Families of Gilgo Beach victims form bonds

Families of the women found slain in Gilgo Beach last month are forging bonds as investigators seek links among the victims - critical clues to finding a suspected serial killer.

The victims were in many ways similar - all in their 20s, they advertised sexual services on Craigslist and other Internet sites and were last known to be alive in New York and Long Island before meeting a client. But the women also were from far-flung towns in three states and likely never crossed paths.

"They would have never known each other," said Elizabeth Meserve, the aunt of Megan Waterman of Scarborough, Maine, the first body identified. "We can't seem to see any other connection."

Meserve said Wednesday she has recently spoke with a sister of Maureen Brainard-Barnes, last seen alive more than three years ago. Police on Monday said Brainard-Barnes was also among the bodies.

"We'll continue to correspond with each other now that we're forever linked by this," Meserve said.

Brainard-Barnes, 25, of Norwich, Conn., was last seen alive in Manhattan on July 9, 2007. Police believe Waterman, 22, was killed shortly after leaving a Hauppauge hotel to meet a client. Another victim, and the only one of the four who lived in Long Island, Amber Lynn Costello, 27, was last seen alive Sept. 2, 2009.

Steven Cohen, a Buffalo attorney representing the family of Melissa Barthelemy, 24, said she moved to New York City in 2006 seeking opportunity.

"She went down there to be a beautician because the economy of western New York has been lagging for a number of years," he said. Her family only learned she worked as a prostitute after they reported her missing.

Suffolk police found the bodies during an unsuccessful search for Shannan Gilbert, 24. Gilbert, who also worked as a prostitute, was last seen alive in May when she ran from a client's Oak Beach home, police said. She remains missing.

Meserve, who has also been in contact with the Gilbert family, said she's willing to offer support to all the families.

She said Waterman's daughter, Liliana, 4, now knows her mother is dead. "She was crying and then she got mad," Meserve said. "She's having bad dreams."

But Meserve wants the suspect found in part to answer the questions that Liliana may one day have about her mother's killer. "I personally don't want Lily to have to figure this out. I want to find this out for her so she doesn't have to carry that on."