Long Island prosecutors collected 23 DNA samples in Chinatown as part of a new effort to identify a murder victim who may have been butchered by the Gilgo Beach killer.<\/p>\n
Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney and his team are taking a hands-on approach to try to identify \u201cAsian Doe,\u201d a male murder victim found buried in women\u2019s clothing along Gilgo Beach in April 2011 \u2014 by handing out flyers in Chinatown and soliciting genetic tests of willing residents.<\/p>\n
The team was in Manhattan on Tuesday during festivities for National Night Out, a police community-building event.<\/p>\n
Suffolk County DA Raymond Tierney, left holding flyer, and staff hit Chinatown Tuesday in an effort try to identify a Gilgo Beach victim of Asian descent. William Farrington for NY Post<\/p>\n
\u201cNational Night Out offered the perfect opportunity for us to speak directly with community members about how they can help \u2014 and they did not disappoint,\u201d Tierney told The Post.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cEvery victim of a crime deserves justice, and that belief is at the heart of our work at the Suffolk DA\u2019s Office,\u201d he said. \u201cUnfortunately, attempts to identify the victim whose remains were found on Gilgo Beach 15 years ago have been unsuccessful due to the limited number of Asian volunteers in commercial DNA databases.\u201d<\/p>\n
Tierney and his team explained to locals why volunteering to give DNA samples would be helpful in tracking possible genealogical ties to the victim, who authorities believe may have been a transgender sex worker.<\/p>\n
The DNA samples will not be retained by police and won\u2019t be entered into any law-enforcement databases, according to Tierney.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Twenty three members of the Asian community voluntarily gave a DNA sample to help try and identify the victim. William Farrington for NY Post<\/p>\n
Suffolk County DA Raymond Tierney and staff canvassed Chinatown residents and explained the case, leading to many volunteers. William Farrington for NY Post<\/p>\n
The samples, he said, will instead go straight to a private laboratory where they will be used for the sole purpose of identifying \u201cAsian Doe,\u201d as well as any other unidentified human remains from those of Asian descent.<\/p>\n
For years, Tierney has been trying to identify Asian Doe using traditional DNA to uncover his identity, but ultimately failed, and only indicated they were of southern Han ancestry, which is one of the largest ethnic groups in all of China, making up more than 90% of the population, according to population records.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Two years ago, Suffolk investigators published two reconstructions of Asian Doe\u2019s face with both long and short hair, but ultimately got no new leads after its release.\u00a0<\/p>\n
A sketch of \u2018Asian Doe\u2019 was released two years in connection with the Gilgo Beach serial killings. Suffolk County District Attorney<\/p>\n
But with working advances in DNA technology<\/a> and a larger genetic pool to test \u2014 the DA is continuing to work in an effort to eventually identify the victim.\u00a0<\/p>\n Authorities believe Asian Doe was buried at the location at least five years before the remains were uncovered in 2011.<\/p>\n Police concluded that Asian Doe was killed by blunt force trauma and the body was found not far from where Gilgo Beach killer Rex Heuermann dumped the remains of his other victims.<\/p>\n \u201cNational Night Out offered the perfect opportunity for us to speak directly with community members about how they can help \u2014 and they did not disappoint,\u201d Tierney told The Post.\u00a0 scalle<\/p>\n A map showing the Gilgo Beach victims. NY Post Design<\/p>\n Prosecutors also previously revealed that Heuermann\u2019s internet search history included terms like \u201cAsian twinks.\u201d<\/p>\n Heuermann was never charged with Asian Doe\u2019s murder, but pleaded guilty to June<\/a> to murdering eight women and dumping their bodies in and around Gilgo Beach. All of the known victims were sex workers.<\/p>\n