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Gilgo Beach Case Investigators Provide New Information; Another Victim in Gilgo Beach Slayings Identified by Authorities; Interview with Defense Attorney Misty Marris; Six Former Law Enforcement Pleaded Guilty to Charges Related in Torturing Two Black Men. Aired 10:30-11a ET

Aired August 04, 2023 - 10:30   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

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[10:30:00]

RAYMOND TIERNEY, SUFFOLK COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY: About a mile west of Davis Park Beach --

KATE BOLDUAN, CNN NEWS CENTRAL CO-ANCHOR: All right. We're going to take you live to a press conference in Suffolk County, New York. An update on the Gilgo killings, listen in.

TIERNEY: Consisting of a skull were discovered at Tobay Beach in Nassau County. Those remain -- that skull was found following the discovery of the remains of Jessica Taylor, and the skull was found on the same day as the remains of what is commonly come to have been -- be referred to as Peaches was found on Jones Beach.

In -- thereafter in July of 2011, the Suffolk County crime lab linked this -- the two sets of remains via DNA analysis, and by that, I mean, the legs that were found in the vicinity of Davis Park were compared with the remains found at Tobay Beach, and it was determined that it was the same person. Since 2011, that victim was known by various names, including Fire Island Jane Doe.

Today, we are here to announce that as part of the Gilgo Task Force, reexamination of all the evidence in the case, we are able to identify Fire Island Jane Doe as Karen Vergata who was 34-years-old at the time of her disappearance. I believe a picture of Ms. Vergata, I think it's important that we remember and honor, not only Ms. Vergata but all the victims on Gilgo Beach.

Ms. Vergata went missing at approximately February 14, 1996. At the time, she lived on West 45th Street in Manhattan and was believed to be working as an escort at the time of her disappearance. There was no missing persons complaint filed at the time of that disappearance. In August of 2022, approximately six months after we formed this Gilgo task force, a DNA profile suitable for genealogical comparison was developed from the remains of Karen Vergata.

In September of 2022, the FBI was able to -- was able via a genetic genealogy review to identify Ms. Vergata presumptively as Fire Island Jane Doe. Thereafter, in October of 2022, using a buccal swab from a relative of Karen Vergata, we were able to definitively identify her.

Prior to disclosing this information, of course we need to contact all of Ms. Vergata's family members. And additionally, at or around the same time we were beginning our grand jury confidential investigation into what has been known as the Gilgo Four, that is murders of Maureen Brainard-Barnes, Melissa Barthelemy, Megan Waterman, and Amber Costello, so we decided we were not going to make any public comment at this time. However, since that -- the results of that investigation have become public and we have made the necessary notifications to Ms. Vergata's family, we can make this important announcement now.

I just want to thank in particular Special Agent Lori Giordano from the FBI and her work with the familial DNA. She worked in conjunction with us, our Suffolk County Crime Lab, Don Dollar of the Suffolk County Crime Lab, and his team, in coordination with the Suffolk County Police Department's Homicide Unit. So, I want to thank them for -- in particular for all of their work.

Of course, I want to thank our task force members, Suffolk County Sheriff Errol Toulon, ASAC Spencer Horn from the FBI. I want to thank the New York State Police, Suffolk County Police Department, Rodney Harrison, who couldn't make it here, I understand Chief Rowan is here in his place instead. But I want to thank them for not only their work on this case but for all their work in the task force going forward.

[10:35:00]

It's important to note that there are no charges at this time. Ms. Vergata's disappearance was in 1996, which is 27 years ago. We are going to continue to work this particular case as we did the Gilgo Four investigation. We're going to have no comment on what, if any, suspects we developed at this time. This is a confidential investigation, so I'm not going to be taking any questions, but our investigation is continuing and thank you all very much.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Can you talk about the buccal that we --

TIERNEY: No questions. If you want to talk about, you know, something regarding the Gilgo Four, I'm happy to talk offline to you. But today, this is about -- this press conference is about Ms. Vergata. And, you know, that we've been able to identify her and that we're continuing our investigation, not only in regard to the Gilgo Four, but all of the victims on Gilgo. So, thank you all very much.

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UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Cause of death?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Is there something else you can say about Ms. Vergata.

BOLDUAN: All right. We've been listening in to a big update from the district attorney on Suffolk County about the Gilgo Beach killings. They have now identified one of the Jane Does known as the Fire Island Jane Doe, Karen Vergata. JOHN BERMAN, CNN NEWS CENTRAL CO-ANCHOR: Karen Vergata who went missing in 1996. Now, what is nuanced about this, and I think everyone has to understand, is they have identified her which will be so important, I think, to anyone who knew Karen Vergata who has been distraught about her missing for so long. But they made no connection, in anyway, and said there is no connection at this time to these other killings for which there have now been charges over the last few weeks, and which have drawn so much attention to Rex Heuermann charged with murder in three --

BOLDUAN: In three.

