The mother of a Brewster man who went missing 11 years ago and was later found dead is hoping that new information that recently emerged will help solve her son?s case. On New Year's Eve 1997, 22-year-old Lawrence Andrews went missing after a night of partying in New York City. His body was found 43 days later floating in the East River in Brooklyn. That same year, Port Chester native Patrick McNeill also went missing from New York City. McNeill?s body was found later in the waters off Brooklyn.

However, two former NYPD detectives who worked on those cases believe the two men were victims of a cross-country gang of serial murderers, known as the Smiley Face Gang for the symbol they leave behind at the murder scenes. The gang has targeted as many as 40 college-aged, white men.

While both Andrews? and McNeill?s deaths were ruled accidental, the detectives say they have evidence to link them to the serial murderers.

Some national advocates have called Susan Andrews? attention to another case in Albany where a young male college student died under the same circumstances as her son, Lawrence, just two weeks ago. Albany police say while there was graffiti of a smiley face a few days after the body was found, their case is closed and they have no evidence that there is a link in these cases.

Susan Andrews says by telling her son?s story she hopes more evidence will come to light.Ex-copslink cold case to cross-county serial murders