By Dan Aceto

Staff Writer

From the day she was born, Megan Waterman always knew how to make people smile.

“She had such a personality about her that no matter who she was around, she touched their heart in a way that they never forgot her,” said Waterman’s grandmother, Muriel Benner.

Remains of the 22-year-old Scarborough woman and three other women were found in December on Gilgo Beach in Long Island. Waterman was last seen June 6 leaving a Holiday Inn Express in Hauppage, Long Island with her boyfriend Akeem Cruz. 

Like any child, Waterman was filled with wonderment and curiosity, and just a little bit of mischief, said her mother Lorraine Ela.

“She loved playing jokes on everyone,” said Ela.

Benner agreed.

“One day we all went apple picking and she was throwing apples at my daughter’s husband. He was getting upset about it and every time he turned around she goes, ‘I didn’t do it.’ My daughter and grandson cracked up, because obviously she was doing it.” 

Waterman’s aunt, Elizabeth Meserve, agreed and said Waterman always loved to make others laugh. 

“She was always doing pranks,” Meserve said. “One time she pushed a teacher in the pool at Reiche Community School in Portland. I think she just wanted to make the kids laugh; she was always very, very funny.”

Ela said her daughter did have one peculiar habit as a child.

“She loved ‘toe jam’ and smelling armpits,” said Ela, a South Portland resident. “Oh man, did that kid have a thing for ‘toe jam.’ If you had your socks and shoes off, she’d be looking right at your feet …”

Although he may have been her older brother, Greg Waterman said that never stopped his sister from involving him in a game of house when they were younger.

“A real funny thing is that she still got me to play Ken when we were growing up. She never got me to be Barbie, but I got suckered into being Ken,” Waterman said. “It was just us growing up, so we grew real close to one another. From Happy Wheels (indoor roller skating), to watching “Full House” and “Saved by the Bell” before school, we did almost everything together.” 

Her sister, Allie Pertel, looks back at many moments with affection.

“In the summertime in Portland we used to always sing one song while we were on the swings – “Waterfalls,” by TLC. We knew every word. We’d also catch ladybugs and collect mica and see who could get the biggest piece,” Pertel said.

As she grew older, Waterman’s personality began to emerge.

 “She had a great personality, everyone gets along with her and she gets along with everybody,” Pertel said. “She was very outgoing, it’s the only word I can think of, very outgoing. She was very sensitive to people’s feelings, I mean we had our fights, but we always made up within couple days.”

Ela agreed and said Waterman was a caring and fun-loving free spirit who always looked out for others.

“If someone was cold and needed a jacket she would give it to them,” Ela said. “Everybody that knew Megan loved her.”

Meserve agreed and said one of the things she remembers most is Waterman’s energy and enthusiasm for all that was around her.

“Megan was very full of life and spunky. She liked to get people going and make people laugh,” Meserve said.

Those who knew Waterman best agree there was one person who held a particularly special place in her heart.

“Liliana was Megan’s life,” Ela said of Waterman’s 4-year-old daughter.

Ela said Waterman and Liliana enjoyed many activities together, including going to the park, swimming, reading, making snow angels, dancing or just acting silly.

 She remembered one time Waterman asked Liliana to help paint the bedroom walls and Liliana stepped directly in the paint tray.

“She never did anything without Liliana there helping,” Ela said

Benner said Waterman loved spending time with Liliana more than anything else and nothing could keep them apart.

“She loved, worshipped and adored her baby,” Benner said.

Ela told Liliana the news of her mother’s death last Sunday.

“We told her that God needed a beautiful angel, so he took mommy, and now she’s a beautiful angel,” Ela said.

Meserve, who also was there, said Liliana cried and appeared to be angry after hearing what happened. She said the family is going to help her work through the situation with a therapist. 

“She really did love her daughter very much,” Meserve said.

Although Waterman enjoyed the company of family and friends over the years, many people only knew her through newspaper clippings and police reports since her disappearance in June.

“It was like two different people,” Benner said. “The Megan that was in the paper the last six months is not the Megan that everybody knew. It was like a stranger to us. I know the things are true, it’s just not the Megan we knew.”

Ela said when the family became aware of Waterman’s involvement as an escort they did their best to stop her.

“We tried to discourage her from it but she listened to her boyfriend,” Ela said.

Cruz, 21, of Brooklyn, currently is serving a 20-month sentence for drug distribution and has declined to talk about the case with investigators.

Greg Waterman said his sister’s involvement with Cruz was not something she had carried on for a long time.

“I just really want people to know that Megan wasn’t an escort for a long time. It was five months out of the 11 her and Akeem were together,” Greg Waterman said. “Megan was a devoted mom, sister and just an overall great person. She will be extremely missed and sincerely never forgotten.”

Benner said she feels her granddaughter was pressured into becoming an escort. 

“She would never do the things that she had been doing if she hadn’t been somehow coerced into doing it,” Benner said. “Whether it was, ‘the money’s good, it’s easy, think what you can do for the baby …’ and she would do anything for her baby.”

She said although Waterman may not have used her best judgment, she was only human. 

“She made a mistake. She was young and impressionable and she made a mistake. Everybody makes them,” Benner said. “It didn’t take away from the wonderful happy caring person she was. I wouldn’t wish this on my own worst enemy and I don’t know why anyone would do this to her.”

Although the past week has been trying for the family, the support of friends, and in some instances, even strangers, has helped in their grieving process. 

“There’s been a lot of support, which helps, even from people we don’t even know,” Benner said. 

Ela said the family will never truly receive closure for what has happened.

“It’s just one page. You never have closure, not total closure anyways,” Ela said. 

On Monday, the bodies of the three remaining victims were identified as Maureen Branard-Barnes, 25, of Norwich, Conn., last seen July 9, 2007; Melissa Barthelemey, 24, of the Bronx, last seen July 12, 2009; and Amber Lynn Costello, 27, of North Babylon, Long Island, last seen September 2010.

Suffolk County police said they could have been the victims of a serial killer because of the amount of circumstantial evidence surrounding each case, including they all advertised as escorts on the Internet.
Ela said she plans to follow the case until justice is served. 

“When it comes time for his trial I’m going to be right there when they prosecute him. It’s going to be the best day of my life,” Ela said.

Ela said her family will continue to raise awareness for other families of missing persons through whatever means possible, and continues to post links on Facebook of other missing people from around the country.

This Saturday the family will hold a celebration of Waterman’s life at Happy Wheels in Portland from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Admission is $5 dollars per person.

Benner said the family will use money raised from the event and a previous benefit dinner toward a reward for information leading to the arrest of Waterman’s killer.

For friends and family, the memory of Waterman is something they will never forget.

“She was always loving and had the best laugh,” Pertel said. “I can still see her smile. She had a smile that could light up any room. She wasn’t what people make her out to be, she was so outgoing and so friendly. She could make anybody feel comfortable in any situation.” 

Benner agreed and said Waterman’s honesty and integrity always spoke volumes about her character. 

“It would have to be her vivacious nature, she was just so much fun to be with and be around. It was like she just sparkled,” Benner said. “She was very strong-willed and you always knew where you stood with Megan, she never went behind your back. I think that’s why she had so many friends and why so many people cared that much about her, because they knew exactly where they stood.”

Greg Waterman said he just wants people to understand who his sister truly was.

“I just really want people to know she is a great person that had a huge heart, and that she would never hurt anyone. I don’t think she had a bad bone in her body.”