An autopsy ruled Mari Gilberts death a homicide due to multiple stab wounds. Sarra then stripped Mari naked and removed her jewelry. They spoke to a dozen witnesses and homeowners in the area trying to piece together a timeline. Brewer insists he never harmed Shannan. Fearing the worst, Maureen's family went to the Norwich Police Department, submitted her name to the missing persons database, and told police she was an online escort. In the prosecutors view, the killing of Mari Gilbert was a crime of passion, quite likely drug-fueled, against a mother whom Sarra resented for years. "Is it possible that he knows more about what happened to Shannan Gilbert?" Lawenforcement sources have said in the past that Shannan allegedly told the dispatcher theyre trying to kill me, during the call,Fox Newsreports. She's not missing. Hackett said in his response to 48 Hours that he had been at home sleeping with his wifethe night Shannan disappeared. But then how did her clothing end up so far from her body? By all accounts, he really aggressively put himself in the center of things whenever anything was going on there, he said. '", "This is all on the audiotape," Varrone said. But Shannan's mother believes Dr. Hackett knows more than he's saying. Stevie Smith tends to stays out of the spotlight. "I don't believe he said that. Mari Gilbert Born ( 1964-06-22) June 22, 1964 New York Died July 23, 2016 (2016-07-23) (aged 52) Ell Cause of death Stabbing Occupation Activist television personality 1 more rows Her belongings including her pocketbook, lip gloss, jeans and shoes were discovered in the marsh about a quarter of a mile from her body, according to, According to police, she appears to have entered the marsh right behind where Peter Hacketts house is, and her belongings were found right near his house in the marsh and then her body was found a long distance away, Kolker told, The tragedy of this young womans death is only compounded by the prosecution in this civil litigation, he told, . "And I said to her 'What's the matter?' "If she was going to stay the night she would have walked away with $1,500," he said. "It's possible," he replied. Serial Killer Indicted in 1989 Murder of Author's Daughter, Va. Gilbert became an advocate after her daughter Shannan was murdered, but was killed by one of her other children. And he's gonna make a mistake. Her next partner, the father of her youngest daughter, Stevie, was arrested for domestic violence, and her children spent nearly two years in foster care. She went to set up appointments with men on Craigslist. First published on July 20, 2013 / 11:39 PM. And maybe that little something that they know will lead to the solving of this case.". The problems go back a long time, when those girls were bounced around in foster homes and suffered abuse, including in their mothers home, Meserve says. Much has been made about the caller's familiarity with police investigative techniques. "She just says 'they're trying to kill me,'" he replied. When Mari Gilbert arrived, Sarra stabbed her multiple times with a kitchen knife and beat her with a fire extinguisher. Shannan was last seen running on the streetsof Oak Beach after leaving her client Joseph Brewers home. "I was like, 'You guys found Amber You found her.'". From Netflix's Lost Girls. In 2016, Mari Gilbert was found dead in her daughter Sarra Gilberts apartment in Ellenville, CBS New York reported. It took authorities almost a month to connect the call to the missing persons report the Gilbert family had filed for Shannan. She was diagnosed as having bipolar disorder at 12 years old, and Mari struggled to manage her eldest childs at times erratic behavior. All this stuff about a rehab or something I don't have a rehab, I don't do rehab. As Brewer is heard trying to get her to leave his house, Varrone says, "He either approaches her or touches her and you hear her scream out.". The Daily Freeman reports that Sarra Gilbert, 28, was sentenced to 25 years to life in prison for the brutal stabbing murder of her mother Mari Gilbert last July. ", Dr. Hackett later admitted in letters to "48 Hours" that he had called Shannan's mother, but he said it was later in the week and he did so at the request of friends who were searching for Shannan to be "supportive." An autopsy ruled Mari Gilberts death a homicide due to multiple stab wounds. "He said, 'You shouldn't have done that.' It is not clear if her death was a homicide or a tragic accident. Im blessed to have had you in my life for 22yrs and Im grateful that you were eventually found. No one wants to know you. Though county officials theorized that she had wandered into the marsh and drowned, an independent autopsy sought by Gilberts family found that Shannan may have been strangled to death. "No question she thought her life was in danger," replied Ray. Mari Gilbert's murder was "the most morbid turn in this already complete tragedy," Vesselin Mitev, who Mari originally hired to help her solve Shannan's death, Shannans body was found in a nearby marsh in 2011. Six more bodies would eventually be found. A year & a half of anger, tears & sleepless nights. "Had he seen Shannan?" So you inserted yourself. Shannan's family members believe the police should have done more to investigate the man they believe was the