Gilgo Beach 'Jane Doe No. 7' Is Finally Identified

Police on Long Island say her name was Karen Vergata, who went missing in 1996
By John Johnson,  Newser Staff
Posted Aug 4, 2023 2:40 PM CDT
Gilgo Beach 'Jane Doe No. 7' Is Finally Identified
Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond Tierney, unseen, speaks at a news conference to announce the identity of a victim investigators had called "Jane Doe No. 7," as Karen Vergata, pictured at left, Friday, Aug. 4, 2023, in Hauppauge, New York.   (AP Photo/John Minchillo)

Authorities have identified another of the murder victims buried years ago at Long Island's Gilgo Beach, reports the New York Post. The woman previously referred to as "Jane Doe No. 7" is Karen Vergata, says Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond A. Tierney. Vergata disappeared on Valentine's Day of 1996 at age 34. Her remains were identified through DNA genetic genealogy, he said. The development is part of the reinvestigation of the Gilgo Beach murders that led last month to the arrest of architect Rex Heuermann, per the AP. However, her death has so far not been officially linked to the suspect.

Heuermann has been charged with killing three other women found at the beach and is the prime suspect in a fourth death. Vergata, like those four women, had worked as an escort before her death, say authorities. She was never reported missing, but court documents show that her father had hired a private investigator to look for her. Vergata called him the day she went missing to wish him a happy Valentine's Day. "It's important that we remember and honor not only Ms. Vergata but all the victims on Gilgo Beach," said Tierney, who declined to take questions at Friday's news conference. A total of 11 bodies have been found there. (More Gilgo Beach stories.)

Get the news faster.
Tap to install our app.
X
Install the Newser News app
in two easy steps:
1. Tap in your navigation bar.
2. Tap to Add to Home Screen.

X