Glossary of terms: The Long Island serial killer case

NAMES

Brainard-Barnes, Maureen

The remains of the 25-year-old Norwich, Conn., native were found Dec. 13, 2010, in Gilgo Beach. Brainard-Barnes, a mother of two, disappeared July 6, 2007, after taking a trip to New York City and posting an ad on Craigslist.

Barthelemy, Melissa

The remains of the 24-year-old Bronx woman were the first to be found Dec. 11, 2010, in Gilgo Beach. Barthelemy, a Buffalo native, was last seen alive July 12, 2009. A few months before she went missing, she was arrested and pleaded guilty to prostitution charges, authorities said.

Brewer, Joseph

The Oak Beach man summoned Shannan Gilbert to his house May 1, 2010, with a Craigslist ad. He has said he had no sexual contact with her and never paid her. She was last seen running near his house in the middle of the night. Police have said he is not a suspect in her disappearance.

Coletti, Gustav

An Oak Beach resident and one of the last people to see Shannan Gilbert alive after she ran to his home the night she disappeared. Coletti called police after the incident.

Costello, Amber Lynn

The remains of the 27-year-old from North Babylon were discovered Dec. 13, 2010, in Gilgo Beach. Costello was married and divorced twice and developed a drug habit, according to her husbands. She was last seen alive Sept. 2, 2010.

Diaz, Alex

Boyfriend of Shannan Gilbert. They lived together in Jersey City, N.J.

Doe, Jane (No. 6)

An unidentified woman's torso was found in Manorville in 2000. Her head, hands and right foot, however, were found April 4 east of Cedar Beach Park. Police said the killings of "Jane Doe No. 6" and Jessica Taylor were similar.

Doe, John

An unidentified Asian man in women's clothing was found near Cedar Beach April 4.

Dormer, Richard

The Suffolk County police commissioner who led the investigation until retiring at the end of 2011. Dormer revised an earlier theory investigators were working on, saying the killings are likely the work of one serial killer.

Fitzpatrick, Jack

The new chief of the Suffolk police homicide squad. In an interview in March 2012, Fitzpatrick, 57, promised a fresh look at the case and said he believes more than one killer was responsible.

Gilbert, Shannan

The 24-year-old sex worker from Jersey City, N.J., vanished May 1, 2010, after visiting the Oak Beach home of a man who had answered her ad on Craigslist. The search for Gilbert led to the discovery of the other sets of remains along Ocean Parkway. On Dec. 13, 2011 -- a year after police discovered three bodies at Gilgo Beach -- investigators found what they believe are the remains of Shannan Gilbert near the Oak Beach community where she was last seen. Dormer said detectives do not think her case is connected to the others.

Hackett, Peter

An Oak Beach doctor who contacted Shannan Gilbert's mother, Mari, shortly after her disappearance. Gilbert and Hackett disagree on when the conversation took place and what was said. Police have said he is not a suspect.

Pak, Michael

The driver for Shannan Gilbert on the night she disappeared in Oak Beach. Police have said he is not a suspect.

Spota, Thomas

The Suffolk County district attorney investigating the case. On Dec. 15 at a county legislative hearing, Spota said, "I very, very much disagree" with Dormer's single-killer theory.

Taylor, Jessica

The 20-year-old New York City resident's head, hands and forearm were found March 29 along Ocean Parkway -- about a mile east of where the original victims were found. Her torso was found July 26, 2003, in Manorville. Of the second set of remains found in March and April, Taylor is the only victim to be identified.

Waterman, Megan

The remains of the 22-year-old Scarborough, Maine, native were discovered Dec. 13, 2010, in Gilgo Beach. Like the others, Waterman used Craigslist to post ads as an escort. She disappeared June 6, 2010, outside a hotel in Hauppauge.

PLACES

Cedar Beach

The beach to the east of Gilgo Beach, where the remains of an unidentified toddler, Jessica Taylor and "Jane Doe No. 6" were found in March and April of 2011.

Davis Park

A pair of severed legs found a mile west of Davis Park on Fire Island in 1996 were linked to an unidentified woman's skull found in a wildlife sanctuary just west of Tobay Beach Park April 11.

Gilgo Beach

Although the remains of 10 bodies were found along a stretch of Ocean Parkway that spans across several of Long Island's South Shore beaches, Gilgo Beach has been the focal point of the investigation. The original four bodies -- authorities said they were all female sex trade workers in their 20s -- were found there in December of 2010.

Manorville

The remains of Jessica Taylor and "Jane Doe No. 6" were found along the South Shore in 2011, but their bones also were found in Manorville -- about 40 miles away -- in 2003 and 2000, respectively.

Oak Beach

Shannan Gilbert, who went missing May 1, 2010 in Oak Beach, sparked this entire investigation, was last seen running from a home in Oak Beach, which is east of Gilgo and Cedar beaches near the Robert Moses Causeway.

Ocean Parkway

Between Dec. 11 and April 11, the remains of eight women, a man and a female toddler were found dumped along a stretch of the South Shore barrier island road. The alleged serial killer used the thick brush along this road as a dumping ground for the bodies.

Tobay Beach

A Suffolk police officer and a cadaver dog in the dense brush of a wildlife sanctuary at Tobay Beach found the 10th set of remains -- a human skull sitting on the surface of the sand. This skull was connected to remains found on Fire Island in 1996.

Zach's Bay

Female bones of one of the unidentified victims were found April 11 in a plastic bag east of Zach's Bay, which is located to the east of Jones Beach. Of the 10 sets of remains, these bones found about 1.5 miles east of the Jones Beach water tower are the farthest west.