Monster: Hunting the Long Island Serial Killer
Episode 3: Coincidence
Release Date: November 17, 2025
Host: Josh Zeman
Produced by: iHeartPodcasts and Tenderfoot TV
Episode Overview
In this gripping installment of "Monster: Hunting the Long Island Serial Killer," filmmaker and journalist Josh Zeman, alongside Rachel Mills, traces the tangled investigations, overlooked evidence, and tragic victims that define one of America's most notorious unsolved serial murders. The episode centers on the controversial death of Shannon Gilbert—whose disappearance inadvertently led to the discovery of at least ten other victims' remains along Long Island's beaches—as well as the missed opportunities and systemic dysfunction that delayed justice for over a decade. Zeman meticulously reconstructs the chronology of the investigation, honors the stories of the victims, and examines the confounding question: How could the suspects hide in plain sight for so long, and how many lives might have been saved if the authorities acted sooner?
Key Discussion Points and Insights
1. Revisiting Shannon Gilbert’s Final Moments
[06:56–15:18]
- Setting the Scene: Zeman and Rachel retrace Shannon Gilbert’s last moments, walking through the unforgiving Oak Beach marsh to illustrate the physical difficulty of escaping (or dumping a body) in such terrain.
- Josh: “This stuff hurts too. Ow. Ow... It was brutally challenging.” [07:40]
- Rachel: “She couldn’t have made it. For someone barefoot and barely clothed like Shannon, it would have been nearly impossible to get to Ocean Parkway.” [10:20]
- Conspiracy vs. Accident: While the Suffolk County PD ruled her death an accidental drowning possibly complicated by hypothermia, many—including her family—refused to accept this, citing unresolved details and her panicked 911 call.
- Josh: “There is no evidence whatsoever that Shannon Gilbert died a natural death.” [08:24]
- The Shock of Coincidence: Although Shannon’s death was likely accidental, her disappearance directly led to the police uncovering the remains of numerous murdered sex workers miles away. Zeman calls this “one of the most shocking coincidences in all of true crime.” [12:46]
2. The Investigation’s Costly Misdirection
[16:00–23:30]
- Hijacking the Narrative: Media attention focused intensely on Shannon’s case and her mother Mary’s search for answers, often overshadowing the other victims whose disappearances garnered little press.
- Missed Opportunities: The podcast reflects on the crucial question: If Shannon’s disappearance had prompted urgent media and police action, could subsequent murders have been prevented?
- Josh: “If Suffolk county had taken Shannon’s case more seriously… would Megan and Amber still be with us?” [19:30]
- Criminal Behavior Analysis: The killer, later dubbed LISK (Long Island Serial Killer), showed both recklessness and calculated risks, returning to Gilgo Beach despite police presence, unlike previous serial killers who were caught when their routines broke down.
3. Connecting the Victims – The Jigsaw of Remains
[23:31–39:50]
- The Manorville Butcher and Gilgo Beach: The episode details the grim discoveries of dismembered victims Valerie Mack (formerly Jane Doe #6) and Jessica Taylor, whose body parts were found in separate sites years apart.
- The killer removed tattoos to hinder identification.
- Josh (with reporter Timothy Bolger): “For the killer to have gotten to this place, he would have had to go down a couple of roads…right on your left, here is where we found Jessica Taylor.” [28:10]
- Confusion Over Modus Operandi (MO): Some victims were found dismembered, others intact—leading authorities, and the public, to debate whether there was one killer or multiple.
- DA Spota: “We may be looking for four different killers, and at least one dumps bodies along Ocean Parkway.” [36:50]
- Police and Political Dysfunction: A lack of cooperation between the DA’s office and the police led to confusion and lost leads.
- Author Robert Kolker: “What happens in the police force is really a function of what happens politically in Long Island…they warred openly about it.” [37:20]
4. Long Island: A Serial Killer’s Hunting Ground
[39:51–53:35]
- Previous Serial Killers: Contextualizes the area’s grim history, highlighting that at one point, two serial killers, Joel Rifkin and Robert Shulman, were operating in overlapping territories (early ’90s).
- Why Long Island?: Kolker posits it’s a “pressure cooker” due to density, proximity to the city, and anonymity.
