When 24-year-old Shannan Gilbert vanished into the pitch-black marshland of Oak Beach in 2010, no one knew her disappearance would open a corridor of horror stretching miles along Long Island’s desolate barrier islands. While police searched the reeds for one missing woman, cadaver dogs led them to something far worse—multiple bodies hidden in the dunes, placed where the darkness itself seemed to protect the killer.
In this episode of Dark Outdoors®, we travel deep into the windswept emptiness of Ocean Parkway, the cold marshes, and the shifting sands of Gilgo Beach.
We explore how the terrain became the killer’s camouflage and how the man now charged, Rex Heuermann, was once described by a key witness as an “ogre-like” figure stalking the night.
Prosecutors say he nurtured a predatory mindset—seeing himself not just as a murderer, but as a hunter of humans.
From Shannan’s haunting 911 call to the cadaver dogs who “heard the dead,” from the eerie witness descriptions to the final unraveling of a man who believed the wilderness would hide him forever, this is the story of a landscape that concealed unspeakable secrets.
Plus, I delve into why this case has unveiled a new level of serial killers that combine technology and the outdoors to remain hidden and prey on their victims.
Chester Moore
Follow Chester Moore on the following social media platforms
Residents in the Texas Hill Country have reported a troubling pattern: individuals going door-to-door claiming to be wildlife researchers and asking for permission to shoot deer on private land. Authorities are concerned it is a poacher scam.
The men say they are studying deer diseases, including Chronic Wasting Disease, and they present themselves as being affiliated with Texas A&M University.
After multiple calls from concerned homeowners, the City of Kerrville Police Department confirmed that the claims are false and that there is no legitimate program sending researchers door-to-door for deer harvesting.
According to police and wildlife officials, legitimate biologists do not show up unannounced, do not pressure landowners for immediate access, and do not request permission to shoot deer on the spot.
Both Texas A&M and Texas Parks and Wildlife have stated publicly that they are not involved in any operation resembling what these men are describing. That means whoever is knocking on doors is doing so under false pretenses and for reasons authorities believe could involve poaching.
Using CWD concerns to gain access to poach is a new ploy. CWD is a fatal disease for whitetails.
This scam works because it sounds believable. With rising concerns about CWD and increased surveillance in parts of the state, a person claiming to be a researcher may initially sound credible. But real wildlife disease sampling is highly structured. It runs through scheduled landowner partnerships, designated research teams, or official collection stations, not strangers appearing unexpectedly with rifles and a story.
What makes this situation genuinely dangerous is not just the poaching angle. Allowing an unknown person with a firearm onto your property carries risks far beyond the fate of a deer. There are issues of safety, liability, potential property crime, and the possibility that these individuals are using the “researcher” cover to access land they otherwise couldn’t reach or perhaps they have even worse intentions.
This also damages public trust in legitimate wildlife science. Biologists and conservationists often rely on cooperation from landowners, and scams like this make residents more wary of genuine research programs. It’s an erosion of goodwill that takes years to rebuild.
Texas landowners are being urged to verify the identity of anyone claiming to be a biologist or agency representative. Ask for credentials, call the agency directly using a publicly listed number, and never feel pressured into granting immediate access. If anything feels off about the situation, law enforcement recommends turning the individuals away and reporting the encounter.
The outdoors can be unpredictable. We expect the challenges that come from wildlife, weather, and rugged terrain. But sometimes the most unsettling dangers are human — and they come not from the deep woods, but from a knock at the front door.
Dark Outdoors® will continue to monitor this situation and provide updates as more information becomes available.
Remember before heading outdoors – Pray. Prepare. And pack heat.
Chester Moore
Follow Chester Moore on the following social media platforms