BERMAN: -- of the cases and a suspect --

BOLDUAN: Prime suspect in the fourth.

BERMAN: -- in the fourth. But this is not, at least not now --

BOLDUAN: At least not today.

BERMAN: -- connected to that.

BOLDUAN: Let's bring in CNN's Jean Casarez who has been following all of this. Jean, this is -- I mean, this is -- this woman went missing in 1996. The district attorney coming out to and announcing this today, what are you hearing on this?

JEAN CASAREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Several things. First of all, 2022 when that task force convened, that's when they started looking at this, so they haven't lagged behind once they got going with the new regime there in Suffolk County in 2022. They found remains on Fire Island and they also found remains on the Gilgo Beach area.

BOLDUAN: Right.

CASAREZ: So, this appears as though that the remains in both, he didn't specifically say, but it sounds like a dismemberment or something so that there was DNA in both areas. Now, if we look at the modus operandi at this point of Rex Heuermann, he bound -- allegedly bound his victims in belts and duct tape, burlap wrapping them, and this appears to be different.

Now, does that mean that he is completely excluded? That's what they're working on right now. That's why they did this extensive search in that home, and they collected so many items, so many forensic tests they have to do now. And I'm sure that this will not be excluded, she will be included. But I think one headline here, the power of genetic genealogy.

BOLDUAN: Good point.

CASAREZ: You heard him mention genetic genealogy. After 27 years, they were able to go -- and it was the FBI, he said, went to a public database and took some of that DNA, unknown DNA of her who we now know as Karen Vergata and found a family member, however remote, and took it from there, and that's how they were able to identify her. BERMAN: All right. Defense Attorney Misty Marris has been watching this along with us. Counselor, look, when you see this, when you see law enforcement making an announcement like this, about an area of interest that is connected, obviously all these bodies were found in roughly the same area, but not directly connecting it to the charges that have been brought for some of the other deaths, what strikes you?

MISTY MARRIS, DEFENSE ATTORNEY: Well, it seems that they're actually signaling that these are a completely separate investigation. To Jean's point, it doesn't mean that they've excluded Rex Heuermann as being involved. However, they're taking away from the Gilgo Four. We know we've focused on the Gilgo Four, we've seen charges on the Gilgo Four, we're looking at Rex Heuermann, we're expecting charges on that fourth victim where he is the prime suspect, seen charges on three.

But we have to remember, this was the Gilgo Beach Task Force. They were not just looking at these four bodies. They at looking at 11 total bodies which were found in this area. So, the investigation continues. And here, they're trying to bring forth the identity of this victim to -- and this brings some solace to family members who have lost somebody who has been missing for so many years.

[10:40:00]

So, my takeaway is, it's the tip of the iceberg as far as the Gilgo Beach investigation is concerned.

BOLDUAN: At the same time, the investigators have put it -- put in with the court, Jean, to get a DNA swab, a swab of DNA from Rex Heuermann.

CASAREZ: It's so interesting --

BOLDUAN: I mean, like, this is all happening around -- it would be easy for people to try -- to see connections here because you're looking at the Suffolk County D.A., you're looking at this news coming out even though they're not making a connection here. And then, you're talking about the power of genetics, and now they're asking him for another -- for a DNA swab.

CASAREZ: And you know what's fascinating there, they got the pizza crust, right? They got his DNA, they say, which connected him to the three charges, that's how they made the arrest. Now, they want an actual buccal swab of him. And it appears as though, under New York law, they can't just go in to get it in the jail.

BOLDUAN: That was going to be my next question.

CASAREZ: And so --

BOLDUAN: Why they didn't they already have it?

CASAREZ: -- there's a motion to allow for that. Now, look at that compared to Kohberger in Idaho, they did the buccal swab in Pennsylvania immediately after they arrested him, they get the buccal swab. So, every state is different, which is very interesting. BOLDUAN: OK.

CASAREZ: We'll see if the defense fights that, that buccal swab. But they want the DNA from the person himself, Rex Heuermann to really use with comparison, possibly, on many of the items in the home and other pertaining to the victims.

BERMAN: Jean, I'm going to ask one of the questions that has been an open question, I think, for the novices. People just being introduced to this since the beginning of these charges a few weeks ago. Why are there so many bodies here? Why -- how -- I mean, how could it be that there are so many bodies disposed in one general area --

CASAREZ: And for so long.

BERMAN: -- for so long.

BOLDUAN: For so long, yes.

