Long Island May Have More Than One Serial Killer

In the past few months, investigators have found 10 bodies on the Long Island shore line and while at least four are believed to be the victims of one serial killer, the other six remains may not be connected to the case.

A source told the New York Post that a skull and torso found this week in Nassau County are “so old that roots were growing around the vertebrae and the skull.” That means there could be another serial killer on the loose, or they may be two of Joel Rifkin’s victims who were never found. Rifkin, who is currently serving a life sentence, confessed to killing 17 prostitutes in 1993, but police could only account for 14 victims.

The four women found in December were strangled before they were dumped on the beach in burlap sacks. The identities of the other victims are still a mystery, and sources have been feeding news outlets conflicting information. Yesterday it was suggested that the killings are connected to the murder of four prostitutes in Atlantic City in 2006, but today the Suffolk County Police Commissioner said that’s been ruled out. The Post reports that according to one theory, one of the women was pregnant, and the remains of a “child under 4” actually belong to her fetus. One of the victims was male, leading Vernon Geberth, a retired NYPD homicide lieutenant, to speculate in a N.Y. Daily News report, “Maybe, just maybe, the prostitute brought along her husband, boyfriend, etc., for protection … Now this guy shows up, and there’s a baby there in the other room, and he decides: ‘I don’t like this. I gotta take them all out.'”

At this point it seems the various theories may be inspired more by crime shows than actual evidence. The police are continuing to search the shore for more remains, and have dispatched a scuba-diving unit to search the waters along the island’s north shore. The F.B.I. is now involved in the case and will supply helicopers and airplanes equipped with special cameras to scour the area, according to the AP. CBS News reports that the F.B.I.’s Behavioral Analysis Unit is working on a profile. So far, they believe the suspect is “a male, white, between the ages of 25 and 40, who is intelligent, savvy and street smart.” Since that’s the description of pretty much every serial killer, it seems like the investigation has a long way to go.

Latest L.I. Bones May Be Rifkin Vics [N.Y. Post]
Bodies Of Man, Tot Found At Long Island Beach Add Twist To Call Girl Serial-Murder Case [N.Y. Daily News]
FBI To Aid NY Cops Probing Possible Serial Killer [AP]
Long Island Serial Killer: More Than One? [CBS News]

Earlier: More Remains Found On Long Island, Serial Killer’s Body Count May Exceed 10