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Authorities in New York and New Jersey find no connection to Atlantic City murders

BY ALICIA CRUZ

NEWJERSEYNEWSROOM.COM

Atlantic City investigators have said that the 2006 discovery of four prostitutes in Egg Harbor Township do not appear to be connected to the eight murders on New York's Long Island Barrier beach, which are believed to be the work of a serial killer.

At a Tuesday afternoon news conference, Suffolk County Police Commissioner Richard Dormer said that his office contacted New Jersey investigators to determine a connection between the Atlantic City and Long Island murders, but so far, that does not seem to be the case, wirelink.com reported. According to Atlantic County Prosecutor Theodore Housel, the investigation into the Egg Harbor Township murders remains open, NJ.com reported.

A search for Jersey City online escort, Shannan Gilbert, who was reportedly headed to meet a client from Craigslist on Fire Island led investigators to find the first four bodies in December. None of the remains belonged to Gilbert, missing since May 1, 2010.

Dr. Charles Hackett, the former head of the Suffolk County Emergency Medical Services and a former police surgeon, was one of the last people believed to have seen Gilbert alive, WABC reported. Hackett, an Oak Beach resident is not a suspect and has been cooperative with police according to Dormer.

Another Oak Beach man, Joseph Brewer, who officials said knew Gilbert from Craigslist, had his Oak Beach home searched and car seized during the investigation, CBS News reported. He also has not been identified as a suspect in Gilbert’s disappearance.

ABC News reported that New York investigators have said evidence suggests that a former cop or someone familiar with police procedures may be responsible for the Long Island escort murders. In addition to taunting phone calls made to a relative of one victim, the area where the bodies were found indicates that the killer is familiar with the area.