last person to see Shannan alive: Dr. Peter Hackett. Last. We may earn commission from the links on this page. Shannan's sister believes something awful happened in that house to terrify her because of a 911 call Shannan made from right inside the client's home. None of the murders have ever been solved. According to NBC, Mari's 27-year-old daughter Sarra stabbed her more than 200 times and hit her with a fire extinguisher, resulting in Mari's death in 2016. Police say Maris body was discovered in her daughters home in Ellenville on Saturday. Shannan was last seen running on the streetsof Oak Beach after leaving her client Joseph Brewers home. Its not clear what triggered Gilberts fear and a23-minute call she placed to 911has never been publicly released. "So, when Mary says that Dr. Hackett called on May 3 and said that he'd seen Shannan and that he was running a home for wayward girls, do you believe that, do you believe what she's saying?" By then, she had been missing for eight days. "When I finally told myself Maureen was actually missing, that she wasn't coming back, I couldn't breathe. "Peter Hackett told me that Shannan was at his house, that he ran a halfway house for people who wanted to get off the street and that Shannan was there," said Mari Gilbert. Melissa Cann simply wishes police had worked harder to find Maureen. Samantha Vincenty is the former senior staff writer at Oprah Daily. What would she die of if she didn't drown or wasn't killed?" "Do you think the person she went out with that night is the same person who killed her?" 5: Jessica Taylor, an escort missing since 2003; dismembered, Victim No. Varrone says that the investigation into Shannan's death remains open and is confident that the days of the elusive serial killer haunting the beaches of Long Island are numbered. But before her body was found, multiple other womens bodies were found on Ocean Parkway between Gilgo and Oak Beach and authorities began to suspect a serial killer had been at work in the area. Attempts to find current contact information for Hackett were not immediately successful. "Well, you're in muck; they're soaking wet; they're soaked with mud they're weighing you down she's running in a panicked state and the muck and the mud and they just come off her as she continues to run," Varrone explained. Somewhere along the line, somebody dropped the ball. Do you, This was definitely in IL because we are friends with, Hi. A county medical examiner said her cause of death was undetermined. Ellenville police arrested Gilbert at the scene and said they recovered a 15-inch kitchen knife they believe was used in the attack. When your loved one is missing, the torture is too much for family members. But the police were learning a lot about him based on his voice. The remaining claims are related to Shannan Gilberts pain and suffering before her death and the later emotional distress suffered by Mari Gilbert, according tocourt documentsin the case. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site. It was 4:51 a.m. Former Suffolk County Chief of Detectives Dominick Varrone, who has heard the call, is speaking for the first time on network television. Follow the links to read about more murders profiled on ID this week. Sherre was an administrator for a Facebook page dedicated to trying to solve her sister Shannans death called Praying for Shannan Maria Gilbert. Chief Varrone says the local police responding to Colletti's call knew nothing about Shannan's own 23-minute 911 call. "If he's lying about something so simple about calling me," Mari Gilbert said, "then what else is he lying about?". She was -- she's an escort We're not going to assign a detective to this.'". I said, 'Well, I did.'". Sarra stabbed her mother an incredible 227 times with a 15-inch kitchen knife. "I said, 'Well, I called the police they are on their way to bring her back," Colletti said. These are all the jobs she called and applied for call center, data entry and the list goes on and on," Cann said, showing off a list. Sadly, the film's real-life heroine never got the justice she wanted for Shannan's death. The tragedies and illness are often intertwined, says Dottie Laster, a private investigator and missing-persons specialist who helped the Gilbert family search for Mari Gilberts older daughter, Shannan. Mari Gilbert felt that Shannans disappearance wasnt being treated with urgency, and that her daughter was being dismissed because she was a sex worker. Reed Birney as Dr. Peter Hackett in 'Lost Girls'. She's based (and born and raised) in Brooklyn, New York. But Ryan found out what ultimately happened to Mari after she'd fallen in love with the Netflix film's screenplay, when a Google rabbit-hole informed her of the woman's awful fate. Dr. Charles Peter Hackett was once a big shot in his private Oak Beach neighborhoodbut after he called the mother of a missing escort, Hackett found himself linked to an unsolved Long Island murder mystery. She doesnt go to the page as frequently anymore, but still posts updates from time to time. Moriarty asked Varrone. "I've heard that the police failed these girls. "I just did not want to believe that she wasn't ever gonna come home," said Mari. The film's events begin six years ahead of Mari's murder, and Sarra is played as an adolescent by actress Oona Laurence. "It makes it easier for a killer who wants to work in the shadows," Moriarty noted. AMBER COSTELLO: Disappeared Sept. 2, 2010, "She used to say that she was better off dead" said Dave Schaller, Amber Costello's roommate and friend. 