News: Reward for Long Island Killer
(Long Island, N.Y.) Authorities determined to solve the case of the Gilgo Beach serial killer have increased the reward money fivefold. Police and investigators dealing with the case have claimed that the latest reward has extended to twenty-five thousand dollars for information leading to the arrest of the man responsible for the killings. The recent news has Long Island residents wondering whether the heightened monetary benefit will prompt people to come forward with anything useful.
The twenty-five thousand dollar reward is the largest ever to be offered by Suffolk County Crime Stoppers. The closest runner up is the reward given to those with information in a prior homicide case. The amount was five thousand dollars, the same figure that was previously offered to catch the Gilgo Beach killer.
Two thousand dollars was paid to those with information leading to the arrest of the guilty party in the previous case. Crime Stoppers accepts private donations to provide the reward money in high stakes cases, such as the heightened reward to catch the latest serial killer. A program called the Crime Stoppers Major Case Special Situation Award has aided in keeping the incentive high to track down the man responsible for the recent string of murders.
Reports stated that there have been no new developments in the case and information about what’s left of the unidentified remains has still not been released. It’s uncertain whether police and authorities are still awaiting identification from the forensics team involved in the case. Since the initial talk of a possible Long Island serial killer, just five of the ten remains found on the shores of Jones Beach and Gilgo Beach have been identified.
Followers of the case have noted that the increase in the reward money offered by Suffolk County Crime Stoppers comes less than a week after a vigil scheduled by the victims’ families. Saturday’s event honored the memories of the departed women in a special tribute from their friends and loved ones. Some believe that it’s the memories of the girls, and not the hefty reward, that should promote more interest in the capturing of a killer.
Reports stated that police and authorities received an estimated thousand tips concerning the case since they released information with reason to believe a single killer was responsible for the first four discovered victims. Some question whether the twenty-five thousand dollar reward will complicate matters by attracting a vast amount of useless information. Others believe that no price tag can be placed upon capturing the person responsible.
The common belief is that the serial killer targets women in beach communities during summer months. Nonetheless, and judging by the regular amount of beach traffic across Long Island, summer 2011 seems to have started with business as usual.
