Gilbert's Mom: Daughter Won't Be Found Near Gilgo Beach As Search Continues
OAK BEACH, N.Y. (CBSNewYork) -- No new human remains were found Wednesday after a third straight day of intensive searches.
There was a flurry of activity near Gilgo Beach along the Ocean Parkway in the investigation into a possible serial killer after eight bodies were discovered in the area since December.
1010 WINS' Mona Rivera reports: Police resume search for a third day
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The search was set in motion by the persistence of Mari Gilbert, the mother of missing Jersey City prostitute Shannan Gilbert, who was last seen running in terror into the night from some unseen danger in Oak Beach last May.
In upstate Ellenville, Gilbert's mother told CBS 2's Lou Young she believes her daughter won't be found on the windswept stretch of dunes facing the surf.
"If they find her it won't be there, it'll be somewhere else," she said.
One local homeowner told CBS 2's Jennifer McLogan that the bodies may have never been found if it weren't for Gilbert's disappearance.
"We hope that she is still alive. But it has also brought up this whole investigation which I think, in my opinion, has been happening for years now, and might not have been ever looked into," Karen Gambino said.
As the hunt for evidence and clues continued, authorities did discover some animal bones.
"We bring in the personnel from the New York City Medical Examiner's Office, so that the assessment is made by professionals to determine that the bones are not human," Suffolk County Police Inspector Stuart Cameron said.
Cameron added that the K-9 Units and cadaver dogs were going to push forward with their search between Gilgo and Cedar beaches.
"They're very motivated to find any missing persons that are out there to bring closure to the families," he told reporters, including 1010 WINS' Mona Rivera.
About two dozen police cadets conducted a search on foot while officers using fire truck ladders and buckets got a view from the air near a residential area known as West Gilgo Beach.
On Wednesday, the sister of victim Amber Costello was brought to the search area and broke into tears.
"It's sad and I just wanted to get a chance to see where my sister was," Kimberly Overstreet said.
WCBS 880's Sophia Hall: Victim's Sister Attends Search
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Police were searching for Gilbert when they unearthed the remains of four other women – all in their 20s– in December. They were all prostitutes listed on Craiglist.
A fifth body was located last week. On Monday, three more sets of remains were discovered adding to the gruesome mystery.
Police have not identified any of the most recent victims. They have not definitively linked them to the remains found in December.
On Tuesday, police determined that the three most recent sets of remains were not those of Gilbert.
