Gilgo Beach murders: Rex Heuermann’s potential ties to Atlantic City probed as sister-in-law speaks out

Follow the latest news on the Long Island serial killer case as police continue to search for evidence implicating the Manhattan architect over string of escort deaths

Gilgo Beach: Police remove evidence from home of Long Island serial killer suspect

Law enforcement in Atlantic City, New Jersey, is investigating potential ties between local unsolved cases and Gilgo Beach murders suspect Rex Heuermann.

Suffolk County Police Commissioner Rodney Harrison told ABC News that his task force is looking into possible connections between Mr Heuermann and the murders of four female sex workers whose bodies were found in a ditch just over the Atlantic City border in 2006.

“Shame on us if we don’t look into Las Vegas, South Carolina, even Atlantic City, we’ve got to make sure if anyone has any information,” Mr Harrison said.

It comes amid comments from Mr Heuermann’s sister-in-law that she is in complete disbelief following his arrest over the deaths of Amber Costello, Megan Waterman and Melissa Barthelemy.

“I vacillate between desperately wanting my niece and nephew’s life returned to its previous state, intact, without a father accused of being a serial killer to being pleased and secure in knowing that someone is in custody,” Dr Johanna Ellerup told NBC News.

“My ego has great difficulty processing the idea that I looked Rex in the eye and was unable to discern any murderous intentions.”

Key points

• Investigators believe suspect Rex Heuermann killed victims in family home
• Suspect’s wife files for divorce from accused serial killer
• Gilgo Beach murder suspect’s company was hired for work at Trump Building
• Las Vegas and South Carolina police probe suspect’s possible ties to unsolved cases
• Evidence that led Long Island police to catch suspect
• Police ‘confident’ Heuermann will soon be charged with fourth murder

[19 July 2023 21:59 · Andrea Blanco]

Officials are ‘confident’ that Mr Heuermann will soon be charged with the murder of Maureen Brainard-Barnes

Gilgo Beach serial killer suspect Rex Heuermann is now expected to be charged with a fourth murder – as tips and evidence pour in following his shock arrest last week.

The 59-year-old married father-of-two – who has lived on Long Island his entire life and runs an architecture firm in Manhattan – was arrested on 13 July and charged with the murders of Melissa Barthelemy, Megan Waterman and Amber Costello.

He is also the prime suspect in the murder of a fourth woman Maureen Brainard-Barnes, who was last seen alive in New York City in early June 2007.

All four women – known as the “Gilgo Beach Four” – worked as sex workers and vanished after going to meet clients.

Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney said on Monday that officials are “confident” that Mr Heuermann will soon be charged with the murder of Brainard-Barnes.

“We feel we can prove these three murders,” Mr Tierney told CNN.

“We’re also confident that we’re going to be able to eventually charge that fourth murder.”

[19 July 2023 23:35 · Andrea Blanco]

Gilgo Beach murder suspect’s company was hired to do work at Trump Building in Manhattan

New York City Department of Buildings records unearthed by The Real Deal on Wednesday show that Mr Heuermann’s firm RH Architecture was hired by a tenant at the Trump Building on 40 Wall Street.

The job was completed in 2018 and Mr Heuermann’s firm was paid $200,000 to complete it.

The Trump Organization said in a statement that it has never hired Mr Heuermann’s services and it was a third-party tenant who employed the now suspected Gilgo Beach serial killer.

“Mr Heuermann has never worked for the Trump Organization in any capacity,” a spokesperson told TRD. “According to our records, he was hired by a third-party tenant, who vacated years ago, to perform minor architectural work in their individual space.”

It’s unclear whether Mr Heuermann ever visited the building as part of the job he was hired to do. The Independent has reached out for comment.

[20 July 2023 00:00 · Andrea Blanco]

Attorney John Ray says he hopes new task force reviews evidence in Shannan Gilbert’s case

Gilbert’s body was found in December 2011. Suffolk County authorities have previously said that they don’t believe Gilbert was a victim of the Gilgo Beach serial killer, or even that she was a victim of homicide.

However, an independent autopsy commissioned by her family ruled that she died by strangulation.

“We’ve insisted that she was murdered. We have overwhelming evidence that that is true,” John Ray, an attorney for the Gilbert family, told The Independent. “The police had taken bizarre position that she died of natural causes.”

He added: “We’re hoping now with the new task force with these great guys and new brains and excellent work of the District Attorney and the new Police Commissioner Rodney Harrison.

“We’re hoping that they’re going to give it a look, a new look at the evidence with Shannan and investigate it as a murder.”

