‘Massive Amount’ Of Evidence Against Serial Killer Suspect Rex Heuermann Includes Terabytes Of Documents, Photos And Videos, Prosecutors Say

Topline

Some 2,500 document pages and hundreds of hours of surveillance footage were turned over by prosecutors Tuesday in the first court appearance by Gilgo Beach serial killer suspect Rex Heuermann, according to multiple reports, in a case that has galvanized the nation.

Rex A. Heuermann, the architect accused of murdering at least three women near Long Island’s Gilgo … [+] Beach, appears before Judge Timothy P. Mazzei in Suffolk County Court, Tuesday, Aug. 1, 2023, in Riverhead, N.Y. (James Carbone/Newsday via AP, Pool)

jtc

Key Facts

Prosecutors gave Heuermann’s lawyer and a Suffolk County supreme court justice terabytes of evidence, including 2,500 document pages, autopsy reports, photos and video footage taken at the suspect’s home, adding even more evidence to an investigation that began around 2010 over the discovered remains of several bodies.

Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney said in a news conference after the pre-trial hearing Tuesday that the evidence has amounted to “about 13 years of investigation,” according to the Associated Press, noting evidence has continued to materialize because the probe into Heuermann’s alleged connection to the bodies has yet to end.

The evidence in the case against Heuermann includes mitochondrial DNA and nuclear DNA, according to Tierney.

Heuermann has pleaded not guilty to his charges, which include three counts of first-degree murder and three counts of second-degree murder.

Heuermann, who did not speak during the hearing, is also a suspect in the death of a fourth woman who disappeared in 2007 and later had her remains discovered near that of the other women.

The hearing was attended by about 100 people including some of the victims’ family members, according to NBC, which reported the hearing lasted fewer than 10 minutes.

Crucial Quote

“It is a massive amount of material, and don’t forget it’s continuing, because the investigation is continuing,” Tierney said, according to USA Today.

What To Watch For

Suffolk County Supreme Court Justice Timothy Mazzei scheduled Heuermann’s next pre-trial hearing for September 27.

Contra

“We’re prepared to go forward,” Heuermann’s attorney said after the hearing, according to NBC. “We will defend this case in the court of law and we will go to trial in this case.”

Key Background

Heuermann, 59, has lived most of his life around a Long Island suburban town that is the midpoint between New York City and the site where the remains of multiple women were found. A LinkedIn page which once featured a profile picture of a man matching Heuermann’s description lists itself as the owner of RH Consultants & Associates, Inc, an architecture and interior design firm. The bodies that prosecutors are alleging Heuermann’s connection to were first discovered in 2010, when the bodies of four women were identified as Maureen Brainard-Barnes, Melissa Barthelemy, Amber Costella and Megan Waterman—all of whom were believed to be sex workers who advertised themselves online. In 2020, investigators identified a groundbreaking piece of evidence with the discovery of a black leather belt that featured the initials “WH or HM.”