Rex Heuermann, born September 13, 1963, a former architect based in Massapequa Park, New York, was arrested in July 2023 in connection with the notorious Gilgo Beach serial killings.
The case, which involved the murders of at least seven women—many of them sex workers—had gone unsolved for years, with victims’ remains discovered along Long Island’s South Shore. The killings spanned from the late 1990s to the early 2010s before Heuermann was identified as the prime suspect. He is currently awaiting trial in Riverhead Correctional Facility in Suffolk County, N.Y.
NAME: Rex Heuermann
ALIAS: Gilgo beach killer
DOB: September 13, 1963
COUNTRY: Long Island, New York, United States
VICTIMS: 7 confirmed (awaiting trial)
ARREST: July 13, 2023
SENTENCE: Currently awaiting trial
PRISON: Riverhead Correctional Facility in Suffolk County, N.Y.
SPOUSE: Asa Ellerup (1996 – 2025)
Where is Rex Heuermann now?
SENTENCE: Currently awaiting trial
Rex Heuermann is currently in Riverhead Correctional Facility in Suffolk County, NY awaiting trial.
Rex Heuermann faces charges for the murders of seven sex workers whose remains were discovered along Ocean Parkway between 2010-2011, though the killings allegedly date back to 1993. The case remained cold until July 2023, when Heuermann was arrested and initially charged with three murders: those of Amber Lynn Costello, Megan Waterman, and Melissa Barthelemy. [1]
- July 13, 2023 Arrested and charged with three murders.
- January 2024 Additionally charged with four more murders.
- March 28, 2025 Finalised divorce settlement with his wife.
- April 3, 2025 DNA evidence admissibility hearing.
July 13, 2023 Arrested and charged with three murders.
Heuermann was arrested and initially charged with three murders: those of Amber Lynn Costello, Megan Waterman, and Melissa Barthelemy. [1]
January 2024 Additionally charged with four more murders.
In January 2024, prosecutors expanded the charges to include Maureen Brainard-Barnes. These four victims became locally known as the “Gilgo Four.”
Suffolk County DA Raymond Tierney later brought additional charges, connecting Heuermann to three more victims: Valerie Mack, Jessica Taylor, and Sandra Costilla – the earliest alleged victim dating back to 1993. [1]
March 28, 2025 Finalised divorce settlement with his wife
As legal proceedings began last week March 2025 to determine the admissibility of DNA evidence in Rex Heuermann’s upcoming murder trial, the suspected Gilgo Beach serial killer reached a divorce settlement with his estranged wife, Asa Ellerup. Ellerup, who had shared their Massapequa Park home on Long Island with Heuermann and their children, filed for divorce shortly after his arrest in connection with the infamous serial killings. The resolution of their marital status comes as prosecutors and defense attorneys prepare for a pivotal battle over forensic evidence in the high-profile case. [2]
April 3, 2025 DNA evidence admissibility hearing
The hearing to determine the admissibility of key DNA evidence in the case against alleged serial killer Rex Heuermann continued on April 3, 2025, marking Heuermann’s second court appearance in less than a week. [2] Due to the severely degraded condition of hair samples recovered from the victims’ remains – a result of the extended period between their deaths and discovery – investigators had to rely on a specialized nuclear DNA testing method rather than more conventional techniques. [3]
Prosecutors previously called genome science expert Dr. Kelly Harris to testify in late March 2025, where she detailed her DNA research. This time, they summoned forensic science specialist Dr. Nicole Novroski, an assistant professor at the University of Toronto, to provide testimony on DNA analysis. [2]
Both experts affirmed that the DNA extraction method used was “effective.” However, the defense is seeking to exclude the evidence, arguing that the technique has never been admitted in a New York court before. [2]
CRIMES COMMITTED
Rex Heuermann stands accused of murdering at least seven women in a chilling pattern that spanned years, with victims’ remains discovered at different intervals.
The alleged victims, predominantly sex workers, vanished after arranging meetings with clients. Investigators uncovered a disturbing pattern: several were contacted through disposable burner phones, and forensic evidence showed many had been restrained with belts or other bindings.
A crucial DNA breakthrough connected Heuermann’s family members to crime scene evidence, though authorities emphasize these relatives are not considered suspects. This genetic link became a pivotal element in building the case against the alleged serial killer.
Sandra Costilla – 1993
The brutal discovery of Sandra Costilla’s body shocked the quiet community of North Sea on November 21, 1993. Two hunters stumbled upon the 28-year-old’s remains in a wooded area of Southampton, where she lay partially clothed – the victim of fatal strangulation.
Authorities described Costilla as a “drifter” whose transient lifestyle bore “substantial similarities” to known sex workers, though they stopped short of confirming her involvement in the trade. For decades, investigators believed her killer was someone other than Heuermann.
The Southampton murder scene, located in the North Sea area, became the earliest known crime now attributed to the alleged Gilgo Beach serial killer – marking what prosecutors believe was the beginning of a decades-long killing spree.