2013 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. Shannan wasnt among these victims, but the search for her had led to the realization that a serial killer was at work in the area. Sarra Elizabeth Gilbert, 27, is being charged in the crime. The Gilberts say they immediately filed a missing persons report, but with no news, they drove 140 miles from their home in upstate New York to Oak Beach, Long Island, to look for Shannan themselves. That amount -- $1,500 -- was almost six times Amber's going rate. WSHU | It took nearly a month for police to connect Shannan's desperate call to the missing persons report her family had filed in New Jersey, where Shannan lived. Sarra was arrested at the scene with blood on her clothing. And she stabbed her to death.. Over the years, many of the initial counts in the lawsuit have been removed, including the wrongful death claim that was dismissed in 2013, according tocourt documentsin the case. Found the resolution to each, I know who really killed Chanin, her husband did not, I have so many questions about this story. That's what was odd. Police have said that they do not consider Hackett a suspect in the killings,according toThe Long Island Press. "My fiance and I were actually watching CNN they were televising where they found the bodies And we just looked at each other and we started cryin,'" Barthelemy recalled. "He said he never saw Shannan before," she replied. , Suffolk County Police Commissioner Geraldine Hart called her cause of death "inconclusive. They were traveling together, coordinating. She drowned her pet dog, and lost custody of her son, who entered her mothers care. Her disappearance and Mari's efforts to find out what happened to her daughter are the focus of the new Netflix feature film "Lost Girls" starring Amy Ryan as the desperate mother who casts suspicion on Hackett (played by Reed Birney). It's all in the missing person's report. Just weeks ago, "48 Hours" went to Dr. Hackett's house to try to get answers. In January 2020, police changed Gilberts cause of death to inconclusive rather than accidental, Daily Freeman reported. "You could make that argument," he replied. Varrone says that while Dr. Hackett may be a busybody - "He exaggerates, that's how some people have described him" -- he is not a suspect in Shannan Gilbert's death or in any other. "All I can say is he's sick. But he went on to say that "at no time did I suggest I had ever met her or render medical care of any sort to her.". The film doesnt focus on the still-unknown killer or the official investigation into the killings, but on the grieving mothers and sisters turned victim advocates who pushed the police and media to take the murders of their loved ones seriously. In the film, her character complained that when the women are "I feel like now that they found her body that is kinda pretty much it for the investigation. Mari Gilbert: Why would you say that to me? Dr. Hackett admits he has treated friends and neighbors, but denies he ever saw or treated Shannan. According to Mari Gilberts obituary, Mari had four grandsons when she died and she was engaged to Elroy J. Shulterbrandt. Warning, because this gets graphic: As Sarra Gilbert later testified in court, on July 26, 2016, she stabbed Mari Gilbert with a kitchen knife 227 times in Mari's Ellenville, NY apartment. Mari Gilbert's daughters dealt with the tragedy of their sister Shannan in different ways. "It strikes me right away David predators prey on the weak," noted Moriarty. By 2011, as many as 10 human remains many of whom were believed to be sex workers had been discovered in the area, launching the still-unsolved search for what some have called the Long Island Serial Killer, according to the. Moriarty asked. Her mother, Mari, and sister, Sherre, were desperately trying to hold onto hope. By the time police arrived on the scene at 6:10am, Shannan Gilbert had vanished into the night and was never seen again. It doesn't make any sense.". "The major symptoms of schizophrenia hit later," Garbus explains. The girls eventually returned home, but Shannan would go on to spend more years in foster care. There is not an iota of evidence in any of this litigation., Over the years, many of the initial counts in the lawsuit have been removed, including the wrongful death claim that was dismissed in 2013, according to, The remaining claims are related to Shannan Gilberts pain and suffering before her death and the later emotional distress suffered by Mari Gilbert, according to, Before Hackett was embroiled in the media coverage of the case, Kolker told, Hackett had served as head for the Suffolk County Emergency Medical Services when the. But when Amber didn't call or come home, says Schaller, no one in her family even looked for her. She called her mother and said come over. And so it began. In 2016, Mari Gilbert was found dead in her daughter Sarra Gilberts apartment in Ellenville, CBS New York reported. Yesterday was the second most devastating day of my life, according to the post. Authorities