Investigators on Long Island say they've recovered what they believe to be the remains of a missing New Jersey prostitute in a coastal marsh.

Suffolk County Police Commissioner Richard Dormer says investigators looking for the body of 24-year-old Shannan Gilbert, of Jersey City, discovered skeletal remains at around 9:15 a.m. today in a dense thicket near Oak Beach. He says authorities believe it is Gilbert's corpse. Dormer suggested that she had become hopelessly entangled in the brush, which he called a "tough, desolate, tangled mess."

Dormer says that the remains were found about a quarter of a mile northeast of where Gilbert's personal belongings were recovered last week.

Police began searching for Gilbert last December when they came upon the first of what would become 10 sets of human remains. They were strewn along several miles of thicket along a parkway leading to Jones Beach.

Police believe a serial killer is responsible for those deaths. They think Gilbert may have drowned accidentally while fleeing a client's home for an unknown reason. Gilbert's relatives say they do not believe her death was accidental.

VIDEO: News conference on Shannon Gilbert discoveryLI police come up empty-handed after search for Jersey City woman Police find purse, other items belonging to missing NJ prostitute LI police to continue beach search Wednesday Cops: Human remains possibly found at 2 locations on Long Island Police: Shannan Gilbert's body may be at LI beachRemains found near Long Island beach not missing NJ womanA look at the bodies' investigation on Long IslandInvestigators search on Long Island for more evidence, bodies