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Her body was found along with 10 other sets of remains in Gilgo Beach on Long Island.
The Suffolk County Police Department, together with the FBI, made the announcement on Thursday, May 28 after utilizing genetic genealogy to determine the ID.
Valerie Mack, who also used the name Melissa Taylor, went missing in 2000 at the age of 24.
She was working as an escort in Philadelphia at the time of her disappearance and family members last saw her in the spring or summer of 2000 in the area of Port Republic, New Jersey.
Mack’s partial remains were found in a wooded area off Halsey-Manor Road in Manorville the same year she went missing and more than a decade later, her dismembered remains were found along Ocean Parkway.
This is believed to be the first time a law enforcement agency in New York State has used genetic genealogy to identify an individual as part of a police investigation.
“For two decades, Valerie Mack’s family and friends were left searching for answers and while this is not the outcome they wanted," Suffolk County Police Commissioner Geraldine Hart said. "We hope this brings some sense of peace and closure.
“I would like to thank the FBI for its continued support and partnership in the Gilgo Beach homicide investigation and for their assistance utilizing scientific techniques that has moved this case forward. We will continue to use every investigative tool available to aggressively investigate these murders.”
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