Police Find 2 Adult Teeth Off Ocean Parkway During Search For More Bodies
WANTAGH, NY (CBSNewYork/AP) - Police on Friday discovered two teeth not far from where a human skull was located earlier this month in a dense section of underbrush along Ocean Parkway, where 10 sets of human remains have been found since December.
Nassau County police Lt. Kevin Smith says, "We believe it's connected, but ultimately the ME's office will reveal if they are connected. But the likelihood is that they are."
Police suspect a serial killer could be responsible for some of the victims dumped by the roadway near Jones Beach State Park, but they have neither identified a suspect nor linked all the remains to the same individual.
WCBS 880's Sophia Hall: Searchers Had To Use Machetes
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A wildlife sanctuary near Tobay Beach was being searched on Friday. Smith said a sneaker was also found along the parkway. It was taken into evidence, but is not believed to be connected to the case.
1010 WINS' Carol D'Auria reports: Nassau Police Wrap Up Their Search
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Officers came back to the scene because they believed animals may have scattered some of the bones and wanted to search again. The searchers had to use machetes and chain saws to get through some of the high rough brush.
The search lasted for several hours and was physically demanding with about 15 people carving out a 25 foot area to comb. Smith noted the "harsh conditions" that investigators had to work under including braches, thorns, bugs and poison ivy.
The FBI has assisted in the search by providing aircraft equipped with high-tech photographic equipment to scan the dense thicket for possible additional victims. Smith said Friday that an evaluation of the images had yet to be completed, but said police would return to the highway if the images determine any additional areas require searching.
Ten sets of remains have been found near the parkway so far.
The first four were found in December. Remains were found in six other locations in recent weeks, although they have not officially been linked to those discovered in December.
New York City schoolteacher Valerie Parella frequently takes walks in the area.
"It's kind of weird. It's like one of these novels you read -- you know serial killers," she told CBS 2's Wendy Gillette.
The first remains were found during an investigation into the disappearance of a New Jersey prostitute Shannan Gilbert, 24, last seen in Oak Beach a year ago. She has not been found.
(TM and Copyright 2011 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2011 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
