Gilgo Beach murders – live: Rex Heuermann’s wife files for divorce as work at NYC Trump Building emerges

Rex Heuermann’s wife has filed for divorce just six days after New York police arrested her husband over the notorious Gilgo Beach murders.

Court records show that Asa Ellerup – the accused serial killer’s wife of two decades and mother of his children – filed a matrimonial complaint in Suffolk County Supreme Court on Wednesday.

His family are said to have been left “shocked” and “disgusted” after the Long Island native, 59, was arrested on Thursday and charged with the murders of three women.

It has now also emerged that his Manhattan-based architecture company was once hired for a project at the Trump Building in New York City.

New York City Department of Buildings records obtained by real state publication The Real Deal show Mr Heuermann’s firm was hired by a third party for a $200,000 plumbing job on 40 Wall Street in 2018.

“Mr Heuermann has never worked for the Trump Organization in any capacity,” a spokesperson for the Trump Organization told the outlet. “He was hired by a third-party tenant, who vacated years ago, to perform minor architectural work in their individual space.” It’s unclear whether Mr Heuermann ever visited the building.

Key points

• Rex Heuermann’s wife files for divorce from accused serial killer

• Gilgo Beach murder suspect’s company was hired for work at Trump Building

• Las Vegas and South Carolina police probe suspect’s possible ties to unsolved cases

• Evidence that led Long Island police to catch suspect

• Police ‘confident’ Heuermann will soon be charged with fourth murder

Woman describes eerie Rex Heuermann ‘date’

09:00 , Andrea Blanco

Long Island resident and former escort Nicole Brass has since come forward with claims that she went on a date with Mr Heuermann sometime between 2014 and 2016.

Ms Brass, 34, first claimed in a TikTok video that she had met Mr Heuermann at a seafood restaurant in Port Jefferson and he then decided to bring up the Gilgo Beach murders while trying “to make it look just like someone who was very interested in the case”.

“It didn’t seem like somebody who feels bad when he talked about the victims. It seemed like somebody who really wanted to brag about what they did, but couldn’t,” Ms Brass told the Daily Beast.

“His body language shifted, and it seemed like he was having fun ... It was almost like he was visualising it in his head and getting off to what he was saying.”

The evidence that sealed Rex Heuermann’s arrest: Pizza crust, burner phones and his wife’s hair

08:00 , Andrea Blanco

It’s taken 13 years but Suffolk County Police finally say they’ve caught the serial killer who dumped his victims along the shores of Gilgo Beach – thanks to a pimp’s tip about his pickup truck, a stash of burner phones, his wife’s hair and a pizza crust.

The Independent’s Rachel Sharp reports:

How pizza crust, burner phones and wife’s hairs led police to Gilgo Beach suspect

Rex Heuermann is ‘traumatised’ by Gilgo Beach murders arrest, attorney says

07:00 , Andrea Blanco

Attorney Michael Brown told ABC News that he met the accused serial killer for the first time on Friday when he was arraigned on charges for murdering three women and dumping their bodies along the shores of Long Island.

He said that Mr Heuermann seemed normal in the meeting but was “traumatised” by the fact he had been taken into custody over the unsolved killings.

Read more:

Rex Heuermann is ‘traumatised’ by Gilgo Beach murders arrest, attorney says

Attorney John Ray says he hopes new task force reviews evidence in Shannan Gilbert’s case

06:00 , Andrea Blanco

Gilbert’s body was found in December 2011. Suffolk County authorities have previously said that they don’t believe Gilbert was a victim of the Gilgo Beach serial killer, or even that she was a victim of homicide.

However, an independent autopsy commissioned by her family ruled that she died by strangulation.

“We’ve insisted that she was murdered. We have overwhelming evidence that that is true,” John Ray, an attorney for the Gilbert family, told The Independent. “The police had taken bizarre position that she died of natural causes.”

