Suvechha Sarkar
Although the remains of Rita Tangredi and Colleen McNamee were found in 1993 and 1994, both cases went cold for over two decades. Thanks to a sudden DNA match in police records, the authorities believed John Bittrolff to be the primary suspect. He was eventually charged for the two murders in 2014. Around the same time, there were several suspicions and speculations surrounding his connection to the infamous Gilgo Beach murders. In Netflix’s ‘Gone Girls: The Long Island Serial Killer,’ the focus briefly shifts to the suspect and explores his potential links with one of the victims of the infamous serial killings in Long Island.
John Bittrolff Was Arrested For Two Murders After More Than Two Decades
John Bittrolff was born on July 1, 1966, and grew up in the quiet suburban landscape of Suffolk County, Long Island. From the outside, he had always been an ordinary man whose life revolved around his family, which included his wife and two children. He worked as a local carpenter in Manorville and was known for his craftsmanship. Things took a turn in 2013 when an entirely dark side of his life was uncovered. That year, John’s brother, Timothy Bittrolff, had a run-in with the law as he was arrested for violating a protective order. At that time, it became mandatory to enter his DNA sample in the New York State’s database. Although Timothy’s DNA did not turn out to be a match to any known criminals or suspects, it did trigger a partial match.
This trigger was connected to two unidentified pieces of DNA evidence found on the remains of two women, Rita Tangredi and Colleen McNamee. The remains of the former were discovered in a wooded area in East Patchogue, Suffolk County, on November 2, 1993. Meanwhile, Colleen’s remains were found in Shirley, Long Island, on January 30 of the following year. Both the victims’ cause of death was strangulation, and they were left behind around the same area in the same manner, which led the authorities to believe that it was the work of a single person. However, with no possible suspects in sight, for 20 years, it remained a mystery. The partial match revealed that a blood relative of Timothy might be the killer. This led the police to John Bittrolff’s door in order to collect his DNA.
When John’s sample turned out to be a match with the DNA found on both crime scenes, he was finally arrested and charged with two counts of second-degree murder on July 21, 2014. Soon, he also became the prime suspect in the murder case of Sandra Costilla, whose remains were found in the North Sea under similar circumstances on November 20, 1993. However, John was not charged with this murder since the DNA found at this crime scene did not match his. With definitive evidence at hand, John’s trial for the murders of Rita and Colleen finally began in May 2017. After a tense trial, on July 5, he was convicted of second-degree murder of Rita Tangredi and Colleen McNamee. On September 12, 2017, he was sentenced to 50 years to life imprisonment with the possibility of parole, but not before July 17, 2064.
John Bittrolff Seeks Case Review After the Arrest of Suspect in Gilgo Murders
In March 2022, John Bittrolff was serving his time in prison when law enforcement finally had a suspect, Rex Heuermann, for the Gilgo Beach serial killings after more than a decade. Thanks to a full-blown investigation, the police gathered enough evidence to arrest Rex for “The Gilgo Four” murders on July 14, 2023. The authorities began expanding their search, which ultimately led their focus to the North Sea, where they had found the remains of Sandra Costilla in 1993. Although John was the main suspect in this case, the police started investigating whether this was connected to Rex. When the specimen of hair found at the crime scene matched with Rex, he was charged with her murder on June 6, 2024.
John had already served 10 years in prison by this time, and this charge brought new speculations into the limelight. In 2014, the district attorney reportedly stated that there was a connection between the murders of Rita Tangredi, Colleen McNamee, and Sandra Costilla. However, Rex’s murder charges proved that the case might be otherwise. By then, John had already tried to get his conviction overturned twice, in vain. In light of these new developments, John requested the authorities to review his case again in 2024. His attorney, Lisa Marcoccia, had reportedly pointed out the fact that these murders were very similar to the Gilgo Beach murders. They allegedly wanted strands of hair that were found in the crime scene of these two murders to be tested again. As of writing, he is serving his term at Clinton Correctional Facility in Dannemora, New York State.
Read More: Thomas Spota: Where is the Former Suffolk County DA Now?
