Suspected Gilgo Beach Serial Killer Rex Heuermann Charged with 2 More Murders, Bringing Alleged Victim Count to 6
Suspected Gilgo Beach serial killer Rex Heuermann was charged on Thursday in a Suffolk County courtroom with the murders of two additional women - bringing his alleged victim count to a total of six - as prosecutors revealed more of the evidence they have against him, including disturbing "planning documents" purportedly penned by the Massapequa Park resident that they say he used to methodically blueprint his murders.
Heuermann, 60, plead not guilty to the two second-degree murder charges stemming from the death of Sandra Costilla in 1993 and death of Jessica Taylor in 2003.
Heuermann made national headlines when he was arrested on July 13, 2023, as a suspect in the Gilgo Beach case; he was charged the following day by Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond A. Tierney in the murders of three of "the Gilgo Four" victims: Amber Lynn Costello, 27, Melissa Barthelemy, 24, and Megan Waterman, 22.
On January 16, DA Tierney unsealed additional charges against Heuermann at the Suffolk County Courthouse in Riverhead, tying him to the murder of Maureen Brainard-Barnes, 25, a fourth woman whose remains were discovered near Gilgo Beach; Heuermann was already the prime suspect in her death.
In the courtroom Thursday, Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney noted that investigators combing Heuermann's home had uncovered numerous horrific “planning documents” for his alleged crimes stored on a hard drive in his computer, including locations where he would dump human remains, as well actions he would undertake to avoid being caught, such as "Wash body inside and all cavities" and "Remember: don't charge gas."
A copy of one of the documents provided by the Suffolk County District Attorney's Office can be viewed below:
“The task force believes that this is a planning document that was used by Heuermann to plot out his kills with excruciating detail,” Tierney said on Thursday. “His motivations, meticulous planning, and clear intent was obvious. His intent was nothing short but to murder these victims.”
Investigators also discovered a “significant collection” of torture porn in Heuermann’s home, where they say he "likely" carried out mutilating and torturing his alleged victims.