Gilgo Beach serial killing victim Maureen Brainard-Barnes’ remains were bound with a distinctive belt embossed with the initials “WH” or “HM,” Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney said in a Newsday interview Thursday — the first time authorities have disclosed that detail publicly.
The belt, images of which Suffolk police released during a news conference in 2020 in an attempt to drum up investigative tips in the case, was one of three belts used to bind Brainard-Barnes..
“There was a question hair that is still being tested that was removed by the buckle of the belt,” said Tierney, referring to one of the other belts, without any initials, used to bind her legs.
“One had “WH” on it. One had the distal end of the belt cut off, meaning the end of the belt furthest from the buckle and it was cut off, and that would have been the section where, had there been initials on it, that’s where those initials would have been.”
Tierney, also revealed that authorities likely will be able to identify the remains of three of the total 10 victims whose remains were found in the vicinity of Gilgo Beach.
Those victims — a woman who investigators have nicknamed “Peaches” because of a tattoo she had, a toddler that was found with her and those of a man who was found separately — have remained unidentified.
“I think we’re getting closer with regard to all of those profiles,” said Tierney, who confirmed that the identifications would be made by the FBI using genetic genealogy, “among other things."
“We’re honing in on that, and I think we’ll have information on that — on some of the identifications shortly,” Tierney said... “Real shortly.”
The district attorney’s office plans to hold a new conference Friday morning with members of the Gilgo Beach Homicide Task Force, Tierney declined to discuss what officials plan to announce.
The three belts found with Brainard-Barnes’ remains, dark in color, were identical except that only one of the belts was embossed with lettering. The belt bearing the initials was bound around her chest area, Tierney said…
The killing was not part of the indictment of alleged serial killer Rex A. Heuermann, though prosecutors have named him as the "prime suspect" in her slaying.
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