Suffolk DA Tierney goes to Chinatown Tuesday in push to ID 'Asian Doe' remains found near Gilgo Beach

Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney and volunteers from the Gilgo Beach Homicide Task Force will be at the NYPD Fifth Precinct’s National Night Out event Tuesday in Chinatown in an effort to solicit potential leads toward the identification of "Asian Doe," whose skeletal remains were found east of Gilgo Beach in 2011.

Tierney is also sending Chinese language flyers to New York’s Asian news media to help identify the young man whose remains were discovered along Ocean Parkway during the Gilgo Beach serial killer investigation.

The media handout, which was delivered to Chinese language media on Monday, depicts an artist’s reconstruction of the three views of the victim’s face, including one showing him with longer female style hair. Remains of Asian Doe were found on April 4, 2011, clad in woman’s attire. Investigators said he died of blunt force trauma and had been dead about three years.

The publicity push comes after more traditional investigative techniques such as DNA analysis have proved unsuccessful in furthering the probe. In recent interviews, Tierney said he is trying to get people of Chinese heritage to provide DNA references samples that can be used for genetic genealogy, which compares unknown genetic material to that of a person’s possible relatives. The flyer spells out the need for DNA and says that genetic materials will be kept confidential, according to a source familiar with the document.

Chinese language handouts were released to multiple Chinese language media outlets with the help of Hugh Mo, a former NYPD deputy commissioner for trials and assistant district attorney in Manhattan, who has been helping investigators make introductions to the Asian community in Manhattan. Mo said a proper burial and "closure for the soul" are important in Chinese culture. Investigators said the victim was of southern Han ancestry. The Han comprise the largest ethnic group in China, noted Mo.

The poster released Monday was accompanied by an English language news release about the case of Rex A. Heuermann, who was convicted and sentenced to life in prison for the murders of seven Gilgo Beach women. Heuermann has not been charged in the killing of Asian Doe, whose case remains open.

The Night Out event is one of many sponsored by local police departments around the country to build relationships between police and their communities through games, food booths and other activities.

By Anthony M. DeStefano

tony.destefano@newsday.comtonynewsday

Anthony M. DeStefano has been a reporter for Newsday since 1986 and covers law enforcement, criminal justice and legal affairs from its New York City offices.