Disparues: Le tueur de Long Island

True crime documentaries are not really my cup of tea. They are often sensationalist and voyeurist, concentrating on the gruesome nature of murder to provide entertainment. Gone Girls offers a victim-focus that is a welcome perspective.

Since I knew nothing of this case I may be an outlier, however this limited-episode series was, to me at least, an interesting and engaging overview of these events. It would be disingenuous to claim that Gone Girls is enjoyable, however this is not to criticise the documentary's creators. It certainly stands above other entries in the genre that I have seen.

The facts of what happened are shocking enough on their own merits that sensationalism is not required; the conclusion (thus far) of the case raises many concerns, not least the manner in which authorities appear to have reinforced the wider presumption that there are members of society that they consider not deserving of justice. That these human beings are often amongst the most vulnerable is a damning irony.

It is clear that there remains much still to be uncovered; if a follow-up series was to maintain a victim-focussed narrative it would be worthwhile viewing.

The Long Island Serial Killer, also known as the Gilgo Beach Killer, is a now identified man, responsible for the murders of multiple people over a period of nearly 20 years, primarily on Long Island, New York. The case gained national attention due to the gruesome nature of the crimes and the long period the killer remained at large.

In December 2010, Suffolk County Police were searching for a missing woman named Shannan Gilbert, a sex worker who had called 911 in distress months earlier. While searching near Gilgo Beach, police found four bodies wrapped in burlap sacks along Ocean Parkway.

In July 2023, a man named Rex Heuermann, an architect from Massapequa Park, was arrested and charged with the murders of at least three women - known as the "Gilgo Four." He is also the prime suspect in a fourth killing.

On June 6, 2024, Heuermann was charged with the murders of Jessica Taylor and Sandra Costilla - the latter not previously linked to the Gilgo Beach case, pushing the timeline back to the early 1990s. In December, he was also indicted for the 2000 murder of Valerie Mack. He has pleaded not guilty to all charges.

As of 2025, the legal process is ongoing, with prosecutors continuing to investigate his possible involvement in other unsolved murders.

I did not know about this killer and this story. I found this documentary interesting and it never felt like it was dragging. The thing that shocked me the most were not the murders themselves, but the checklist and notes Rex Heuermann had on his computer that the police managed to restore. A list of how he could improve his killings and methods, which was absolutely absurd and made me sick to my stomach. Here I will copy and paste a summary of an article I read that covers most of it:

"Accused Gilgo Beach serial killer Rex Heuermann allegedly created disturbing digital checklists that show how he carefully planned and covered up his murders, which he referred to as "hunts," prosecutors revealed. These lists included "pre-prep" and "post event" steps, covering everything from logistics to disposing of evidence. Investigators uncovered these lists while examining a trove of digital devices from his home.

The checklists were organized into:

-Supplies needed.

-Pre-prep tasks (e.g., vehicle inspection, checking for traffic cameras, getting enough sleep).

-Dump site planning.

-Post-disposal actions (e.g., changing tires, preparing an alibi, deleting incriminating files).

Some chilling notes included:

-Get sleep before hunts. Too tired creates problems.

-Use heavy rope... light rope breaks under stress.

-More sleep & noise control = more playtime.

Prosecutors believe "playtime" refers to the torture and bondage of victims. The defense argues these new charges don't align with the original theory, pointing to differences like dismemberment and locations of the new alleged victims."

The pointless, unhelpful commentary by the two journalists in the first episode made me want to just stop watching this series. Robert Kolker was especially annoying, using the purple prose from his silly articles, such as "A gigantic meteorite hit Long Island." I would suppose he was referring to the impact of the discovery of skeletons. He also had nothing to contribute in the way of factual information about the case.

The other journalist, reporter Jaclyn Gallucci, wasn't much better, making her comments center on herself: what she was thinking, etc. Maybe this was an attempt to avoid a narrator, but narration may have been better than having two self-important journalists making comment.

Shannan Gilbert had been working as an escort, she vanishes, the eventual search unearths a series of bodies, it becomes apparent that a serial killer has been getting away with multiple murders without the alarm being raised.

Reading some of the reviews, I'll take one point on board, it is a story that has been explored multiple times, and there comes a point where you think, enough now, but for someone unaware of the ins and outs, it's a good documentary.

Episode one was pretty factual, it felt quite informative, procedural so to speak, I appreciated the way they told the story of the poor victims, the same couldn't be said of episodes two and three, they really did go for the gotcha moments, but the stork itself is so unbelievably shocking, it does actually work.

There were some really eye opening moments, including various interviews and some interesting footage.

The final episode felt a little ambiguous at times, but that's the nature of the story itself.

It's terrifying to think now many crimes Rex Heuermann got away with, The Police and Authorities really did fail the victims and their families in spectacular fashion.

7/10.

While in the beginning looks like lost case , after 2 episodes starts adding more caracteres and police heads . Surely the end will surprise you . Excellent investigation for more than 30 years . I would say the third episode is the best , so it's worth it the wait !

Police , FBI, relatives , tv news from the past, a very well documented series . If you saw another one in the past about the same killings , this one has new information that will blow your mind . Even the smartest psicopats are getting caught at some point .

I'm sure there is room for a second season , wait and see . Enjoy the series .