SUFFOLK COUNTY, NEW YORK: The quiet neighborhood of Oak Beach in Suffolk County, which experienced unspeakable horrors for almost 15 years from 1996 to 2010, can probably breathe a sigh of relief as the first arrest in the case has been made. New York-based architect Rex Heuermann has been arrested as the prime suspect for the Gilgo Beach murders that happened from 1996-2010.
The Suffolk County Police Department found the accused after a relentless pursuit for more than 10 years. The investigation included a thorough examination using modern technology, tracking cell phone signals and even DNA testing of leftover pizza crusts. Tracking the suspect’s whereabouts, the SCPD was quick to realize the method in madness in the accused's mind. Heuermann was arrested on Thursday, July 13, and faces first and second-degree murder charges in connection with the killings of Melissa Barthelemy, 24, Megan Waterman, 22, and Amber Costello, 27. He is considered a "prime suspect" in the murder of Maureen Brainard-Barnes, 25.
Victims' remains found quarter mile of each other
A statement by the SCPD about the homicides read, "Years before the 2010 discovery of one set of human remains at Oak Beach in Suffolk County, 10 people fell victim to suspected homicide. Multiple females, one male, and a toddler were robbed of their lives between 1996 and 2010. The pursuit of a 2010 missing persons search unveiled their remains across Long Island; and, one of the most consequential homicide investigations in the history of Long Island began,” as per Newsweek.
The location of Heuermann’s home and the location where the victims' remains were found, helped the police department in gathering evidence against the suspect. According to WABC news in New York, Heuermann's residence is located at 105 1st Avenue in Massapequa Park. As per Google Maps, Heuermann’s home is approximately 27 minutes from the long and secluded stretch of Gilgo Beach, where most of the dead bodies of his victims were discovered.
According to a map released by the SCPD, the timeline as well as the locations of the spots where the victims' remains can be seen. Going from left to right, the first body found was Amber Lynn Costello’s, which was found on December 13, 2010. Just 0.16 miles from the first site is the second site from where Melissa Barthelemy’s body was discovered on December 11 of the same year. Next, within just two miles, two other bodies were found. At 0.05 miles from Barthelemy, Maureen Brainard-Barnes’ remains were found on December 13. On the same day, Megan Waterman’s body was discovered 0.07 miles from the previous site and 0.90 miles from here, Jessica Taylor’s body was found.
Two unidentified bodies were found
Between the spots where Waterman’s and Taylor’s remains were found, the remains of an unidentified Asian man's body was found. At the very end of the stretch, an unidentified toddler’s dead body was discovered too. One of the women found dead was believed to be the toddler’s mother.
