Gilgo Beach serial killings suspect in police custody

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Gilgo Beach serial killings suspect in police custody on Long Island, ID’d as architect and married dad of two Rex Heuermann

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A suspected serial killer has been arrested over the notorious Gilgo Beach murders on Long Island, The Post can confirm.

Rex Heuermann, 59, a married architect at a New York City firm, was caught after DNA from the hair of victim Megan Waterman matched that of his, taken by investigators from a discarded pizza crust in January.

The father-of-two — a former classmate of Hollywood actor Billy Baldwin — was arrested Thursday after cops had staked out his home on 1st Avenue in Massapequa Park, Long Island, and office at 385 Fifth Ave in Manhattan.

His arrest is tied to the so-called “Gilgo Four,” women found wrapped in burlap within days of each other in late 2010, and not the other six who were later eyed as possibly being connected, the source said.

Heuermann appeared in court Friday afternoon and pleaded not guilty to three counts of first-degree murder and other charges related to the deaths of three women over 10 years ago. The life-long suburbanite, who was emotionless in court, was also named the prime suspect in a fourth killing.

Ahead of his court appearance, a bail application revealed several shocking details about his crimes:

Cellphone bills linked to Heuermann revealed that he used a burner phone to meet up with three of the four victims. He was also linked to one of the cell phones on a surveillance video that showed him purchasing the device at a store in Midtown Manhattan
A burner phone allegedly used by Heuermann placed a menacing call to victim Melissa Barthelemy’s relative after her death
Heuermann’s wife was traveling out of state during the murders of Barthelemy, Megan Waterman, and Amber Lynn Costello
Records obtained from Tinder revealed the burner phone was linked to a fictitious account for “Andrew Roberts” using an email that Heuermann also accessed from his personal cellphone. Selfies that appeared to have been taken by Heuermann were sent to solicit sex on the email account associated with his dating profile
Two of the burner cellphones were used “extensively” between 2021 and 2023 to contact sex workers and massage parlors
An email address linked to one of the burner phones was used to conduct thousands of searches related to sex workers, child pornography and sadistic, torture-related sex acts such as “girl begging for rape porn,” “pretty girl with bruised face porn” and “tied up and raped porn”
Numerous searches about the Gilgo Beach murders were also linked to the email address associated with the burner phone, including “why hasn’t the long island serial killer been caught,” “why could law enforcement not trace the calls made by the long island serial killer” and for the task force investigating him. There were also queries relating to specific victims and their relatives, as well as podcasts and documentaries relating to the case
An IP address used to book flights for Heuermann and his wife on JetBlue also accessed Gilgonews.com, a website maintained by authorities to share updates on the murder case
Heuermann’s wife’s DNA was believed to be found on three of the victims’ bodies. DNA testing on a water bottle from outside Heuermann’s home was determined to be a match to a sample of a woman’s hair found on tape used to tie up Costello and Waterman, as well as the belt used to bind victim Maureen Brainard-Barnes’ feet.
Authorities believe that heavy-set Heuermann matches the description of the “ogre”-like john seen with Costello before she vanished
Heuermann drives a first-generation Chevrolet Avalanche, the same vehicle that a witness in Costello’s case said was driven by the suspect.

Heuermann is the owner and founder of Midtown architecture firm RH Consultants and Associates, which counts Catholic Charities, NYC-DEP Sewerage Treatment, and American Airlines as clients, according to its website.

Follow The Post’s live blog for updates on the Gilgo Beach serial killings arrest

In an interview posted to YouTube channel Bonjour Realty, Heuermann said he was “born and raised on Long Island.”

“I’ve been working in Manhattan since 1987, very long time,” he said.

Heuermann has been married twice, first to Elizabeth R. Ryan whom he wed in New Brunswick, New Jersey in 1990. It is unclear when they split, but he had remarried Asa Ellerup with whom he raised two children, neighbors told The Post Friday.

On Friday morning, Heuermann’s office building was still swarming with cops and by lunchtime the FBI had arrived, eyewitnesses told The Post.

Investigators were also stationed outside his run-down home, originally bought by his parents in the 70s, where they removed a cooler at one point.

His car was later seized as evidence and towed from his driveway, pictures showed.

“He seemed like a regular neighbor,” said Barry Auslander, 72, who lives down the block. “I never thought he was anything but a businessman, average guy who had a family and went to work.”

Fears of a serial killer emerged when the body of Melissa Barthelemy, 24, was found along Ocean Parkway on Dec. 11, 2010 — with the remains of three other women found in the following days.

The so-called “Gilgo Four” — Barthelemy along with Megan Waterman, 22, Amber Lynn Costello, 27, and Maureen Brainard-Barnes, 25 — were found whole, wrapped in burlap about one-tenth of a mile apart from each other on the beach.

By spring 2011, the number of bodies had climbed to 10 — eight women as well as an unidentified man and toddler.

The bodies were found during a search for missing Jersey City-based sex worker Shannan Gilbert, whose body wasn’t found until December 2011, a year after the Gilgo Four.

A profile of the killer published that same year by the New York Times was eerily accurate, describing a white male who was between his mid 20s and 40s, was “married, well educated and well spoken. He is financially secure, has a job,” and lived near to Ocean Parkway on Long Island – all of which match with Heuermann.

John Ray, an attorney for Gilbert’s family, told News 12 that he “had a very strong, credible tip that they were about to close in on an arrest” around a week ago.

However, he confirmed that he had not heard anything official from investigators, whom he had not heard from since “several months ago.”

“We’re pleased if they actually managed to find somebody that can be tagged for this,” said Ray, who also represents the family of Jessica Taylor, 20, another of the dead women not part of the initial four.

“We’re pleased that something is finally occurring, because we’ve been frustrated.”

Friday’s arrest came after Suffolk County’s new police commissioner created a special Gilgo Beach Homicide Investigation Task Force in February last year.

It included help from state police, local sheriffs, the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office as well as the FBI.

“This is a day that is a long time in coming, and hopefully a day that will bring peace to this community and to the families — peace that has been long overdue,” Gov. Kathy Hochul said during an unrelated public appearance on Long Island.

Additional reporting by Brad Hamilton and Desheania Andrews