Investigators seek public’s help in identifying Asian victim found in Gilgo Beach area

By Lauren Mascarenhas, CNN

(CNN) — Investigators on New York’s Long Island are seeking the public’s help in identifying an Asian victim from a years-old killing, whose remains were discovered along Ocean Parkway near Gilgo Beach in 2011.

The victim investigators are referring to as “Asian Doe” was a biological male of Asian descent, between the ages of 17 and 23 who was found wearing women’s clothing, Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney said in a news conference Monday.

“Because the victim was wearing exclusively women’s clothing at the time of death, it is possible that they identified as a woman or were known by others as being a woman.”

Investigators believe the victim died in 2006 or earlier from blunt force trauma, though their remains weren’t discovered until April 4, 2011, Tierney said.

“This victim suffered a violent death,” he said.

The death adds to a list of killings in the Gilgo Beach area that went unsolved for years, with at least 11 sets of human remains found on Long Island’s Suffolk County.

Over the last two years, Tierney’s office has brought charges against former New York architect Rex Heuermann in the deaths of six women from Long Island communities spanning three decades.

When asked whether Heuermann was a suspect in the unidentified victim’s death, Tierney described where the body was found – along the same stretch of Ocean Parkway as victims Megan Waterman and Jessica Taylor.

“I think it was about 300 or so feet from Megan Waterman in that same stretch of the parkway. So it was between Megan Waterman and Jessica Taylor,” Tierney said.

“Each one of these victims, it’s a separate crime scene. Start from that separate crime scene and you work your way up, which we’re doing,” Tierney said. “It’s all nice to speculate, but it basically doesn’t matter until you can bring charges, and we’re certainly not at that stage.”

When asked whether prosecutors could charge a suspect in the death of Asian Doe without knowing the victim’s identity, Tierney said yes.

The victim, who investigators believe was around 5 feet, 6 inches tall, was wearing a blue, ribbed short-sleeve shirt, women’s pants and a bra, Tierney said.

Investigators believe the victim may have been working as a sex worker and spent some time in New York City before their death.

A forensic artist examined the victim’s skull to create images of what the victim may have looked like with both short and long hair.

Using genetic genealogy, authorities determined it’s likely that the victim was of South Chinese, specifically Hahn Chinese descent.

Asian people are underrepresented in the genealogy database authorities use, so identifying the victim has proved to be a challenge for investigators, Tierney said, noting that those who want to help can upload their DNA to two commercial databases used by authorities.

“This person had a name. This person had family. This person had friends,” Tierney said. “We’re reaching out to anyone who might have known this individual to help us with that identification.”

Crime Stoppers is offering a $2,500 reward for information leading to the identification of the victim.

Gilgo Beach serial killings suspect

Heuermann was taken into custody in July 2023 and has since been charged in connection with the deaths of Melissa Barthelemy, Megan Waterman, Amber Costello, Maureen Brainard-Barnes, Jessica Taylor and Sandra Costilla.

Heuermann was charged with the deaths of Barthelemy, Waterman and Costello after his arrest in 2023 and with the death of Brainard-Barnes in January. This summer, officials announced the charges in connection with the deaths of Taylor and Costilla, citing new evidence in the wide-ranging investigation.

Heuermann has pleaded not guilty to all murder charges and is being held without bail.

His attorney, Michael Brown, told reporters in January that Heuermann maintains his innocence and is looking forward to fighting the charges.

During a June court hearing, prosecutors revealed disturbing evidence uncovered during their investigation, including a planning document that outlined detailed strategies for murder.

A Word document Heuermann allegedly created on a laptop in 2000 and modified over several years outlines how to dispose of a body, avoid apprehension and not leave DNA evidence, along with what supplies may be needed to carry out serial murder, according to a bail application.

“This was a planning document used by Heuermann to methodically blueprint and plan out his kills with excruciating detail. His intent was specifically to locate these victims, hunt them down to bring them under his control and to kill them,” Tierney said in a news conference last month.

Other evidence “revealed Heuermann’s significant collection of violent, bondage, and torture pornography, currently dating back to 1994,” according to a bail application.

CNN’s John Miller, Mark Morales and Brynn Gingras contributed to this report.

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