The site where Valerie Mack was found
Crime Scene Location in Manorville, New York
This is the site where Valerie Mack was found.
It is situated in a wooded area near Halsey Manor Road in Manorville, New York.
The police believe that Mack is a victim of suspected Gilgo Beach serial killer, Rex Heuermann. On December 12th, 2024, Heuermann was charged with Mack's murder after a hair found on her wrist proved to be a DNA match with his daughter.
On the morning of November 19th, 2000, three pheasant hunters were walking along a trail in the area when their dog ventured into the bushes and located Mack's dismembered torso.
The remains of the 24-year-old sex worker had been wrapped in several layers of garbage bags and then dumped in the thicket beside an access road.
It is likely that the killer was somewhat familiar with these wooded trails. Given the terrain involved, he was almost certainly driving a truck.
To get in and out as quickly as possible, he would have had to enter the woods via the southern entrance on Mill Road and then drive northward along the trail for roughly 420 yards.
After dumping Mack's remains in the bushes, it is likely that the killer reversed his vehicle and headed back towards the Mill Road entrance. This was the most optimal route if he wanted to minimize the amount of time he spent at the site.
Mack's killer dismembered her body in an attempt to hinder her identification. By removing her head and hands, he was able to prevent the authorities from cross-referencing her dental records and fingerprints.
This strategy largely worked, as she remained unidentified for two decades.
During this period, she was known as Manorville Jane Doe.
The rest of her remains were discovered at Gilgo Beach
On April 4th, 2011, the police discovered a female's skull, right foot, and hands near Gilgo Beach.
The victim was referred to as "Jane Doe No. 6" until DNA tests confirmed that the partial remains belonged to the same woman whose torso had been found in Manorville in 2000.
Due to her proximity to the other victims at Gilgo Beach, it quickly became clear that she was a victim of the Long Island serial killer (LISK).
In this case, LISK dismembered his victim's remains and dumped them at two locations that were 45 miles apart.
Despite finding her skull at Gilgo Beach, another decade would pass before the authorities were finally able to give Manorville Jane Doe back her name.
Manorville Jane Doe is identified as Valerie Mack
On May 29th, 2020, the police announced that Manorville Jane Doe had been identified as Valerie Mack, a missing 24-year-old from Port Republic, New Jersey.
Investigators uncovered her identity using genetic genealogy testing, which enabled them to track down her son, Benjamin. Benjamin's DNA had been entered into the system after he was incarcerated for an unstated crime.
Mack was an escort who lost contact with her family during the fall of 2000.
She was born on June 2nd, 1976, as Valerie Lyn Fulton.
Her mother, Patricia Fulton, had a substance abuse problem. As a result, she spent most of her childhood in the foster system, moving from home to home.
The Mack family adopted Valerie when she was nine years old.
At first, everything was great, and she fit in well with her new surroundings. However, as she grew older, she started hanging around with the wrong kind of people.
As time wore on, Mack developed a drug addiction and became involved in the sex trade. The last thing her family heard was that she was going to New York "with a guy."
Although they attempted to report her missing, the police were of the opinion that the young sex worker had willingly moved elsewhere.
At the time of her disappearance, Mack's last known address was in Philadelphia. However, she may have drifted toward New York.
When the identification was made, her family was understandably shocked to learn that her remains had been discovered 170 miles away at this remote site in Manorville.
Valerie Mack: Crime scene location
The address and the GPS coordinates for this location are as follows:
Address
Halsey Manor Road, Manorville, New York, NY 11949, USA
GPS coordinates
The latitude and longitude coordinates for the site are:
40.880570, -72.791770
Photos
Photos of the site and other related images.
The Manorville site where Valerie Mack was found
Three hunters discovered Valerie Mack's torso close to a powerline access road that runs alongside the LIRR Main Line in Manorville.
Public statements from the Suffolk County Police Department suggest that Mack's remains were found near the intersection of Mill Road and Halsey Manor Road. This is inaccurate, as crime scene photographs show that the site was considerably further west, in a wooded area that is close to the railroad.
The imprecise SCPD description creates the impression that the killer pulled over to the side of a public road and then quickly dumped her remains.
However, this was not the case.
Accessing the site is not a straightforward endeavor for vehicles, as both entrances bring you through narrow wooded trails.
The fact that the Long Island serial killer drove into one of these obscure entrances indicates that he is somewhat familiar with Manorville.
This theory is further supported by his decision to reuse Halsey Manor Road as a dump site following the murder of Jessica Taylor in July 2003.
Powerline access road
Image source: The Bad Place (The Hunt For The Long Island Serial Killer)
This powerline access road runs alongside the LIRR Main Line and the Peconic River.
Southern entrance
The southern entrance provides direct access to the trail where Mack's remains were found.
It is unlikely that someone drove through this narrow, wooded pathway with dismembered remains in their vehicle unless they knew exactly where it led—especially if it was late at night.
Google Street View shows that there are no street lights along this stretch of road.
We know from previous cases that serial killers prefer to operate in places where they feel comfortable. This is because operating in "unknown territory" can be risky and unpredictable.
Again, this shows that the Long Island serial killer is at least somewhat familiar with this area of Manorville.
Due to the terrain, it is likely that he was driving a truck or another 4x4 vehicle.
Locals have said that people do not drive into these woods unless they have a truck, van, or some other type of off-road vehicle.
Coordinates: 40.876680, -72.792139
Valerie Mack crime scene
In this comparison image, we've matched a crime scene photograph of the site with a satellite image from 2001.
We highlighted certain points by adding color-coded dots.
Note that the Mill Road trail is difficult to see in modern-day satellite photos.
Eastern entrance
This Google Street View image of the eastern entrance on Halsey Manor Road was taken in May 2012.
Both entrances are relatively obscure. Neither have street lights.
Coordinates: 40.886349, -72.782052
Woods
There are a number of interconnected trails in the area that hunters, hikers, nature enthusiasts, and dirt bike riders like to use.
It is also frequently used as an illegal dumping ground for household waste.
The body was discovered by three hunters
This newspaper article was published in the Daily News on November 29th, 2000.
The area is a popular destination for hunters and naturalists.
Detective Athur Ahl stated his belief that Mack's remains were dumped in the area at some point between October 8th and November 5th. The autopsy estimated that she was killed between late August and early November.
Manorville in 2001
This aerial image from 2001 shows the access road and various trails.
Although the SCPD said that she was found near Mill Road and Halsey Manor (blue circle), this is imprecise. In reality, the killer dumped her remains further west (red circle).
Gilgo Beach
On April 4th, 2011, a police search team discovered Mack's identifying remains at this section of Ocean Parkway near Gilgo Beach.
By that stage, she had been dead for more than 10 years.
Her remains were found 250 feet away from the body of "Baby Doe," who was the infant daughter of an unidentified LISK victim called Peaches.
It would have taken the killer approximately 45 minutes to drive between this site and Manorville.
Map Viewer
There is more than one location associated with this entry. To view all of these places on the same map, you can use the following feature:
This location belongs to the following categories:
Crime ScenesSerial KillersLong Island Serial Killer LocationsClosest Locations
Other locations that are relatively close to this address:
The site where Jessica Taylor was found
Less than a mile away.
Crime Location in Manorville, New York
The site where Colleen McNamee's body was discovered
Roughly 6 miles away.
Crime Location in Shirley, New York
The site where Rita Tangredi was discovered
Roughly 16 miles away.
Crime Location in East Patchogue, New York