SUFFOLK, NEW YORK: Investigators of one of the most notorious unsolved serial killings, the Gilgo Beach murders have now claimed a breakthrough in the 13-year hunt for the suspect. Architect Rex Heuermann who calls himself a "troubleshooter" has been arrested by a special task force who have been focusing on the murders.
Authorities swarmed the 59-year-old's home in Massapequa Park a year after he had been on the radar of the special Gilgo Beach Homicide Investigation Task Force. The Long Island man was busted by the force after he was linked by DNA, reported Daily Mail.
Who is Rex Heuermann?
Six years before the serial killings, Heuermann found his company RH Architecture Design in 1994. He is the president of the firm based in Fifth Avenue, Manhattan. In a 2022 interview with a French YouTuber, Heuermann said he is "a troubleshooter born and raised on Long Island." He described his father as a cabinet maker whom he said inspired him in becoming an avid furniture maker. The architect shared that his father has also been an "aerospace engineer who built satellites."
According to Heurmann's website, he has also "provided services to other city agencies, not-for-profit agencies, builders, developers and individual owners of buildings," and also added that "his clients include Catholic Charities, NYC-DEP Sewerage Treatment and American Airlines and other major tenants at the JFK International Airport."
Neighbors say Heuermann was an 'average guy who had family and went to work'
Following the arrest of Heuermann in connection to the murders of the 'Gilgo Four' who were later identified as Maureen Brainard-Barnes, Melissa Barthelemy, Megan Waterman, and Amber Costello and several other victims, his neighbors reacted to his arrest saying the architect looked like an "average guy who had a family and went to work." The 72-year-old neighbor, Barry Auslander added that the suspect "grew up here. I never thought he was anything but a businessman."
Speaking of his consulting and furniture making, Heuermann said in the interview, "I have one tool that’s pretty much used in every job — a cabinet maker’s hammer." The 59-year-old who helps firms deal with New York City’s Department of Buildings shared that he works as a "facilitator" especially for companies located out of town that "are a little afraid of the city."
Mocking the city worker for not being able to comprehend "their own codes, their own laws," Heuermann said, "they're overwhelmed by the city." Pointing out that his main skill was "patience," the architect stated, "Part of my job became, educate the city. That’s something we’ve done ever since."
