Suspected Gilgo Beach serial killer Rex Heuermann faces new charges
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John Ray, who represents the family of Shannan Gilbert, whose disappearance led to the discovery of 10 sets of remains in the Gilgo Beach murder case, claimed “new and important evidence” regarding Rex Heuermann’s family was recently uncovered.
No members of his family have been charged with crimes in relation to the case, and prosecutors and police have not accused them of any wrongdoing.
Heuermann’s estranged wife, Asa Ellerup, filed for divorce in July 2023 after he was charged, but has still shown up at several of his hearings.
In response to Ray’s claims on Thursday, Ellerup’s attorney, Robert Macedonio, held a joint press conference with Vesselin Mitev, who represents the couple’s children. “The district attorney’s office has put out extensive, detailed information, where they were on each and every occasion the alleged homicides were committed in this case against Rex Heuermann,” Macedonio said.
“If they thought that Victoria or Christopher were involved in any way, shape or form, they wouldn’t have been mentioned in the bail application. They have been excluded. For Ray Tierney and the Task Force to exclude Asa and the children this early in the game, it only can hurt him if it’s disproved later on, he had no obligation to say anything about them. Yet he empathetically says ‘They were not here.’”
Earlier this month, Heuermann, 60, was arraigned on murder charges in the 2003 dismemberment death of Jessica Taylor, 20, and the 1993 death of Sandra Costilla, 28. Ellerup and the couple’s two children were out of state at the time of the hearing, according to Macedonio, but were expected to be back this week.
The Manhattan architect has already been charged with the 2009 and 2010 murders of Megan Waterman, Melissa Barthelemy, Amber Lynn Costello and Maureen Brainard-Barnes — known as the “Gilgo Four.” He pleaded not guilty.
Last month, Gilgo Beach Task Force investigators completed a second search of Heuermann’s home in Massapequa Park and a search of an area of Manorville.
Key Points
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Suspected Gilgo Beach killer expected to be hit with new charges
The 60-year-old will appear before State Supreme Court Justice Timothy Mazzei on Thursday morning.
Follow along for live coverage of the hearing.
Katie Hawkinson6 June 2024 14:34
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No sign of accused serial killer’s wife, daughter in court
There is no sign of Rex Heueremann’s estranged wife or daughter in court today.
Robert Macedonio, attorney for Heuermann’s wife Asa Ellerup, talked to Newsday after inspecting the condition of the Massapequa Park property following the search that preceded today’s expected charges.
“It seems to be that the focus was in the basement,” Macedonio said. “There doesn’t seem to be much disturbance in the bathrooms [and] bedrooms.”
Andrea Cavallier6 June 2024 14:41
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Suspected Gilgo Beach serial killer Rex Heuermann charged in slayings of two more women
The former Manhattan architect, who was first arrested in July 2023, has already been charged with the 2009 and 2010 murders of Megan Waterman, Melissa Barthelemy, Amber Lynn Costello and Maureen Brainard-Barnes – collectively known as the “Gilgo Four” – after their remains were found in burlap sacks along Ocean Parkway.
Katie Hawkinson6 June 2024 14:55
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New murder charges followed second massive search of Rex Heuermann’s home
Suspected Gilgo Beach serial killer Rex Heuermann has now been charged with the murders of Jessica Taylor and Sandra Costilla, who were killed over 20 years ago.
It comes just days after Gilgo Beach Task Force investigators completed a second search of Heuermann’s home in Massapequa Park and a search of an area of Manorville where the partial remains of Taylor — and Valerie Mack — were found more than two decades ago.
Taylor’s torso was found off Halsey Manor Lane in Manorville about a mile south of where Mack’s remains were discovered near the Long Island Expressway, Newsday reported. However, Mack’s death is not a part of the new indictment, sources told the paper.
Over the course of nine days back in April of this year, Gilgo Beach Task Force investigators searched the area of Manorville where the remains of Taylor and Mack were discovered, as well as Heuermann’s home.
