Gilgo Beach murders: New search underway at Rex Heuermann house
LONG ISLAND - Authorities once again searched the Long Island home of Gilgo Beach murder suspect Rex Heuermann on Monday morning.
Investigators with large evidence bags were seen going in and out of the home throughout the day, however, law enforcement has not commented on why they returned to Heuermann's home in Massapequa Park or what they are searching for.
Spokespersons for the New York State Police and Suffolk County Police Department deferred questions to Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney's office, which declined to comment.
"As District Attorney Tierney has previously stated, the work of the Gilgo Beach Homicide Task force is continuing," his spokesperson Tania Lopez said in an emailed statement. "We do not comment on investigative steps while ongoing."
Lawyers for Heuermann and his family didn't respond to emails seeking comment.
Heuermann, a 60-year-old architect, was initially arrested outside his Manhattan office back in July for the murder of three sex workers. He was later charged with the murder of a fourth victim.
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Maureen Brainard-Barnes, 25, Melissa Barthelemy, 24, Megan Waterman, 22, and Amber Lynn Costello, 27 are known as the "Gilgo Four."
Heuermann has pleaded not guilty.
What are the Gilgo Beach murders?
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.
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What are the Gilgo Beach murders?
Most of the victims were young women who had been sex workers. Several of the bodies were found near the town of Gilgo Beach.
Determining who killed them, and why, has vexed a slew of seasoned homicide detectives through several changes in police leadership. Last year, an interagency task force was formed with investigators from the FBI, as well as state and local police departments, aimed at solving the case.
The formation of the Gilgo Beach task force represented a renewed commitment to investigating the unsolved killings, Suffolk County Police Commissioner Rodney Harrison said at the time.
The 'Gilgo Four'
The bodies of the "Gilgo Four" were located within a quarter-mile of one another near Gilgo Beach in December 2010.
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Who were the Gilgo Beach murder victims?
Most of the victims were young women who had been sex workers. Several of the bodies were found near the town of Gilgo Beach.
In 2022, Suffolk County Police released new information on victims – Brainard-Barnes, Barthelemy, Waterman and Costello, including personal information and their last known whereabouts.
Shannan 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.
Gilbert's disappearance and search is what ultimately led to the discovery of several remains in the area.
Associated Press wire services helped contribute to this report.