What happened to Jessica Taylor? All about the victim from Gone Girls: The Long Island Serial Killer
Jessica Taylor was one of the victims of the Gilgo Beach Serial Killer, also known as the Long Island Serial Killer (LISK). She went missing in July 2003 while working near the Port Authority Bus Terminal in Manhattan. Her dismembered remains were discovered in two different places in 2003 and 2011.
According to NPR, a dog walker found Jessica Taylor's decapitated body and arms in a wooded area in Manorville in 2003. Her skull, hands, and forearm were discovered in 2011 on Gilgo Beach in Long Island.
While an investigation into Jessica's disappearance and subsequent murder was launched, the case went unsolved for over a decade. However, in June 2024, authorities charged 61-year-old Rex Heuermann, an architect from Massapequa Park, Long Island, with her murder. Heuermann was already in custody, facing charges in several other cases connected to the Gilgo Beach murders. He has pleaded not guilty to the charges and is currently awaiting trial at Riverhead Correctional Facility in Suffolk County.
Jessica Taylor is one of the seven known victims of the Gilgo Beach Serial Killer, and her story is featured in Netflix's latest docuseries Gone Girls: The Long Island Serial Killer. The three-part series is based on real events surrounding the Gilgo Beach murders.
Who was Jessica Taylor, and what happened to her?
Jessica Taylor was born on June 17, 1983, in a close-knit family in Poughkeepsie, New York. She had a good relationship with her siblings and got along well with her mother.
While additional information about Jessica's life and education is unknown, according to Netflix Tudum, she was 20 years old at the time of her disappearance. She was reportedly a s*x worker who was known to work in the midtown area of Manhattan.
Long Island Press reported that one of the factors that helped identify Jessica Taylor after her remains were found was her tattoo. She had a tattoo of a red heart with angel wings and the words "Remy's Angel," which the killer had tried to obliterate. The BBC reported that the killer had tried to scratch the tattoo off with a sharp object.
Jessica Taylor was last seen alive on July 21, 2003, near the Port Authority Bus Terminal. She was working that week, likely meeting clients. A dog walker found her decapitated body and hands on July 26, 2003, off Halsey Manor Road in Manorville.
Eight years later, on March 29, 2011, her skull, hands, and forearm were discovered on Gilgo Beach, 50 miles away. This area was close to where some of the other Long Island Serial Killer's victims were also found.
Court records showed that male hair was also found on her body, and it was later linked to Rex Heuermann through DNA. Her death was ruled a homicide, with sharp force injuries across her body.
How was Jessica Taylor’s case solved after so many years?
Jessica Taylor's case went cold for more than two decades, owing to alleged corruption within the Suffolk County police. Oxygen reported that Police Chief James Burke and District Attorney Thomas Spota allegedly hindered the investigation. They were both convicted of obstruction of justice in 2016 and 2019, respectively.
However, in 2022, under new leadership in the county, a task force was formed, and while digitizing evidence from several cold cases, they had a breakthrough. The task force linked the DNA from the hair found on Taylor's body to Rex Heuermann.
The architect was already in police custody when he was linked to Jessica's murder. He has been accused and charged with the murders of seven women but has pleaded not guilty to all charges. He is currently awaiting trial at Riverhead Correctional Facility, as reported by People.
Gone Girls: The Long Island Serial Killer is available for streaming on Netflix.
