Lamar's Review - "Gone Girls: The Long Island Serial Killer" (Airdate 4/18/2025)

Lamar's Review - "Gone Girls: The Long Island Serial Killer" (Airdate 4/18/2025)

This is a documentary about ten sets of skeletal remains that were found along a beach in Long Island between 2010 and 2011, the search for their killer.

What started the investigation was the disappearance of Shannan Gilbert, 24 on May 1, 2010. The Suffolk County police did not put a lot of effort into the case because she was a prostitute. What forced the search and kept it going was her Mother Mari Gilbert. She would not let it go; she constantly called them, she was in the newspaper and on TV, demanding they do something.

In December of 2010 that found a set of skeletal remains. Soon after, three more were found. Through DNA they were able to identify them, all were sex workers who disappeared between 2007 and 2010.

The documentary spends a lot of time interviewing family members and friends of some of the murder victims. Also, journalists, law enforcement officials, and people who knew Rex Heuermann, who had been arrested for the murders.

The Documentary is on Netflix and consists of 3 episodes, each about 50 minutes long. Rated TV-MA

Part one, deals with the discovery of the bodies of the four murdered women and the indications of a possible serial Killer. There was also the possibility of finding more victims.

Part two details the corruption in the Suffolk County Police Department that hindered the investigation and led to the arrest of high-ranking law enforcement officials.

Part three shows some amazing police work along with discoveries that broke the case wide open and led to the arrest of Rex Heuermann.

I’m not sure how this documentary could have been any better. There were so many close calls that could have changed the outcome for these women.

What really sticks out in this documentary is how different the entire situation would have been if the victims had been women of any other profession than sex-workers. When someone that is living that lifestyle goes missing very often there is no immediate urgency. By the time family members get someone to investigate, the crime is cold. These victims were loved by friends, parents, and in some cases, their own children. No one grows up dreaming of a sex-workers life, circumstances and yes, sometimes bad decisions put them there, but they deserve to live and received justice if they are murdered.

The other thing that really hits home is how one act of corruption can affect the lives of so many people, and in this case let a killer get away for so many years.

This is a great documentary that you will want to watch in one sitting.

My Score: 5 Ice Cold Frosty Budweisers