LONG ISLAND, NEW YORK: In yet another shocking turn of events surrounding the case of accused serial killer Rex Heuermann, attorney John Ray, who represents the families of murder victims Shannan Gilbert and Jessica Taylor, has put forth a chilling claim. Ray believes that Heuermann, who has not yet been officially connected to the aforementioned victims, may not have acted alone in his alleged crimes. According to Ray, there is reason to suspect that a female accomplice may have been involved, potentially luring some of the victims.
Did Rex Heuermann have a female accomplice?
To support his theory, Ray referenced the discovery of the remains of an unidentified 10-month-old baby girl found wrapped in a blanket on Long Island in 2011. Ray argued that the careful manner in which the infant's body was wrapped suggests the involvement of a compassionate figure, possibly a mother. "It's that kind of thing that, if you're such a depraved murderer, you don't take time to do. That to me seems like an act of a mother," he told The Sun, adding, "We also believe that some of the victims could've been lured by a woman." This revelation opens up new avenues for investigation and casts a darker shadow over the already haunting case.
As investigators combed through Heuermann's residence in Massapequa Park, a series of disturbing items were confiscated. Among the seized belongings were a Playboy magazine, film negatives, a poster from the TV show 'M*A*S*H', and a painting portraying a battered woman. The nature of these items raises additional questions about Heuermann's possible accomplices or connections to a female figure.
Troubling calls
Further adding to the unsettling narrative, attorney John Ray revealed that he and his associates had been subjected to disturbing phone calls. These calls, made to Ray's home, relatives, and law office since January of this year, appeared to be coordinated efforts involving both a male and a female caller. "The same language is used, the same tape recordings are used, it's the same eerie voices and crazy sounds that are used in every one of those calls," he said. "They play news reports from the Shannon Gilbert case from sometime around 2011 or 2012 and make noises in the background at the same time. Then they say some nasty things or weird things to let us know that, whoever it was, they wanted to make sure we connected the call to the Gilgo situation."
The frequency and nature of these calls, coupled with their knowledge of Ray's activities, suggest a sinister surveillance operation. "One time they called us, and I had just got home at nine o'clock and we were eating a later dinner, and the phone rang and they said, 'I hope you're enjoying dinner,'" the lawyer recalled. "Then this person, a few seconds later, said, 'I hope you enjoy your pizza.' Within seconds, our doorbell rang, and - we live up in a dark area up on a hill - there was the guy delivering three pizzas. And we didn't order the pizzas. So we call the Pizza Hut where they were coming from. We called the police, and the Pizza Hut person who took the order said it was a woman with a man in the background pretending to choose toppings that had made the call."
Amid the unfolding revelations, Ray expressed his belief that more arrests would follow in connection with the string of murders. However, the true extent of the crimes and the number of individuals involved remain uncertain. Ray asserted, "Right now we have seven victims, besides the four, and there are likely more that haven't been found yet." He urged authorities to remain vigilant in their pursuit of justice, emphasizing the importance of apprehending any other potential murderers or accomplices involved. "So while the news of the arrest came as a great sigh of relief for me and these families [...] we're also concerned, to make sure that the other potential murderer or murderers are still going to be actively sought after," he said.
Arrest and ongoing investigation
Rex Heuermann, a married father-of-two and owner of Manhattan architecture firm RH Consultants & Associates, was apprehended outside his office on Thursday night. Heuermann now faces charges in the killings of three of the 11 individuals found deceased around Gilgo Beach. The bodies of Melissa Barthelemy, Megan Waterman, and Amber Costello, all young sex workers in their 20s, were discovered in 2010 within close proximity to one another. Heuermann is also considered the prime suspect in the death of Maureen Brainard-Barnes, bringing the total number of victims under suspicion to four—the so-called "Gilgo Four."
Heuermann, who vehemently maintains his innocence, pleaded not guilty to the charges brought against him. His defense attorney stated that there is no evidence linking him to the crimes. However, the discovery of DNA on a hair, found alongside one of the victims' bodies, played a crucial role in identifying and apprehending Heuermann.
