A&E Series "The Killing Fields" Attempts to Track Down the Long Island Serial Killer

The first two episodes of A&E’s documentary series “The Killing Fields” explored the details surrounding the unsolved murders committed by the Long Island Serial Killer. One unknown suspect is believed to be responsible for the deaths of as many as 17 sex workers.

(Photo Jenn Farr/Flickr)

These murders occurred over the course of several years in which the victims’ bodies were discarded in marshy regions along a stretch of highway near the beach. Unfortunately, it often takes a string of murders for the media to take notice if the victims are prostitutes.

  

A&E’s filmmakers are looking for clues to solve this mystery and that includes interviews with the friends and families of the victims. There is a recurring theme in which their loved ones believe that the police haven’t been fully committed to investigating these crimes. That’s not surprising as prostitutes are some of the most marginalized members of society. Fortunately, "The Killing Fields" interviewed several people who are participating in an online forum, Websleuths.com, which is actively working to solve these cases.

  

Understandably, prostitution is a controversial topic and many people find it offensive. But let’s put this in perspective. Prostitution is essentially a petty vice crime, whereas the indirect consequences of those laws put the lives of sex workers in danger. Case in point, prostitutes are estimated to be 18 times more likely to be murdered than all other women.[1] The primary reason is that sex workers are often reluctant to risk incriminating themselves to contact the police to help solve the murder of another sex worker. In fact, sex workers are even unlikely to contact the police to report violent crimes in which they have been the victim. That’s why a New York-based sex workers’ rights organization, the Red Umbrella Project, requested an amnesty for all of the area prostitutes until the killer was apprehended, but that request was never granted. 

It is well-known that several serial killers have specifically targeted prostitutes for those reasons. Look no further than the words from the Green River Killer, Gary Ridgway, who killed as many as 49 women, most of whom were prostitutes. 

“I picked prostitutes as my victims because I hated most prostitutes, and I did not want to pay them for sex. I knew they would not be reported missing right away and might never be reported missing. I picked prostitutes because I thought I could kill as many of them as I wanted without getting caught.”[2]  

Ridgway was sentenced on December 17^th. In response, this December 17^th will officially mark the thirteenth anniversary of the International Day to End Violence Against Sex Workers. Hopefully, the U.S. will begin to look at examples from other countries around the world to make changes that can impact this violence. For instance, in some European countries with decriminalized prostitution, police and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) coordinate to warn prostitutes about potentially dangerous clients. They form databases known as “dodgy punters” or “ugly mugs.” In fact, there is an Android app (Ugly Mugs) that is available in the U.K., Ireland, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden that notifies the user if an incoming call is from someone in that database.

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[1] John J. Potterat, Devon D. Brewer, Stephen Q. Muth, Richard B. Rothenberg, Donald E. Woodhouse, John B. Muth, Heather K. Stites, and Stuart Brody. “Morality in Long-term Open Cohort of Prostitute Women.” American Journal of Epidemiology. Vol. 159, Issue 8, 778-85

[2] Mark Prothero and Carlton Smith. Defending Gary: Unraveling the Mind of the Green River Killer. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 2006. Print. P. 496