He added: “We’re hoping now with the new task force with these great guys and new brains and excellent work of the District Attorney and the new Police Commissioner Rodney Harrison.

“We’re hoping that they’re going to give it a look, a new look at the evidence with Shannan and investigate it as a murder.”

Rex Heuermann’s wife Asa Ellerup files for divorce

05:00 , Andrea Blanco

Rex Heuermann’s wife has filed for divorce just six days after New York police arrested her husband over the notorious Gilgo Beach murders.

Court records show that Asa Ellerup – the accused serial killer’s wife of two decades and mother of his children – filed a matrimonial complaint in Suffolk County Supreme Court on Wednesday.

The case – Asa Ellerup v Rex Heuermann – is listed as “uncontested”.

His family are said to have been left “shocked” and “disgusted” after the Long Island native, 59, was arrested on Thursday and charged with the murders of three women.

Rex Heuermann’s wife had bizarre response to Gilgo Beach murders arrest as divorce filing revealed

04:00 , Andrea Blanco

The bizarre response of Rex Heuermann’s wife to news of his arrest in the Gilgo Beach murders has been revealed amid reports that she has filed for divorce.

Suffolk County Police Commissioner Rodney Harrison said during a sit-down interview with Fox News that Mr Heuermann’s wife Asa Ellerup had initially been shocked after learning her husband was linked to the murders of three women whose bodies were discovered in Gilgo Beach back in 2010.

“When we told the wife, she was shocked, she was embarrassed. But there was a point where we showed her certain pictures and she said, ‘OK, it is what it is,’” Mr Harrison said in the interview that aired on Thursday.

It comes as online court records show that Ms Ellerup, who has been married to the accused serial killer’s wife for two decades, filed a matrimonial complaint in Suffolk County Supreme Court. The filing – titled Asa Ellerup v Rex Heuermann – states that the divorce is “uncontested”.

How the Gilgo Beach serial killer turned the Long Island shore into a graveyard

03:00 , Andrea Blanco

More than a decade after 11 bodies were found dumped in Long Beach, married father of two and Manhattan-based architect Rex Heuermann is under arrest. Does this mean the hunt for the Gilgo Beach serial killer is finally over?

The Independent’s Rachel Sharp reports:

How the Gilgo Beach serial killer turned the Long Island shore into a graveyard

Where exactly were the Gilgo Beach murder victims found?

02:00 , Andrea Blanco

Rex Heuermann’s client reveals his ‘chilling’ comments about Gilgo Beach serial killings

01:00 , Andrea Blanco

A woman who worked with the Gilgo Beach murders suspect has revealed a chilling interaction she had with him last year.

Rex Heuermann, 59, was arrested last week in connection with the murders of Amber Costello, Megan Waterman and Melissa Barthelemy, whose remains were found along with seven other bodies in the shoreline community of Gilgo Beach in December 2010.

He is also the prime suspect in the murder of Maureen Brainard-Barnes, with authorities saying they’re confident more charges loom ahead.

Mr Heuermann lived in Massapequa Park, near the sites where some of the victims were last seen, and has an architecture business in Midtown Manhattan.

Real state agent Jeffrey St Arromand, who worked with Mr Heuermann on a Brooklyn brownstone project last year, told The New York Post that the now alleged serial killer had a bizarre conversation with one of their shared clients.

The female client, who spoke to the Post under the condition of anonymity, said that Mr Heuermann was in charge of renovations to her Crown Heights home, which she was looking to sell at the time.

During one of those exchanges, the woman claims Mr Heuermann brought up the Gilgo Beach slayings.

“I was only with him in my home to review the scope of work,” she said. “I even gave him a ride to his home in Long Island from Brooklyn. At one point on the drive, we talked about the Gilgo Beach murders — we even discussed the burlap and why someone would use that. In retrospect, thinking about that conversation, it’s just bone-chilling.”

Costello, Waterman, Barthelemy and Brainard-Barnes were found within one-quarter mile of each other.

