The New Jersey escort whose 2010 disappearance led to the discovery of 11 butchered bodies on a Long Island beach may have been strangled, a newly released autopsy report found.
sets of human remains believed to be butchered by a serial killer, then dumped on a Long Island beach had signs of homicidal strangulation, a newly released autopsy report found.
The family of Shannan Gilbert announced that an autopsy performed by famed forensic pathologist Michael Baden didn't conclude how the 24-year-old escort died, but noted that she had been the victim of some violence.
"Michael Baden comes to disturbing conclusions," family attorney John Ray said.
Family members said the findings — which showed no evidence Gilbert died of natural causes, a drug overdose or by drowning — should spur authorities to open a murder investigation into Gilbert's death, which has never been ruled a homicide.
"We're demanding they activate a homicide investigation for Shannan Gilbert," Ray said.
The findings' release comes years after Suffolk County medical examiners said the autopsy was inconclusive. Police had suggested Gilbert possibly drowned or succumbed to the elements not long after she vanished in May 2010.
Gilbert was on a call on Long Island and was last seen screaming and running from a home in the Oak Beach complex, where she met her client. Before she disappeared, she called 911 from a client's home and told an operator someone was trying to kill her.
It was during the massive search for Gilbert that authorities discovered 11 sets of human remains believed to be linked to at least one serial killer. The first of those remains was found by a K-9 unit in December 2010.
Nine sets of remains — eight women and a man — belonged to prostitutes, authorities said. Another set of remains belonged to a baby girl. Five of them, including the infant, have not been identified.
Gilbert's remains were found 18 months later, in December 2011, in a marshy area near Gilgo Beach, on the island’s south central shore. The client she was with the night of her disappearance has been ruled out as a suspect in her death.
Gilbert’s family is involved in a civil suit with a doctor who lives on Gilgo Beach. They believe he may know more about her disappearance.
No one has been charged or named as a suspect in the killings. Police don’t believe Gilbert's death is connected to the deaths of the others.
Last month, it was announced that two FBI agents would assist Suffolk County police in their 5-year-old investigation into the human remains found along Gilgo Beach and Ocean Parkway.
A water main break caused an icy mess that stopped traffic and SEPTA routes in West Philadelphia Friday morning.
The break along 63rd Street between Haverford and Girard avenues around midnight caused SEPTA to shuttle Route 15 trolley passengers between 60th and 63rd streets. The Route 10 trolley was also delayed eastbound at one point.
The break left ice on the road and coated cars causing police to block more vehicles from driving in the area. Salts trucks were called in to break up the ice.
The break continued to spill water onto the roadway through Friday morning as Philadelphia Water Department crews worked to find the source of the break. The water department eventually found a fire hydrant that seemed to be the root of the issue.
The water department shut off service to homes for hours as they worked to replace the hydrant and line.
No word yet on when the roadway will reopen.
A public overdose in South Jersey shows the raw reality of the heroin epidemic and the power of an antidote that's saving lives, even as people fail to take advantage of programs geared toward kicking the habit.
"It's a problem in every neighborhood... from Winslow to Camden, from Haddonfield to Cherry Hill," said Camden County Freeholder Director Lou Cappelli.
Cellphone video shows a woman unconscious and in the depths of a heroin overdose — dying on the side of Crowne Point Road in West Deptford. Her face is blurred to protect her identity.
Bystanders rush to save her, with one woman performing chest compressions.
"Her lips are blue," a person can be heard saying in the video.
A woman says, "She needs Narcan."
Officers from the West Deptford police station — just down the street — flocked to the scene and administered a dose of Narcan, a nasal spray used as an emergency treatment during an opioid overdose.
"It's not the strength of what the doctors have or anything like that, but it's strong enough to reverse all the symptoms and bring you right back from death," said Chief Samuel DiSimone.
That's what happened in this case. The woman still had to be taken to the hospital, but she survived.
Cappelli co-chairs the Opiate and Heroin Addiction Awareness Task Force in Camden County. This year, the county initiated "Operation Sal," which provides intense counseling to patients who are given Narcan.
So far, no one has joined the program.
"Even after you're clinically dead — brought back to life by Narcan — folks aren't convinced that they should go get help," said Cappelli.
