MASSAPEQUA PARK, N.Y. – A suspect in the infamous Gilgo Beach murder case, Rex Heuermann, has been charged with the murder of a fourth woman after over a decade since the discovery of her remains and others had sparked fears of a Long Island serial killer. Heuermann, an architect and consultant residing in Massapequa Park, pleaded not guilty to the new second-degree murder charge brought against him for allegedly killing Maureen Brainard-Barnes, a Connecticut resident whose skeletal remains were found near the Long Island coast years after her death in 2007, Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney said.
The case of the Gilgo Four, including Brainard-Barnes, Melissa Barthelemy, Megan Waterman, and Amber Costello, brought attention to the Long Island area when their remains were found along Ocean Parkway in 2010 and 2011. The most recent charge against Heuermann comes after he had previously pleaded not guilty to the alleged murders of Barthelemy, Waterman, and Costello.
The district attorney revealed that a significant piece of evidence implicating Heuermann in Brainard-Barnes’ murder is a hair fragment that was found on the buckle of the belt used to restrain her remains. It was stated that the DNA profile generated from the female hair fragment is 7.9 trillion times more likely to have come from a person genetically identical to Asa Ellerup, Heuermann’s wife.
In response to the new charges, Heuermann’s attorney did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Additionally, Heuermann’s family members have submitted themselves for DNA testing, and the prosecutors are continuing their investigations into the deaths of six other individuals whose remains were found around Ocean Parkway. Heuermann appeared in Suffolk County Supreme Court Tuesday morning where the DA requested that he continues to be held without bail.
The revelation of the new charges against Heuermann has reignited public interest in the ongoing investigation into the notorious Gilgo Beach murders, which had gripped the community and law enforcement for years. With new evidence and charges coming to light, the case continues to unfold, shedding new light on the horrific crimes that have haunted Long Island.