While investigators were searching for Shannan, theyultimately discovered the bodies of four women along Ocean Parkway. rtache I feel everyday for you & mom. No one would give her a job," said Cann. Her mother, Mari, and sister, Sherre, were desperately trying to hold onto hope. Suffolk County Crime Stoppers is offering a reward of up to $25,000 for information leading to an arrest in the Long Island serial killer case. Moriarty asked Sarra. Pak told Colletti he was looking for Shannan. "Sarra is, from all the evidence, clearly not responsible for what shes done," Newsday quoted Ray saying in 2016. Shannan's body was found about three miles east from the others and detectives have speculated that her death was accidental. ", Oddly, despite working closely with Mari on Shannan's disappearance, Ray also claimed Sarra's belief that Mari was demonic was partly based in truth. Every product was carefully curated by an Esquire editor. It worked. In December of 2010, then-Suffolk County Police Commissioner Richard Dormer downplayed it, but there was little doubt about what his department was confronting. By clicking Accept All Cookies, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. "He may have looked for her as he was driving out the gate but he certainly was nowhere to be found when officers responded and arrived.". "It almost seems like she's in some type of psychotic state or in some type of drug-induced stupor.". With Shannan Gilbert's disappearance and the discovery of four other bodies, all escorts, attention focused on a profession that has always operated in the shadows. Mari was alive and kicking. Theres no proof that he even saw her that night, but he did call Mari, Kolker toldOxygen.com. But before her body was found, multiple other womens bodies were found on Ocean Parkway between Gilgo and Oak Beach and authorities began to suspect a serial killer had been at work in the area. Girl, 11, Was Killed After Wandering Away from Her Mother in 1988, Suspect ID'd as Former Officer, Denver Police Say Man Who Killed Cop 40 Years Ago Is Also Responsible for 4 Women's Murders, Suspected N.M. Though county officials theorized that she had wandered into the marsh and drowned, an independent autopsy sought by Gilberts family found that Shannan may 'Lost Girls': What Happened To Dr. Peter Hackett? Lost Girls, a new Netflix movie helmed by Emmy-winning documentary director Liz Garbus, tells the true story of the deaths of Shannan Gilbert and several victims of the Gilgo Beach murders. But he went on to say that "at no time did I suggest I had ever met her or render medical care of any sort to her.". Hackett denied any contact with Shannan and denied providing any medical treatment. "I feel like now that they found her body that is kinda pretty much it for the investigation. What did you hear? By 2011, as many as 10 human remains many of whom were believed to be sex workers had been discovered in the area, launching the still-unsolved search for what some have called the Long Island Serial Killer, according to theAssociated Press. "Do you believe that this killer or killers will eventually be caught?" Dr. Michael M. Baden conducted the autopsy and said she might have been murdered. Do you, This was definitely in IL because we are friends with, Hi. In 2016, Mari Gilbert was found dead in her daughter Sarra Gilberts apartment in Ellenville, CBS New York reported. "If he's lying about something so simple about calling me," Mari Gilbert said, "then what else is he lying about?". The story of her life is very horrible. Mari fought tirelessly to bring justice for her daughter Shannan, from Shannan's death sadly until her own death at the hands of her And he's gonna make a mistake. Sarra was arrested at the scene with blood on her clothing. "Immediately, I started to panic," she said. Attorney John Ray told CBS that Sarra invited Mari to her home and in the living room, she was knifed to death.. Police have said that they do not consider Hackett a suspect in the killings,according toThe Long Island Press. She believed the voices in her head were caused by her mom. Sarra was arrested at the scene with blood on her clothing. Moriarty asked. Mari Gilbert was an American Activist who had a very tragic life. "And the killer said some pretty horrible things to Amanda," Cohen told Moriarty. That's what was odd. "Which told me the second chapter of Mari's story. And that happened for three days consecutively.". She drowned her pet dog, and lost custody of her son, who entered her mothers care. Mari Gilbert was an American activist and advocate for her late daughter, Shannan Gilbert, a 23-year-old aspiring author working as an escort who may have been murdered by the Long Island serial killer. The caller always hung up before he could be identified. starring Amy Ryan as the desperate mother who casts suspicion on Hackett (played by Reed Birney). All this stuff about a rehab or something I don't have a rehab, I don't do rehab. "She absolutely hated it". Stevie also said