They were bound by belts or tape and some of them were wrapped in burlap.

What we know about Gilgo Beach murder victims

Friday 21 July 2023 00:00 , Andrea Blanco

New York architect Rex Heuermann has pleaded not guilty after being charged with killing of three women found dead near Long Island seafront a decade ago.

The Independent’s Joe Sommerlad reports:

What we know about the Gilgo Beach murder victims

Shannan Gilbert’s family react to news of Rex Heuermann’s arrest

Thursday 20 July 2023 23:00 , Andrea Blanco

The sister of Shannan Gilbert, whose disappearance in May 2010 led to the discovery of a string of human remains, also spoke out about the arrest.

“I am overwhelmed but relieved that they finally caught him. It’s been a long time coming and I never gave up hope that one day justice would be served,” Sherre Gilbert said in a statement to NBC News.

“The suspect (Rex) deserves to rot in prison for the rest of his life. He destroyed many lives so while it won’t bring our loved ones back, it does help that one less monster is off the streets and he can’t ever hurt anyone else!”

Former escort describes eerie Rex Heuermann ‘date’ where he obsessed over Gilgo Beach murders

Thursday 20 July 2023 22:00 , Rachel Sharp

A former escort who claims she once went on a date with suspected Gilgo Beach serial killerRex Heuermann has described chilling comments that he allegedly made about the then-unsolved murder case.

Thirteen years after a trail of bodies were discovered in the shoreline community of Gilgo Beach, the Suffolk County Police Department made a long-awaited arrest in the case last week. Rex Heuermann, 59, was taken into custody and charged with the murders of Amber Costello, Melissa Barthelemy and Megan Waterman.

Long Island resident and former escort Nicole Brass has since come forward with claims that she went on a date with Mr Heuermann sometime between 2014 and 2016. Ms Brass, 34, first claimed in a TikTok video that she had met Mr Heuermann at a seafood restaurant in Port Jefferson and he then decided to bring up the Gilgo Beach murders while trying “to make it look just like someone who was very interested in the case”.

Read the story here:

Former escort claims Rex Heuermann obsessed over Gilgo Beach murders on ‘date’

Victim’s family fears someone else could be involved in killings

Thursday 20 July 2023 21:00 , Rachel Sharp

Attorney John Ray represents the families of Shannan Gilbert and Jessica Taylor. Mr Ray told The Independent on Tuesday that he has long suspected that a woman may have helped the killer lure the victims.

“We have a number of reasons to think a woman may have been involved. Nothing is certain here, [I want] to emphasize that, but there was some evidence that a woman was involved,” Mr Ray said.

The attorney said that some of the evidence that could suggest a woman was involved in the killings is the way a baby Doe’s body was found.

The child’s mother, dubbed “Peaches” for a tattoo on her torso, was found in Nassau County in 1997. Additional remains and those of her child were found years later, and the murders have been linked to the Gilgo Beach case.

“The baby was wrapped in a blanket of some kind. And that’s something, you know, if you’re a depraved murderer, as a man ... Would you take the time to do that?” Mr Ray said. “But a mother might do that. That’s just one I use that as one of several reasons why we think that, but we don’t have any dispositive evidence that it was so.”

What we know about Gilgo Beach murder victims:

Thursday 20 July 2023 20:00 , Rachel Sharp

Rex Heuermann, a New York City architect and “family man”, was dramatically arrested outside of his office in Midtown Manhattan on Thursday 13 July and charged with the murders of three women whose remains were found on Gilgo Beach, Long Island, a decade ago.

The 59-year-old was formally accused of killing Melissa Barthelemy, Megan Waterman and Amber Lynn Costello, all of whom were working as sex workers, and is also the prime suspect in the homicide of a fourth woman, Maureen Brainard-Barnes, with Suffolk County district attorney Ray Tierney saying on Monday he is “confident” Mr Heuermann will be charged with her murder too.

