GoFundMe Started To Raise Money To Help Shannan Gilbert Case

OAK BEACH, NY —Sherre Gilbert, the sister of Shannan Gilbert, started a fundraising campaign this week to help pay for an analysis of the 911 tapes from the day she went missing. Shannan was a New Jersey escort who disappeared after meeting a client for sex on Oak Beach. Her disappearance lead to the discoveries of 10 sets of human remains believed to be the victims of a Long Island serial killer. Her remains were later discovered over a year later in marshy area near Oak Beach. No arrests in connection to any of the deaths have been made so far.

According to Sherre, on the night of her disappearance she made a 23 minute long 911 call that her estate lawyer, John Ray, was recently able to obtain through court order. In May, the Miller Place attorney held a press conference after receiving the 911 recordings from the night Shannan went missing, which he claimed Suffolk police had withheld for over three years. While Ray could not release specific information about what was on the tape due to a court order, he said he believes what is on it is "extremely important to solving the case."

Sherre states that during the call, Shannan was "banging on doors and pleading for help" and that, according to several eye witnesses, she was distressed and frightened. She also states that there were other voices that could be heard on the call — other than Shannan; her driver, Michael Pak; and Joseph Brewer, the client she saw that night. However because of the background noise, it’s "hard to understand" clearly who is speaking and what was said. That is why Sherre started a GoFundMe campaign, "Praying for Shannan Gilbert," to help raise money to decipher the tapes for accuracy and any new information.

"We need to try to ID all the voices. Shannan did say THEY are going to kill me which we know from other sources," Sherre wrote. "We need to find out who 'they' are."

Sherre wrote on the page that Ray has been able to find a firm in New Jersey willing to do the voice analysis, which comes with a cost of between $1,800 to $2,000. Sherre set a goal of $5,000 on the page to also help with other fees associated with the case since Ray is working pro-bono. According to the page, the money will go towards hiring a private detective, depositions and other costs associated with Shannan's case.

"In this long crusade of pursuing justice, we have been very weary of asking the public for anything," Sherre wrote. "We understand the current climate of our society so if you could donate any amount (big or small) and/or share this campaign, we would greatly appreciate it. Shannan made the brave call that fateful spring day and we believe her 911 call holds the clues to the ones responsible for her death. Help us get her her long awaited justice!"

Last January, police released a "significant piece of evidence," in the Gilgo Beach murders — a black belt embossed with the letters "HM" or "WH" which they say did not belong to any of the victims.

Recently, a movie about Shannan's disappearance and the murders, "Lost Girls," was released on Netflix.