This well-produced true crime drama features the incomparable Kim Delaney in the role of Mari Gilbert, who tenaciously pursued the case of her missing daughter Shannon. The grisly outcome was the work of a serial killer on Gilgo Beach, Long Island.
Mari Gilbert's heroic commitment to the truth led as well to exposing corruption within the Suffolk County police department that included Chief James "Jimmy" Burke, DA Tom Spota, and eleven others. The serial killings had been ignored for years because the women were escorts.
Executive producer Deborah Norville offered a detailed post script to the film. While Mari Gilbert's work in conjunction with private detective Herc Zinneman led to the arrest of John Bittrolff for two of the killings, many others were left unsolved in an enormous cold case. There was no shortage of suspects, including a real weirdo and dirty old man, Dr. Peter Hackett.
As explained by Norville, it was the new police chief, Rodney Harrison, who moved into action to locate and arrest the "animal" named Rex Heuermann, due to a unique truck parked in his driveway, plus DNA evidence from a pizza crust.
The character of Mari Gilbert was all the more poignant because she was not a very good mother. Both her daughters had special needs, including Shannon (bipolar) and Sarra (schizophrenia). One of Mari's ex-boyfriends even abused young Sarra. In the film's tragic post script, we learn that Sarra eventually murdered her mother.
One of the best scenes of the film was the interview of investigative reporter Leanne Kavanaugh of Amy, who was abused by the police chief during a trick. Amy summarized succinctly her lot and that of other women depicted in the film: "We're throwaways."
Mari Gilbert's heroic commitment to the truth led as well to exposing corruption within the Suffolk County police department that included Chief James "Jimmy" Burke, DA Tom Spota, and eleven others. The serial killings had been ignored for years because the women were escorts.
Executive producer Deborah Norville offered a detailed post script to the film. While Mari Gilbert's work in conjunction with private detective Herc Zinneman led to the arrest of John Bittrolff for two of the killings, many others were left unsolved in an enormous cold case. There was no shortage of suspects, including a real weirdo and dirty old man, Dr. Peter Hackett.
As explained by Norville, it was the new police chief, Rodney Harrison, who moved into action to locate and arrest the "animal" named Rex Heuermann, due to a unique truck parked in his driveway, plus DNA evidence from a pizza crust.
The character of Mari Gilbert was all the more poignant because she was not a very good mother. Both her daughters had special needs, including Shannon (bipolar) and Sarra (schizophrenia). One of Mari's ex-boyfriends even abused young Sarra. In the film's tragic post script, we learn that Sarra eventually murdered her mother.
One of the best scenes of the film was the interview of investigative reporter Leanne Kavanaugh of Amy, who was abused by the police chief during a trick. Amy summarized succinctly her lot and that of other women depicted in the film: "We're throwaways."