Topline: Shannan Gilbert’s disappearance after a frantic 911 call in an Oak Beach gated community remains the unresolved death at the heart of the Gilgo Beach murders case.
Published: April 13, 2026 6:00 pm ET
Shawn Fletcher
Committed to the craft of journalism and am driven by my desire to inform and inspire.
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Shannan Gilbert
GILGO BEACH, NY — Shannan Gilbert’s disappearance after a frantic 911 call in an Oak Beach gated community remains the major unresolved death tied to the Gilgo Beach serial killer investigation.
The New York Times reported that Gilbert, 23, vanished just before sunrise on May 1, 2010, after traveling from New Jersey to meet a man who had hired her as an escort in a small gated community on the South Shore of Long Island adjacent to Gilgo Beach.
Hours into the appointment, Gilbert called 911 and ran screaming from the man’s house, according to the report. On the emergency recording, she could be heard running through the neighborhood, panting and crying, “Someone is after me” and “They’re going to kill me.”
Two neighbors also called police, but by the time officers arrived, Gilbert was gone, according to the report.
Seven months later, in December 2010, the search for Gilbert led to the discovery of four sets of remains in bramble off the shoulder of Ocean Parkway in Gilgo Beach, a few miles from where she was last seen, according to the Times.
Those remains were all young women who made money as escorts, like Gilbert. In March and April 2011, six more sets of remains were discovered along the shore, deepening what became one of the region’s most notorious serial-killer investigations.
The Times reported that Gilbert’s mother, Mari Gilbert, met the families of four victims on May 2, 2011, a year and a day after her daughter disappeared. Mari Gilbert said at the time, “In retrospect, I shouldn’t be here,” and, “Because my daughter has not passed.”
Mari Gilbert also said that without her daughter “running and screaming,” none of the other bodies would have been found, underscoring the still-unresolved role her disappearance played in exposing the wider Gilgo Beach killings.
The Times said Gilbert’s death was never considered a murder, leaving her case as the great unanswered mystery surrounding the Gilgo Beach murders.
Presumption of Innocence: A presumption of innocence means that any defendant in a criminal trial is presumed to be innocent until they have been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The defendant in this case is only accused of the charges set forth in the criminal complaint. They are innocent until proven guilty.
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Shannan Gilbert’s Death Remains the Great Unsolved Mystery of the Gilgo Beach Murders
Shannan Gilbert’s disappearance after a frantic 911 call in an Oak Beach gated community remains the unresolved death at the heart of the Gilgo Beach murders case.
By Shawn Fletcher
Published: April 13, 2026 6:00 pm ET
Shannan Gilbert
GILGO BEACH, NY — Shannan Gilbert’s disappearance after a frantic 911 call in an Oak Beach gated community remains the major unresolved death tied to the Gilgo Beach serial killer investigation.
The New York Times reported that Gilbert, 23, vanished just before sunrise on May 1, 2010, after traveling from New Jersey to meet a man who had hired her as an escort in a small gated community on the South Shore of Long Island adjacent to Gilgo Beach.
Hours into the appointment, Gilbert called 911 and ran screaming from the man’s house, according to the report. On the emergency recording, she could be heard running through the neighborhood, panting and crying, “Someone is after me” and “They’re going to kill me.”
Two neighbors also called police, but by the time officers arrived, Gilbert was gone, according to the report.
Seven months later, in December 2010, the search for Gilbert led to the discovery of four sets of remains in bramble off the shoulder of Ocean Parkway in Gilgo Beach, a few miles from where she was last seen, according to the Times.
Those remains were all young women who made money as escorts, like Gilbert. In March and April 2011, six more sets of remains were discovered along the shore, deepening what became one of the region’s most notorious serial-killer investigations.
The Times reported that Gilbert’s mother, Mari Gilbert, met the families of four victims on May 2, 2011, a year and a day after her daughter disappeared. Mari Gilbert said at the time, “In retrospect, I shouldn’t be here,” and, “Because my daughter has not passed.”
Mari Gilbert also said that without her daughter “running and screaming,” none of the other bodies would have been found, underscoring the still-unresolved role her disappearance played in exposing the wider Gilgo Beach killings.
The Times said Gilbert’s death was never considered a murder, leaving her case as the great unanswered mystery surrounding the Gilgo Beach murders.
Presumption of Innocence: A presumption of innocence means that any defendant in a criminal trial is presumed to be innocent until they have been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The defendant in this case is only accused of the charges set forth in the criminal complaint. They are innocent until proven guilty.
Editor's Note: ThePo makes every effort to accurately transcribe the contents of affidavits of probable cause contained in criminal complaints. Often, the complaints themselves are copies of copies of faxed copies, and are difficult to read. To confirm the accuracy of our transcription, contact the Magisterial District Court listed above and request a copy of the criminal complaint. It's a public record to which you are entitled.
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Editor Picks
Latest Articles
Shannan Gilbert’s Death Remains the Great Unsolved Mystery of the Gilgo Beach Murders
Shannan Gilbert’s disappearance after a frantic 911 call in an Oak Beach gated community remains the unresolved death at the heart of the Gilgo Beach murders case.
By Shawn Fletcher
Published: April 13, 2026 6:00 pm ET
Shannan Gilbert
GILGO BEACH, NY — Shannan Gilbert’s disappearance after a frantic 911 call in an Oak Beach gated community remains the major unresolved death tied to the Gilgo Beach serial killer investigation.
The New York Times reported that Gilbert, 23, vanished just before sunrise on May 1, 2010, after traveling from New Jersey to meet a man who had hired her as an escort in a small gated community on the South Shore of Long Island adjacent to Gilgo Beach.
Hours into the appointment, Gilbert called 911 and ran screaming from the man’s house, according to the report. On the emergency recording, she could be heard running through the neighborhood, panting and crying, “Someone is after me” and “They’re going to kill me.”
Two neighbors also called police, but by the time officers arrived, Gilbert was gone, according to the report.
Seven months later, in December 2010, the search for Gilbert led to the discovery of four sets of remains in bramble off the shoulder of Ocean Parkway in Gilgo Beach, a few miles from where she was last seen, according to the Times.
Those remains were all young women who made money as escorts, like Gilbert. In March and April 2011, six more sets of remains were discovered along the shore, deepening what became one of the region’s most notorious serial-killer investigations.
The Times reported that Gilbert’s mother, Mari Gilbert, met the families of four victims on May 2, 2011, a year and a day after her daughter disappeared. Mari Gilbert said at the time, “In retrospect, I shouldn’t be here,” and, “Because my daughter has not passed.”
Mari Gilbert also said that without her daughter “running and screaming,” none of the other bodies would have been found, underscoring the still-unresolved role her disappearance played in exposing the wider Gilgo Beach killings.
The Times said Gilbert’s death was never considered a murder, leaving her case as the great unanswered mystery surrounding the Gilgo Beach murders.
Presumption of Innocence: A presumption of innocence means that any defendant in a criminal trial is presumed to be innocent until they have been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The defendant in this case is only accused of the charges set forth in the criminal complaint. They are innocent until proven guilty.
Editor's Note: ThePo makes every effort to accurately transcribe the contents of affidavits of probable cause contained in criminal complaints. Often, the complaints themselves are copies of copies of faxed copies, and are difficult to read. To confirm the accuracy of our transcription, contact the Magisterial District Court listed above and request a copy of the criminal complaint. It's a public record to which you are entitled.
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