that her sister Sarra had tormented and belittled her mom for years, In Touch Weekly reported. On May 1, she disappeared near Gilgo Beach after making a frantic phone call to police while seeing a customer. "If she had abandoned her shoes and she was walking barefoot through this, it would seem almost impossible for her without cutting up her feet very badly on the broken reeds," he explained. It was hard to breathe," said Cann. "When I tried to tell my story to the police and to the media no one believed me," said Mari. "I didn't know it would be only once.". On Dec. 13, 2010, Maureen's body was found alongside the others. Moriarty asked. "We went to all the houses around the area to, like, knock on their doors and just say, 'Hey listen, did you see my sister?'" By 2010, Shannan was an aspiring actor who lived in Jersey City and worked as an escort. On Thursday, Suffolk County police Mari says during that phone call on May 3, Dr. Hackett told her that Shannan had left his house with her driver and that he was worried about her. Mari Gilbert never stopped fighting for the truth about how her daughterwho was a sex workerdied, drawing attention to the lower priority authorities placed on solving crimes against sex workers, the investigation Kolker wrote about suggests. And I yelled to him to stop. In addition, she was portrayed by Amy Ryan. She refused, but Megan, who usually had someone accompany her on calls, let down her guard and went out into the night alone. Shannan was last seen running on the streetsof Oak Beach after leaving her client Joseph Brewers home. But soon after Maris death, daughter Sherre apparently posted on Facebook about the news, according to screenshots obtained by PEOPLE. He claimed he was with the NYPD and wanted to know if she had filed a missing persons report. A week later, a quarter-of-a-mile away from her belongings, they found Shannan's skeletal remains nearly intact, face down. And when Mari Gilbert confronted him with a friend's camera rolling, he denied it again: Mari Gilbert [Cell phone video]: Firsthand what happened? "My sister had other dreams, you know. This was how the police first learned of the existence of the infamous Long Island Serial Killer. Follow the links to read about more murders profiled on ID this week. The truth is all these women are victims.. Would love your thoughts, please comment. "It's possible. It was now 5:21 am. Ellenville police arrested Gilbert at the scene and said they recovered a 15-inch kitchen knife they believe was used in the attack. "I just did not want to believe that she wasn't ever gonna come home," said Mari. "I was so moved by Mari's story," Garbus tells OprahMag.com. 2013 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. Lawenforcement sources have said in the past that Shannan allegedly told the dispatcher theyre trying to kill me, during the call,Fox Newsreports. (The) last time I talked to him, it was seven years ago at least, and he was saying that he was basically unemployable, Kolker toldOxygen.com. Despite her well-documented history of severe mental illness and the fact that Sarra had gone off of her medication before the murder, Sarra was found guilty of murder in 2017 and sentenced to 25 years imprisonment. All of a sudden, I heard screaming out here and banging on that door. They cant eat. Sarra is held without bail and is set for a preliminary hearing in court on Tuesday. he replied. It didnt take this long. "I knew I wasn't going to look, walk, and sound exactly like Mari, but there was an essence, or a gesture that I was hoping to pick up," Ryan adds. Dr. PeterHackettbecame linked to the case of Shannan Gilbert after he called her mother, Mari Gilbert, after Shannan'sdisappearance. On July 23, 2016, Sarra began hearing voices and called her mother for help. I'm like that's -- 'they're gonna eat you alive.' That neighbor, Gus Colletti, is the one who tried to help Shannan and noticed that black SUV following her. "My sister met the client through Craigslist and went to his house around 2:00 a.m.," Sherre explained. Shannan's sister believes something awful happened in that house to terrify her because of a 911 call Shannan made from right inside the client's home. They arrested Sarra later that day and charged her with criminal possession of a weapon and second-degree murder. "Yeah, I'm sure I did. "I was in the bathroom shaving. said Colletti. Over the past couple of days she began to hear voices. Shannan was last seen running on the streetsof Oak Beach after leaving her client Joseph Brewers home. While the calls he made to Shannan's family may be strange, they're not out of character. Am I personally troubled by it? He knew what locations would be difficult to trace and how long he could stay on the phone. Did you ever see her? In December 2011, a year-and-a-half after Shannan Gilbert vanished, police finally found the first sign of the missing 23-year-old in the marsh by Oak Beach not far from where she was last seen. Though county officials