Six Degrees of Shannan Gilbert

John Ray and the pursuit of justice

I distinctly remember Long Island attorney John Ray coming into the Gilgo Beach crime scene advocating for the family of Shannan Gilbert. At the time, the narrative to her disappearance was compromised by corruption—James Burke, the disgraced Suffolk County Chief of Police, had thwarted the investigation because of his own criminal behavior and involvement with sex workers.

Finally, in November of 2025, a Suffolk County Judge allowed the estate of Shannan Gilbert to move forward against Dr. Peter Hackett, the Oak Beach resident who was allegedly the last person to see the 23-year-old before she made a terrifying 911 call on the night of her disappearance.

"There's somebody after me.”

An excerpt from the 911 call made by Shannan Gilbert on the night of her death.

An excerpt from the 911 call made by Shannan Gilbert on the night of her disappearance.

Hackett—who is alleged to have called Shannan's mother, Mari, and told her he was running a home for "wayward girls"—has tried to get the lawsuit dismissed. Supreme Court Justice Frank Tinari denied the request, ruling the conflicting accounts triable issues of fact. This is a major development in the pursuit of fact finding.

This year I asked the Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney about the current status of the Shannan Gilbert case, who deemed it ambiguously open.

“We’re gonna leave it at that.”

Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond A. Tierney responding to questions regarding connections between Shanna Gilbert and the Gilgo Beach murders.

I also asked prosecutor Michael Brown as to whether he thinks Shannan Gilbert was murdered. The answer; a resounding yes.

Michael Brown, attorney for Rex Heuermann, stating his opinion that the Shannan Gilbert case is connected to the Gilgo Beach Murders.

“The Shannan Gilbert case is a murder.”

Attorney James O'Rourke—who represents both disgraced Police Chief James Burke as well as Dr Peter Hackett—also weighed in on the circumstances surrounding Gilbert's death. It’s clear that most people familiar with this case believe that Shannan Gilbert was murdered.

But why after all this time, has this mystery gone unsolved?

“An outright series of lies.”

Long Island attorney John Ray asserting that Suffolk County law enforcement lied about the Gilbert-Gilgo connection.

I think the most frustrating part of this story is that there are people alive today who could unravel this mystery. Joseph Brewer, Michael Pak, Peter Hackett, and, yes, former top cop James Burke. The details of Shannan's investigation may never be revealed, but the narrative surrounding her death has ebbed and flowed with the passing of time.