Gilgo Beach Investigation: Police expand search area linked to man convicted of killing 2 women
NORTH SEA, Long Island (WABC) -- Searches by the Gilgo Beach Task Force expanded through a wide area of Suffolk County woods this weekend.
On Friday, the search extended to North Sea, where Sandra Costilla, 28, was discovered dead in Nov 1993.
John Bittrolff is long suspected but never charged, in her death. Bittrolff was convicted in 2017 in the murders of two other women, whose bodies were found in 1993 and 1994 in East Patchogue and Shirley.
The searches earlier this week in Manorville were both near where Bittrolff used to live and near where the remains of two women in the Gilgo Beach pattern - Valerie Mack and Jessica Taylor - were found about a mile apart in 2000 and 2003, respectively.
It is unclear why prosecutors are searching locations linked to Bittrolff, whether he is being looked at for anything else or if they have discovered anything over the past five days
Many theories were floated about possible suspects in the decade of Gilgo investigations until Rex Heuermann was charged with four of the deaths.
Heuermann has not been publicly linked to at least six other deaths in the larger Gilgo probe, and none of his alleged victims were located in Manorville.
The Suffolk County District Attorney, whose office is leading the investigation, said he "will not comment on investigative steps while they are underway" and "will make further statements when appropriate"
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