[20 July 2023 01:00 · Andrea Blanco]

Rex Heuermann is ‘traumatised’ by Gilgo Beach murders arrest, attorney says

Attorney Michael Brown told ABC News that he met the accused serial killer for the first time on Friday when he was arraigned on charges for murdering three women and dumping their bodies along the shores of Long Island.

He said that Mr Heuermann seemed normal in the meeting but was “traumatised” by the fact he had been taken into custody over the unsolved killings.

[20 July 2023 02:00 · Andrea Blanco]

Murder probes expands to Las Vegas, officials confirm

Mr Heuermann, 59, is now being looked at in connection to missing person cases and murders far beyond the shores of Long Island, where he stands accused of murdering three women before dumping their bodies across the community of Gilgo Beach more than a decade ago.

His bombshell arrest on Friday was a major breakthrough after a 2010 investigation led to the gruesome discovery of at least 10 bodies now linked to the Gilgo Beach murders case.

In the aftermath of his arrest, it has emerged that Mr Heuermann, who has pleaded not guilty to the crimes, has ties to both South Carolina and Las Vegas, owning properties in both locations.

In a statement to The Independent on Tuesday, the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department confirmed that the department is probing a link between Mr Heuermann and unsolved cases in the area.

“We are aware of Rex Heuermann’s connection to Las Vegas. We are currently reviewing our unsolved cases to see if he has any involvement,” a spokesperson said.

[20 July 2023 03:00 · Andrea Blanco]

Gilgo Beach murders arrest renews hopes for Shannan Gilbert and Jessica Taylor’s families

Attorney John Ray represents the families of Shannan Gilbert, whose case led to the discovery of 10 bodies, and Jessica Taylor, whose remains were among those found during the 2010 probe.

Mr Ray said his clients have welcomed news of the arrest and now hope their loved ones’ killer or killers will also face the criminal system.

“Both families are very happy that this man was caught and they’re happy for the other family members of the other victims,” Mr Ray said. “But the murderer of their loved ones has not been found. And even if it turns out to be this Tyrannosaurus Rex monster, there’s no solace in the end. Justice is an idea, but it’s not a feeling in a sense, and their feelings and their senses are still hurt and this resurrected those feelings. So it’s a bittersweet condition.”

Mr Ray said that his law firm is joining efforts with the Suffolk County Police Department’s investigating team.

Commissioner Harris has said in the aftermath that they’re probing any links Mr Heuermann may have with the Gilgo Beach bodies.

[20 July 2023 04:00 · Andrea Blanco]

How the Gilgo Beach serial killer turned the Long Island shore into a graveyard

More than a decade after 11 bodies were found dumped in Long Beach, married father of two and Manhattan-based architect Rex Heuermann is under arrest. Does this mean the hunt for the Gilgo Beach serial killer is finally over?

The Independent’s Rachel Sharp reports:

[20 July 2023 05:00 · Andrea Blanco]

Gilgo Beach murder suspect Rex Heuermann’s neighbors describe him as ‘reclusive’

Speaking to The New York Times, Massapequa Park resident Frankie Musto said the Heuermanns were “reclusive” and kept to themselves. Ms Musto said her daughter grew up with Mr Heuermann’s daughter, who would often ask her friend to come over.

“I didn’t want her in that house,” Ms Musto told the Times.

[20 July 2023 06:00 · Andrea Blanco]

The evidence that sealed Rex Heuermann’s arrest: Pizza crust, burner phones and his wife’s hair

It’s taken 13 years but Suffolk County Police finally say they’ve caught the serial killer who dumped his victims along the shores of Gilgo Beach – thanks to a pimp’s tip about his pickup truck, a stash of burner phones, his wife’s hair and a pizza crust.

The Independent’s Rachel Sharp reports:

[20 July 2023 07:00 · Andrea Blanco]

Woman describes eerie Rex Heuermann ‘date’

Long Island resident and former escort Nicole Brass has since come forward with claims that she went on a date with Mr Heuermann sometime between 2014 and 2016.

Ms Brass, 34, first claimed in a TikTok video that she had met Mr Heuermann at a seafood restaurant in Port Jefferson and he then decided to bring up the Gilgo Beach murders while trying “to make it look just like someone who was very interested in the case”.

“It didn’t seem like somebody who feels bad when he talked about the victims. It seemed like somebody who really wanted to brag about what they did, but couldn’t,” Ms Brass told the Daily Beast.

“His body language shifted, and it seemed like he was having fun ... It was almost like he was visualising it in his head and getting off to what he was saying.”