LONG ISLAND, NEW YORK: Rex Heuermann, a suspect in the murder of Gilgo Beach, is said to have informed guards in his cell that he wants to "avoid" problems. After being detained on suspicion of murder on July 13, Heuermann, 59, is currently being held at the high-security Suffolk County Correctional Facility in Riverhead. He is suspected of killing Melissa Barthelemy, Megan Waterman, and Amber Costello, whose corpses were discovered next to a road at Gilgo Beach.
The arrest is the most significant step in the investigation since authorities found the remains in 2010. Mr. Heuermann is also being investigated in connection with at least six other victims connected to the Gilgo Beach killings and is the main suspect in a fourth homicide.
Heuermann has entered 'not guilty' plea
According to his lawyers, Heuermann has entered a 'not guilty' plea and allegedly sobbed as he reaffirmed his innocence. Incredibly, DNA, cellphone records, and witness testimony are just a few of the pieces of evidence Suffolk County prosecutors have produced that they claim connect him to the killings, as reported by Independent.
The accused killer, according to Suffolk County Sheriff Errol Toulon, has been detained in a cell alone and hasn't received any visits in the almost six days since his arrest. According to the regular jail routine, Heuermann is on suicide watch. However, Sheriff Toulon noted that in the next days, a new evaluation of his mental health would be made.
'It seems like he's very comfortable in his cell'
Sheriff Toulon said, "It seems like he's very comfortable in his cell and his surroundings. He's indicated to my staff that he would not be any issue to us and would be extremely compliant, so we'll see how that plays out in the days and weeks ahead." Heuermann's wife, Asa Ellerup, is said to have been "disgusted" when she learned that her husband had been arrested and charged with three of the string of unsolved killings that have haunted Long Island for more than a decade, according to CNN.
Rex Heuermann's wife of more than 20 years asks for divorce
Online court documents reveal that on Wednesday, July 19, Asa Ellerup, who has been married to the alleged serial killer Rex Heuermann for more than 20 years, submitted a marital complaint to Suffolk County Supreme Court. The divorce is described as "uncontested" in the document named Asa Ellerup v Rex Heuermann. The suspect's home, where he spent all his life, was raided over the weekend. The property is only a 20-minute drive from Gilgo Beach, where the murderer dumped the corpses of his victims. Police earlier said that he had valid licenses for 92 firearms, as per reports.