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The Long Island Serial Killer case, one of the most complex homicide investigations in New York's recent history, has tied Rex Heuermann to the murders of seven women between 1993 and 2007. The 60-year-old architect from Massapequa Park was first arrested in July 2023.
Heuermann was charged in the killings of the so-called Gilgo Four, Melissa Barthelemy, Megan Waterman, Amber Costello, and Maureen Brainard-Barnes. Their remains were discovered along Gilgo Beach in 2010, as per a CBS News report dated December 17, 2024.
Later indictments included the deaths of Jessica Taylor, Sandra Costilla, and, most recently, Valerie Mack, whose dismembered remains were found in Manorville and Gilgo Beach between 2000 and 2011.
As per an NPR report dated June 7, 2024, investigators uncovered a digital document outlining a detailed "blueprint" for murder alongside violent content and forensic links.
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Though 11 victims were found near Gilgo Beach, Heuermann is charged in seven cases, and more indictments may follow. Netflix's upcoming docuseries Gone Girls: The Long Island Serial Killer revisits this case, examining the failures that prolonged the investigation. The series is set to be released on March 31, 2025.
Suffolk DA Raymond Tierney confirmed the Long Island Serial Killer suspect now faces seven murder charges, addressing the media alongside victims' families
Rex Heuermann, the man identified by authorities as the alleged Long Island Serial Killer, now faces charges in the murders of seven women between 1993 and 2007. The most recent charge involves Valerie Mack, a 24-year-old escort whose remains were first found in Manorville in 2000 and later on Gilgo Beach in 2011.
Mack had remained unidentified for years, known only as "Jane Doe #6." According to a CBS News report dated December 17, 2024, Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond Tierney confirmed the latest charge during a press conference alongside the victims' families.
The arrest of Heuermann, aka Long Island Serial Killer in July 2023 marked a significant development in a case that had remained unsolved for over a decade. As outlined in an ABC News report dated June 7, 2024, the investigation began in 2010 after the disappearance of Shannan Gilbert, whose case prompted authorities to search the area around Gilgo Beach. That search led to the discovery of ten additional sets of remains.
Four of them, Melissa Barthelemy, Megan Waterman, Amber Costello, and Maureen Brainard-Barnes, became known as the "Gilgo Four." All four were Craigslist escorts whose bodies were found within close proximity, wrapped in burlap.
Heuermann, a Massapequa-based architect, was initially charged in 2023 with the murders of Barthelemy, Waterman, and Costello. He was later indicted for the murder of Brainard-Barnes. These charges were followed in 2024 by additional indictments in the deaths of Jessica Taylor and Sandra Costilla.
Then, in December, Valerie Mack was added as the seventh identified victim. Prosecutors allege all the women were targeted due to their involvement in s*x work.
A CBS News report dated December 17, 2024, noted that court documents linked hairs found near Mack's remains to Heuermann's estranged wife and daughter. However, neither has been accused of wrongdoing.
Suffolk County prosecutors have stated that the evidence, including rope ligatures, digital planning documents, and violent pornography recovered from Heuermann's devices, suggests a methodical approach.
As reported by NPR on June 7, 2024, a Word file discovered on a hard drive in Heuermann's basement outlined specific steps for disposing of bodies and erasing evidence. This included directives such as "remove head and hands" and "have story set."
The timeline of alleged killings, according to court records cited in 6abc.com on June 7, 2024, begins with the 1993 murder of Sandra Costilla, whose body was found in Southampton. This extended the known span of the Long Island Serial Killer case back nearly two decades.
Jessica Taylor, another victim, disappeared in 2003. Her dismembered body was discovered in two separate locations, Manorville in 2003 and Gilgo Beach in 2011.
Despite being at the center of the investigation, Shannan Gilbert's death was not officially classified as a homicide. Her remains were discovered in 2011 in a marsh near Oak Beach, and law enforcement ruled her death as accidental. However, her family continues to dispute that conclusion.
The upcoming Netflix docuseries Gone Girls: The Long Island Serial Killer examines both the investigative failures and the broader social context behind the case. According to The Guardian report dated March 30, 2025, the series highlights how systemic disregard for s*x workers and internal corruption within Suffolk County law enforcement hampered progress.
Former Suffolk Police Chief James Burke, who obstructed FBI collaboration during the early stages of the case, was convicted of assault and obstruction of justice in an unrelated matter in 2016.
Notably, the documentary also explores how early witness testimony was ignored. Dave Schaller, a roommate of Amber Costello, described to police in 2010 an encounter with a man who matched Heuermann's description and vehicle, details that went uninvestigated for years.
It wasn't until a task force was formed in 2022 that interagency coordination resumed. Investigators identified Heuermann as a suspect within six weeks based on DNA and cellphone records.
While the Long Island Serial Killer has pleaded not guilty to all charges, the case remains active. Prosecutors have indicated that further indictments may follow as evidence is processed.
As per CBS News and NPR, the volume of material seized, including 120 terabytes of data from over 400 electronic devices, is substantial. The defense has already filed motions to separate the cases and request a change of venue due to pre-trial publicity.
As the Long Island Serial Killer case heads toward trial, the docuseries Gone Girls is expected to reignite public attention around the investigation, the victims, and the systemic issues that contributed to years of delay.
Stay tuned for more Gone Girls: The Long Island Serial Killer updates.
