Shivangi Sinha
Many questions have been raised about the investigation that led to the arrest of the suspected Gilgo Beach Killer. The case first gained attention in December 2010 when the remains of four women were discovered in the Ocean Parkway area of Long Island, New York. However, it wasn’t until July 2023 that authorities arrested Rex Heuermann, accusing him of these crimes. Given the developments in the case, scrutiny has also fallen on James Burke, the former chief of the Suffolk County Police Department, who oversaw the investigation between 2012 and 2015. Netflix’s ‘Gone Girls: The Long Island Serial Killer’ examines the criticisms directed at Burke’s handling of the case and the allegations against him over the years.
James Burke Was Accused of Various Misconducts During His Tenure as Police Chief
James “Jimmy” Burke began his career as a New York City police officer in the 1980s, but his connection to law enforcement started much earlier. As a teenager, he served as a key witness in a case prosecuted by then-District Attorney Thomas Spota. Reports suggest that the latter became Burke’s mentor and father figure, and this most likely influenced his decision to pursue a career in law enforcement. Burke later joined the Suffolk County Police Department in New York, where he built his career. However, in 1995, he became the subject of an internal investigation, which reportedly concluded that he had engaged in a sexual relationship with a sex worker, was involved in drug activity, and had participated in sexual acts in police vehicles while on duty and in uniform.
In January 2012, Burke was appointed as the chief of the Suffolk County Police Department and took charge of the investigation into the Gilgo Beach killings. However, several colleagues and other stakeholders involved in the case have criticized his handling of the investigation. They alleged that he refused to cooperate with other law enforcement agencies out of personal grievances, which ultimately hindered progress in the case. In 2013, the FBI and the US Attorney’s Office launched an investigation into allegations of misconduct against Burke in an unrelated 2012 case involving a suspect named Christopher Loeb.
In 2012, Loeb unknowingly broke into Burke’s car and stole a duffel bag. The bag reportedly contained a gun, ammunition, a box of cigars, and a bag filled with sex toys and pornography. Loeb later alleged that upon being taken into custody, he was physically assaulted by Burke. In 2015, Burke resigned from his position, and in February 2016, he pleaded guilty to charges of depriving a person of civil rights and conspiracy to commit obstruction of justice. By November of that year, he was sentenced to 46 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release.
James Burke is Facing New Charges in New York Today
In December 2016, Burke became the subject of another media controversy when a sex worker named Leanne claimed that she had partied with the former police chief multiple times in 2011. She alleged that they met at his Oak Beach home, engaged in sexual encounters and that he used drugs. Burke’s attorney declined to comment on these accusations at the time. From January 2017 to November 2018, he was incarcerated at the Federal Correctional Institution, Allenwood Low, in Union County, Pennsylvania, before being placed under house arrest at his Smithtown, New York home. His sentence was officially completed in April 2019.
After his release, Burke largely stayed out of the public eye and kept a low profile. However, in August 2023, he was arrested at the Suffolk County Vietnam Veterans Memorial Park in Farmingville, New York. County park rangers had been conducting a sting operation in response to reports of public indecency in the area. Burke was charged with public lewdness, offering a sex act, and unlawful solicitation after he allegedly exposed himself to an undercover ranger. In September 2023, he pleaded not guilty to the charges, and neither he nor his attorney has made any public statements. Further details on the case remain scarce.
Read More: Nikkie Brass: Where is the Former Long Island Sex Worker Now?
