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Thursday, September 11, 2025 ~ Volume 70 ~ Issue Number 47 ~ $1.00
Gilgo Beach and the Price of Truth: Justice Meets Forensics on L.I. By Raheem Soto For more than a decade, the Gilgo Beach murders have haunted Long Island. A lonely stretch of dunes and scrub pine became a cemetery for women discarded as if their lives held no more weight than driftwood washed ashore. The case, mired in false leads and bureaucratic inertia, became a symbol of delay and neglect. For many, it stood as a damning question: did the system care enough about the victims to ever deliver justice? Now, with a suspect in custody and the courts preparing for trial, Suffolk County finds itself at a crossroads between justice delayed and justice delivered.
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By Matt Meduri
D.A. Tierney in Riverhead (Credit - Matt Meduri)
Islip Goes Purple
In 2019, the Town of Islip became a state and national trailblazer by “going purple” every September, an initiative aimed at raising awareness and promoting resources for those suffering from substance abuse and mental health disorders. The Town kicks off every September by hosting a resource fair at Town Hall, lining streets with purple flags and lights, and even lighting the Town Hall’s cupola purple throughout the month. Resources are provided by
FULL STORIES ON:
Bergin’s Brief Page 3
The Messenger Goes Back to School Page 8
Officials light the Town Hall cupola purple (Credit - Matt Meduri)
community organizations, such as Youth Enrichment Services (YES), local hospitals, and other non-profits. The Town “went purple” last Wednesday evening at Town Hall. “To some, it seems like just lighting a purple bulb or hanging a flag,” said Islip Town Supervisor Angie Carpenter (R-West Islip). “But someone just last night asked what was going on. It gives you the opportunity to talk about the issue that people are sometimes reluctant to bring up.” Continued on page 10
Candidate Spotlight: Tom Donnelly Page 15