In all, 11 sets of human remains were found dumped along the four-lane Ocean Parkway route running alongside the Atlantic-facing beachfront between 2010 and 2011, nine of which belonged to women, one to a man and one to a toddler. Some have still not been identified.

This is what we know about the four victims Mr Heuermann has been connected to by investigators:

What we know about the Gilgo Beach murder victims

How Rex Heuermann’s wife helped lead police to the accused killer

Thursday 20 July 2023 19:00 , Rachel Sharp

Court documents, filed as part of prosecutors’ request that bail be denied, revealed that hair belonging to Mr Heuermann’s wife was allegedly found on the bodies of three of the four victims.

Prosecutors say that two female hairs had been found on Waterman, one of them on the tape which the killer wrapped around her head. One female hair was found on tape used to wrap burlap around Costello and one hair was found in a belt buckle used to bind Brainard-Barnes – who Mr Heuermann is yet to be charged over.

To identify the female who the hair belonged to, investigators trawled through the trash at the Heuermann home in Long Island.

In July 2022, they recovered 11 bottles from the trash and they were swabbed for DNA.

Forensic testing found that the DNA on the bottles matched the female hair found at the crime scene, concluding that the hair belonged to Mr Heuermann’s wife.

The accuracy is such that more than 99 per cent of the North American female population can be ruled out, according to the court documents.

Prosecutors found that the suspect’s wife was out of town at the time of the three murders for which he has been charged but that her hair could have transferred to the crime scene through her husband’s clothing or through him using items such as tape taken from the family home.

She has not been named as a suspect and there is no suggestion that she was involved – or knew about – the murders.

WATCH: Moment Gilgo Beach suspect arrested in crowded New York street

Thursday 20 July 2023 18:00 , Rachel Sharp

Rex Heuermann’s wife files for divorce six days after he’s arrested for Gilgo Beach serial killings

Thursday 20 July 2023 17:00 , Rachel Sharp

The wife of accused Gilgo Beach serial killerRex Heuermann has filed for divorce just six days after New York police arrested him on suspicion of murdering at least three women and dumping their bodies along Long Island.

Online court records show that Asa Ellerup – the accused serial killer’s wife of two decades and mother of his children – filed a matrimonial complaint in Suffolk County Supreme Court on Wednesday.

The filing – titled Asa Ellerup v Rex Heuermann – states that the divorce is “uncontested”.

The case records include a complaint, summons and a “notice concerning continuation of health care coverage” all filed on Wednesday, though the contents have not been made public.

Read the full story here:

Rex Heuermann’s wife files for divorce six days after arrest for Gilgo Beach killings

Victim’s sister says Rex Heuermann’s arrest means she can finally ‘move on’

Thursday 20 July 2023 16:00 , Rachel Sharp

The sister of one of Rex Heuermann’s alleged victims has spoken out to say that his arrest means she can finally “move on”.

Mr Heuermann has been charged with the murder of Amber Costello, a 27-year-old sex worker who vanished in September 2010.

Her body was found dumped along Gilgo Beach later that year.

Costello’s sister Kimberly Overstreet told News 12 Long Island that she will forgive her killer because it’s what her sibling would do.

“It brings me peace to know that my sister is laying with my family,” she said.

“And that if my parents were here, if my sister was here, she would say ‘Thank you, and I forgive him.’ I forgive him and she would too. I don’t know if it makes a difference to him, but it makes a difference to me, and I can move on.”

Now, she hopes that the families of other victims whose bodies were found dumped along the Long Island shores will also get answers soon.

Gilgo Beach murders suspect’s firm carried out work at Trump Building

Thursday 20 July 2023 15:00 , Rachel Sharp

The Gilgo Beach serial killer suspect’s architecture business was hired for a 2018 project at the Trump Building in New York City, according to unearthed records.

Rex Heuermann, 59, was arrested last week and charged with the murders of Amber Costello, Megan Waterman and Melissa Barthelemy, who vanished between 2007 and 2010 before their bodies were found dumped in Gilgo Beach.