Last year alone, Narcan saved 450 people in just Camden County. It's the antidote for heroin overdoses but not the solution to the growing problem.
"The video is reality," said Cappelli. "That's what's out on the streets of all of our municipalities."
The woman who overdosed declined NBC10’s request for an on-camera interview. She said she is fine and her biggest concern was for her young daughter, who has seen the video and has read the comments.
Stay tuned: A Generation Addicted, an NBC10 digital exclusive report exploring the tragic world of heroin and opiate addiction in the Philadelphia area and beyond, is coming March 21.
Forecasters warned Friday that the Northeast would experience what could be the coldest temperatures in over a decade this Valentine's Day weekend, NBC News reported.
Several cities are facing the prospect of subzero temperatures, the product of a weather system called the polar vortex, a large cyclone that sits above the North Pole all year round. The National Weather Service said the "life threatening" icy blast was set to arrive in the region Saturday, but the coldest air would not arrive until Sunday morning.
Boston's forecast low of -2 looked relatively balmy compared to the outlook for -9 in Hartford, Connecticut. Albany was forecast to experience -10 with -11 possible in Worcester, Massachusetts, according to The Weather Channel.
Meanwhile, New York City is forecast to have 2 degrees on Saturday.
"For people stepping outside on Sunday morning, it's going to be like walking into a freezer," said Weather Channel Lead Forecaster Michael Palmer.
Police outside Philadelphia released a new photo Friday as they and the FBI continued the search for a missing teenager with developmental disabilities.
John Thomas Parker, 14, walked away from the Devereux Leo Kanner Learning Center in West Chester, Pennsylvania around 2:30 p.m. Tuesday and hasn’t been seen since. The Learning Center is a facility for children with intellectual or developmental disabilities.
West Whiteland Township Police say Parker, who stands around 5-foot, 7-inches tall and weighs around 110 pounds, may have walked to a nearby train station to try and leave the area. Officials notified his family who live in Washington, D.C.
Parker was captured on surveillance video as he was leaving the facility. He was wearing a T-shirt, jeans and black sneakers. He was also carrying a bright green backpack. Police say Parker may have changed his clothing however to khaki pants and a black jacket. They also say he may no longer have on the green backpack.
Parker has tattoos on his left arm. If you have any information on his whereabouts, please call 610-692-5100.
Two students walked off a school bus, one getting sprayed in the face with a chemical substance, earlier this week after a fight broke out between four students over a thrown piece of candy.
The fight started when a female student threw a piece of candy that struck another female student. The two females got into a verbal altercation, which prompted two other students to get involved. As the four were arguing, a male student tried to intervene but was punched, according to Delaware State Police.
Three of the students involved in the fight proceeded to assault the victim, police said.
As the fight was occurring, the bus driver pulled over and called 911. The victim was able to get off the bus, but one of the students from the fight followed and sprayed him in the face with a chemical substance, according to State Police.
The victim was transported to Christiana Hospital where he was treated for non-life threatening injuries.
Two female students, aged 16-years-old and 17-years-old, and a 17-year-old male student were arrested and charged with 2d degree assault.
“The Christina School District will continue to cooperate with the Delaware State Police in its investigation,” the school district wrote in a statement.
A potentially deadly situation for one family turned into a learning lesson for hundreds of others.
Lauren Geary was at home Sunday night with her husband and two children when their carbon monoxide detector went off. Lauren quickly took her kids out of bed and went outside while her husband opened all the windows in the house.
“It was chilling, knowing what could have happened to us if we stayed in the house for a couple more minutes even,” Lauren said.
Shortly after Lauren called 911, first responders came and discovered the CO2 was coming from the family’s basement boiler.
If not for the detector, officials told Lauren she and her family would have faced a much more tragic ending.
“It was a crummy situation for us, but it turned into a situation that helped others,” Lauren said.
After the incident, Lauren took to her many social groups to warn everybody how important it is to have a carbon monoxide detector in their homes.
“I just hope that this can bring awareness to other people,” Lauren said. “You hear stories of this stuff, but it’s not often that it’s in your backyard.”
Since sharing her story, Lauren says hundreds of people have reached out to tell her they've gotten a new CO2 detector or have updated their old ones.
One Philadelphia-area mom is thankful for the kindness of a waitress toward her autistic son.
