Gilgo Beach murders: Can DNA evidence be used for trial for Heuermann?

Suspected Gilgo Beach serial killer Rex Heuermann appeared in court on Long Island on Wednesday. 

What happened in the courtroom?

What we know:

FOX 5 NY’s Jodi Goldberg said this is a very slow moving case because the prosecution as well as Rex Heuermann’s defense team said there’s so much to sift through. 

The main focus of Wednesday's court appearance was based on two factors: DNA evidence and whether the seven murders he’s charged with should be tried together. 

Heuermann stood quietly for a short conference this morning.

(Pool pics)

The prosecution's case is based in part on DNA specifically from hairs on six of the women that are linked to Heuermann or his family. The question is whether they can be used in the trial. 

Heuermann has also been tied to the cases through cell site data and phone records as well as a planning document found on his hard drive with strategies on how he’d carry out the murders.

What's next:

Heuermann is due back in court on February 18. 

What did Heuermann's attorney say?

What they're saying:

His attorney, Michael Brown, continued to argue this type of DNA has never been used in a New York state court before, and it's not accurate.

He also said his client is maintaining his innocence and pushing to separate the cases to get a fair trial. 

"Each case has to be proved with the elements beyond reasonable doubt," Brown said. "That's the law. That's the requirement and that's what the judge will tell the jury. The danger of having count after count, victim after victim in the same trial is that smoke there's fire mentality. They shouldn't be tied together."

"It’s not new technology. It’s used in our everyday lives, it’s used in medical, forensic, paleontology, identify 911 remains, all of these things were just applying this very effective and tried and true technology to the courtrooms," Suffolk County DA Ray Tierney said.

What are the Gilgo Beach murders?

The backstory:

The Gilgo Beach murders – the deaths of 11 people whose remains were found in 2010 and 2011 – have long stumped investigators. 

Most of the victims were young women who had been sex workers. Several of the bodies were found near the remote town of Gilgo Beach on the southern shore of Long Island.

Determining who killed them, and why, has vexed a slew of seasoned homicide detectives through several changes in police leadership.

The Gilgo Four

Big picture view:

The bodies of the "Gilgo Four" were located within a quarter-mile of one another near Gilgo Beach back in December 2010.

Gilbert, a 24-year-old sex worker, vanished on May 1, 2010. A police officer and his cadaver dog were looking for her body in the thicket along nearby Ocean Parkway when they happened upon the remains of a different woman. Within days, three other bodies were found, all within a short walk of one another.

Related

Alleged Gilgo Beach serial killer Rex Heuermann charged with 7th murder

Suspected Gilgo Beach serial killer Rex Heuermann was charged with a seventh murder on Tuesday morning in the death of Valerie Mack.

Gilbert's disappearance and search is what ultimately led to the discovery of several remains in the area.

The Source: This article contains previous reporting from FOX 5 NY, as well as published information from the Associated Press.

Long IslandCrime and Public Safety