Gilgo Beach murders panel canceled at Hamptons true-crime festival following backlash
Several bodies were discovered at Gilgo Beach, off Ocean Parkway in Babylon, wrapped in burlap sacks from 1996 to 2011. Credit: Newsday/Thomas A. Ferrara
The Hamptons Mystery & Crime Festival, aka “the Hamptons Whodunit," which will make its debut in the village of East Hampton from April 13-16, has announced that it has canceled its panel on the Gilgo Beach serial killer.
“The Elusive Long Island Serial Killer: Gilgo,” a true-crime discussion with retired NYPD sergeant/author/radio host Joe Giacalone (“The Crime Report” on 103.9 FM) and documentary filmmaker Josh Zeman (“The Sons of Sam”), moderated by trial lawyer/author David Berg, was originally scheduled for April 16. The panel drew online criticism for potentially exploiting the murder of young women and sex workers.
“We have decided not to proceed with the Long Island Serial Killer Panel this year. Although all of our true crime programming is meant to be educational, thoughtful and handled with sensitivity, we do not want to upset any members of the victims' families,” said festival co-founder Carrie Doyle. “We have been in touch with attorney John Ray and had a productive and positive conversation." Ray represents the estate of one of the victims, Shannan Gilbert.
The statement continued: "We have extended the invitation for some family members to attend our event, and see how we are taking this seriously, and they have agreed to attend.”
Several bodies were discovered at Gilgo Beach, located off Ocean Parkway in Babylon, wrapped in burlap sacks from 1996 to 2011.
The Gilgo presentation has been replaced with a new panel, “How to Bring a Cold Case Back to Life,” conducted by Giacalone and Berg. For more information, visit: hamptonswhodunit.com.
David J. Criblez is a reporter for Newsday's exploreLI, covering entertainment-related events from local music to stand-up comedy to festivals.