A first search of the house back in July lasted 12 days and turned up more than 200 firearms, including dozens stored in a basement vault. Investigators also tore up a wooden deck, used an excavator to dig up the backyard and scanned for buried objects with specialized equipment.
Katie Hawkinson6 June 2024 15:16
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Attorney for victims’ families speaks out about new charges
Attorney John Ray, who represents the victims’ families, said suspect Rex Heuermann operated “in the fantasy that he was untouchable…undiscoverable.”
“He didn’t think that any of these things that he listed would ever be found because they were buried within his electronic devices that he had erased a long time ago,” Ray told reporters on Thursday morning. “What he didn’t recognize is the sophistication of modern electronic data investigation, and that’s what these things turned around.”
”Those women also need representation and there are plenty more of them, you’ll see as time goes on,” Ray said.
Heuermann was charged Thursday with the murders of Jessica Taylor and Sandra Costilla, who were killed over 20 years ago.
Katie Hawkinson6 June 2024 15:40
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District Attorney to hold press conference
Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney will speak to the media at 11 am local time.
His comments come after charging suspected Gilgo Beach serial killer Rex Heuermann with the murders of Jessica Taylor and Sandra Costilla, who were killed over 20 years ago.
Katie Hawkinson6 June 2024 15:59
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District Attorney confirms new charges against suspected Gilgo Beach killer
Suffolk County, New York District Attorney Ray Tierney confirmed to reporters his office has indicted Rex Heuermann on two new murder charges.
“Each and every one of these allegations have got to be proven in court, and we certainly look forward to doing just that,” Tierney said on Thursday morning.
“We don’t ever forget that this case is about the victims and their families and hopefully providing them with that small measure of closure,” he said.
Katie Hawkinson6 June 2024 16:14
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‘Astronomically large number’: DA gives odds that hair found on victims belong to suspect
Suffolk County, New York District Attorney Ray Tierney said testing of biological samples found on Jessica Taylor and Sandra Costilla revealed they likely belonged to suspected Gilgo Beach killer Rex Heuermann, leading his office to an indictment this morning.
A male hair was found on Costilla’s body, which a lab revealed likely matched Heuermann or someone with his DNA profile.
“It was 4.347 times 10 to 332nd power more likely to have come from a person genetically identical to Rex Heuermann than from an unrelated individual,” Tierney said of the results. He called it an “astronomically large number.”
A male hair was also found on Taylor’s body. That sample was tested and also found to likely belong to Heuermann or “someone matching the defendant’s DNA profile.”
Tierney said of the match results: “That number is 1.837 times 10 to the 603rd power…That number doesn’t exist, that’s so big.”
Katie Hawkinson6 June 2024 16:30
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New charges significantly changes span of alleged crimes
Today’s new charges against suspected Gilgo Beach killer Rex Heuermann significantly expand the timeline of his alleged crimes.
Now, he faces new charges for the 2003 dismemberment death of 20-year-old Jessica Taylor and the 1993 death of 28-year-old Sandra Costilla.
This means Heuermann is now accused of crimes dating back over thirty years.
Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney says this new timeline “doesn’t change anything” for prosecutors.
“It underscores that which we already knew, that we have an individual who we are alleging meticulously planned and executed six separate murders,” Tierney told reporters on Thursday morning.
Katie Hawkinson6 June 2024 16:50
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District Attorney says ‘fair’ to say Heuermann is suspect in seventh murder not included in today’s indictment
Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney said it’s “fair” to say Rex Heuermann is a suspect in a seventh murder.
Tierney says Heuermann may be a suspect in the murder of Valerie Mack.
Gilgo Beach Task Force investigators completed a second search of Heuermann’s home in Massapequa Park and a search of an area of Manorville where the partial remains of both Taylor and Mack were found more than two decades ago.
However, Mack’s murder was not included in Thursday’s indictment.
Katie Hawkinson6 June 2024 17:11
