Stay up-to-date on the Gilgo Beach murders live as officials announce the arrest of a suspect in the Long Island serial killings and learn more about the person arrested, Rex Heuermann, and details surrounding the investigation into the infamous Gilgo Beach case.
Gilgo Beach killer arrested
Breaking News: Law enforcement officials have made significant progress in the long-running Gilgo Beach murder case in Long Island, New York. After more than a decade of investigation, the suspect is now in custody, bringing new hope for justice in a case that has baffled authorities and gripped the nation.
The individual responsible for the heinous crimes has been identified as Rex Heuermann, 59, according to four senior law enforcement officials familiar with the case.
Suffolk County police and the Suffolk County District Attorney’s office are leading the ongoing investigation, though both entities have declined to provide additional details at this time.
Between 2010 and 2011, the gruesome discovery of the remains of 11 people along a suburban beach highway on Long Island sent shockwaves through the community. Among the victims identified so far are Amber Costello, Megan Waterman, Shannan Gilbert, Melissa Barthelemy, Maureen Brainard-Barnes, Jessica Taylor and Valerie Mack. Recent police activity in Massapequa Park is directly related to the latest developments in the Gilgo Beach case, indicating significant progress in the pursuit of justice.
For decades, these unsolved murders have haunted investigators since the initial search for missing companion Shannan Gilbert. The investigation began when Gilbert made a distressed call to 911 dispatchers on May 1, 2010, expressing fear for her life. Unfortunately, she was unable to provide an exact location, complicating law enforcement efforts to locate her.
The first revelations of the victims, known as the “Gilg Four,” came during the search for Gilbert, which led to the shocking discovery of multiple victims, many of them sex workers, near Jones Beach on Long Island. This case has remained an agonizing mystery for too long, and the arrest of Rex Heuermann offers a glimmer of hope that justice will finally be served.
How was he arrested?
A notable development is that Rex Heuermann, who had been an active member of the Gilgo Beach Homicide Task Force for nearly a year, was arrested at his residence in Massapequa Park. His arrest came after a key DNA link was established, marking a major breakthrough in the case.
Last year, a crucial audio recording of a 911 call made by one of the victims, Shannan Gilbert, just moments before her 2010 disappearance, provided a key turning point in the investigation. Gilbert, a sex worker, made the distressing call as she left a client’s residence, repeatedly expressing fear and saying, “Someone’s after me.” Unfortunately, by the time the police arrived at the scene after a 21-minute call, she had disappeared without a trace.
Investigators at the time initially speculated that Gilbert’s fate was not the result of foul play. Instead, they believed she may have been under the influence of drugs and accidentally ended up in a nearby swamp, where there was a possibility of drowning. “Based on the evidence, the facts and the totality of the circumstances, the prevailing opinion is that Shannan’s death, while tragic, was not a homicide and was most likely not a crime,” investigators said.
However, in 2022, investigators again expressed hope that the release of the 911 audio recording would provide key clues in the broader search for the elusive Gilgo Beach killer. As a result, officials announced a doubling of the reward to $50,000 for any information related to the murders.
While searching for Gilbert, investigators found additional human remains at Gilgo Beach in December of that year. The victims, young women in their 20s, were tragically found wrapped in burlap sacks. Collectively called the “Gilgo Four,” they were later identified as Maureen Brainard-Barnes, who was kidnapped in 2007; Melissa Barthelemy, disappeared in 2009; and Megan Waterman and Amber Costello, both of whom disappeared in 2010. The following spring, six more sets of remains were unearthed along Ocean Parkway.
The case gained national attention in 2010 when Melissa Barthelemy’s body was found along Ocean Parkway, followed by the discovery of the remains of three additional female victims in the following days. Along with earlier discoveries, including the “Gilgo Four”, the total number of bodies found in the area by spring 2011 reached 10, including an unidentified man and a young child.
The Gilgo Beach case
In a major breakthrough, authorities have finally arrested the suspect believed to be responsible for the Gilgo Beach serial killings that have plagued investigators for more than a decade. The person in custody has been identified as Rex Heuermann, a 59-year-old architect who lives in Massapequa Park, the New York Post reports. Heuermann is scheduled to appear in court tomorrow, marking a significant step toward justice in this long-running case.
The Gilgo Beach murders have drawn public attention since 11 human remains were found along the New York Beach Expressway more than 13 years ago. The puzzling mystery grabbed national headlines and even served as the inspiration for the 2020 Netflix film Lost Girls.
This recent arrest is particularly linked to the infamous “Gilgo Four” murders, where the bodies of four women were found wrapped in sackcloth in close proximity to each other in late 2010. By 2011, the total number of bodies recovered had reached 11, including eight women, an unidentified man and a small child.
The investigation initially began as a search for missing Jersey City sex worker Shannan Gilbert, whose body was not found until December 2011, a year after the Gilgo Four were found. This latest development opens up the possibility of shedding light on other victims who may have suffered a similar fate.
The suspect now faces charges in the murders of eleven victims whose remains were found along a highway on a beach in suburban Long Island. The identified victims include Shannan Gilbert, Melissa Barthelemy, Amber Costello, Megan Waterman, Maureen Brainard-Barnes, Jessica Taylor and Valerie Mack.
Investigators with forensic equipment were seen gathered around Heuermann’s residence shortly before 9:30 a.m., according to eyewitnesses cited by the New York Post. Neighbors referred to him as the “neighborhood muzzie” and expressed an eerie feeling knowing he had been living nearby for so long.
Reports indicate that Rex Heuermann is an experienced architect and founder of the prestigious Midtown architecture firm RH Consultants and Associates. His firm boasts notable clients including Catholic Charities, NYC-DEP Sewerage Treatment and American Airlines. Heuermann, originally from Long Island, has been working in Manhattan since 1987, as revealed in an interview available on YouTube.
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Categories: General
Source: HIS Education