Authorities have apprehended a suspect believed to be connected to the Gilgo Beach murders in New York, Your Content has learned.
Rex Heuermann, a New York City architect, has been charged with the killings of Melissa Barthelemy, Megan Waterman, and Amber Costello. The victims’ bodies were discovered wrapped in burlap along Ocean Parkway on Long Island’s South Shore in December 2010, as revealed by recently unsealed court records in Suffolk County Criminal Court.
According to the court documents, the three women, all aged between 22 and 27, worked as sex workers. Prior to their disappearances, each victim had been in contact with an individual using an untraceable “burner” cellphone. Disturbingly, the killer even used the victims’ cellphones after their deaths.
During the summer of 2009, someone located in midtown Manhattan, where Heuermann’s office is situated, made malicious calls from Barthelemy’s phone to her family members. Some of these calls involved a male admitting to killing and sexually assaulting Barthelemy. It was established that Heuermann’s wife was out of town when the disappearances occurred.
Although Heuermann is not currently charged in the death of Maureen Brainard-Barnes, the court document suggests he is the primary suspect. All four victims were found in similar positions, bound with either belts or tape, as mentioned in the court records.
Heuermann, a 59-year-old married father of two, was found to have used one of his burner phones for thousands of searches related to sex workers, sadistic and torture-related pornography, and child pornography. He also searched for information on known serial killers and the unsolved cases of the Gilgo Beach victims.
The suspect was arrested on Thursday night in Manhattan, with law enforcement seen at his residence in Massapequa Park on Long Island the following morning. Heuermann’s car, a Chevrolet Avalanche, was discovered in 2022 and played a role in his identification. Cellphone records also aided in tracking his movements.
The series of murders on the South Shore of Long Island sparked concerns of a serial killer in 2010 when the first body was found. Over the course of a year, the remains of seven more women, a man, and a toddler were discovered in the same general area. The varying conditions of the victims and the history of the wooded areas along Ocean Parkway suggested the possibility of multiple killers.
Relatives of the victims expressed a mix of shock and relief upon hearing about Heuermann’s arrest. Jasmine Robinson, a cousin of Jessica Taylor, one of the victims, hopes her cousin will be remembered for her beauty and not solely as a sex worker. Robinson expressed gratitude for the dedicated work of law enforcement and the ongoing investigation.
Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone emphasized that the case is far from over, but the arrest marks a significant step towards bringing closure to the affected families. Heuermann is facing charges of first-degree and second-degree murder, and a defense attorney has been assigned to his case.
Governor Kathy Hochul expressed hope that the arrest would bring comfort to the community and the families who have been living with uncertainty and the pain of loss. She described Heuermann as “depraved of heart” and expressed satisfaction that justice is being served for the innocent lives that were cut short, according to ABC News.