Gilgo Beach cops announce major development in ID of unknown victim 'Asian Doe'

Police have released new information about the Gilgo Beach murders and one of the unidentified bodies, known as 'Asian Doe.'

Gilgo Beach became a dumping ground for a killer - or killers - during the 1990s and early 2000s. In all, 11 bodies were found in the region.

New renderings provide an image of what this victim looked like before his death. 

Police say he was likely from Southern China, aged between 17 and 23 and that his death occurred at least five years before his body was found in April 2011.

The biological man was wearing women's clothing when he was discovered - a bra, blue ribbed crew neck and 'Rafaella' branded shirt - prompting investigators to consider that he may have been living as a woman.

'We believe Asian Doe may have been working as a sex worker. We believe they spent some time in NYC prior to their death,' Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond Tierney said during a conference on Monday morning.

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

Tierney said 'the taskforce does not forget victims and we will not stop in our pursuit of justice.' 

'This person remains nameless - to us... Someone knows who this individual is.'

A $2,500 reward has been offered for information leading to the identification of the victim. 

Rex Heuermann, an architect from Manhattan, was arrested in 2023 and charged with the murders of six women - at least four of whom were sex workers prior to their deaths.

He denies any involvement in their deaths and has pleaded not guilty. 

Tierney said four of the bodies linked to Heuermann, known as the 'Gilgo Four' were 'almost identical' and 'unique from' other remains found in the area. 

He said speculation about the potential killer 'doesn't matter until you can bring charges, and we're certainly not at that stage.'

The body of 'Asian Doe' was discovered 'between Megan Waterman and Jessica Taylor' on the stretch of highway in Gilgo Beach, Tierney said.

Heuermann has not been named as a suspect in Asian Doe's death.  

In all, three victims whose bodies were found in the region remain unidentified. These bodies have been referred to over the years as 'Peaches', 'Baby Doe' and 'Asian Doe.'

Peaches is the mother of baby doe - a little girl estimated to be aged between 16 months and two years.

Asian Doe's skeletal remains were found in April 2011. Until now, very few details about his case had been shared with the public.

Now, a new sketch can be revealed which authorities hope will lead to identification. 

'We're hoping to disseminate them in the Asian community and we're hoping maybe someone will remember a person who looked like him that disappeared in the time frame when he died,' Tierney said. 

Heuermann was initially charged with the murders of three women: Megan Waterman, Melissa Barthelemy and Amber Costello. The victims had disappeared between 2007 and 2010.

In January, he was also charged with the murder of a fourth victim Maureen Brainard-Barnes.

Then in July Heuermann was charged with killing two more women, including Sandra Costilla, murdered in 1993, and Jessica Taylor, whose torso was found in 2003.