Suspected Gilgo Beach serial killer Rex Heuermann back in court as defense says they'll seek change of venue
RIVERHEAD, N.Y. -- Suspected Gilgo Beach serial killer Rex Heuermann appeared before a judge for a status hearing Wednesday morning.
Heuermann, a 61-year-old architect from Massapequa, is charged with six murders. He glanced once in the courtroom Wednesday - his estranged wife was not present. His hands were cuffed behind his grey suit.
Four of the victims in the case had their bodies disposed of near Gilgo Beach. Two others were murdered as far back as 2003 and 1993. Each of them had been involved in sex work.
Prosecutors allege Heuermann is linked to the murders through DNA, burner phone data, a description of his truck, internet searches and what they call a blueprint for how to get away with murder.
There will be a hearing this coming spring, with the defense challenging the new nuclear DNA, called SNP by prosecutors, which they say links victims' hairs to Heuermann. The defense has called an outside lab's methods of genetic testing unproven and "magic."
"It's a scientific issue. The judge is going to have to decide. We say absolutely not. Obviously, the district attorney has a different opinion," defense attorney Michael Brown said.
The judge set the next court date as Dec. 17, and said he wants to set the trial date at that time.
Prosecutors say they need more money because of all of the paperwork
One of the things discussed was how quickly the defense can get all the raw data from Heuermann's 400 seized electronic devices.
With an extraordinary amount of evidence - 120 terabytes - District Attorney Ray Tierney said his funds are running low. In 2020, before he was in office, the feds froze $13 million in county forfeiture money due to an investigation into the funds.
"So I will go the Department of Justice once again, hat in hand, and I will beg them. Please give us this money so I can litigate this very significant serial killer case," Tierney said. "Given the ridiculous nature of our discovery laws, where I have to provide every single piece of paper that was generated in a case that started in 1993. That's what we have to do, OK?"
Tierney said the investigation into the other murders is ongoing on several different fronts. There could be future indictments as the number of victims linked to Heuermann have been growing, from four to six.
"Very important for us is to sever the fifth and sixth victims in the indictment from the first four, meaning try those separate and apart," Brown said.
Heuermann's attorney says his client is looking forward to his day in court and will be pursuing a change of venue.
"We talked about a change of venue. We're going to look into that. We have been looking into that, whether we can get a fair and impartial jury here in Suffolk County," Brown said. "Where do I hope it would be? The trial itself? Mars, I don't know."
The defense claims any jury pool in Suffolk has been "poisoned."
Heuermann remains in isolation in jail due to his notoriety.
Gilgo Beach murders update
Heuermann pleaded not guilty to murder charges in the deaths of six women between 1993 and 2011. The remains of 11 people were discovered around Gilgo Beach during that period, and investigators have said he may be linked to other killings.
Heuermann was initially arrested on July 14, 2023 and charged with the murders of Melissa Barthelemy, Megan Waterman and Amber Costello.
New charges were filed in January in the death of Maureen Brainard-Barnes, and he was indicted on additional charges in June in the 1993 killing of Sandra Costilla and the 2003 killing of Jessica Taylor. Costilla was not previously tied to the Gilgo case.
Last month, the Gilgo Beach Task Force released new renderings of a possible other victim, whose body was found between Waterman and Taylor along Ocean Parkway in 2011.
Investigators have also described a "blueprint" they say Heuermann used to "plan out his kills with excruciating detail."