Case Details
- Photo URLs:
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- Missing Since:
- Missing Since 07/07/1985
- Missing From:
- Missing From Manhattan, New York
- Classification:
- Classification Endangered Missing
- Gender:
- Female
- Race:
- Race White
- Date of Birth:
- Date of Birth 03/08/1956 (68)
- Age:
- Age 29 years old
- Height and Weight:
- Height and Weight 5’2 – 5’3, 110 pounds
- Clothing/Jewelry Description:
- Clothing/Jewelry Description A white t-shirt or halter top, pink shorts and sandals.
- Distinguishing Characteristics:
- Distinguishing Characteristics Caucasian female. Brown hair, hazel eyes. Gail’s ears are pierced. Her maiden name is Katz.
- Details of Disappearance:
- Gail disappeared on July 7, 1985, from her Manhattan apartment. Her husband, Dr. Robert Bierenbaum, said she left to sunbathe in Central Park after an argument. However, his story had inconsistencies. He initially delayed letting police search their apartment.
Gail’s family claimed Robert was abusive, physically and mentally, and that he had once choked her unconscious. They disputed his claims that Gail was mentally ill or abused drugs.
Crucially, Robert took a two-hour flight over the Atlantic Ocean the day Gail vanished – a fact he initially concealed from investigators. A body later found was initially thought to be Gail’s, but DNA testing later proved it wasn’t.
Gail was planning a divorce, had taken out a loan for school, and was looking for a new apartment. She had also been having an affair.
Despite a lack of initial evidence, investigators suspected Robert. Years later, in 2000, new evidence led to his arrest for second-degree murder. Witnesses testified to Gail’s fear of Robert and his abusive behavior. Robert was convicted based on circumstantial evidence and his many conflicting statements. He was sentenced to 20 years to life in prison. Gail’s body has never been found, but she is presumed dead.
- Agency:
- New York Police Department 646-610-6914
- Source Links:
This person was missing Missing Since 07/07/1985