Kathleen Tarzwell and her son, 7-year-old Braeden, went out to brunch earlier this month at Bittersweet Kitchen in Media, Delaware County, Pa. Braeden brought his best friend, a plush platypus named Perry.
Braeden ordered chocolate chip pancakes and bacon for himself, and for Perry. His mom says although Braeden usually has unique responses to people, he has never ordered for Perry before.
“I’m always entertained by Braeden’s interactions with people,” Kathleen said. “He always has these responses that seem kind of premeditated, but it’s just his way of interacting with people.”
To his mom’s surprise, the waitress serving the family brought a plate out for Perry.
“Braeden was very happy,” Kathleen said.
Kathleen keeps a “short list” of restaurants where she knows Braeden will be comfortable. Bittersweet Kitchen was a relatively new addition to the list, and now might be on the top of the list.
“Even the smallest acts of kindness don’t go unnoticed,” she said. “He will always remember this.”
The Northeast is prepared for the most frigid Valentine's Day in over a decade, but don't wind up with a frozen heart! Rick Pennypacker of Penny's Flowers in Glenside gave NBC10 some tips for handling flower deliveries amid the Arctic blast:
1. Order for the day before
It's the busiest weekend of the year for florists everywhere, so ordering early will give you the most choices and arrangement options. Order for the day before the cold hits to avoid exposing the flowers to bone-chilling air.
2. Get them inside quick
Most flowers are very climate-sensitive, and while most are shipped in refrigerated containers even the hardier varieties cannot handle freezing conditions. " They can freeze very quickly from the delivery truck to the door," warned Pennypacker. "Get 'em inside and get them in a vase as quick as you can!"
3. Experiment with longer-lasting flowers
For those who might venture beyond the tried-and-true red rose, other longer-lasting blossoms like Gerbera daisies and mini-carnations could provide a nice alternative. Pennypacker also recommended Asiatic and Oriental lilies, which bloom several separate heads on each stem.
4. Flowers need love
To get the most out of your flowers, make sure to keep the vase full of water and prune the stems regularly. Be sure to follow your florist's instructions and use provided "flower food" packets.
5. Tropical flowers are risky
Needless to say, flowers from hot and humid climates like orchids need extra care in the cold. Pennypacker noted that tropical flowers can be extremely delicate, and require extra care even in moderate temperatures. The "Siberian Express" won't mix well with that Paradise flower bouquet!
More children in Pennsylvania had elevated levels of lead in their blood than 19 other states, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
In 2014, 1.28 percent of children under the age of 3 tested positive for having an elevated amount of the toxic heavy metal in their blood, HealthGrove, a health information website, reported in an examination Wednesday.
Among the five counties in Southeastern Pennsylvania, Philadelphia had the highest percentage at 0.9 percent. Bucks County had the lowest at 0.3 percent. More than 33,000 additional children were tested in Philadelphia, however.
Southeastern Pennsylvania, where the majority of the state's population is centered, had some of the lowest levels across the commonwealth.
Warren County in Northwestern Pennsylvania and Blair County in Central Pennsylvania ranked highest.
Nationwide, among the 21 states that reported lead levels, New York was highest.
Other states with the highest levels were: Ohio, 0.96 percent; Rhode Island, 0.81 percent, Wisconsin, 0.77 percent; and Connecticut, 0.69 percent.
Also making the list: New Hampshire, 0.67 percent; Indiana, 0.54 percent; Vermont, 0.43 percent; Massachusetts, 0.37 percent and Maryland, 0.3 percents.
However, not all states report childhood blood-lead levels to the CDC, notes HealthGrove.
Elevated blood levels are defined as equal to or greater than 10 micrograms per deciliter of lead in blood for children. No safe blood-lead level in children has been identified, according to the CDC.
"Even low levels of lead in blood have been shown to affect IQ, ability to pay attention and academic achievement," the CDC website states. "And effects of lead exposure cannot be corrected."
Many cases of lead poisoning are traced to lead-based paint and are not solely the product of contaminated water.
Elevated lead levels can also be linked to contaminated water, as in Flint, Michigan, which attracted national attention when it was learned that the percentage of children age 5 and younger with elevated blood-lead levels had nearly doubled after the city switched its primary source of water to the Flint River.
