How did investigators catch Gilgo Beach Serial Killer suspect Rex Heuermann?
The 13-year hunt for Long Island’s infamous Gilgo Beach serial killer has reached its end with the revelation that Manhattan architect Rex Heuermann may be the man behind the murders. Prosecutors dropped the bombshell last Friday, claiming that DNA evidence directly links Heuermann to the killings that terrorized the region for over a decade.
Long Island’s 13-year hunt for the Gilgo Beach serial killer ends as DNA evidence links Manhattan architect Rex Heuermann to the murders of four sex workers.(Bonjour Realty)
The breakthrough came when a surveillance team nabbed a crucial piece of evidence, a crust of pizza tossed into a Manhattan trash can near Bryant Park on January 26th. The DNA extracted from the pizza matched a male hair found on the burlap that wrapped the lifeless body of Megan Waterman, one of the victims discovered near Gilgo Beach in December 2010.
But the connections don’t end there. DNA testing on trash bottles collected outside Heuermann’s Massapequa Park residence tied his wife to female hairs found on three of the victims – Maureen Brainard-Barnes, Amber Costello, and Megan Waterman. All four victims were sex workers who met their end while Heuermann’s family was away from home more than a decade ago.
Heuermann allegedly used Melissa Barthelemy’s cellphone to torment her family with chilling taunting calls after she disappeared in 2007. These details only paint a darker picture of the suspected serial killer.
The prosecution’s filing further reveals disturbing aspects of Heuermann’s digital life. Using a burner cellphone and a Gmail account, he reportedly conducted thousands of searches related to sex workers, sadistic pornography, and even child pornography. The same account was used to look up information on active and known serial killers, including the Gilgo Four victims and their investigations, as well as the very task force tracking him down.
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Additional evidence linking Heuermann to the murders includes a witness statement describing a client who resembled an “ogre” – a white man in his forties, between 6 feet 4 inches and 6 feet 6 inches tall, with dark bushy hair and oval glasses. This description aligns with the physical attributes of the accused architect.
During his arraignment in Suffolk County Supreme Court, Heuermann pleaded not guilty to the first- and second-degree murder charges against him. Prosecutors assert that he is also the prime suspect in the slaying of Maureen Brainard-Barnes. Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney, who took over the case last year, expressed relief at the progress made by his new task force, which led to Heuermann’s identification within six weeks of its inception.
