Gilgo Beach murders: Trial date could be set as early as December
LONG ISLAND - A trial date for alleged serial killer Rex Heuermann could be set as early as December, according to a judge.
The Suffolk County District Attorney's office said they handed over 99.9% of all data seized from the search warrant when they carefully combed through Heuermann’s home.
The DA's office also gave the defense more than 120 terabytes of material as well as lab reports and bench notes.
This is the second time Heuermann faced a judge since he was tied to two more murders dating back to 1993.
Suffolk County DA Ray Tierney is calling on the federal government to hand over federal asset forfeiture proceeds frozen by the Justice Department as part of an ongoing investigation into a previous district attorney.
He estimated about $13 million is tied up in the investigation and needs the money to keep working on Heuermann’s case.
"I'd love to have that money and be able to use it to be able to bring this case to a resolution," Tierney said. "So, I am going to go to the Department of Justice once again hat in hand and I will beg them."
FOX 5 has reached out to the Federal Government about the asset forfeiture money and has not heard back.
Photographer: Newsday / James Carbone
Heuermann, a 60-year-old architect, was initially arrested outside his Manhattan office back in July 2023 for the murder of three sex workers. He was later charged with the murder of a fourth victim.
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 to all charges.
"He understands he’s going to have his day in court, but it’s just going to take a while to get to that point. I’ve told him it’s going to be a long process," Heuermann's attorney Michael Brown said. "There's a tremendous amount of discovery that they have to provide us and that we have to review still, but we're moving forward and moving towards that end point."
Heuermann is due back in court for his next press conference on Dec. 17.
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.
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.
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.