Ninth Body Found on Long Island Beach as Search for New York Serial Killer Continues

Bones found today on Long Island may indicate a ninth victim of the serial killer terrorizing the area. Eight previous corpses were found along Jones and Gilgo Beach, four of which were identified as Craigslist prostitutes, while the rest, found in the past two weeks, have yet to be named. Around 125 officers are currently searching from Suffolk to Nassau County, the Daily News reports, as speculation over the weekend indicated the killer is "versed in police techniques," and could even be law enforcement. (Update: A tenth body has been found.)

"They are human remains," a source told the Post this afternoon about the latest horrifying find. "It's not a complete body, they are partial human remains." Additionally, it was reported today that among the eight previous bodies found, one belongs to a child, while the New Jersey prostitute who set off the search is still missing. The first four bodies found were strangled to death.

It was the New York Times that reported over the weekend about some possible leads in the case, including the fact that one of the victim's sisters received threatening phone calls from a cellular phone. The calls were made from crowded New York City areas like Madison Square Garden, likely in order to make it more difficult to identify the caller, police believe.

This fact, as well as the killer's use of disposable cell phones to contact the four victims who have been identified -- women in their 20s who advertised their services on Craigslist -- suggested to some investigators that the killer was well versed in criminal investigative techniques, gleaned either through personal experience or in some other way, and could even be in law enforcement himself.

"He is a guy who is aware of how we utilize technology," one investigator said. "Frankly, people are thinking maybe he could be a cop" -- either one still in law enforcement or one who has moved on.

"Without question, this guy is smart -- this guy is not a dope," the investigator continued. "It's a guy who thinks about things."

The "vulgar, mocking, and insulting calls" were kept to under three minutes, again possibly to conceal his identity from any technological tracing.

Long Island's Ocean Parkway is currently closed on the westbound side from Robert Moses Causeway to Wantagh Parkway until 7 p.m. as the search for bodies continues.

[jcoscarelli@villagevoice.com / @joecoscarelli]