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Still No Sign Of Shannan Gilbert As Police Continue Searching

OAK BEACH, NY (CBSNewYork) -- It's been several days of searching, but police say there's still no sign of Shannan Gilbert's remains and were back out again on Friday.

WCBS 880's Sophia Hall On Friday's Fruitless Search

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On Friday, police said they found lip gloss possibly linked to the missing woman.  The lip gloss was found only steps from where her purse was found earlier this week, authorities said.

Thursday's search turned up nothing, but investigators say they believe they are close to finding her.

"She's in there some place and we want to do everything we can to find her," Suffolk County Police Commissioner Richard Dormer said.

Gilbert, a prostitute from New Jersey, was last seen in Oak Beach in May of 2010 hysterically running and screaming for help.

It was while searching for Gilbert in December, 2010 that police eventually found the remains of ten bodies along Ocean Parkway on Gilgo Beach.

Police have said the remains belong to eight women, a man and a toddler and that least five of the victims were prostitutes.

Dormer has said he believes a single serial killer is likely responsible for the murders of all ten victims, but said detectives now believe Gilbert's disappearance is not connected to that case.

"The big mystery since her disappearance is what has actually happened to Shannan Gilbert. Homicide detectives were always of the belief that she was not murdered or was not part of the other finds," Suffolk County Police Chief of Detectives Dominick Varrone said.

Police found a purse and personal items, including jeans, shoes and a cellphone that belonged to Gilbert during their search of Oak Beach on Wednesday.

Investigators say they now think Gilbert fell into the marsh and likely drowned.

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