Authorities on Long Island have reaffirmed their commitment to investigating the notorious Gilgo Beach murders after charging architect Rex Heuermann in connection with three of the 11 victims’ deaths.
Heuermann, aged 59, is accused of killing Melissa Barthelemy, Megan Waterman, and Amber Costello over a decade ago. He is also considered the prime suspect in the death of Maureen Brainard-Barnes, another victim related to the case.
The bodies of the victims were discovered bound and concealed in dense underbrush along a remote beach highway near Massapequa Park, a community where Heuermann has resided his entire life. Investigators have stated that it is unlikely that only one person was responsible for all the killings.
Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney stated, “We will continue to work diligently, investigate thoroughly, and strive to provide some measure of closure for the families of all the victims.”
Heuermann’s arrest took place late Thursday, approximately a year and a half after authorities formed an interagency task force involving the FBI, as well as state and local police departments, with the objective of solving the case. He was officially charged on Friday.
The suspect first became a person of interest in March 2022 when detectives linked him to a pickup truck seen by a witness around the time one of the victims went missing in 2010. In March of the same year, investigators obtained Heuermann’s DNA from a discarded pizza crust and matched it to evidence found on one of the victims.
Suffolk County Police Commissioner Rodney Harrison affirmed that the investigative efforts had been continuous, emphasizing that they would persist tirelessly until justice was served for all the families involved.
Following his arraignment on Friday in state court in Riverhead, Heuermann was remanded to custody without bail. Judge Richard Ambro, in denying bail, cited the “extreme depravity” of the alleged conduct.
Heuermann’s attorney, Michael Brown, stated that his client maintains his innocence, saying, “I didn’t do this.”
Authorities continue to search Heuermann’s residence, which is located approximately 25 minutes away from Gilgo Beach, across a causeway spanning South Oyster Bay, where the remains were discovered between 2010 and 2011.
The majority of the victims were young women involved in sex work. Their deaths had long perplexed investigators, generating widespread public attention and inspiring the 2020 Netflix film “Lost Girls.”