Long Island architect linked to the 'Gilgo Four' murders

RIVERHEAD, N.Y. Rex Andrew Heuermann, a suspected serial killer, used burner phones to cover his tracks, according to recent revelations by authorities. The 59-year-old Long Island architect was charged Friday with the murder in the deaths of three of the 11 victims.

RIVERHEAD, N.Y. —

Rex Andrew Heuermann, a suspected serial killer, used burner phones to cover his tracks, according to recent revelations by authorities.

The 59-year-old Long Island architect was charged Friday with the murder in the deaths of three of the 11 victims.

Melissa Barthelemy; 24, Megan Waterman; 22 and Amber Costello, 27, were allegedly killed byHeuermann.

Heuermann is also considered the prime suspect in the death of 25-year-old Maureen Brainard-Barnes whose body was bound and hidden in thick underbrush along a remote beach highway, authorities said.

Most of the victims were women who had been sex workers.

Their deaths long stumped investigators, a mystery that fueled immense public attention and led to a 2020 Netflix film, “Lost Girls.”

The women went missing from July 2007 to September 2010. Their bodies, buried in a "similar fashion," were discovered by police in 2010.

Each of the bodies were wrapped in camouflage burlap used for hunting.

"For the next 13 years their cases went unsolved, until today,"Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney said. "We knew the person responsible for the murder would be looking at us."

Heuermann became a suspect in 2022 when the the district attorney's office and investigators collaborated their efforts in the Gilgo case.

A database identifiedHeuermann, which led to significant developments.

At the time of each of the murders, the murderer, the defendant,Heuermann, he got a cellphone and a burner phone, which is pre-paid and anonymous. For each murder he got a burner phone and used that to communicate with the victims. Shortly after the death of the victims, he would then get rid of the burner phone.

In December 2012, federal authorities combed through cell site data comparing data from the victim's phones and burner phones. Similarities were uncovered.

Areas aroundMassapequa Park and in mid-town Manhattan, referred to as "The Box" in the investigation, were mapped out.

Hair from a belt-buckle used to wrap up Maureen Brainard-Barnes' legs was collected. Then, three hairs found on Waterman - one in the head, leg area and a third was found in tape.

Tierney said Costello had a "significant" hair when her body was recovered.

"Because it was out there for so long and because it was exposed to the elements, those hairs were degraded. You couldn't use traditional DNA analysis on it, Tierney explained."You would have to wait to use mitochondrial DNA. Back in 2010, the technology wasn't there. The investigation proceeded, but also technology proceeded, as well."

Tierney credited another break in the investigation when the Gilgo Beach Homicide Investigation Task Force was formed in 2022.

On March 14, 2022 Heuermann was identified as the suspect.

"The New York State investigator looked at a database, Amber Costello, the day before her disappearance, September 1, 2010, met with an individual for the purposes of having him pay her money for her services. She involved herself in a rouse, where other individuals came into the house and pretended to be a significant other, confronted the individual with the purpose of making that individual uncomfortable, having him leave with out retrieving his money," Tierney said.

The individual in the encounter with Costello was described as 6 feet 4 inches to 6 feet 6 inches tall, "large thickly-built male," with glasses and dark hair.

Authorities uncovered that the vehicle seen in the Costello encounter was a Chevy Avalanche with a "unique feature."

There were many commonalities that pointed investigators to Heuermann,Tierney said.

Heuermann's residence and place of work were located in the "The Box" area.

Investigators followedHeuermann and collected DNA samples.

During the last three murderers of the women,Heuermann's wife and children were out of New York state.

"He was alone in the Tri-sate area,"Tierney said.

The suspect was accused of using seven burner phones and fictitious email addresses.

Tierney said the suspected serial killer searched the "Gilgo investigation" on the Internet in a 14-month period.

Not only was he looking at investigative insight, he was looking for " how is the task force looking at cell phones to figure out what was happening," "what are the developments, in regard, to the task force." This really supported our decision to keep our focus a secret because we knew this one person would be watching,"Tierney said.

He compulsively searched images of the victims and their relatives, addedTierney.

Heuermann reportedly attempted to locate the victims' families.

Women being tortured, raped and killed came up inHeuermann's Internet history.

Authorities located the Chevy Avalanche and the last burner phone allegedly used by the suspect.

Tierney said investigators are expected to examine the new evidence.

Heuermann’s lawyer entered a not guilty plea on his behalf Friday in state court in Riverhead. Judge Richard Ambro ordered him jailed without bail, citing “the extreme depravity” of his alleged conduct.

Heuermann’s lawyer said Heuermann told him: “I didn't do this.”

Editor's Note: The Associated Press contributed to this report.

ncG1vNJzZmihlJa1sLrEsKpnm5%2BifK%2Bx1qxmp5mknryvedaoqaWcX6jCtLzEnKuenF2osrO1wKVkpKGcobKzecCrqZ6rpJqxbrjOp55moaOhrq%2BwjJqpnKCZqbKkwIyloKejlZl6tbuMrZ%2BeZZeeuai7jJ%2BmrqpdosKzsMSrqmasmKe8trPHZpmuqp6av268x6ilnqtdlrulecOnmGadpp6xprrCnmSrnahirq%2Bw0Z6uZqCVqrKzucCnpWallaG2tL%2FAZpmaqqSdsq2xzLJkpp2Xlrtuw8CtnKulkaN6ornBnqlmm5%2Bowaa4y6hkppmlp7KmuoybqZqhnpa%2FpXnBmqmnnaNiu6bAxaWgsWWWnrmuecuoqq1ll56%2Frb8%3D

 Share!