What’s New
Rex Heuermann was charged with murdering a seventh woman in court on Tuesday.
Heuermann is now accused of killing Valerie Mack, a 24-year-old escort who was last seen in 2000 and whose partial remains were found in eastern Long Island in November of that year.
Newsweek has reached out to Heuermann’s attorney and the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office via email for comment.
Why It Matters
Heuermann, 60, was initially charged over the deaths of the “Gilgo Four,” Maureen Brainard-Barnes, Melissa Barthelemy, Megan Waterman and Amber Lynn Costello. The four victims’ bodies were found in 2010 near Gilgo Beach in Long Island.
Heuermann was charged with additional counts for the killings of Jessica Taylor and Sandra Costilla in June.
James Carbone/Newsday via AP, File, Pool
What to Know
Costilla, 28, was killed in November of 1993. Her body was found in a wooded area in North Sea, New York, later that month. DNA from hairs found on her body matched Heuermann. She is his earliest known alleged victim.
Mack’s partial remains were found in November 2000 in a wooded area of Manorville, New York. She was last seen by family members in New Jersey in the spring or summer of that year. The rest of her remains were found in 2011 near Gilgo Beach. She was not identified until 2020.
Taylor was last seen in July 2023 at the Port Authority Bus Terminal in New York City. Her remains were found in Manorville five days later.
Brainard-Barnes was last seen in 2007, Barthelemy in 2009 and Waterman and Costello in 2010. A police dog located Barthelemy’s remains while searching for missing woman Shannan Gilbert in December of 2010. Police discovered the other three bodies while searching for more evidence.
Heuermann was initially arrested in Manhattan in July 2023. Officials began considering him as a suspect in 2022 after a dark green Chevrolet Avalanche registered to his name was linked to one of the killings by a witness.
His cellphone records were allegedly linked to three of the Gilgo Four victims. Officials collected DNA evidence from a pizza crust he had discarded and matched it to a hair found on burlap one of the victims was wrapped in.
Heuermann has pleaded not guilty to all charges.
His last court appearance was on October 16. During the proceeding, Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney urged the Justice Department to release frozen funds to help cover the costs of prosecution.
What Happens Next
Heuermann is being held at the Suffolk County Jail in Riverhead, New York. A trial date has not been set yet.
Do you have a story Newsweek should be covering? Do you have any questions about this story? Contact LiveNews@newsweek.com.