Maureen Brainard-Barnes – 2007
Maureen Brainard-Barnes, a 25-year-old believed to be engaged in sex work, vanished after telling a Connecticut friend about an “out call” on July 9, 2007. She was last seen in New York City before being reported missing in Norwich, Connecticut on July 14.
Nearly three years later, on December 13, 2010, her remains were discovered on Ocean Parkway’s north side near Gilgo Beach – within a quarter mile of where Melissa Barthelemy, Megan Waterman and Amber Costello’s bodies were found during the same police search.
Key forensic evidence emerged when investigators matched DNA from Heuermann’s wife to a leather belt used to restrain Brainard-Barnes. According to court documents:
- Three leather belts were used as bindings
- One belt secured her feet and ankles together
- Heuermann’s family was in Atlantic City during the murder timeline
Melissa Barthelemy – 2009
Melissa Barthelemy, a 24-year-old sex worker, was last seen alive on July 10, 2009 in her Bronx basement apartment. She told a friend she was meeting a client and would return by morning, according to Suffolk County police records. When she failed to appear, her mother reported her missing on July 18.
Cell records showed activity in Manhattan and Long Island (Freeport, Massapequa, Lindenhurst). Most chillingly, someone used Barthelemy’s phone in July/August 2009 to make cruel taunting calls to her family – a detail later included in Heuermann’s bail documents.
On December 11, 2010, a K9 officer searching for another missing woman (Shannan Gilbert) along Ocean Parkway made a grim find: Barthelemy’s remains in beachside bushes. Hers were the first female remains discovered in what would become the Gilgo Beach investigation.
Megan Waterman – 2010
Megan Waterman, a 22-year-old sex worker from Maine, was last seen alive on June 6, 2010 at the Holiday Inn Express in Hauppauge, New York. According to prosecutors, she had left the hotel around 1:30 AM to meet a client – a meeting from which she would never return.
Waterman’s journey to New York began when her family watched her board a Concord Trailways bus from Maine to New York. Just two days after her disappearance, her concerned family filed a missing persons report in Maine, alarmed by her uncharacteristic silence – especially about her young daughter who remained in their care.
Six months later, on December 13, 2010, Waterman’s body was discovered near Gilgo Beach, becoming another tragic link in what authorities would later connect to Rex Heuermann’s alleged killing spree.
Amber Lynn Costello – 2010
Amber Costello, a 27-year-old Long Island resident struggling with heroin addiction, supported herself through sex work before vanishing on September 2, 2010. Prosecutors say she was last seen leaving her West Babylon home to meet a client—a meeting that would be her last.
Witnesses told investigators the client she met that night had visited before. They described him as an imposing figure—a white man standing 6’4” to 6’6”, wearing oval-shaped glasses, with one witness even comparing him to an “ogre.” The description, later noted in Rex Heuermann’s bail application, matched him perfectly.
Another key detail came from witnesses: the suspect drove a first-generation Chevrolet Avalanche—a vehicle that eventually helped investigators link Heuermann to the crimes.
Costello’s remains were found on December 13, 2010, near Gilgo Beach. She is believed to be the fourth victim in what would become one of Long Island’s most infamous serial killer cases.
Valerie Mack
On April 4, 2011, police searching for Shannan Gilbert made a chilling discovery along Ocean Parkway: three sets of remains, including those of Valerie Mack. The 24-year-old escort from Philadelphia had vanished years earlier, her case taking a macabre turn when her partial remains were first found in Manorville in September 2000.
Mack’s skeletal remains were scattered across locations – her 2011 discovery site lay 1.5 miles east of Jessica Taylor’s remains and over 2 miles from the “Gilgo Four.” Prosecutors revealed the killer’s horrifying methodology: they severed Mack’s right leg at mid-calf, specifically to conceal a tattoo bearing her son’s name.
Investigators uncovered disturbing notes on the suspect’s computer, described as a “planning document,” which detailed removing identifying marks like tattoos before “packaging” victims. This gruesome detail directly connected to Mack’s mutilation – a deliberate attempt to delay identification of the Philadelphia woman whose remains went unidentified for years.
Jessica Taylor – 2003
On March 29, 2011, during the ongoing search for Shannan Gilbert, police uncovered partial skeletal remains belonging to Jessica Taylor, a 20-year-old sex worker who frequented New York City’s Port Authority Bus Terminal. The remains were found several miles east of the “Gilgo Four” victims—but Taylor’s case had a horrifying backstory.
Taylor’s dismembered body was first discovered in July 2003 in Manorville, a wooded area near Heuermann’s Massapequa Park home. A woman walking her dog stumbled upon her nude, decapitated remains—her arms severed from her torso. Years later, her skull, hands, and forearm were found along Ocean Parkway, just east of Gilgo Beach, near other victims’ remains.