The suspect lived in Massapequa Park, Long Island, with his wife and two adult children and ran architecture firm RH Consultants & Associatess in Midtown Manhattan.

Now, New York City Department of Buildings records obtained by real state publication The Real Deal have revealed that Mr Heuermann’s firm was hired in 2018 by a third party for a plumbing job at the Trump Building on 40 Wall Street.

Read the full story:

Gilgo Beach murders suspect’s firm carried out work at Trump Building

‘Large doll in a glass case and portrait of a woman with a bruised face’ seized from Mr Heuermann’s home

Thursday 20 July 2023 14:00 , Andrea Blanco

Police carted more boxes of potential evidence Tuesday out of the Long Island home of Rex Heuermann, who has been charged with killing at least three women and leaving their remains alongside a remote stretch of beach highway.

Items pulled out of Heuermann’s home in Massapequa Park in recent days have included more than 200 firearms, a large doll in a glass case, a large portrait of a woman with a bruised face and a filing cabinet, according to the Associated Press.

Investigators, some dressed in “crime lab” T-shirts and protective suits, were seen Tuesday carting away a desktop computer, a large picture frame, a mirror and many other household items.

It remains to be seen whether any of those items will help authorities build their case against Mr Heuermann, an architect who was charged with murdering three women and was said by a prosecutor to be a suspect in a fourth slaying.

Mr Heuermann pleaded not guilty to the crimes on Friday.

ICYMI: Everything we know about the Gilgo Beach murders

Thursday 20 July 2023 13:00 , Andrea Blanco

While Rex Heuermann has pleaded not guilty and broke down in tears while protesting his innocence, investigators have painted him as a warped individual who systematically preyed on his victims, obsessively following police efforts to catch him online and potentially posing a threat of striking again.

But who are his alleged victims?

The Independent’s Joe Sommerlad reports:

What we know about the Gilgo Beach murder victims

What have Long Island police found at Rex Heuermann’s home?

Thursday 20 July 2023 12:30 , Rachel Sharp

Reporters on the scene of Rex Heuermann’s home on Wednesday revealed that investigators tried to block their view as some items were being seized.

This has raised speculation as to what evidence may have been found inside his family home in Massapequa Park.

Attorney for victims’ families shares suspicions of an accomplice in murders

Thursday 20 July 2023 12:00 , Andrea Blanco

Attorney John Ray represents the families of Gilbert and Jessica Taylor, whose remains were among those found during the 2010 probe. Mr Ray told The Independent on Tuesday that he has long suspected that a woman may have helped the killer lure the victims.

“We have a number of reasons to think a woman may have been involved. Nothing is certain here, [I want] to emphasise that, but there was some evidence that a woman was involved,” Mr Ray said.

The attorney said that some of the evidence that could suggest a woman was involved in the killings is the way a “baby Doe’s” body was found.

The child’s mother, dubbed “Peaches” for a tattoo on her torso, was found in Nassau County in 1997. Additional remains and those of her child were found years later, and the murders have been linked to the Gilgo Beach case.

“The baby was wrapped in a blanket of some kind. And that’s something, you know, if you’re a depraved murderer, as a man ... Would you take the time to do that?” Mr Ray said. “But a mother might do that. That’s just one I use that as one of several reasons why we think that, but we don’t have any dispositive evidence that it was so.”

WATCH: Former escort recounts chilling date with accused Gilgo Beach serial killer

Thursday 20 July 2023 11:30 , Rachel Sharp

WATCH: Neighbour claims he confronted suspected killer for leering at his wife

Thursday 20 July 2023 11:00 , Andrea Blanco

Gilgo Beach murder suspect’s company was hired to do work at Trump Building in Manhattan

Thursday 20 July 2023 10:30 , Rachel Sharp

New York City Department of Buildings records unearthed by The Real Deal on Wednesday show that Mr Heuermann’s firm RH Architecture was hired by a tenant at the Trump Building on 40 Wall Street.

