Suffolk County, New York – Investigators have identified the remains of six individuals from cold cases dating back as far as 50 years, utilizing advanced DNA technology that previously aided in the capture of the Gilgo Beach killer. Among the identified victims is Sofia Margherita Marrone, known for decades as "Montauk Mary," whose death in 1978 is suspected to be the work of serial killer Richard Biegenwald, also known as the "Thrill Killer."

District Attorney Ray Tierney announced Thursday that the cutting-edge DNA testing has restored identities to these "John and Jane Does," providing answers to their families and advancing the pursuit of justice. Three of the six identified individuals are believed to be murder victims.

Marrone, 73, was discovered in Montauk with four gunshot wounds to the chest. She was last seen alive days before her discovery leaving a hospital near her New Jersey home. Investigators suspect Biegenwald may be responsible for her death because the bullets recovered matched the caliber he was known to use. Biegenwald, who was convicted of at least six murders in New Jersey, died in prison in 2008.

Other Identified Victims

The other victims identified include:

  • Ramon Perez Y Rivera, 41, known as "Raymond Doe" due to a tattoo, was found in Deer Park in 1976 with a gunshot wound to the abdomen. He was a resident of Brooklyn at the time of his death.
  • Antoinette Rugg, 27, was discovered in Islip in 1978. Her remains were found after a dog unearthed a skull, and a belt was found tightly cinched around her neck.
  • Kyong-Ok Kim, 32, a South Korean national, was found in Riverhead Town in 1990. Her cause of death is still under investigation.
  • Omelios Steward, 27, was found deceased in the Atlantic Ocean near Fire Island in 1990. His death is believed to have been a drowning.
  • Andreas Kupke, 27, a German citizen, was found in 1999. His cause of death remains unclear.

Suffolk County continues to grapple with approximately 244 unsolved death cases from 1970 to 2025, with around 210 victims still unidentified. Tierney stated that the office plans to use the same DNA technology to continue working on identifying these remaining individuals and investigating their cases.