Investigators linked Heuermann to Taylor’s murder through DNA from a male human hair recovered from her body—specifically from a surgical drape beneath her. Additionally, phone records confirmed that Heuermann’s wife and children were out of town at the time of Taylor’s killing, eliminating potential alibis.
Taylor’s decapitation and severed limbs suggested a killer experienced in concealing identities. Remains found in both Manorville and Gilgo Beach pointed to a pattern. The hair evidence and phone records became crucial in tying Heuermann to the crime.
Taylor’s case was one of the earliest in the Gilgo Beach investigation, and the Manorville-Gilgo connection later became a critical piece of the puzzle. The surgical drape and dismemberment indicated a calculated killer—one who took steps to avoid detection, but ultimately left behind traces that led to his arrest.
CAPTURE & INVESTIGATION
In January 2022, the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office launched a multi-agency task force to re-examine evidence from nearly a dozen sets of remains discovered along Long Island’s South Shore (2010–2011), including the infamous “Gilgo Four.”
By March 14, 2022, Rex Heuermann emerged as a suspect after investigators traced his Chevrolet Avalanche—a vehicle matching witness accounts from Amber Costello’s disappearance.
On July 13, 2023, Heuermann was arrested at his Manhattan office after forensic investigators matched DNA from hair on Megan Waterman’s burlap wrapping to Heuermann’s discarded pizza crust (collected in January 2023), tracked his movements via cellphone records, placing him near crime scenes in Massapequa Park and midtown Manhattan.
The next day (July 14, 2023), his attorney entered a not guilty plea on charges of 3 counts of second-degree murder.
Heuermann was denied bail.
On June 6, 2024, prosecutors charged Heuermann with two additional murders:
– Jessica Taylor (2003) – Remains found in Manorville (2003) and Gilgo Beach (2011). DNA from a hair on a surgical drape linked him to the crime.
– Sandra Costilla (1993) – Initially suspected to be the work of another killer (John Bittrolff), but advanced DNA testing implicated Heuermann.
Vehicle and witness testimony first tied Heuermann to the case. Trash DNA and cell data solidified the prosecution’s case. Cold-case breakthroughs expanded charges, showing a longer alleged killing spree.
TRIAL & CONVICTIONS
A trial date for Rex Heuermann in the Gilgo Beach serial killings case has not yet been set.
SHARE ON SOCIALS:
REFERENCES / CITATIONS:
- New York Post: Gilgo Beach murders’ body count stops at 7 — as feds release $13M in frozen funds to prosecutors: DA – March 12, 2025
- Independent: Suspected Gilgo Beach serial killer and wife reach divorce settlement amid court hearing on DNA evidence – March 28, 2025
- Long Island News: DNA evidence hearing resumes in Gilgo Beach serial killer case – April 3, 2025
- New York Post: Gilgo Beach prosecutors play ‘Jurassic Park’ clip in surprise move to boost the case for DNA evidence – April 2, 2025
TV SHOWS & DOCS FEATURING Rex Heuermann
Gone Girls: The Long Island Serial Killer
A look back at the women who disappeared from New York City and Long Island before the 2010 discovery of female remains found in the Gilgo Beach area of Long Island, which lead authorities to believe the deaths were all connected.
TV Mini Series / Documentary | 2025 | 3 Episodes
NETFLIX
YOUTUBE
Note: Symbol denotes the show/episode is currently available to watch on youtube: We will list the main youtube channel where available, but wont link to channels directly on the page. Please see the comments section for links to specific shows/episodes.
MORE ARTICLES ABOUT Rex Heuermann
A selection of interesting articles about Rex Heuermann, sourced and curated from around the web:
Gilgo Beach murders | Here’s a timeline of the investigation
6ABC | Author: Meredith Deliso | June 7, 2024
What we know about the women known as the ‘Gilgo Four’
CNN | Author: Ray Sanchez | June 6, 2024
‘BLUEPRINT’ OF MURDERS HELPS LEAD TO HEUERMANN’S CHARGES IN DEATHS OF 2 MORE WOMEN: PROSECUTORS
ABC 30 | Author: Staff | June 6, 2024
DNA evidence hearing resumes in Gilgo Beach serial killer case
Long Island News | Author: Jonathan Gordon and Cecilia Dowd | April 3, 2025
Gilgo Beach prosecutors play ‘Jurassic Park’ clip in surprise move to boost the case for DNA evidence
New York Post: | Author: Brandon Cruz and Priscilla DeGregory | April 2, 2025
Suspected Gilgo Beach serial killer and wife reach divorce settlement amid court hearing on DNA evidence
Independent | Author: Andrea Cavallier | March 28, 2025
Gilgo Beach murders’ body count stops at 7 — as feds release $13M in frozen funds to prosecutors: DA
New York Post: | Author: Kevin Sheehan and Jorge Fitz-Gibbon | March 12, 2025