theorized that she had wandered into the marsh and drowned, an independent autopsy sought by Gilberts family found that Shannan may have been strangled to death. Even though the cops assured us that they are going to continue.". By the time police arrived on the scene at 6:10am, Shannan Gilbert had vanished into the night and was never seen again. "Did she get hurt?" At this point, she had been missing for 10 months. Sarra was ultimately charged and convicted of murdering her mother. In 2016, just months after an independent autopsy raised more questions about Shannans death, Mari Gilbert was found dead in her daughter Sarra Gilberts apartment in Ellenville, CBS New York reported at the time. He says he just wanted her out of his house and even brought the driver in to get her to leave. By 2011, as many as 10 human remains many of whom were believed to be sex workers had been discovered in the area, launching the still-unsolved search for what some have called the Long Island Serial Killer, according to the. In 2010, Sarras older sister, Shannan Gilbert, was working as a prostitute when she fled a clients home in Oak Beach, NY, and never returned home. Twisted Sisters is investigating the terrifying case of the Gilbert family in New York state, where Sarra Gilbert brutally murdered her own mother, Mari Gilbert, in the most violent fashion. According to Mari Gilberts obituary, Mari had four grandsons when she died and she was engaged to Elroy J. Shulterbrandt. But he would make a call to Shannan Gilbert's mother that she alleges linked him to the night she vanished. Intwo letters to CBSs 48 Hoursin 2011 he denied ever seeing Shannan that night but said he had called the family to be supportive after getting Maris number from Shannans boyfriend and driver when the pair came to the neighborhood to look for Shannan in the days after she disappeared. In the upcoming Netflix film "Lost Girls," Mari Gilbert (played by Amy Ryan) becomes enraged after the police and the media only refer to her missing daughter Shannan Gilbert along with several dead women found along the southern shore of Long Island in demeaning ways. Moriarty asked Varrone. "Mari was a lifetime practitioner of witchcraft and apparently of black magic," Ray said in the same Newsday report. She does not deserve to be forgotten.. Mari Gilbert's daughters dealt with the tragedy of their sister Shannan in different ways. Asked if he believes this man will probably kill again, Cohen told Moriarty, "Oh, there's no question he is getting better and better at it. AMBER COSTELLO: Disappeared Sept. 2, 2010, "She used to say that she was better off dead" said Dave Schaller, Amber Costello's roommate and friend. "We believe that Dr. C. Peter Hackett's actions led to Shannan Gilbert's death," said Ray. Shannan, a 24-year-old sex worker from Jersey City, disappeared after visiting a client in the Oak Beach area in 2010. "Had he seen Shannan?" He said the cause of death could not be determined, but the autopsy showed some findings consistent with strangulation. "I could hear the fear in his voice.". "We know she's alive 'cause she's banging on Mrs. Brennan's door and Mrs. Brennan calls 911," said Varrone. "But Chief, she was only 23 years of age. Dr. Charles Peter Hackett was once a big shot in his private Oak Beach neighborhoodbut after he called the mother of a missing escort, Hackett found himself linked to an unsolved Long Island murder mystery. She shared the photo above showing Mari Gilbert with her daughters during simpler times. She testified that it wasnt mental illness that led Sarra to kill her mom, but drugs and long term hate, The Cut reported. "I was like, 'You guys found Amber You found her.'". In July 2007, Maureen left her home in Norwich, Conn., and boarded a train to New York City. Anytime there was anything going on he was helpful.. "The world lost an awesome girl, a wonderful, wonderful mom, a friend" said Megan's mother, Lorraine Ela, who has a message for the killer: "I want to know why you took my daughter Why would you hurt a human being? "Absolutely not. Upon information and belief, at all times Defendant Hackett held himself out to the general public, and in particular to Shannan Gilbert and Mari Gilbert, as the owner/operator of a home for wayward females, the lawsuit, obtained by Oxygen.com, said. When Mari Gilbert arrived, Sarra stabbed her multiple times with a kitchen knife and beat her with a fire extinguisher. Warning, because this gets graphic: As Sarra Gilbert later testified in court, on July 26, 2016, she stabbed Mari Gilbert with a kitchen knife 227 times in Mari's Ellenville, NY apartment. Dr. Hackett admits he has treated friends and neighbors, but denies he ever saw or treated Shannan. Even the family's attorney, Steven Cohen, couldn't get police to take notice. We went everywhere.". "I believe my sister needs a voice needs her pride back needs the respect she had before this all happened," said Melissa Cann. Stevie Smith tends to stays out of the spotlight. They said