Where is Rex Heuermann now? All about the suspected Long Island serial killer ahead of Gone Girls on Netflix

Rex Heuermann, a Long Island-based architect, is currently held at the Riverhead Correctional Facility in Suffolk County as he awaits trial for the murders of seven women. The 60-year-old was arrested in July 2023 after a decade-long investigation into the Gilgo Beach killings.

According to a People report dated May 15, 2024, Heuermann spends most of his time in the 60-square-foot jail cell and remains separated from the general prison population for safety reasons.

Heuermann was initially charged with the murders of Melissa Barthelemy, Amber Costello, and Megan Waterman. It was later followed by additional charges related to the murders of Maureen Brainard-Barnes, Sandra Costilla, Jessica Taylor, and Valerie Mack. As per a People report dated March 30, 2025, DNA from a discarded pizza box and burner phone data were critical to his identification.

Netflix's new docuseries Gone Girls: The Long Island Serial Killer is set to be released on March 31, 2025. It explores the 13-year investigation, the victims' stories, and the systemic failures that delayed justice, offering a broader context to the ongoing case against Rex Heuermann.

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Rex Heuermann was linked through cell data and a witness who saw his Chevy Avalanche near Amber Costello's last known location

Rex Heuermann, a Long Island architect, was first identified as a suspect in the Gilgo Beach murders in early 2022 after cell phone data and witness reports pointed toward his involvement.

According to a People report dated March 30, 2025, an eyewitness recalled seeing a Chevy Avalanche, registered to Heuermann, leaving the vicinity where Amber Costello disappeared in 2010. The vehicle description, which matched one previously shared by Costello's roommate, had remained buried in Suffolk County's investigative files for years.

A newly formed multi-agency task force was able to connect these older leads with updated surveillance and forensic analysis. According to The Guardian report dated March 30, 2025, it took just six weeks after the task force's creation to single out Heuermann as a primary suspect.

He was placed under surveillance for nearly ten months, during which investigators retrieved a discarded pizza box that later linked his DNA to a hair found on the body of Megan Waterman.

Rex Heuermann was arrested on July 13, 2023, and charged with the murders of four women: Melissa Barthelemy, Megan Waterman, Amber Costello, and Maureen Brainard-Barnes.

The four victims, collectively known as the "Gilgo Four," were all young women who had worked as online escorts and were last seen between 2007 and 2010. Their remains were discovered within a short stretch along Ocean Parkway in December 2010.

Later, in 2024, Heuermann was charged with three additional murders: Sandra Costilla in 1993, Jessica Taylor in 2003, and Valerie Mack in 2000. According to the People report dated March 30, 2025, these charges expanded the alleged timeline of his crimes, raising further questions about potential additional victims that remain unidentified.

Authorities also uncovered documents allegedly written by Heuermann, detailing methods for disposing of bodies and avoiding forensic detection. A People report dated March 30, 2025, mentions a list of "problems" and "supplies" such as saws, acid, and instructions for DNA elimination.

Following his arrest, Rex Heuermann was placed in custody at the Riverhead Correctional Facility in Suffolk County. Sheriff Dr. Errol D. Toulon Jr. told People (May 15, 2024) that Heuermann has since adapted to life in custody, spending his time reading, reviewing case discovery materials, and watching television. He does not interact with other inmates due to the nature of the charges against him.

“He receives visits, he makes phone calls, and he doesn't congregate with the rest of the population because of the crimes he's accused of,” Toulon said.

As of now, Rex Heuermann's legal proceedings are still in the preliminary phase. A hearing held on March 28, 2025, evaluated the admissibility of DNA evidence. A forensic expert testified in court that the techniques used were widely accepted within the scientific community, according to an ABC7 report referenced in the People article from March 30, 2025.

The case and its long-delayed developments are the focus of Gone Girls: The Long Island Serial Killer, a Netflix docuseries directed by Liz Garbus. The series looks into the investigative lapses, systemic issues, and law enforcement corruption that many believe contributed to the case remaining unsolved for more than a decade.

As reported by Decider on March 21, 2025, the series incorporates accounts from victims' families, sex workers, and individuals who encountered Rex Heuermann. It also includes an analysis of the corruption scandal involving former Suffolk County police chief James Burke and former district attorney Thomas Spota.

Gone Girls also examines how social stigma and institutional bias may have deprioritized the search for victims. Many of the women were not initially treated as credible missing persons, delaying critical investigative action, as per The Guardian report dated March 30, 2025.

While Rex Heuermann remains in custody, law enforcement continues to investigate other unsolved cases, with the task force expanding its efforts across Long Island. The release of Gone Girls: The Long Island Serial Killer is expected to renew public interest and scrutiny as Heuermann awaits trial.

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Gone Girls: The Long Island Serial Killer will be available to stream on Netflix from March 31, 2025.