On Tuesday, December 17, 2024, the alleged Gilgo Beach serial killer was charged with the murder of a seventh victim. The alleged serial killer, Rex Heuermann, was issued a fresh superseding indictment by the Suffolk County court. Following the seven murder charges regarding the victim, Valerie Mack, Heuermann entered a not-guilty plea.
The allegation and charges come two decades after the remains of Mack were discovered in November 2000 in Manorville, New York. At the time of her murder, the 24-year-old victim was working as an escort in Philadelphia.
Mack was reported last seen in 2000 by her family in New Jersey. A decade after the initial discovery of Mack on Long Island, officials uncovered more remains near Gilgo Beach, fifty miles to the west.
However, the remains remained unidentified until 2020, when genetic testing identified her. According to court documents filed by the prosecution, human hair discovered alongside Mack’s remains was tested earlier in 2024. The test result showed that the human hair was a plausible match with Rex Heuermann’s daughter’s genetic profile.
However, at the time of Mack’s murder, Heuermann’s daughter would have been three or four years old, thus incapable. Following Rex Heuermann’s indictment, Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond Tierney said, “The Mack family is emblematic of the other families in this case, who have steadfastly stood by their loved ones and zealously guarded their memories.”
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Who Is the Gilgo Beach Serial Killer?
Rex Heuermann, also known as the Gilgo Beach serial killer, is an American architect. Heuermann was born on February 12, 1964, and resides in New York City. Although not much of his personal life is known, Heuermann has an estranged wife, Asa Ellerup, and at least a daughter. Heuermann spent several years working for his firm, RH Architecture, in Midtown.
The New York architect was arrested in July 2023 after evidence from genetic testing connected him with discovered remains. Following his arrest in July 2023, Rex Heuermann was arrested and charged with the murders of four escorts who went missing between 2007 and 2010. The escorts were Melissa Barthelemy, Megan Waterman, Amber Costello, and Maureen Brainard-Barnes.
Their remains were discovered in December 2010 near each other, bound with duct tape or leather belts, and wrapped in burlap. Subsequently, in June 2024, Heuermann was charged with the 1993 murder of Sandra Costilla and the 2003 murder of Jessica Taylor. However, the 60-year-old suspect has pleaded not guilty to the murder of six women who died between 1993 and 2011.
With the discovery of 11 more remains near Gilgo Beach, all murdered within a similar time frame, investigators suspect Heuermann’s connection. Consequently, the Suffolk County DA has revealed the high possibility of future indictments for Heuermann. Since his arrest in July 2023, Heuermann has been held without bail in the Riverhead Correctional Facility in Suffolk County.
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A Timeline of Events in the Gilgo Beach Serial Killings
The suspected Gilgo Beach serial killer, Rex Heuermann, has entered a not-guilty plea to murder charges related to the deaths of six women. According to court documents, the killing timeline spanned from 1993 to 2011, resulting in the deaths of dozens of sex workers.
According to the prosecution, the first discovery was Melissa Barthelemy, whose remains were discovered on December 11, 2010. At the time of disappearance, Barthelemy was 24 and last seen in the Bronx. The second victim, Megan Waterman, was a sex trafficking victim who was taken to New York by her then-boyfriend in June 2010.
She was last seen in a surveillance video that placed her in a hotel lobby on Long Island. The third victim was Amber Costello, a heroin addict who supported her lifestyle by working as an escort. Costello was last seen on September 2, 2010, with her remains discovered on December 13, 2010.
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Maureen Brainard-Barnes was last seen on July 9, 2007, after contacting a Connecticut friend about her whereabouts. Unfortunately, Brainard-Barnes’ remains were discovered on Gilgo Beach on Long Island in 2010.
According to the court filing, the bodies of the victims were disposed of along Gilgo Beach, earning the moniker. However, further investigation revealed that two more victims had been murdered in 1993 and 2003.
What’s Next for the Gilgo Beach Serial Killer
Prosecutors claim Rex Heuermann is linked to the killings based on DNA, burner phone data, truck description, online searches, and a “manifestation blueprint.” With the prosecution presenting SNP, a crucial piece of the new DNA evidence, Heuermann has been linked with six out of the seven victims.
The defense has referred to the genetic testing techniques used by an independent lab as “magic” and untested. With the charges filed, Heuermann is scheduled to begin trial on January 15, 2025.
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