Who is Rex Heuermann? What we know about the Gilgo Beach murders suspect
MASSAPEQUA PARK, N.Y. -- We're learning more about Rex Heuermann, the man arrested Thursday night in connection to the Gilgo Beach murders.
Heuermann has been charged with three counts of first-degree murder and three counts of second-degree murder in connection to the deaths of Megan Waterman, Melissa Barthelemy and Amber Costello, whose bodies were found in close proximity to one another in 2010.
Heuermann appeared before a judge Friday afternoon and pleaded not guilty.
Investigators on Friday shuffled in and out of a building at 36th Street and Fifth Avenue, where sources say Heuermann worked, and just outside the building, we're learning a pizza box he left in the garbage was key to the case.
Heuermann grew up on Long Island and attended Berner High School.
James Pagano, of Massapequa Park, went to high school with Heuermann.
"I was like, holy crap, unbelievable, right in our town," he said. "He was very quiet, dark, kept to himself and extremely intelligent, very smart."
Watch Tim McNicholas' report
Heuermann worked in Midtown as an architect who ran a company called RH Consultants and Associates.
YouTuber Antoine Amira, who runs a page called "Bonjour Realty," interviewed Heuermann about his work about a year ago.
"What has this job taught you about yourself?" Amira asked.
"I think it's taught me more about how to understand people," Heuermann told him.
CBS New York spoke to Amira on Friday after Heuermann's arrest.
"Really what stood out is his attention to details," Amira said. "He was very knowledgeable, very detail-oriented."
Amira added Heuermann had a distinct physical presence.
"Intimidating, no. Imposing, yes. Very, very imposing ... He's a head above me, very large person," he said. "I still remember his handshake when we met. Very strong. Very strong handshake. It's like you were shaking a very big piece of marble. That's how strong his hand was."
Amira added, "The human nature is fascinating because you never know who you have in front of you. It's very unsettling at the same time, but also fascinating."
Related stories:
- Rex Heuermann of Massapequa Park charged with murder in Gilgo Beach killings
- Neighbors, former classmates, describe Rex Heuermann, suspect in Gilgo Beach murders
- Gilgo Beach murders: Investigators comb through Midtown office
- Who are the Gilgo Beach murder victims?
- Inside the Gilgo Beach murders investigation: The years-long search to catch a Long Island serial killer
- More coverage of the Gilgo Beach murders
CBS New York watched investigators carry at least four computers out of the building where Heuermann worked, and court records reveal investigators found a key piece of evidence just outside Heuermann's office back in January.
Detectives say he threw away a pizza box, then investigators ordered a DNA swab of the leftover crust. Police say they confirmed just this week that the DNA matched a hair found on a burlap-type material that was used to tie up one of the victims, Megan Waterman.
People who work on the other floors of the office building say they never saw Heuermann, but they're stunned by the news.
"It's a little scary that he was two floors above me. We're right on the ninth floor, and no one had any idea obviously. That's really scary, and it went on for so long, too, which is also horrifying," one woman said.
"I'm just in shock to find out he worked in my building. I could've been in the elevator with him," another person said.
Investigators say he also used burner phones to contact sex workers between 2021 and 2023. Photos show him at a cellphone store in Midtown in May, where police say he added minutes to one of his burner phones.
We're also learning more about Heuermann's finances.
Nassau County records show he owed more than $425,000 in taxes he failed to pay.
He also filed several lawsuits accusing drivers of hurting him in car accidents. Three of those cases were settled or discontinued.