In High School, Gilgo Beach Suspect Was an Angry Loner, Classmates Say
Mr. Heuermann went on to college at New York Institute of Technology on Long Island to study architectural technology. He eventually started his own business in Manhattan as an architectural consultant and became proficient at making sure renovations followed intricate building codes — tormenting many of the contractors and homeowners he dealt with.
As a married father, he bought his family home in the 1990s and let it fall into disrepair as surrounding properties soared in value and were renovated.
One of the few neighbors Mr. Heuermann spoke to was Etienne de Villiers, 68, whose immaculately kept house next door stood in keen contrast with Mr. Heuermann’s. Mr. de Villiers said he had only passing conversations with Mr. Heuermann along with a few minor conflicts, like the time he had to tell Mr. Heuermann to stop leering at his wife over the backyard fence while she was sunbathing.
Mr. de Villiers watched as Mr. Heuermann seemed to be raising his children to be as isolated as he had been, in the same rundown off-limits house. He said that when Mr. Heuermann’s daughter Victoria, now 26, got her license, “I wanted to tell her, ‘Just get in your car and drive and never come back.’”
At Johnny McGorey’s Pub, Mr. DeMicoli was more concerned with raising a glass with former classmates than dwelling on Mr. Heuermann. But he recalled once when he and his friends had tried to the recruit the huge, awkward boy into their street hockey game. “He would have been a great goalie,” he said, almost wistfully.
The brief effort at inclusion came to nothing.
“He just didn’t want any part of it, he didn’t want any part of sports,” Mr. DeMicoli said. “He didn’t want any part of anything.”
Andy Newman contributed reporting.
Source: The New York Times