ID 2 More Alleged Victims of 'Shopping Cart Killer,' Link 5th Body to Case, Police ID Possible 6th Victim of San Francisco 'Doodler,' Serial Killer Who Targeted Gay Men in the '70s, How a Conch Shell Held the Key to a Woman's Cold Case Murder and Revealed a Family Betrayal, Fla. Police Say They've Identified a Serial Killer After 20-Year Investigation into 3 Women's Murders, Shannan Gilbert's Family Lawyer Says Former Police Chief Should be Suspect in Gilgo Beach Killings, near a suspected serial killers mass grave. With each burlap covered victim found on Gilgo Beach, the police learned more about the serial killer: his habits, his M.O., and his uncanny ability to avoid detection. In 2016, a private, independent autopsy reported a different finding, The New York Times reported. Moriarty asked. "It's possible. In the hours after midnight on May 1, 2010, Shannan Gilbert, an escort on her way to a job, drove past the place where the bones of the Long Island Serial Killer's victims lay hidden in the brush. She was not perfect, but she was loved and she was cared for, Gilbert told the press in 2011. Somehow he convinced her to meet him alone -- an unusual move for Amber, who normally required clients to come to her. "She just disappeared into the night.". And her children were adversely affected by it, there is no question about it whatsoever." It doesn't seem plausible," said Kolker. "A lot of money for her," Moriarty noted. And when Mari Gilbert confronted him with a friend's camera rolling, he denied it again: Mari Gilbert [Cell phone video]: Firsthand what happened? Attorney John Ray told CBS that Sarra invited Mari to her home and in the living room, she was knifed to death.. What would kill a 23-year-old woman? He says the internet has made prostitution more accessible, but also more dangerous. "And it was too overgrown to bring in dogs and to search!". "When I said to her, 'I called the police. She wouldn't answer me. "I knew that it was a possibility but I really just wanted to keep hope," said Sherre. Sarra heard voices that urged her to perform violent acts, New York Daily News reported. Yelling, 'Help me, help me, help me. "If she had abandoned her shoes and she was walking barefoot through this, it would seem almost impossible for her without cutting up her feet very badly on the broken reeds," he explained. Twisted Sisters airs at 9/8c on Investigation Discovery. "But, in retrospect, people thought there were signs. 52-year-old Mari Gilbert became a murder victim advocate after her Craigslist-escort Another daughter, Sarra, was convicted of killing Mari in 2016. " that Shannan was distressed. As it notes at the end of Lost Girls, Mari Gilbert was killed by her daughter, Sarra Gilbert, in 2016. Lynn Barthelemy's 24-year-old daughter, Melissa, had been missing for a year-and-a-half when the bodies were discovered. Her Sister Shannan Gilbert Died Mysteriously Shannan Maria Gilbert went missing on Long Island on May 1, 2010. Maybe she doesn't care about her kids'" Cann said, her eyes welling with tears. Stevie has stayed out of the spotlight for the most part. In his new afterward to Lost Girls, Kolker described the breakdown Sarra experienced after the discovery of her sisters remains: Over the following three years, Sarra spent time in psychiatric hospitals and was diagnosed with schizophrenia. "Yeah, I'm sure I did. Until we meet again my dear sister; sleep with mom & the Angels.. Dr. Hackett: [Cell phone video]: If you thought I had information like that why didn't you tell the police a year ago? They don't want to hear anything. Moriarty asked Varrone. Barthelemy wondered. The medical examiner ruled her death inconclusive. Sarra said her mom practiced witchcraft and she believed Mari was a demon. So far, there has been no arrest, but since our last "48 Hours" broadcast, there are new developments in the case. They're on their way,' She just looked at me and she ran right out the door.". She said she decided to keep the Facebook page going, despite her and her sister Stevies devastation, because of all the work and dedication her mom and their lawyer John Ray had put into Shannans case. "Mari Gilbert knew that that kind of attention and passion is what will keep this case alive," Garbus says. Mental illness is a serious disease. Significantly, this is the same Holiday Inn where a client asked Amber Costello to meet him just few weeks before her death. Authorities were able to trace some of the calls to a handful of busy locations in midtown Manhattan: near the Port Authority, the Empire State Building and Times Square. On July 23, 2016, Sarra Gilbert traveled from Ellenville, NY, to her mothers home in Catskills, NY, and attacked Mari Gilbert. It was the call Sherre and her sister, Sarra, had been dreading ever since learning Shannan, diagnosed with a bipolar disorder and struggling with depression and mood swings, had turned to selling her services online as an escort. 