Who are The Gilgo Four in Netflix’s Gone Girls and why are they so important?

So, if you’ve been glued to Netflix’s Gone Girls: The Long Island Serial Killer, you probably still feel the shock from all the discoveries and heartbreaking stories. The docuseries closely follows the Gilgo Beach murders and shows how investigators found the bodies of four young women, later known as “The Gilgo Four.” The series reveals how these cases helped push the investigation forward and brought national attention to the victims’ stories.Their murders went unsolved for decades—until a breakthrough in 2023 brought new hope for justice. But who exactly are these women?

The Gilgo Four: Who are they?

So, the Gilgo Four refers to the first four victims discovered in the Long Island serial killer case, a mystery that shocked the nation. Their bodies were found near Gilgo Beach in 2010 and 2011, but their murders started in the ’90s. These women—sex workers whose lives ended far too soon—were tragically overlooked by authorities for a long time. It wasn’t until the discovery of their bodies that the investigation truly took off.

Maureen Brainard-Barnes

via Netflix

Maureen was a 25-year-old from Connecticut. She vanished in 2007 after a rough patch with her landlord and financial troubles. She hoped to make enough money in New York to avoid losing custody of her child. Sadly, she never made it back home. Her body was discovered near Gilgo Beach in 2010.

Melissa Barthelemy

via Netflix

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Melissa was a 24-year-old from the Bronx, working as an escort. Two years after Maureen’s disappearance, she vanished in 2009. Her sister, Amanda, received disturbing, taunting phone calls from an unknown man after Melissa disappeared—calls that would later be linked to the suspect, Rex Heuermann.

Megan Waterman

via Netflix

Megan was a 22-year-old mother who went missing in June 2010. She had turned to sex work to support her daughter, but CCTV footage showed her leaving her hotel that night to meet a client. Her body was later found near Gilgo Beach. Megan’s loved ones remember her as a kind and caring person who was deeply missed.

Amber Lynn Costello

via Netflix

Amber, who was known for her quirky and generous nature, went missing in September 2010. Her flatmates had to step in to protect her from a dangerous client before her disappearance. On the night she vanished, she left without her phone or purse to meet a man who promised her a large sum for a 24-hour engagement. Her case was linked to the suspect years later, leading to a breakthrough in the investigation.

So, what was the impact of The Gilgo Four discovery?

The discovery of these four women’s bodies was crucial in shifting the investigation into high gear. It wasn’t just the number of victims, it was the fact that they were all sex workers. This suggested that the killer was targeting women in that specific line of work. As more bodies were found, authorities began to realise they were dealing with a serial killer, someone who was likely local to the area.

While the investigation had previously lacked urgency, especially due to the victims’ profession, the discovery of The Gilgo Four brought national attention and more resources to the case. Other bodies were discovered nearby, including Shannan Gilbert, whose 911 call is played at the beginning of Gone Girls.

In 2023, nearly 30 years after the first murder, architect Rex Heuermann was arrested. He was charged with the murders of seven women, including the Gilgo Four. The arrest followed years of investigation and a key tip from Amber’s flatmates, whose detailed description of a man who had visited her before her disappearance eventually led to Heuermann’s capture.

Gone Girls: The Long Island Serial Killer is available on Netflix. For all the latest Netflix news, drops, quizzes and memes like The Holy Church of Netflix on Facebook.