BERMAN: And then, maybe, for them not to be connected. It just seems peculiar.

CASAREZ: It is peculiar. When you look at the victims that were there, they weren't all young women. There was a man. There was a toddler. There was the mother of the toddler. So, I mean, what was word on the street with killers, is this where you go? Nothing was done, right?

BERMAN: It really is extraordinary. And every time we learn something new and see law enforcement stepping up here after a lot of people argue not for a very long time, but there's a lot of developments recently, you do ask these questions once again.

CASAREZ: Yes.

BERMAN: Jean Casarez, Misty Marris, thank you both so much.

So, they called themselves the Goon Squad. What we have learned about six white officers who pleaded guilty to torturing two black men.

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[10:45:00]

BERMAN: Investigators in Mississippi have now identified six former law enforcement officers that they say were involved in a horrific case. The officers have pleaded guilty to charges related in torturing two black men. The group of officers reportedly call themselves the Goon Squad. And according to the federal charging document, they call themselves that because they were more willing to use excessive force and not report it. The six white officers were accused of entering a home in January and torturing and sexually abusing the men for two hours before shooting one of them.

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JERMICHA FOMBY, SPECIAL AGENT IN CHARGE, FBI: To label these acts anything less than horrific or appalling is a mislabeling. I did not expect this to be the actions that we would have subjected upon our citizens in the year 2023, not this type of policing for our citizens, whether under the cover of darkness or in the light of day.

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BERMAN: All right. CNN's Nick Valencia has more of the details now for us. Nick, this really is awful.

NICK VALENCIA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: And you know, so many of us this morning, John, are asking ourselves, how could this happen? You know, how are we talking about things like this happening in 2023? But according to federal prosecutors, you know, here we are. These officers did this while they were on duty, repeatedly torturing and beating two black men and had every intention of getting away with it.

Federal prosecutors say that this was not only premeditated. It was organized. And that these officers did so while operating under the banner of the law. The federal complaint says that these group of men, who are now former deputies, called themselves the Goon Squad because of their willingness to use excessive force and to not report it.

The Rankin County sheriff, he said that the actions of these former deputies don't speak for the department. The Department of Justice officials though saying that this was a shameful betrayal of the oath of office. This incident lasted about two hours, and it was during this incident that one of the men was shot in the mouth during what officials call, a mock execution. Both of the men were doused with alcohol, with milk, grease, then forced to shower to try to get rid of the evidence of what these officers did as they try to get their story straight. Listen to one of the men tell CNN what he experienced.

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EDDIE PARKER, PLAINTIFF: Justice is what I -- you know, what it boils down to. I am just like them, you know, whether they -- they're in uniform or not.

MARY JENKINS, MOTHER OF MICHAEL JENKINS: They all need to be in jail, the one that actually did -- and the that stood by and watched. You're just as bad as the other ones.

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VALENCIA: Former officers are all facing varying sentences. Some of them could face life in prison if they're sentenced that way in November. John.

BERMAN: The allegations are just horrific. Nick Valencia, thank you very much. Keep us posted.

VALENCIA: You bet.

BERMAN: Kate.

[10:50:00] BOLDUAN: Coming up for us, sources tell CNN that Former President Trump was irked at the judge during his arraignment. What his team is saying today as he is preparing to meet voters in Alabama. We'll be back.

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BOLDUAN: "On Our Radar" this hour, two U.S. navy sailors have been indicted and arrested, accused of sharing sensitive military information with China. One soldier was allegedly paid thousands of dollars for sending photos and video of navy ships to Chinese intelligence. He was assigned to naval base San Diego.

[10:55:00]

The other sailor worked at naval base Ventura County in California. He -- he's accused of providing details about military exercises.

The college board is advising school districts in Florida not to offer advanced placement psychology courses now. The board says it's because of a Florida education law passed last year. The courses can no longer be taught in the state because they could -- would include lessons on sexual orientation and gender identity, and could be in violation of the law. That law, you'll remember, restricts classroom instruction related to sexual orientation and gender identity. This latest move comes just a week before the start of the new school year.

In Florida, two members of the so-called Tennessee Three will get to finish the rest of their terms in a statehouse. State Reps., Justin Jones and Justin Pearson, they both won back their seats in special elections. The two, you remember, were expelled in April, setting off a controversy that was seen and read about nationwide. The Republican supermajority in the state accused them of breaches of decorum that's why they threw them out, they say. And State Representative Gloria Johnson, she was also faced an expulsion vote, but was not ousted at the time.

John.

BOLDUAN: Kate, police just identified another victim in the Gilgo Beach murder investigation. What we've learned about the woman known as Fire Island Jane Doe.

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