'Lost Girls': What Happened To Dr. Peter Hackett? Sherre said. "All the responding officers can believe at this point is that whoever was in the SUV picked up this girl and they're gone," said Varrone. Oxygen Insider is your all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! But police couldn't respond to the call because Shannan couldn't say where she was. Hackett's attorney, James O'Rourke of Hauppauge, said none of the claims is true. A year & a half of hope, prayers & dreams.People say I have a tragic life because of my circumstances but one thing is for sure. But they werent getting it.. She just kept staring at me and going, 'Help me, help me, help me. 8: An Asian man dressed in women's clothes, Victims 9 and 10: A female skull and a bag of female bones. Girl, 11, Was Killed After Wandering Away from Her Mother in 1988, Suspect ID'd as Former Officer, Denver Police Say Man Who Killed Cop 40 Years Ago Is Also Responsible for 4 Women's Murders, Suspected N.M. This was how the police first learned of the existence of the infamous Long Island Serial Killer. There were eight in total, including one in which the likely killer spoke to Lynn. The prosecution argued that Sarra killed her mother out of anger because Mari had Sarrah arrested after Sarra drowned her puppy. Netflix ", The Office alum says she partly based her portrayal on Liz's "very helpful" accounts of her conversations with Mari, videos of Mari, and Kolker's book. "And they said, 'She's a hooker. Schaller says the caller was so persuasive, Amber -- an experienced escort -- walked out the door without her purse or even a cell phone. Authorities said they thought Shannans death wasnt connected and might have been a drowning. Hearst Magazine Media, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Upon information and belief, on or about May 1, 2010, at Defendant Hacketts aforesaid address, Defendant Hackett induced, coerced, overreached, and persuaded Shannan Gilbert to enter his aforesaid premises and to accept the aforesaid treatment and medications he provided and administered to her, the lawsuit said. It's like running through a corn field or a wheat field you just push push it outta your way," said Varrone. The afterword to Lost Girls briefly notes that Gilbert was stabbed to death by one of her daughters, Sarra. Mari says during that phone call on May 3, Dr. Hackett told her that Shannan had left his house with her driver and that he was worried about her. Anytime there was anything going on he was helpful.. Mental illness had affected both Mari, 52, and Sarra, 27, according to Elizabeth Meserve, aunt of Long Island serial killer victim Megan Waterman. "Exactly," Schaller agreed, "like a lion smells a dying gazelle.". "But you're as vulnerable as ever when you're working alone, particularly when you just meet your client that night.". She also beat her with a fire extinguisher and sprayed her with foam from the extinguisher. ", Police have said that they do not consider Hackett a suspect in the killings,according to, We allege that Dr. Peter Hackett has told others that he encountered Shannan knocking on his door on May 1, that he let her into his home and that he administered narcotics, Ray said outside the courthouse after filing the suit according to, . She was murdered by her daughter Sarra Elizabeth Gilbert in Ellenville, New York. I feel like if the right things were done maybe these girls would still be alive to this day," she said. She wrote a heartfelt message about Shannan in 2019, saying: Its been 8yrs since you were found. He claimed he was with the NYPD and wanted to know if she had filed a missing persons report. "She was a human being she was a mother she was a loved sister she was everything to us," Cann said. ", "I reached over and grabbed that phone, dialed 911," Colletti continued. "Does she say who she's afraid of," Moriarty asked Chief Varrone. Sherre Gilbert says her sister was desperately trying to make a better life for herself. Ray asked. She deserved to die., Charged with second-degree murder, Sarra Gilbert pleaded not guilty, with Ray claiming she couldn't be held responsible due to her schizophrenia. Get an all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! "He's an individual who likes to get involved," Varrone said of Dr. Hackett. Ryan tells OprahMag.com that she'd been familiar with the story of the Long Island Serial killer, as a native New Yorker who spent time at nearby Jones Beach growing up. Sarra, diagnosed with schizophrenia, had been cycling out of mental hospitals, Ray said. Last year, Ray and two colleagues put the police theory to the test. Sarra was ultimately charged and convicted of murdering her mother. In 2016, just months after an independent autopsy raised more questions about Shannans death, Mari Gilbert was found dead in her daughter Sarra Gilberts apartment in Ellenville, CBS New York reported at the time. She's where she wants to be.' Sarra is held without bail and is set for a preliminary hearing in court on Tuesday. Garbus knows viewers may likely be floored by the news of Mari's death at the end of the film. She believed the voices in her head were caused by her mom. They cant sleep, Laster tells PEOPLE. "She pretty much thought that, you know, it would never happen to her," she replied. He raised a family there, was their emergency services guy, their security guy. On Dec. 13, 2010, Maureen's body was found alongside the others. Based on Robert Kolker's book of the same name, the film is centered on Mari Gilbert, Shannan's outspoken mother, who worked alongside several other victims' families to press Long Island police into action.