Gilgo Beach murders – updates: Serial killer suspect Rex Heuermann charged with fourth murder
Rex Heuermann appeared in Suffolk County Courthouse in Long Island on Tuesday where he was charged with the murder of a fourth victim
Gilgo Beach serial killer suspect Rex Heuermann is back in court today where he is expected to be formally charged with the murder of a fourth victim.
The 60-year-old Manhattan architect appeared in Suffolk County Courthouse in Riverhead, Long Island – a hearing that comes weeks before the accused killer had been scheduled to return to court.
Mr Heuermann was arrested back in July in what marked a bombshell development in the notorious case that had rumbled on unsolved for over a decade, after the remains of 11 victims were found dumped along the shores.
At the time, he was charged with the murders of Megan Waterman, Amber Costello and Melissa Barthelemy – who each vanished after going to meet a client for sex work.
On Tuesday, Mr Heuermann was charged with a fourth murder related to the death of Maureen Brainard-Barnes.
Together, the four women he’s accused of killing are known as the “Gilgo Four”.
Suffolk County DA Raymond Tierney held a press conference after the court appearance, remarking on the “cutting edge” technology that led to the new charges.
Recap: What happened to Maureen Brainard-Barnes?
Maureen Brainard-Barnes was last seen alive in July 2007, when she left a motel in Manhattan to meet a client for sex work.
At the time, the 25-year-old was living in Norwich, Connecticut, but had travelled to Manhattan in early July where she was staying at and working out of the Super 8 Motel on 59 West 46th St.
She was known to advertise her services on Craigslist, Backpage and other websites under the names of Juliana or Marie. Just before midnight on 9 July 2007, Brainard-Barnes called a friend in Connecticut to say she would be going to meet a client on an “out-call” outside of the motel.
She was never seen or heard from again.
Over three years later in December 2010, her remains were discovered dumped in the remote marshes along Ocean Parkway, near Gilgo Beach.
Her body had been bound by three leather belts, one of which was embossed with the initials “W.H.” or H.M.”
Tuesday’s charges mean that Heuermann has been charged with all four of the “Gilgo four” murders.