Rex Heuermann, whom prosecutors charged in July as the Gilgo Beach serial killer, was indicted Tuesday morning in reference to a fourth homicide.
Mr. Heuermann, 60, was beforehand charged within the killings of three of the 4 girls who in 2010 have been discovered certain in comparable style with burlap, belts and tape on the Lengthy Island oceanfront.
In July, prosecutors referred to as Mr. Heuermann the prime suspect within the homicide of the fourth girl, Maureen Brainard-Barnes, 25, of Norwich, Conn. Ms. Brainard-Barnes disappeared in 2007, changing into the primary of the so-called Gilgo 4 to fade.
However fees in her killing have been delayed, pending DNA test results on a hair recovered from her remains, and the grand jury within the case continued its work. Months later, it lastly returned a homicide indictment in connection together with her demise.
In a Suffolk County courtroom Tuesday morning, Mr. Heuermann, his arms shackled behind his again, remained silent and maintained a peaceful demeanor because the district lawyer, Ray Tierney, requested the choose to maintain him remanded with out bail.
Mr. Heuermann pleaded not responsible, as he has to all earlier fees.
The DNA checks confirmed that the hair had belonged to Mr. Heuermann’s spouse, Asa Ellerup, prosecutors say, and was possible tracked to the crime scene by Mr. Heuermann.
Prosecutors say that Ms. Ellerup, who has not been charged within the Gilgo Seashore case, was out of city in the course of the disappearances of the ladies, whom they are saying Mr. Heuermann employed as escorts after which killed.
Courtroom papers filed on Tuesday added particulars that may strengthen prosecutors’ claims that DNA proof linked Mr. Heuermann to all 4 victims, and that he was making an attempt to cowl his tracks through the use of software program to erase on-line interactions with escorts.
Mr. Heuermann was first recognized as a suspect within the killings in early 2022, shortly after a brand new multiagency activity drive was shaped to research the case.
Investigators say he made quite a few calls and texts to Ms. Brainard-Barnes simply earlier than her disappearance.
Prosecutors say in addition they have data of damning web searches he made, in addition to cell phone location information comparable to his dwelling in Massapequa Park and his architectural consulting workplace in Midtown Manhattan.
The DNA proof connecting him to the murders contains a number of stray hairsfound on the our bodies belonging to Ms. Ellerup, and a male hair that corresponds to a genetic pattern taken from pizza crusts Mr. Heuermann discarded exterior his workplace, prosecutors say.
Investigators say Ms. Brainard-Barnes’ stays, possible probably the most decomposed of the 4 units, have been certain by three belts.
The stray feminine hair was discovered close to one belt, and one other belt had a particular buckle bearing the initials W.H., which the authorities stated in 2020 may have belonged to Mr. Heuermann’s father.
“He has maintained his innocence from day one,” Michael Brown, Mr. Heuermann’s lawyer, stated exterior the courtroom after the listening to on Tuesday. “He’s looking forward to fighting these charges and we’re doing that.”
Mr. Brown cited weaknesses within the mitochondrial DNA testing utilized by investigators.
The know-how doesn’t show a hyperlink to a particular individual, however as an alternative eliminates suspects by ruling out others. Mr. Brown has argued that Mr. Heuermann may very well be amongst a bunch of “thousands and thousands” of suspects.
After the 4 girls’s our bodies have been found in 2010 alongside a stretch of oceanfront parkway, six extra units of stays have been discovered. The circumstances round these deaths are nonetheless being investigated.
