Kim Delaney to Star in New Lifetime Movie “The Long Island Serial Killer: A Mother’s Hunt for Justice” with Deborah Norville as an Executive Producer

Emmy(R) Award-winning actress Kim Delaney (NYPD Blue) returns to Lifetime following her long stint on Army Wives to star in the new “Ripped from the Headlines” Lifetime original movie, The Long Island Serial Killer: A Mother’s Hunt for Justice. Inspired by the emotional story of Mari Gilbert, a mother whose daughter’s disappearance led to the discovery of 19 bodies, many of which are believed to have been murdered by an unidentified Long Island serial killer. The film follows her relentless pursuit of answers and the truth. Emmy(R) Award-winning journalist Deborah Norville, who covered Gilbert’s story as an anchor for Inside Edition, will executive produce. The Long Island Serial Killer: A Mother’s Hunt for Justice is scheduled to premiere winter 2021 on Lifetime.

“Mari Gilbert singlehandedly brought closure to families who never knew what happened to their missing sisters and daughters,” said executive producer, Deborah Norville. “To law enforcement she was ‘just a mom,’ but her tenacity led to the discovery of a serial killer who may still be roaming free. The incomparable Kim Delaney makes the anguish and anger of Mari Gilbert palpable for the viewer. Watching her performance and that of the entire cast is simply thrilling.”

The Long Island Serial Killer: A Mother’s Hunt for Justice tells the story of Mari Gilbert’s search for the truth behind what happened to her daughter Shannan, a sometime escort who disappeared after a ‘date’ on Long Island. After Shannan (Katharine Isabelle, Hannibal) fails to come home, her mother Mari (Kim Delaney) knows something is terribly wrong. Pleading to the police to take her concerns seriously, she keeps pushing the police for answers. Mari’s insistence that her daughter not be overlooked eventually leads to a horror hidden on Long Island for more than a decade – 19 bodies of young women discovered buried in shallow graves along Ocean Parkway in the area of Jones Beach State Park. Though the search for the killer is still ongoing, Mari’s passionate dedication to giving her daughter and other forgotten women a voice, and the attention they deserve, has kept the case alive with hopes of a breakthrough soon.

The movie not only follows a mother’s tireless search for the truth, but it also digs deep into the murders, including Shannan’s, that have gone unsolved for so long.

Joining Kim Delaney is Eugene Clark (The Clark Sisters: First Ladies of Gospel) as a private investigator “Herc” Zinneman.

The Long Island Serial Killer: A Mother’s Hunt for Justice is produced by Lighthouse Pictures, with Sony Pictures Television distributing. Executive producers include Emmy(R) Award winner Deborah Norville and Peabody Award winner Elizabeth Stephen. The script is written by John Pielmeier (Agnes of God, The Capture of the Green River Killer).

Kim Delaney began her career in the memorable role of Jenny Gardner on the ABC daytime drama All My Children, for which she earned her first Emmy(R) nomination. She went on to capture the attention of audiences and critics alike with her portrayal of Detective Diane Russell on ABC’s acclaimed series NYPD Blue, for which she received three Emmy(R), two Golden Globe and three Screen Actors Guild nominations, and won the Emmy(R) for Best Supporting Actress in a Television Drama.

Following the end of NYPD Blue, she starred in Steven Bochco’s drama Philly, the premiere season of CSI Miami, and recurred in the popular series The O.C. Kim also starred in Lifetime’s top-rated cable series Army Wives for six seasons. More recently, she played Dr. Nancy Redman in TNT’s Murder in the First and starred in Hallmark’s Signed, Sealed and Delivered; as well as in the independent feature, God Bless the Broken Road and Tone-Deaf. Kim currently has a recurring role on NBC’s Chicago Fire, and recently returned to daytime television on General Hospital. She will star in the upcoming Lifetime movie The Long Island Serial Killer: A Mother’s Hunt for Justice in 2021.

Deborah Norville is a two-time Emmy(R) Award winner and Anchor of Inside Edition, the country’s top-rated syndicated newsmagazine. The longtime journalist and author is also the executive producer of the television crime series Executed with Deborah Norville and Exposed with Deborah Norville both of which air on Reelz. Norville is the author of a number of books, including the New York Times Best Seller, “Thank You Power: Making the SCIENCE of Gratitude Work for You.”