- FBI’s Brief Involvement: Initial involvement in cell data and profiling but were notably pushed out by Police Chief James Burke, further stalling progress.
- Josh Zeman: “But once Chief Burke took over, he and the DA infamously kicked the FBI off the case, leaving LISK’s profile incomplete.” [51:10]
5. The Unidentified and Forgotten
[53:36–01:07:15]
- Fire Island Jane Doe, Asian Doe, Peaches, and the Toddler:
- Grapple with the difficulties and heartbreak of identifying victims whose remains turned up over decades, often in pieces and miles apart.
- Sarah Wyman (on Asian Doe): “Biologically, they were assigned male at birth, but Asian Doe was found with clothing we would identify with women…they might have identified as trans.” [59:40]
- The unique horror of finding a toddler (Tatiana Marie Dykes) and her mother (Tanya Denise Jackson, "Peaches") among the victims—cases long neglected in public databases.
- Systemic Errors in Investigation: Law enforcement’s poor record-keeping prevented vital connections and public alerts about missing persons.
- Josh (re: NamUs database with Todd Matthews): “Wouldn’t the mother be tied to the baby somehow? I don’t know of a reason why it wouldn’t be in here.” [01:04:05]
- Only in 2025 were these identities and their connections publicly confirmed, filling long-standing gaps.
6. The Breakthrough and Capture
[01:07:16–01:15:10]
- How Rex Heuermann Was Found:
- A new multi-agency FBI/Suffolk County task force, combined with a critical vehicle database search and revisiting old interviews, finally cracks the case.
- A 2011 tip describing a “huge ogre of a man” with a Chevy Avalanche becomes essential when paired with cell tower analysis, identifying Heuermann of Massapequa Park.
- Law Enforcement Official: “Once we were able to attach the Avalanche…to Rex Heuermann, that was a moment where we said, okay, there’s something here.” [01:13:58]
- Arrest and Aftermath:
- The episode closes with the emotional relief and grim satisfaction of seeing Heuermann indicted, though with recognition of the waste and pain caused by years of delay.
- News Clip: “Ladies and gentlemen, Rex Heuermann is a demon that walks among us.” [01:15:09]
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
- “There is no evidence whatsoever that Shannon Gilbert died a natural death.”
— Josh Zeman [08:24] - “If Suffolk county had taken Shannon’s case more seriously…would Megan and Amber still be with us?”
— Josh Zeman [19:30] - “What happens in the police force is really a function of what happens politically in Long Island.”
— Robert Kolker [37:20] - “Biologically, they were assigned male at birth...Asian Doe might have identified as trans.”
— Sarah Wyman [59:40] - “Once we were able to attach the Avalanche inside of that Massapequa box to Rex Heuermann...there’s something here.”
— Law Enforcement Official [01:13:58] - “Ladies and gentlemen, Rex Heuermann is a demon that walks among us.”
— News Clip [01:15:09]
Timestamps for Key Segments
- 06:56 — Zeman and Mills retrace Shannon Gilbert’s last path
- 15:18 — Discussion of the “coincidence” of Shannon’s death leading to discoveries
- 19:30 — Questions about media and police inaction following Shannon’s disappearance
- 28:10 — Jessica Taylor’s dumping ground recounted with Timothy Bolger
- 36:50 — Police/DA debate over the possibility of multiple killers
- 51:10 — FBI pushed off the case by Suffolk PD
- 53:36 — Discovery and identification challenges for Fire Island Jane Doe, Asian Doe, and Peaches
- 01:04:05 — Apparent failures in missing persons and NamUs database entries
- 01:13:58 — Heuermann linked and identified as main suspect
- 01:15:09 — News of Heuermann’s arrest and public reaction
Episode Tone and Style
Zeman's narration is urgent, empathetic, and unsparing, weaving investigative facts with moments of raw human emotion. The podcast creates an atmosphere of suspense, frustration, and sorrow—frequently underscoring the high personal and communal cost when justice is delayed or denied. The language remains respectful toward the victims and critical of institutional failings.
This episode serves both as a critical investigation into a notorious case and as a memorial for those whose voices have been lost or ignored. It reflects on the struggle to seek justice, the human toll of systemic indifference, and the hope that new investigative cooperation might finally yield answers—and peace—for the victims and their families.