July 14, 2023 - New York architect arrested in Long Island serial killings
A New York architect was charged by a grand jury Friday with six counts of murder in connection with the deaths of three of four women who in death became known as the “Gilgo Four,” according to the Suffolk County District Attorney.
Rex Heuermann, 59, is also the "prime suspect" in the death of the fourth woman, authorities said. After his court appearance in Long Island, he was remanded without bail.
Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney said authorities, fearing the suspect might be tipped off they were closing in, moved to arrest him Thursday night.
Tierney declined to comment on potential connections between the "Gilgo Four" murder victims and any of the other human remains found in the same area of Long Island in 2010.
Here's what else we learned about the case today:
Court appearance in Long Island: Heuermann was in tears after his arrest, telling his attorney he did not commit the murders he is accused of, his court-appointed attorney, Michael Brown, said Friday. He was remanded without bail after entering a not-guilty plea through his attorney. Heuerman's next court date is scheduled for August 1. He wore a gray short-sleeved polo shirt with a collar and tan pants in the courtroom. He stood largely expressionless, conferring with his lawyer a couple of times.
Prime suspect in fourth death: He was charged with one count of first-degree murder and one count of second-degree murder in each of the three killings – Melissa Barthelemy in 2009, and Megan Waterman and Amber Costello in 2010 – according to the indictment. Heuermann is also the prime suspect in the disappearance and death of a fourth woman, Maureen Brainard-Barnes, the district attorney said in a bail application. Heuermann has not been charged with that murder but the investigation “is expected to be resolved soon,” according to a bail application from prosecutors.
Background on suspect: Heuermann, who a source familiar with the case said is a father of two, is a registered architect who has owned the New York City-based architecture and consulting firm, RH Consultants & Associates, since 1994, according to his company’s website. In a civil court hearing in 2018, Heuermann described his work as “general architecture” and said he works for clients to resolve issues with the state Department of Buildings.
Tax troubles: Heuermann has been years late in paying hundreds of thousands of dollars in taxes and repeatedly filed lawsuits accusing drivers of injuring him in car accidents, according to a review of public records and court documents. He lived in the same house in Massapequa Park he was raised in — a few miles across the bay from the beach where bodies were unearthed more than a decade ago — according to a 2018 deposition.
New investigation launched in 2022: A task force to investigate the Gilgo Beach killings was formed in February 2022, shortly after Tierney took office as Suffolk County district attorney, he said at a news conference Friday. Tierney said he made the Gilgo Beach murders — an unsolved case tied to at least 10 sets of remains discovered since 2010 in suburban Long Island — a priority “before he took office.”
Burner phones and DNA: Investigators went backward through phone records collected from both Midtown Manhattan and the Massapequa Park area – two areas where a “burner phone” used by the alleged killer were detected. After narrowing down the pool, they searched for a connection to a green pickup truck a witness had seen the suspect driving, sources told CNN. Investigators found Heuermann, who matched a witness’ physical description, lived close to the Long Island cell site and worked near the New York City cell sites where other calls were captured. They then also obtained DNA from an immediate family member and connected it to DNA discovered on the body of one victim. Read more on the investigation here.
Source: CNN
