From Brewers we head to Gus Colettis. Weve both seen him in interviews but we wanted to meet him in person and ask him a few questions ourselves. Sandy parks her truck in front of his house and by the time we get to the steps of his deck he is standing inside his front door. He comes out and we exchange pleasantries and explain that we are friends of Shannans family. He is friendly and receives us without hesitation.
So what did she do she just ran out? She was just
Sandy asks.
Well first off she comes banging on the door, yelling and screaming for help. I was shaving and gettin ready to go upstate. So I come out and open the door and she came in. And she stands right here, he says, moving to the exact spot inside where she had stood. Thats as far as she got. She kept on yelling for help. And I kept on saying to her, Whats the matter. Tell me whats the matter and Ill help ya. And she just kept on yellin help, help me. And then she started to fall backwards. So I turned around, picked up the phone and called police right way. And I turned to her afterwards, hung up the phone and said I called the police. Theyre on the way here. Somebody will help ya. As soon as I said that - out the door she went.
Do you know Joseph Brewer? asks Sandy.
Do I know Joe Brewer? I know who he is. Hes not one of my favorite people though, Coletti responds.
Michael Pak, the driver, when he said to you that you shouldnt have called police because shes gonna get in a lot of trouble, did he seem to say that in a manner that was threatening to her? I ask.
No, Coletti responds. And I said to him well, Ill tell you right now so are you if you dont stop right here. I called the police and I know who you are now.
Now where was she last seen? I ask, leading him onto his deck. Ive seen you in a couple of interviews but its always so hard to tell.
He comes outside and walks to his right along the deck and points to the reeds along the road of the Fairway. She comes out here and tries to get in the reeds. But she cant because they were higher then.
And Michael Pak is where at this point? I ask.
I havent seen him yet. And she runs to that house next door and bangin on the door for help again. Then she turned around and came back in the road to right about there, he says pointing to the middle of the roadway, and she stopped. And starts lookin back and Im wonderin what shes lookin at. And Im standin here waitin. And she takes off here and ran around here, he says, with his arm out tracing her route from the middle of the roadway to across his front lawn and then behind his boat. She went right underneath the edge of the boat.
She was obviously afraid of someone wasnt she? asks Sandy.
Yes, replies Coletti. And then I saw the car coming. And I said oh- this guys after her. So I came here and ran down there, pointing to his steps and front yard. And I stopped him right out there. And I asked him where he thought he was going. And thats when he says, oh well we had a party up at Brewers house and one of the young girls got upset and left and Im tryin to find her to bring her back. Well Ive already called the police, thats what I told him and theyre on the way I said.
That was a good thing, says Sandy.
And he said oh, you shouldnt of done that. Shes gonna get in a lot of trouble. And I said so are you if you leave, Coletti says.
So you really tried to get him to stay, I say. And then Shannan darted off to where? I ask.
And then all of a sudden, he continues, out she came and went around that house, he says, pointing to the house directly across from his by the gate.
Around that house right there? I say, pointing.
Yeah.
Toward Anchor Way. That house right there? I ask.
Yeah but that house wasnt there then. There was a little bungalow, he says.
And he took off after her. And did u ever see Brewer? I ask.
No.
Anyone else after that? It was just him? An Asian guy, I ask.
Yeah. So what I did I ran back up here and I told my wife
Here a car drives slowly by and Coletti stops talking.
Anyone we should be concerned about? asks Sandy.
No, thats just the neighbors coming home from work, he says. So I told my wife she was downstairs here. I said stay here and watch for anyone else coming down the street. Im going down to let the police in. And I waited for the police and I opened up the gate so they could get in and I told em the direction she went in.
About how long was that after you last saw her?
About 45 minutes, he responds.
Wow, I say.
And that was the direction of Hacketts house wasnt it - over there that way? asks Sandy.
Yeah, responds Coletti.
And you never saw Michael Paks SUV again? I ask.
No, he responds.
You know Mr. Hackett? asks Sandy.
Yes I do.
Nice man? asks Sandy.
If I had a choice. Hed be living next door to me, he replies.
Okay, Sandy says.
Theres very few people here in this community that dont get along, Coletti says.
I have a question. Was she wearing a leather jacket? I ask.
Over her shoulder, he says.
Wow, you remember everything, Sandy says.
Oh yeah I do, he responds.
Sandals or boots on, I ask.
I dont know. I didnt look. I know that she had a tank top on. Not a halter.
One earring or two? I ask.
I didnt
Did she say she was frightened of
what did she..? asks Sandy.
No, she just kept yelling help, help, he says.
Oh god
we gotta find this woman, Sandy says.
Do you have any theories yourself? I ask.
I sure do
I dont think she was murdered. I think she went in the water.
Well, dont you think the body would have washed up eventually? asks Sandy.
Sure. If it was an incoming tide that morning. Theres gotta be 35-40 little islands between here and Patchogue. No inhabitants on any one of em. She coulda washed up on one shed be there forever. And thats more than likely where she is.
Did they have the police dogs sniffing around? Sandy asks.
Right away or
? he asks.
Well, in December, says Sandy.
December they did.
All in the drainage and everything? she asks.
Yeah. January they were back again. Mike was here with the dog.
Blue? I ask.
John Mallia? Sandy asks.
Yeah. I told him. I was talkin to him. He left and came in and I told him we got it recorded. So he said they tell me it wasnt working. So I say thats right somebody wiped the camera clean.
Someone did wipe the camera clean? I ask.
Yeah. Somebody in here, he says, using his thumb to point over his shoulder.
Yeah, but wasnt Hackett in charge of the camera? Sandy asks.
No, he was not. Charlie Serota was.
Charles Serota?
Hmm.
When did he come over with Blue. How far after
I dont know, says Coletti. This is just what I was told. I didnt witness it. But the real thing that we keep when you come in here you punch your code in it records the time you come in.
And it takes a snapshot of your license plate right? I ask.
Yeah, he says.
Thats on a hard drive. And the entire hard drive is wiped clean? I ask.
No, no. I turned that over to the police.
Oh you did. So they have the hard drive? Sandy says.
He nods.
So ostensibly you would know
I begin to say.
But there was no car that came in or out of there in over a half hour, he says.
So shes gotta be in this area, says Sandy. Here some place.
Yeah, he says.
Rifkin called his plan “a way of paying back a debt, I guess,” and while the idea drew praise from some quarters --including prosecutor Fred Klein-- most objected to Rifkin’s inclusion of a “Motivation Room” where residents would be “scared straight” with photos of hookers murdered on the job. “These girls think, ‘I can’t be touched,’” Rifkin explained. “Well, 17 girls thought that, and now they’re dead.”
