The 'Long Island Ripper' story was scary enough when people thought it was just an ordinary citizen who had dumped eight dead bodies in the woods near Gilgo and Oak Beaches on Long Island. Now police sources are telling ABC News and The New York Times that the serial killer might be a police officer.

Unsurprisingly, nobody involved in the investigation was quoted by name. ABC, citing conversations with "law enforcement officials familiar with the case" reported Sunday Suffolk County investigators thought the killer could be a "law enforcement official or other person with knowledge of law enforcement techniques ... based on evidence that the suspect may understand investigators' procedures." This came a day after "people briefed on the case" suggested to the Times that "the killer was well versed in criminal investigative techniques, gleaned either through personal experience or in some other way, and could even be in law enforcement himself."

According the Times, authorities see the killer's use of disposable cell phones to contact four of the victims, prostitutes he found on Craigslist, and threatening phone calls to victims' families which were ended in time before a trace could be performed, as an indication he's familiar with investigation. "He is a guy who is aware of how we utilize technology," one unnamed investigator told the paper. "Frankly, people are thinking maybe he could be a cop."

Since December, eight bodies, including those of the four missing prostitutes, have been discovered within a seven-mile radius. Last week, an unnamed source on the investigation told the New York Post they were "looking at somebody" in connection with the crimes. At the time, the Post didn't mention anything about him being in law enforcement. Neither the ABC nor the Times report indicates an arrest is near.

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Ray Gustini