LONG ISLAND, NEW YORK: Suspected Gilgo Beach serial killer, Rex Heuermann, was described as having "ogre-like" features by a sex worker, according to court documents. The 59-year-old architect from Long Island was taken into custody on Thursday night, July 13, and formally charged with three counts of first-degree murder and three counts of second-degree murder in relation to the Gilgo Beach murders.
Heuermann is charged with the deaths of Melissa Barthelemy, Megan Waterman, and Amber Costello, whose bodies were discovered wrapped in burlap near Gilgo Beach on Long Island's South Shore in December 2010. All three victims were in their 20s and worked as sex workers. Their remains were found within close proximity to one another, approximately within a quarter-mile radius. Additionally, the death of a fourth victim, Maureen Brainard-Barnes, is believed to be linked to the same case.
According to the court documents, a significant incident took place at Costello's home on September 1, 2010, just a day before her disappearance. On that evening, Costello, who was a sex worker, had arranged to meet a stranger who offered her $1,500 for her services. The client contacted Costello multiple times over the phone before eventually arriving at her apartment in West Babylon, New York, around 11:17 PM.
How tall is Rex Heuermann?
"A prostitution client showed up at Ms. Costello’s residence located in West Babylon, New York," the court documents state, per The Sun. "After the client entered the home, a ruse was executed on the client whereby a person pretended to be the outraged boyfriend of Amber Costello and the client left from the residence, while Amber Costello retained the money the client had brought to pay for her services. Based upon interviews, that client was described as a large, white male, approximately 6’4’ to 6’6” in height, in his mid-forties, with 'dark bushy hair,' and 'big oval style 1970’s type eyeglasses.' A witness described him to police as appearing like an 'ogre.'"
Furthermore, a witness reported seeing a Chevrolet Avalanche parked in the driveway of Costello's apartment. This detail became crucial in the investigation as Heuermann's own Chevrolet Avalanche played a significant role in leading investigators to suspect his involvement in the Gilgo Beach murders. According to prosecutors, phone records provided further evidence linking Heuermann to the crimes. They revealed that a burner phone used to contact Costello was traced back to Massapequa Park, the same location where Heuermann lived with his wife.
Rex Heuermann made multiple fake Tinder accounts to lure women
It is alleged that Heuermann made multiple Google Pay transactions in January 2011 for a Tinder account. The account was registered under the name "Andy," with the name "Andrew Roberts" also associated with the profile. "Andrew" is Heuermann's middle name, as indicated in court documents. The email address used for the Tinder profile was registered under the name "John Springfield" and had a zip code from Astoria, Queens in New York City. Law enforcement obtained a search warrant to investigate this email address, which led to the discovery of several selfies that appeared to have been taken by Heuermann.
Investigators believe that these photos were sent to women in an attempt to solicit and arrange hookups. Furthermore, prosecutors have presented allegations regarding Heuermann's internet search history, which includes a series of peculiar and incriminating searches. According to the document, Heuermann's search queries encompassed topics such as "Why could law enforcement not trace the calls made by the Long Island Serial Killer" and "Why hasn't the Long Island Serial Killer been caught." Prosecutors have also revealed that Heuermann conducted searches related to child pornography and explicit videos depicting rape.
