BRENTWOOD, N.Y. — Law enforcement officials on Monday released new, more detailed renderings of one of the victims whose remains were found along a coastal highway in New York's Long Island more than a decade ago in a string of deaths known as the Gilgo Beach killings.
Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond Tierney said at a news conference with other law enforcement officials that the victim was of Asian descent, with the remains found off Ocean Parkway in 2011.
The victim, who for years had been identified by officials as male but who police believe now may have presented outwardly as female, died in 2006 or earlier, was likely between ages 17 and 23 and about 5 feet 6 inches (170 centimeters) tall, and was likely of Southern Chinese, or Han, descent.
The victim was found dressed in women's clothing, Tierney said. New renderings were being released Monday in the hopes they may generate new leads. They include versions that are both male- and female-presenting.
''This person certainly had a life and loved ones and friends,'' Tierney said. ''It's important that this victim get their name back and the people who cared for this individual get answers.''
Flyers with the renderings and a description of the victim and the clothes they were found wearing are being distributed in Asian communities across New York and will be translated into a range of languages, including Mandarin, Cantonese, Thai and Indonesian, he said.
Local officials released a more basic sketch of the victim back in 2011.
Tierney said DNA records from Asian people are less common in U.S. genetic databases, making it difficult to compare and identify the remains through traditional methods.