The job was completed in 2018 and Mr Heuermann’s firm was paid $200,000 to complete it.

The Trump Organization said in a statement that it has never hired Mr Heuermann’s services and it was a third-party tenant who employed the now suspected Gilgo Beach serial killer.

“Mr Heuermann has never worked for the Trump Organization in any capacity,” a spokesperson told TRD. “According to our records, he was hired by a third-party tenant, who vacated years ago, to perform minor architectural work in their individual space.”

It’s unclear whether Mr Heuermann ever visited the building as part of the job he was hired to do. The Independent has reached out for comment.

Manhattan architect, family man and accused serial killer: Who is Gilgo Beach suspect Rex Heuermann?

Thursday 20 July 2023 10:00 , Andrea Blanco

A Manhattan architect and father-of-two has been arrested in connection to one of the most infamous unsolved serial killer cases along the East Coast.

So who really is Rex Heuermann?

The Independent’s Rachel Sharp reports:

Rex Heuermann: Who is serial killer suspect in Gilgo Beach murders

Rex Heuermann’s wife files for divorce

Thursday 20 July 2023 09:30 , Rachel Sharp

Rex Heuermann’s wife has filed for divorce just six days after New York police arrested her husband over the notorious Gilgo Beach murders.

Court records show that Asa Ellerup – the accused serial killer’s wife of two decades and mother of his children – filed a matrimonial complaint in Suffolk County Supreme Court on Wednesday.

The case – Asa Ellerup v Rex Heuermann – is listed as “uncontested”.

His family are said to have been left “shocked” and “disgusted” after the Long Island native, 59, was arrested on Thursday and charged with the murders of three women.

Long Island police reveal how Rex Heuermann’s family reacted to his arrest for Gilgo Beach murders

Thursday 20 July 2023 09:00 , Andrea Blanco

Mr Heuermann’s bombshell arrest last sent shockwaves across the shoreline community of Gilgo Beach in Long Island following 13 years of unanswered questions over a trail of bodies found in the area.

The married father-of-two is facing six charges over the murders of Amber Castello, Megan Waterman and Melissa Barthelemy — all sex workers in their 20s whose bodies were found during a missing persons investigation in 2010.

He is also the prime suspect in the murder of a fourth woman, Maureen Brainard- Barnes, with authorities saying more charges are expected. The Suffolk County Police Department is also probing potential ties to the other six bodies linked to the Gilgo Beach case, as well as other murders nationwide.

Police Commissioner Rodney Harrison told CNN that Mr Heuermann’s family reacted with shock to his arrest and are now cooperating with the investigation. Before being taken into custody, Mr Heuermann, 59, had outwardly led a normal life, working as an architect in Midtown Manhattan and making very little impression on his neighbours in Massapequa Park.

“They were disgusted. They were embarrassed,” Mr Harrison said. “So, if you ask me, I don’t believe they knew about this double life that Heuermann was living.”

Did ‘serial killer’ Rex Heuermann strike beyond Gilgo Beach? Police probe links to unsolved cases across US

Thursday 20 July 2023 08:00 , Andrea Blanco

Investigators are exploring the possibility that suspected Gilgo Beach serial killer Rex Heuermann could be responsible for other murders all across America, following his sudden arrest last week.

Former NYPD Chief of Detectives Robert Boyce told ABC’s Good Morning America on Tuesday that the 59-year-old suspect is now being looked at in connection to missing persons cases and murders far beyond the shores of Long Island – across the tri-state area of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut and even nationwide.

“I made some phone calls yesterday to see what they were doing. They’re looking at all missing persons who have never been found and see if they can put those together,” he said.

“Not just in Suffolk, but throughout the tri-state area to see what they can put together. There’s also the FBI looking at national issues as well.”

Mr Boyce pointed out that Mr Heuermann had been “free” for many years – as the accused killer continued his daily life for 13 years after the bodies were first discovered in 2010.

