The Long Island serial killer didn't stop at killing one of his victims. He actually used her cell phone to taunt the victim's sister. INSIDE EDITION has the story.
There's a disturbing new twist to the story of the serial killer terrorizing New York's Long Island. While he continues to elude authorities, he has been making contact with the family of one of his victims through a series of shocking phone calls.
Melissa Barthelemy grew up in a small town outside of Buffalo, New York. When she was 24, she moved to New York City to pursue her dreams of living in the Big Apple.
But her mom, Lynn, wasn't so enthused.
"I was terrified. A big city, like that, I'm like, 'They're going to eat you alive.' But she was of age, and all I could say was be careful and call her all the time," Lynn told 48 Hours Mystery.
Lynn thought her daughter was making a living as a hairdresser. What she didn't know was that Melissa was actually working as an escort. In July 2009, Melissa went missing.
"Did she get hurt? We pull out the phone book, we get on the Internet, we start calling hospitals," Lynn remembered.
Then one day, Melissa's younger sister Amanda got a call from Melissa's cell phone.
"When Amanda answered the phone, you know, she was so excited. [She said] 'Oh my God, Melissa is finally calling me.' And then, there's a guy on the other end," Lynn said.
Her heart sank. She was talking not to her sister, but to the serial killer who had dumped her body near a lonely stretch of beach. The purpose of the call was to torment 15-year-old Amanda.
And the calls didn't stop coming: there have been eight so far.
48 Hours Mystery correspondent Erin Moriarty said, "He had taunted her. The last phone call that he made, he actually said, 'I killed your sister and I may come get you as well.' "
The episode of 48 Hours Mystery airs tonight.
