The suspect charged in some of the Gilgo Beach, New York, slayings reportedly asked officials a disturbing question after being arrested Thursday.
During intake at the jail, 59-year-old architect Rex Heuermann reportedly asked, “Is it in the news?” according to a CNN article published Tuesday.
Officials have charged Heuermann with murdering three of the “Gilgo Four,” a group of women whose remains were found in the Long Island area in 2010.
The suspect has since pleaded not guilty in the deaths of the victims, identified as Melissa Barthelemy, Megan Waterman, and Amber Costello, and he is now the main suspect in the killing of a woman named Maureen Brainard-Barnes, who disappeared in 2007.
Articles about the recent discovery of bodies near a Long Island, New York, beach as seen in April 6 issues of Newsday and the New York Daily News newspapers on April 7, 2011, in New York. (STAN HONDA/AFP via Getty Images)
During their investigation into the killings, officials discovered hairs on or near some of the victims and sent them for testing. They were later determined not to belong to a woman among the victims but to Heuermann’s wife, according to Breitbart News.
The suspect was identified, in part, due to DNA found on a pizza crust he discarded in a Manhattan garbage can. In addition, the suspect’s vehicle helped lead investigators to him after a witness in Costello’s disappearance identified the killer’s vehicle as a Chevrolet Avalanche, which Heuermann drove.
The outlet also noted that a woman named Shannan Gilbert was the first of 11 victims authorities found slain.
Crime scene investigators use metal detectors to search a marsh for the remains of Shannan Gilbert on December 12, 2011, in Oak Beach, New York. (James Carbone/Newsday via AP, Pool, File)
“Rex Heuermann is a demon that walks among us, a predator that ruined families,” one official told reporters during a press conference after the suspect’s arrest.
According to Law & Crime, Heuermann reportedly closely followed the case from his home in Massapequa Park.
“Heuermann also stalked his victims and their families and sought out violent sex videos online,” the report said:
On Saturday, officials found and removed a child-sized doll while searching through Heuermann’s childhood home.
“We are thoroughly examining his residence for any potential evidence, including trophies,” a police source involved in the search stated.
A crime laboratory officer moves a plastic bag of items as law enforcement searches the home of Rex Heuermann on July 15, 2023, in Massapequa Park, New York. (AP Photo/Jeenah Moon)
CNN reported the suspect is on suicide watch while in jail, according to Vicki DiStefano, a spokesperson with the Suffolk County Sheriff’s Office.
The CNN report also highlighted the 11 sets of human remains discovered in different places across Long Island’s South Shore area.
When asked if officials may eventually link the suspect to additional victims, Suffolk County Deputy Police Commissioner Anthony Carter told the outlet, “As we continue to gather evidence, anything is possible.”
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