MICHAEL RUIZ: Cold case DNA unmasks 'Montauk Mary' as cops probe link to Jersey Shore 'Thrill Killer'
Suffolk County investigators have identified a woman found dead in 1978 as Sofia Margherita Marrone of Pleasantville, New Jersey, and linked her death to the Jersey Shore's 'Thrill Killer.'
Sofia Margherita Marrone, a New Jersey woman who vanished in 1978 and was found dead in New York, has been identified by Suffolk County investigators. She had been known for decades only as 'Montauk Mary' after her body was discovered near a radar tower that later inspired the Netflix series 'Stranger Things.'
Marrone was 26 years old when she was shot and killed in East Overlook Park in Montauk on March 22, 1978. She had been last seen leaving a hospital in Somers Point, New Jersey, six days earlier. The autopsy revealed three bullet wounds in her legs and one to her chest.
The identification was made possible by new DNA methods used by Suffolk County detectives. The breakthrough is part of a broader effort by the Suffolk County District Attorney's office to solve six cold cases, with Marrone being the first victim to be identified.
Link to serial killer
Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney announced that Marrone's death is being investigated as a possible homicide linked to Richard Biegenwald, also known as the Jersey Shore 'Thrill Killer.' Biegenwald died in prison in 2008, serving life sentences for killing six people between 1958 and 1982.
Investigators believe Marrone was killed with the same rare .22-caliber short rounds used by Biegenwald when he was arrested in 1983. A contemporary witness had also reported seeing a man with a beard sitting in a gold-colored car with New Jersey plates near the Montauk park where Marrone's remains were found.
Despite the strong circumstantial evidence, authorities stopped short of calling the case solved. The investigation into Marrone's death remains open, and police are continuing to pursue all leads.
Other victims identified
Marrone is among six cold case victims identified by Suffolk County investigators on Thursday. The others include Antionette Rugg, previously known as the Hecksher Jane Doe, who was found buried in the sand at Heckscher State Park in 1978 with a belt around her throat.
Also identified were Ramon Perez y Rivera, previously known as Raymond Doe, whose remains were found in Deer Park in 1976; Kyong-Ok Kim, previously known as the Riverhead Jane Doe, found in 1990; Omelios Steward, John Doe, found in the water off Fire Island in 1990; and Andreas Kupke, John Doe, found in Montauk in 1999.
Tierney's office said three of the six are believed to have been homicide victims, while the cause of death for the others remains under investigation.
Every person deserves to be known by their name, and every victim deserves answers and justice.
New approach to cold cases
The identification of these six victims is part of a new approach to cold cases being implemented by the Suffolk County District Attorney's office. The approach includes establishing a cold case squad within the DA's office, bringing in federal and state partners, and spending money on cases that can be solved.
Between establishing the cold case squad within the DA’s office, bringing in the federal and state partners, spending the money on cases that can be solved, and never giving up.
Retired NYPD cold case sergeant Joseph Giacalone said the district attorney's plan could become a model for law enforcement around the country. He emphasized the importance of never giving up on these cases.
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