Read more:

Did serial killer suspect Rex Heuermann strike beyond Gilgo Beach?

Woman describes eerie Rex Heuermann ‘date’

Thursday 20 July 2023 07:00 , Andrea Blanco

Long Island resident and former escort Nicole Brass has since come forward with claims that she went on a date with Mr Heuermann sometime between 2014 and 2016.

Ms Brass, 34, first claimed in a TikTok video that she had met Mr Heuermann at a seafood restaurant in Port Jefferson and he then decided to bring up the Gilgo Beach murders while trying “to make it look just like someone who was very interested in the case”.

“It didn’t seem like somebody who feels bad when he talked about the victims. It seemed like somebody who really wanted to brag about what they did, but couldn’t,” Ms Brass told the Daily Beast.

“His body language shifted, and it seemed like he was having fun ... It was almost like he was visualising it in his head and getting off to what he was saying.”

The evidence that sealed Rex Heuermann’s arrest: Pizza crust, burner phones and his wife’s hair

Thursday 20 July 2023 06:00 , Andrea Blanco

It’s taken 13 years but Suffolk County Police finally say they’ve caught the serial killer who dumped his victims along the shores of Gilgo Beach – thanks to a pimp’s tip about his pickup truck, a stash of burner phones, his wife’s hair and a pizza crust.

The Independent’s Rachel Sharp reports:

How pizza crust, burner phones and wife’s hairs led police to Gilgo Beach suspect

Gilgo Beach murder suspect Rex Heuermann’s neighbors describe him as ‘reclusive’

Thursday 20 July 2023 05:00 , Andrea Blanco

Speaking to The New York Times, Massapequa Park resident Frankie Musto said the Heuermanns were “reclusive” and kept to themselves. Ms Musto said her daughter grew up with Mr Heuermann’s daughter, who would often ask her friend to come over.

“I didn’t want her in that house,” Ms Musto told the Times.

How the Gilgo Beach serial killer turned the Long Island shore into a graveyard

Thursday 20 July 2023 04:00 , Andrea Blanco

More than a decade after 11 bodies were found dumped in Long Beach, married father of two and Manhattan-based architect Rex Heuermann is under arrest. Does this mean the hunt for the Gilgo Beach serial killer is finally over?

The Independent’s Rachel Sharp reports:

How the Gilgo Beach serial killer turned the Long Island shore into a graveyard

Gilgo Beach murders arrest renews hopes for Shannan Gilbert and Jessica Taylor’s families

Thursday 20 July 2023 03:00 , Andrea Blanco

Attorney John Ray represents the families of Shannan Gilbert, whose case led to the discovery of 10 bodies, and Jessica Taylor, whose remains were among those found during the 2010 probe.

Mr Ray said his clients have welcomed news of the arrest and now hope their loved ones’ killer or killers will also face the criminal system.

“Both families are very happy that this man was caught and they’re happy for the other family members of the other victims,” Mr Ray said. “But the murderer of their loved ones has not been found. And even if it turns out to be this Tyrannosaurus Rex monster, there’s no solace in the end. Justice is an idea, but it’s not a feeling in a sense, and their feelings and their senses are still hurt and this resurrected those feelings. So it’s a bittersweet condition.”

Mr Ray said that his law firm is joining efforts with the Suffolk County Police Department’s investigating team.

Commissioner Harris has said in the aftermath that they’re probing any links Mr Heuermann may have with the Gilgo Beach bodies.

Murder probes expands to Las Vegas, officials confirm

Thursday 20 July 2023 02:00 , Andrea Blanco

Mr Heuermann, 59, is now being looked at in connection to missing person cases and murders far beyond the shores of Long Island, where he stands accused of murdering three women before dumping their bodies across the community of Gilgo Beach more than a decade ago.

His bombshell arrest on Friday was a major breakthrough after a 2010 investigation led to the gruesome discovery of at least 10 bodies now linked to the Gilgo Beach murders case.

