The site where Colleen McNamee was found

Crime Scene Location Shirley, New York

On January 30th, 1994, the body of missing woman Colleen McNamee was discovered at this location in Shirley, Long Island.

The 20-year-old sex worker had been sexually assaulted, strangled, and beaten to death. Following the attack, her killer left her naked body in this wooded area beside the Long Island Expressway.

McNamee Murder — At around 2 p.m. on January 30th, 1994, an anonymous male caller contacted the police and told them that he had found a body at the site.

When the police arrived, they saw a sneaker, a blue jacket, black jeans, and other pieces of clothing scattered across the ground.

Further up, they discovered McNamee's remains. She was naked and had suffered severe head injuries. Her killer left her lying on her back with her legs spread apart. He had also seemingly positioned one of her arms over her head.

Crime scene — McNamee's body was discovered in a wooded area that was east of Exit 68 on the Long Island Expressway in North Shirley. Newspapers reported that the site was 200 feet off the eastbound service road.

The nature of McNamee's death and the position of her body caught the attention of investigators. Three months earlier, another murdered sex worker named Rita Tangredi had been found strangled, beaten, and sprawled out in a similar pose.

Furthermore, both McNamee and Tangredi were missing a single sneaker. This led detectives to suspect that the killer may have taken his victims' shoes as trophies.

Notably, there were no blood stains on the ground beside McNamee's body. This indicated that the killer attacked her elsewhere and then placed her body at the scene.

This aerial image of the site was taken in 1994. As you can see, it wasn't always fully covered in trees. Older aerial photographs show that the lot was once home to some kind of industrial property. However, it had become disused and overgrown by the 1990s.

Twenty years later, a local carpenter named John Bittrolff was charged with McNamee's murder after a familial DNA match linked him to the crime. In 2017, he was found guilty and given two consecutive 25-year-to-life sentences.

Entrance — The remnants of the eastern entrance are still visible today.
Google Maps shortcut

During the trial, the court heard that the victim suffered an extremely violent death. Many of her facial bones were broken, and she had extensive injuries to her skull. Cigarette burns on her right hand also indicated that she may have been tortured.

McNamee's parents reported her missing on January 6th, 1994, which was one day after she was last seen. At the time of her disappearance, she frequented an area in East Patchogue that was known for the sex trade.

Arrest — McNamee was arrested on July 23rd, 1993, after she allegedly propositioned a man at the corner of Station Road and Martha Avenue in Bellport.
Google Maps shortcut

According to her mother, she was bipolar and struggling with a drug addiction. On the morning of January 5th, she left her parents' house to attend a drug rehabilitation program.

At around 10 a.m., McNamee left the treatment center with another outpatient. Shortly afterwards, she was seen getting into a small blue car outside the Blue Dawn Diner in Islandia.