Rex Heuermann, the once successful Manhattan architect suspected of being the “Gilgo Beach Killer,” has been indicted with the killings of two additional women.
In Suffolk County Superior Court, Heuermann was charged with the second-degree murders of Jessica Taylor and Sandra Costilla, raising the number of his alleged victims to at least six.
Latest Charges
Prosecutors have presented further forensic evidence connecting Heuermann to the murders of Taylor and Costilla and described references to a “planning document” found in his basement. This document outlines the particulars of how someone might carry out a murder, with categories titled “things to remember” and “body prep,” along with ways to increase “play time.”
Michael J. Brown, defense attorney for Heuermann, has challenged the validity of these charges, citing possible corruption on the part of James Burke, former police chief, who oversaw the investigation until 2015, a year before receiving 46 months of federal prison time.
“[It is] problematic for us that the chief of police who was running the investigation had this very checkered past and was involved in criminal activity,” Brown stated.
The latest charges come weeks after law enforcement returned to search Heuermann’s home in Massapequa Park. Police scoured the wooded areas around Manorville and Southampton, where partial remains of Taylor and Costilla had been found.
The Gilgo Beach Murders
The bodies of the original “Gilgo Four,” Maureen Brainard-Barnes, Melissa Barthelemy, Megan Waterman, and Amber Lynn Costello, were all discovered in 2010, with their cases remaining unsolved for more than a decade. All of the women were sex workers with similar physical descriptions. Their bodies were found within a quarter mile of each other. In total, 10 bodies were uncovered along this remote stretch of Ocean Parkway near Gilgo Beach — as well as farther east in Southampton, where Costilla’s body was found.
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Prosecutors said DNA evidence from human hair found at the scene, as well as phone records and internet searches, led to Heuermann’s arrest in July 2023, but sparse evidence for the other victims has left these cases open to investigation.
Heuermann pleaded not guilty to the newest charges. A status hearing is expected July 30, 2024.
