Who is Rex Heuermann?
Rex Heuermann is the suspected Long Island serial killer police have been chasing for many years. Earlier this year, he was arrested and charged with the murders of Melissa Barthelemy, Megan Waterman and Amber Costello, and is a suspect in the murder of Maureen Brainard-Barnes. The bodies of the victims were found at Gilgo Beach in Long Island.
Heuermann is a 59-year-old landscape architect and has a wife and two adult children. Before his arrest, he lived in Massapequa Park, which is just a 20-minute drive from Gilgo Beach.
The Long Island Serial Killer Case
The case was opened in 2010, when 24-year-old sex worker Shannan Gilbert disappeared after leaving the home of a client. Before vanishing, she rang 911, saying she feared for her life.
The police launched a search operation to find Gilbert, and in the process, they found the body of another woman close to the beach. Days went by before the police found the bodies of 3 more women in the area.
A total of 10 victims were found by the spring of 2011, which led the authorities to coin the name “The Long Island Serial Killer” for the unknown subject they were looking for. Gilbert’s body was eventually found in late 2011, and despite the police claiming she died from accidental drowning, the family sanctioned an independent autopsy, which revealed that she actually died from strangulation.
Many theories have arisen since the discovery of the victims, and some believe there could be two different serial killers committing these crimes. Rex Heuermann has only been charged with 3 murders, so is there another serial killer still out there? There’s every chance Heuermann committed the other murders as well, but the authorities don’t currently have any evidence that links him to them.
Where is Rex Heuermann now?
Rex Heuermann is currently being detained at a Suffolk County Correctional Facility as he awaits a trial date. At his arraignment, he pled not guilty to the charges made against him. The prosecution believes it has a mountain of evidence against him and is still actively investigating the case. If convicted, Heuermann faces life in prison without parole.
As the case progresses and the trial approaches, we can expect a plethora of true-crime documentaries and books documenting this fascinating story. Netflix has announced that they will cover the case in a 3-part documentary series directed by Liz Garbus.
However, if you can’t wait for this documentary to be released, there is an excellent 8-part documentary series called The Killing Season on the A&E Network that investigates the Long Island Serial Killer case in depth.
What do you think of Rex Heuermann’s case? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!