New series re-examines Gilgo Beach murders
NEW YORK - On Long Island's south shore, between the charming homes and alluring beaches, there are secrets. One mystery is deep and twisted: The Gilgo Beach murders. At least 11 bodies have been discovered, mostly near Ocean Parkway, in Suffolk County.
As FOX 5 NY has reported over the last decade, in all those years since the first bodies were discovered in 2010, no arrests have been made. Now a new series is taking a closer look.
20 YEARS LATER, VICTIM GETS NAME AND FACE
"Within the last 20 years this is the biggest serial case that's out there," says Billy Jensen, a co-host of Unraveled: Long Island Serial Killer, a new streaming series on Discovery+ and a seven-part podcast available on Apple Podcasts and most other podcast platforms.
Jensen and his co-host, Alexis Linkletter, are both investigative journalists and Long Island natives.
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"This case actually got the media coverage it deserved," Linkletter says. "The person in charge still derailed the investigation and no one asked any questions about it."
Linkletter is referring to James Burke, the former Suffolk County police chief. The series focuses on questions about Burke's handling of the case in the early stages, including reports he blocked the FBI from investigating.
"He kicks out the most sophisticated crime-solving force in the history of the world," Jensen says. "He's got 11 dead bodies along Ocean Parkway and he says 'go away.'"
Burke was eventually forced to resign from the department after a strange series of incidents resulting in him being sentenced to 46 months in federal prison.
It all started in 2012 when a duffel bag filled with pornography and sex toys was stolen from the then-police chief's car. Burke was charged with assaulting Christopher Loeb, a heroin addict, who was arrested for stealing that duffel bag.
In the new series, Loeb is interviewed and alleges a DVD in the duffel bag connected Burke to prostitutes. He says that's why Burke was so upset and beat him up so it would stay quiet. Burke has not been named a suspect or person of interest in the Long Island serial murders.
FOX 5 NY reached out to Burke's attorney who had no comment about these questions of how the investigation was handled or this new series.
Unraveled: Long Island Serial Killer is now streaming on Discovery+ and wherever you listen to podcasts.