Between December 2010 and April 2011, 10 sets of human remains were found near two beach towns in Long Island, New York. Now, with the help of genetic genealogy, Suffolk County investigators have identified another one of the slain women as 24-year-old Valerie Mack.
Initially dubbed “Jane Doe No. 6,” Mack was last seen in the spring or summer of 2000 near Port Republic, New Jersey. Police have confirmed Mack was an escort, which matches the profile of 5 other identified sets of remains from the beach—all 20-something females who advertised their sex work on Craigslist. An unidentified John Doe, the only male victim, was also believed to be working as a prostitute and may have been living as a woman based on the clothes he was wearing at the time of his murder. There are three other unidentified bodies—a black female and her baby (Peaches/Jane Doe No. 3 and Baby Doe) and another female (Jane Doe No. 7/Fire Island Jane Doe).
Suffolk County Police Commissioner Geraldine Hart said advances in DNA technology and partnership with the FBI’s Long Island Office recently resulted in a genealogy profile for Jane Doe No. 6. Investigative leads from the profile lead Suffolk County police detectives to New Jersey, where they believed the victim had ties.
Police tracked down the victim’s potential family members, who provided DNA samples that helped confirm the Jane Doe No. 6 as Valerie Mack, aka Melissa Taylor. Mack was a white, 5-feet-tall female with brown hair and hazel eyes, weighing approximately 100 pounds. She was 24-years-old when she was last seen in 2000, most recently working as an escort in the Philadelphia area.
Parts of Mack’s remains were first found on Nov. 19, 2000, about 50 miles east of Gilgo Beach. Her head, right foot and hands were then found on April 4, 2011 near Gilgo Beach, along with the remains of three others. The dismembered remains of Valerie Mack and another victim, Jessica Taylor, were both disposed of in a similar manner and in the same towns.
“Valerie Mack’s identification is a giant leap forward in the investigation. As demonstrated, new forensic technologies, new investigative methods and most importantly tips provided by the public are aiding us in our continued search for justice. This identification and the investigation surrounding it have brought us further clarity on the events surrounding Gilgo Beach as a whole,” the Suffolk County police said in a statement.
Photo: A police vehicle is seen in November 2000 in the wooded area along a road in Manorville, N.Y., where the partial remains of Valerie Mack were first found. Credit: Suffolk County Police Department