Not
only Miss Brigada but all the victims on Gilgo Beach.
MS Brigada went missing at approximately February 14,
1996. At the time she lived on West 45th street in
Manhattan and was believed to be working as an escort
at the time of her disappearance. There was no mis
person's complaint filed at the time of that
disappearance in August of 2022. Approximately six
months after we formed this Gilgo task force, a DNA
profile suitable for genealogical comparison was
developed from the remains of Karen Verda in September
of 2022. The FBI was able was able via a genetic
genealogy review to identify MS Vergara presumptive
as Fire Island Jane Doe. Thereafter in October of 2022
using a book from a relative of Karen Verga. We wer
able to definitively identify her prior to disclosing
this information. Of course, we needed to contact all
of mga's family members. And additionally, at around
the same time, we were beginning our, our grand jury
confidential investigation into has been known as
the Gilgo four. That is the murders of Maureen Brainer
Barnes, Melissa Bartholomew and Amber Costello. So we
decided we were not going to make any public comment at
this time. However, since that the results of that
investigation have become publi and we have made the
necessary notifications to MS Vergara's family. We can
make this important announcemen Now, I just want to
thank in particular special agent Laurie Laurie
Giordano from the FBI. In her work with the familial
DNA. She worked in conjunction with our Suffolk Co
crime lab, Don Dollar of the Suffolk County crime lab.
His team in coordination with the Suffolk County Police
Department's homicide unit. So want to thank them in
particular for all of their work. Of course, I want to
thank our task force members. Suffolk County Sheriff
Errol Toulin Asac Spencer Horn from the FBI. I want to
thank the New York State Police. Suffolk County Po
Department, Rodney Harrison, wh could make it here on
San Roan is here in his place instead. But I want to
thank them for not only their work on this case but for
all their work in the task force going forward. It's
important to note that there are no charges at this
time, Miss Vergara's disappeara was in 1996 which is
27 years ago. We are going to continue to work this
particular case as we did the Gilgo for investigation
We're going to have no comment on what if any suspects
we developed at this time. This is a confidential
investigation. So I'm not going to be taking any
questions, but our investigation is continuing and
thank you all very much. No questions if you want to
talk about something regarding the Gilgo four. All
right. So there you go. You've been listening to
officials in Suffolk County, New York recapping some of
the developments they've had there in the investigation
into several bodies that were found more than 15 years
ago now around on Long Island, around Gilgo Beach area
and some of them have now been tied to a common suspect,
a suspected serial killer by the name of Rex Herman who
has been detained. And they did not, they did not link
this new newly identified woman to him, but they did,
they did identify her as Karen Verga. They, they found
her body in pieces disgustingly in 1996 and more of her
remains in 2011. She was workin as a sex worker at the
time. They say which would be consistent with the other
women who were targeted, allegedly targeted by Rex
Herman. And it sounds like they were found on different
beaches in different areas, the different body parts.
So it's been a long time coming for them and that's
kind of what he was talking about in that press
conference.