Sarra had tormented and belittled Mari for years. "We want to see whether Shannan really could've taken the trip police believe she took," Ray said before heading into the marsh. There is not an iota of evidence in any of this litigation., Over the years, many of the initial counts in the lawsuit have been removed, including the wrongful death claim that was dismissed in 2013, according to, The remaining claims are related to Shannan Gilberts pain and suffering before her death and the later emotional distress suffered by Mari Gilbert, according to, Before Hackett was embroiled in the media coverage of the case, Kolker told, Hackett had served as head for the Suffolk County Emergency Medical Services when the. "But, in retrospect, people thought there were signs. In 2011, her body was found in a marshy area. The mother of Shannan Gilbert, whose disappearance led to the discovery of 10 bodies at Gilgo Beach in Babylon, N.Y., in 2011, has been murdered, and a second daughter has been charged in her death. "I was like, 'Be safe.' "Exactly," Schaller agreed, "like a lion smells a dying gazelle.". Moriarty asked Varrone. Local newspaper reports about Shannan Gilberts disappearance and the bodies discovered on Gilgo Beach. Garbus knows viewers may likely be floored by the news of Mari's death at the end of the film. In 2017, Sarra was convicted of second-degree murder, Daily Freeman reported. Create a free profile to get unlimited access to exclusive videos, breaking news, sweepstakes, and more! Her Sister Shannan Gilbert Died Mysteriously Shannan Maria Gilbert went missing on Long Island on May 1, 2010. It doesn't make any sense.". Attorney Ray says they were real. 52-year-old Mari Gilbert became a murder victim advocate after her Craigslist-escort "A lot of money for her," Moriarty noted. He nowreportedly lives in Florida. She has two other daughters. Shannan Gilbert went missing after a terrifying 911 call in May 2010. And maybe that little something that they know will lead to the solving of this case.". She wants people to know that her sister, Maureen Brainard-Barnes, may have worked as an escort, but she was much more than that. They learned that Shannan and her driver had left New York City shortly after midnight on May 1, 2010, and headed to a gated community in Oak Beach. "She just disappeared into the night.". In fact, Dr. Hackett was known to provide medical treatment out of his home. Actress Oona Laurence (far left) plays a young Sarra Gilbert in, The Real Mari Gilbert of Lost Girls, The True Story Behind "Lost Girls" on Netflix, Your Privacy Choices: Opt Out of Sale/Targeted Ads, Shannan's missing persons case led police to discover ten sets of remains, now attributed to the, Mari Gilbert was murdered by one of her daughter, Sarra. Hackett's attorney, James O'Rourke of Hauppauge, said none of the claims is true. He said, 'Well, I killed Melissa,'" Cohen said. When Hackett who is portrayed in the film by Reed Birney called Mari just a few days later, she claimed the doctor told her he had interacted with Shannan the night she died. On January 15, she wrote a hopeful note that DNA testing might help find her sisters killer. The tragedies and illness are often intertwined, says Dottie Laster, a private investigator and missing-persons specialist who helped the Gilbert family search for Mari Gilberts older daughter, Shannan. ", "I was there when my mother received the phone call, so there's no way. Hearst Magazine Media, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Sit down in that chair. And she said, 'No.' As Brewer is heard trying to get her to leave his house, Varrone says, "He either approaches her or touches her and you hear her scream out.". "All the responding officers can believe at this point is that whoever was in the SUV picked up this girl and they're gone," said Varrone. Maureen checked into a Super 8 hotel in Manhattan, and like the other young women, the 25-year-old seemed to vanish in the night. " that Shannan was distressed. Hackett the former head of the Suffolk County Emergency Medical Services had become an integral part of the private, secluded Oak Beach community by the time 24-year-old Shannan Gilbert, a Craigslist sex worker, disappeared in May 2010 after meeting a client in the community. "We said that Maureen went to New York and she never came back. The cop basically told us, 'Maybe your sister just ran away. "It makes it easier for a killer who wants to work in the shadows," Moriarty noted. She was not perfect, but she was loved and she was cared for, Gilbert told the press in 2011. A year and a half of questions & no answers, clues or hints. I don't think that's the case," said Chief Varrone. Mari had then claimed custody of her grandson. "She's disoriented; she's in a frenzy," Varrona explained. Something doesnt, No , the murder happened in Ohio . In 2016, just months after an independent autopsy raised more questions about Shannans death, Mari Gilbert was found dead in her daughter Sarra Gilberts When your