Gilgo Beach Serial Killer Proclaims Innocence, Alleging Police Mistaken Identity

• Rex Heuermann, the accused Gilgo Beach serial killer, made a court appearance in New York on Tuesday.
• The defense received the first batch of evidence from the prosecutors, totaling approximately 2,500 pages.
• Heuermann, aged 59, is facing charges for the murders of three sex workers and is also a suspect in the death of a fourth.

During his second court appearance in a Long Island courtroom, Rex Heuermann, the accused Gilgo Beach serial killer, received the first batch of evidence presented by Suffolk County prosecutors. The evidence includes four black, two-terabyte hard drives, carried out of court by his lawyer in a bulging briefcase.

The evidence handed over by the prosecutors consists of thousands of pages of documents and photographs, dating back to the early days of the 13-year investigation into the “Gilgo Four” – the four young sex workers whom Heuermann is suspected of strangling.

“It includes photographs of remains, autopsy and DNA reports, as well as surveillance images of one of the victims, and paperwork from the time of Heuermann’s arrest,” shared Assistant District Attorney Nicholas J. Santomartino with the judge.

During Tuesday’s brief hearing, Heuermann appeared in a dark gray suit and a blue Oxford dress shirt, with the collar open. He was handcuffed in the front and mostly stared straight ahead, occasionally narrowing his eyes and maintaining a stern expression.

He is currently being held without bail in a county jail, where he has been placed on suicide watch since his arrest two weeks ago. The county Sheriff’s Department and Brown, the lawyer, have deemed this precautionary.

Heuermann, an architect from Manhattan and lifelong resident of Massapequa Park in Suffolk County, maintains his innocence and claims that the prosecutors have the wrong person, as stated by his lawyer, Michael Brown, during a press conference after the court hearing.

Brown expressed frustration with the media’s preconceived judgment of his client without substantial evidence. He shared that Heuermann has vehemently denied the charges.

However, according to Suffolk County Prosecutor Raymond A. Tierney, Heuermann’s link to the four victims is supported by DNA evidence and a range of other investigative findings, including cell phone location data analysis and stray hairs found on the burlap that bound the bodies. The victims were all discovered within a 500-foot radius of each other along a beachfront highway, concealed within dense underbrush.

Tierney informed reporters that additional evidence, obtained through a nearly two-week forensic examination of Heuermann’s home, will be provided to the defense on an ongoing basis. The prosecutor referred to the entirety of evidence in this ongoing case as “a massive amount of material.”

Heuermann, a married father with adult children, is currently going through a divorce. His daughter, stepson, and wife, Asa Ellerup, who is seeking a divorce, were not present in court.

Representing Ellerup, attorney Robert Macedonio advised the Associated Press that the recent search of the family home had significantly damaged the property. Investigators had to cut through the bathtub and remove flooring during their search.

An additional family attorney, Vess Mitev, disclosed that they are considering legal action against the local police for their “deplorable and roughshod handling of the investigation.”

Family members of at least two of the victims were present in court but declined to speak with the press, requesting privacy, according to Tierney.

Heuermann has been charged with the murders of Melissa Barthelemy, Megan Waterman, and Amber Costello. He is the primary suspect in the killing of the fourth sex worker, Maureen Brainard-Barnes. All four victims were in their twenties.

The courtroom, with nearly 200 seats, was filled with dozens of journalists and curious members of the public, some of whom had waited for hours to secure a seat.

“I saw his eyes – so creepy,” said Laura Gilliar, a local resident attending the arraignment, reflecting on Heuermann’s previous court appearance two weeks ago. “I live just five blocks away from his home, so I’m here because of the proximity.” Gilliar, who works in television production, mentioned the intense press presence in the neighborhood and the overwhelming sight of news helicopters.

Heuermann is scheduled to appear again in the same criminal courthouse in Riverhead, NY, on September 27 before New York Supreme Court Justice Timothy P. Mazzei.

Updated on August 1, 2023: This story now includes comments from a press conference held after the court appearance.