The new police commissioner of New York’s Suffolk County recently vowed to solve the multiple homicides connected to Gilgo Beach on Long Island first discovered in 2010, saying that they may release 911 calls related to the case.
"I want to make a commitment to the residents of Suffolk County as well as the family members," Suffolk County Police Commissioner Rodney Harrison said on the same day that he toured the Oak Beach location where some of the remains were discovered, according to Newsday. "We will not rest until we bring those accountable to justice. I stated it when I was nominated as the commissioner of Suffolk County, that solving this serial case is going to be very, very important to me."
He went on to say, "There’s a commitment, a relentless pursuit, to identify the individuals and bring them to justice and that’s for the family members to hear."
In 2010, the disappearance of Shannan Gilbert from New Jersey led investigators to find multiple sets of human remains on Gilgo Beach by the spring of 2011. Police have said over the years that they believe multiple suspects were involved, but they have not ruled out the possibility that one person was responsible for more than one of the homicides.
Harrison said last week that he had listened to the 911 tapes related to the case, and told the press that "as long as it doesn’t impede the investigation, I will be sharing those audiotapes to the public. But I want to make sure it doesn’t hinder the investigation at all."
An attorney for Gilbert’s estate said on Friday that "this is good news," but noted that "the police department itself is actively resisting releasing those tapes as we speak. The public does need to hear those tapes."
The commissioner added that "a lot of great work was done" by investigators on the case already. "I like to bring a fresh set of eyes from my experiences being an investigator in the NYPD — just to make sure all the investigative leads are being done appropriately."
Harrison was the Chief of Department at the New York City Police Department prior to his appointment as Suffolk County Police Commissioner.