Map: The site where Jessica Taylor's identifying remains were found
Ocean Parkway, Gilgo Beach, NY 11702
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The site where Jessica Taylor's identifying remains were found
Crime Location in Gilgo Beach, New York
On March 29th, 2011, a police search team discovered Jessica Taylor's identifying remains at this section of Ocean Parkway near Gilgo Beach.
Taylor is believed to be a victim of the Long Island serial killer.
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The following locations are related to the site. Please note that the descriptions for these images may lack context if you have not read the main article.
Taylor's remains on Gilgo Beach
On March 29th, 2011, a search team uncovered Taylor's skull, hands, and forearm at this section of Ocean Parkway near Gilgo Beach.
By that point, her remains had been lying in the thicket for nearly eight years.
This discovery confirmed that the killer had been operating in both Gilgo and Manorville.
Last sighting
Taylor was last seen working the streets near the Port Authority Bus Terminal in Manhattan between July 18th and July 21st, 2003.
At the time, the area around 8th Avenue and 42nd Street was a popular spot among sex workers. Locals called it "the Forty-deuce" or simply "the Deuce".
Taylor ran away from her pimp a few weeks before she went missing. This means that she was most likely working the streets by herself.
Those who spoke to her during this period said that she had grown tired of the lifestyle and was intending on returning home to Poughkeepsie.
Taylor, Maureen Brainard-Barnes, and Melissa Barthelemy were all apparently picked up in Manhattan. The family of Valerie Mack said that she was going to New York. Karen Vergata was living on West 45th Street when she disappeared.
All of this indicates that the Long Island serial killer was familiar with this section of New York City.
This isn't surprising, as the authorities believe that he was a regular "john" who only killed when the circumstances were right.
It is likely that LISK had been picking up sex workers in Manhattan for quite some time before he eventually crossed paths with Taylor. He may have realized his opportunity when he noticed that she was by herself, with no pimp or fellow working girls.
Taylor was alone, and the pickup occurred in a busy city that was miles away from Long Island. Despite this, he still had to approach her in public, in plain view of potential witnesses. By 2003, public security cameras in Manhattan were also more widespread.
For this reason, it is likely that her identification came as an unwelcome shock. This would explain why he stopped dismembering his victims and leaving their torsos out in the open.
Engaging in this behavior seemed like a good idea until he started envisioning police cars pulling up outside his house.