CNN —
Authorities in New York have revealed the identity of a woman whose remains were found during the investigation into the suspected Gilgo Beach serial killer. Karen Vergata, a 34-year-old escort from Manhattan, who went missing in 1996, is the murder victim known as “Fire Island Jane Doe,” according to Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney.
Tierney did not directly link alleged killer Rex Heuermann to Vergata’s death in his announcement. He also refrained from commenting on any potential suspects, citing the ongoing confidential investigation.
No charges have been filed at this time, and investigators will continue their work on the case, stated Tierney.
Tierney emphasized the importance of remembering and honoring not just Ms. Vergata, but all the victims on Gilgo Beach.
Vergata’s remains were discovered among nearly a dozen sets of human remains found along Ocean Parkway on the South Shore of Long Island between 2010 and 2011. This includes the four women known as the “Gilgo Four.”
It was revealed that no missing persons complaint was filed when Vergata went missing, according to Tierney.
The long-standing murder mystery on suburban Long Island remained unsolved for over a decade until a breakthrough came last month. DNA recovered from a discarded pizza crust led to the alleged killer, Rex Heuermann, who is a New York City architect and is now facing charges relating to the Gilgo Four murders.
Heuermann was identified as a potential suspect in early 2022 after a task force was formed to investigate the cold cases. He is now being charged with three counts of first-degree murder in the deaths of Melissa Barthelemy in 2009 and Megan Waterman and Amber Costello in 2010, as confirmed by Suffolk County prosecutors.
He is also considered the prime suspect in the 2007 disappearance and death of a fourth woman, Maureen Brainard-Barnes, according to court documents. However, he has not been charged in connection with that particular case.
Heuermann has denied the charges against him through his attorney, Michael Brown.
After Vergata’s initial remains, consisting of feet and legs, were found in 1996, additional remains, a skull, were discovered in 2011 during the Gilgo Beach investigation. Through DNA analysis, authorities confirmed that both sets of remains belonged to the same person.
In 2022, a DNA profile suitable for genealogical comparison was developed from the remains, which led to the identification of Vergata through genealogy review. A relative’s DNA swab was then used to confirm Vergata as the victim.
Investigators suspect that the killings of the Gilgo Four may have taken place in Heuermann’s home, as the victims were also escorts. Heuermann resided less than 6 miles from where the remains were discovered.
The case has gained significant attention through a bestselling nonfiction book and a Netflix drama. It originated from the search for another missing woman in 2010, which ultimately led to the discovery of multiple sets of human remains. By the time the remains of the missing woman, Shannan Gilbert, were found a year later,
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