In the aftermath of his arrest, it has emerged that Mr Heuermann, who has pleaded not guilty to the crimes, has ties to both South Carolina and Las Vegas, owning properties in both locations.

In a statement to The Independent on Tuesday, the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department confirmed that the department is probing a link between Mr Heuermann and unsolved cases in the area.

“We are aware of Rex Heuermann’s connection to Las Vegas. We are currently reviewing our unsolved cases to see if he has any involvement,” a spokesperson said.

Rex Heuermann is ‘traumatised’ by Gilgo Beach murders arrest, attorney says

Thursday 20 July 2023 01:00 , Andrea Blanco

Attorney Michael Brown told ABC News that he met the accused serial killer for the first time on Friday when he was arraigned on charges for murdering three women and dumping their bodies along the shores of Long Island.

He said that Mr Heuermann seemed normal in the meeting but was “traumatised” by the fact he had been taken into custody over the unsolved killings.

Read more:

Rex Heuermann is ‘traumatised’ by Gilgo Beach murders arrest, attorney says

Attorney John Ray says he hopes new task force reviews evidence in Shannan Gilbert’s case

Thursday 20 July 2023 00:00 , Andrea Blanco

Gilbert’s body was found in December 2011. Suffolk County authorities have previously said that they don’t believe Gilbert was a victim of the Gilgo Beach serial killer, or even that she was a victim of homicide.

However, an independent autopsy commissioned by her family ruled that she died by strangulation.

“We’ve insisted that she was murdered. We have overwhelming evidence that that is true,” John Ray, an attorney for the Gilbert family, told The Independent. “The police had taken bizarre position that she died of natural causes.”

He added: “We’re hoping now with the new task force with these great guys and new brains and excellent work of the District Attorney and the new Police Commissioner Rodney Harrison.

“We’re hoping that they’re going to give it a look, a new look at the evidence with Shannan and investigate it as a murder.”

Gilgo Beach murder suspect’s company was hired to do work at Trump Building in Manhattan

Wednesday 19 July 2023 23:35 , Andrea Blanco

New York City Department of Buildings records unearthed by The Real Deal on Wednesday show that Mr Heuermann’s firm RH Architecture was hired by a tenant at the Trump Building on 40 Wall Street.

The job was completed in 2018 and Mr Heuermann’s firm was paid $200,000 to complete it.

The Trump Organization said in a statement that it has never hired Mr Heuermann’s services and it was a third-party tenant who employed the now suspected Gilgo Beach serial killer.

“Mr Heuermann has never worked for the Trump Organization in any capacity,” a spokesperson told TRD. “According to our records, he was hired by a third-party tenant, who vacated years ago, to perform minor architectural work in their individual space.”

It’s unclear whether Mr Heuermann ever visited the building as part of the job he was hired to do. The Independent has reached out for comment.

Officials are ‘confident’ that Mr Heuermann will soon be charged with the murder of Maureen Brainard-Barnes

Wednesday 19 July 2023 21:59 , Andrea Blanco

Gilgo Beach serial killer suspect Rex Heuermann is now expected to be charged with a fourth murder – as tips and evidence pour in following his shock arrest last week.

The 59-year-old married father-of-two – who has lived on Long Island his entire life and runs an architecture firm in Manhattan – was arrested on 13 July and charged with the murders of Melissa Barthelemy, Megan Waterman and Amber Costello.

He is also the prime suspect in the murder of a fourth woman Maureen Brainard-Barnes, who was last seen alive in New York City in early June 2007.

All four women – known as the “Gilgo Beach Four” – worked as sex workers and vanished after going to meet clients.

Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney said on Monday that officials are “confident” that Mr Heuermann will soon be charged with the murder of Brainard-Barnes.

“We feel we can prove these three murders,” Mr Tierney told CNN.

“We’re also confident that we’re going to be able to eventually charge that fourth murder.”