loved one is missing, the torture is too much for family members. "48 Hours" has since recently obtained phone records from Shannon's mother that confirm Hackett actually did make a call to Mari Gilbert exactly when she said he did on May 3. Suffolk County Police Commissioner Geraldine Hart said investigators were not necessarily certain if Shannan was killed. Stop, go a little bit," said Colletti. The official explanation doesn't satisfy Shannan's family. "It absolutely makes no sense that she's found where she is, except that someone else put her there or killed her there," said Gilbert family attorney John Ray. July 20, 2013 / 11:39 PM The suit claims Dr. Hackett improperly treated Shannan Gilbert and points to what he allegedly said in the phone call to Shannan's mother as proof. Shortly after Gilberts body was discovered, Hackett put his Oak Beach house on the market in 2012 and moved away from the area,Newsdayreports. According to Schaller, the man was persistent, repeatedly calling and cajoling Amber that day. Every phone call, every message, every knock on the door, is a combination of hope and terror, she says. "It's possible," he replied. It would be two days before Sherre learned her sister was missing when Shannan's worried boyfriend called to say she hadn't come home. "All of a sudden, she took off, out from under the boat and he took off after her. Ray asked. "So why would you call her mother? MELISSA BARTHELEMY: Disappeared July 12, 2009. In that car was Michael Pak, Shannan's driver - the second man police wanted to talk to. It took authorities almost a month to connect the call to the missing persons report the Gilbert family had filed for Shannan. Coverage of the latest true crime stories and famous cases explained, as well as the best TV shows, movies and podcasts in the genre. FacebookShannan Gilbert in a Facebook photo. No," Varrone replied. "How could you have her items in one spot and then her body all the way in another spot close to the highway? Her next partner, the father of her youngest daughter, Stevie, was arrested for domestic violence, and her children spent nearly two years in foster care. Seriously, a person gets a lot of phone calls," he said. What would kill a 23-year-old woman? However, Shannans family, who has maintained the woman's death was not an accident, believes the doctor may have had something to do with the woman'sdeath and filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Hackett in 2012, which is still active today. "The story of these women is the story about a part of America where people have few options and where some people make desperate or risky decisions," said journalist Bob Kolker, who has written a new book about the Long Island cases, called "Lost Girls: An Unsolved American Mystery." "No one saw her, no one knew her My brother came back and was like, 'It's a different world out there. WSHU | "My sister was last seen running along the roads She felt like she was in fear for her life that night," Sherre Gilbert told "48 Hours" correspondent Erin Moriarty. "We hear the conversation between the two of them and she's just staring at him and not acting rationally. By then, Amber had been missing from their home on Long Island for three months. Gilbert became an advocate after her daughter Shannan was murdered, but was killed by one of her other children. How and why did Shannan die? She gave me a hug and a kiss and she left.". "She's saying, 'There's someone after me; there's someone after me,'" he said. In 2016, a private, independent autopsy reported a different finding, The New York Times reported. That he had treated Shannan and had medicated her," said Ray. All were online escorts. With each burlap covered victim found on Gilgo Beach, the police learned more about the serial killer: his habits, his M.O., and his uncanny ability to avoid detection. "He said he never saw Shannan before," she replied. Her four daughters are Shannan, Sherre, Sarrah, and Stevie. "I said, 'Well, I called the police they are on their way to bring her back," Colletti said. Shannans body was discovered 18 months after her disappearance, on the same stretch of road where the bodies of 10 victims have been linked to a suspected Long Island serial killer, though investigators have said Shannans death is unconnected to the other 10. "Her driver dropped her off and she was there for quite a while and then for some reason, she started to panic.". Lost Girls, a new Netflix movie helmed by "Sexually explicit things as to what he had done to Melissa, sexually explicit things as to what he was going to do to Amanda.". Sherre Gilbert says her sister was desperately trying to make a better life for herself. "Do you think the person she went out with that night is the same person who killed her?" Sadly, the film's real-life heroine never got the justice she wanted for Shannan's death. I can t believe I m reliving this nightmare again. And she stabbed her to death.. For more stories like this, sign up for our newsletter.