
Suspected Gilgo Beach serial killer’s ‘taunting’ calls and horrifying search history revealed
A New York architect accused of murdering three women and dumping their bodies near Gilgo Beach on Long Island allegedly made “taunting” calls to a relative of one of his victims, prosecutors say. Rex Heuermann, 59, was arrested on Thursday and charged with six counts of murder in connection with three of 11 unsolved killings known as the Gilgo Beach murders. Suffolk County district attorney Raymond Tierney wrote in a court filing that the sister of victim Melissa Barthelemy received “taunting calls” near to Mr Heuermann’s office in Midtown Manhattan after her disappearance in July 2009. Mr Heuerman also used the phones of Barthelemy and another victim Maureen Brainard-Barnes to check their voicemails after they disappeared, the district attorney wrote while requesting the suspect be held without bail. Mr Heuerman has been charged with first and second-degree murders of sex workers Barthelemy, 24, Megan Waterman, 22; and Amber Costello, 27, and is considered a “prime suspect” in the murder of Brainard-Barnes, 25. Mr Tierney added that investigators found “no instance” where Mr Heuermann was in a different location from where the womens’ cellphones had been used. During a court appearance on Friday, Mr Heuermann pleaded not guilty to all charges. The bail application detailed disturbing internet search records traced to one of Mr Heuerman’s burner cellphones for “sadistic, torture-related pornography” and child pornography. Investigators say Mr Heuermann also looked up images of the victims and their relatives, and conducted “counter-surveillance” on the criminal investigation on his burner phone. The searches included “why could law enforcement not trace the calls made by the long island serial killer”, and “why hasn’t the long island serial killer been caught”. Mr Heuermann allegedly created an email account under the fictitious name Thomas Hawk, and used it to “repeatedly view hundreds of images depicting the murdered victims and members of their immediate families”. He also used the account to search for podcasts and documentaries about this investigation. Mr Heumann was observed by law enforcement purchasing credit for one of the burners at a cell phone store in Midtown. He used the phones to solicit the services of sex workers and create fake Tinder profiles, authorities say. Law enforcement first identified Mr Heuermann as a suspect in March after his Chevrolet Avalanche was linked to a witness sighting during Costello’s disappearance. Subpoenas and search warrants uncovered records of burner cellphones used to arrange meetings with three of the four victims before they went missing. District Attorney Tierney said the weight of evidence against Mr Heuermann meant that the “only means to ensure (his) return to court is to remand him without bail”. Mr Heuermann, a married father of two, lives in Massapequa Park, near where the victims disappeared from. Read More Rex Heuermann charged with three Gilgo Beach murders as burner phones and truck tie him to serial killings Gilgo Beach murders – live: Long Island serial killer suspect Rex Heuermann charged with killing three Manhattan architect, family man and accused serial killer: Who is Gilgo Beach suspect Rex Heuermann?
2023-07-15 04:26

Guatemala's corruption is thrust into international spotlight by the government's election meddling
The Guatemalan government’s clumsy interference with its presidential election has turned a global spotlight on a country whose struggles with deep corruption previously received little international notice
2023-07-15 04:24

US Republican 2024 hopefuls defend Ukraine support at Iowa conservative forum
By James Oliphant (Reuters) -Republican U.S. presidential contenders attending a forum of Christian conservatives in Iowa that typically focuses on
2023-07-15 04:18

Merger-Arbitrage Funds See Tide Turning After FTC’s Microsoft-Activision Loss
Merger-arbitrage investors say the tide is turning in their favor after the Biden administration’s antitrust push suffered a
2023-07-15 04:18

How was Gilgo Beach murder suspect identified? DNA on tossed pizza crust led to Rex Heuermann's arrest as he pleads 'not guilty'
The results showed that Heuermann's DNA matched a male hair that was recovered on the burlap sack used to transport one of the victims
2023-07-15 04:17

Brittney Griner surprised herself with making the WNBA All-Star Game
Brittney Griner didn’t know what to expect when the WNBA season began and how she would respond after the trauma she experienced of being incarcerated in Russia that also forced her off the court for many months
2023-07-15 03:56

Who is Sherre Gilbert? Sister of Gilgo Beach killings victim Shannan says suspect Rex Heuermann deserves to 'rot in prison'
Rex Heuermann was arrested on Thursday and charged with killing four women whose bodies were found along the Long Island coastline in 2010
2023-07-15 03:55

2 suspects in the fatal shooting of rapper Young Dolph in Memphis to stand trial in March
A judge has set a trial date for two men charged with killing rapper Young Dolph in a daytime ambush at a bakery in Memphis, Tennessee
2023-07-15 03:54

McIlroy can't buy a putt and still posts 66 to lead Scottish Open
Rory McIlroy is coming off a two-week break and sure doesn't look to have much rust
2023-07-15 03:52

Tim Scott agrees with Tucker Carlson’s comments dismissing threat posed by Russia
Senator Tim Scott (R-SC) appeared to agree with former Fox News host Tucker Carlson’s assertion that Mexico poses a bigger threat to the US than Russia in a chummy 2024 campaign trail forum. The South Carolina senator joined five other Republican presidential candidates - except for former president Donald Trump - to appear at the forum hosted by Blaze Media, run by former Fox News host Glenn Beck, and the Iowa Family Leader, a socially conservative organisation that candidates frequently court. During the forum, Mr Carlson questioned candidates individually for approximately 25 minutes on current events and policies that voters may be interested in. Mr Carlson, who frequently criticises US support for Ukraine against Russia, began his conversation with Mr Scott by discussing the Ukraine-Russia conflict. The conservative television personality told Mr Scott Russia was not as big of a threat as Mexico. “So Russia is bad, Russia is a threat, Putin is evil. Got it,” he said. “But the total body count from Russia in the United States is right around zero. Like I don't know anyone who's been killed by Russia. I know people personally who have been killed by Mexico.” Mr Carlson specifically cited the fact that fentanyl comes over the US-Mexico border. “The government of Mexico allows fentanyl to be made in its country and to come over our border has remittances from Mexico are a huge part of their economy,” he said. “The Mexican government is a party to the murder of hundreds of 1000s of Americans. So why is Mexico less of a threat than Russia?” Mr Scott appeared to try and split the difference in his response. “I think we can walk and chew gum at the same time,” he said before adding that he sponsored legislation that would freeze the assets of the Mexican cartels to cut off the flow of fentanyl. “I do agree with you that 70,000 Americans losing their lives on an annual basis is an existential threat to America that we can solve,” he said. “We don't have to choose.” In response, Mr Carlson asked Mr Scott if he would support placing a tariff on Mexico to hurt its economy. “So you use every tool available to stop fentanyl coming across our border,” Mr Scott said. The South Carolina Senator advocated for building “the wall” – the southern border policy that Mr Trump ran his 2016 campaign on and promised to execute during his time in the White House. Reports indicate approximately 49 miles (79 km) of “the wall” was newly built during Mr Trump’s presidency. In addition to “the wall” Mr Scott said the US should close the southern border and install surveillance equipment to keep an eye on any people trying to enter illegally. Read More Biden campaign raised twice as much as Trump in 2nd quarter of 2023 Trump news – live: Jared Kushner and Hope Hicks testify in Jan 6 probe as Hunter Biden issues warning to Trump DeSantis to become 1st GOP candidate to file for South Carolina primary during visit next week Tucker Carlson and Mike Pence clash in heated exchange over Ukraine at GOP 2024 forum Tucker Carlson to launch new media company on Twitter, report says He was a loyal Fox viewer before he starred in a conspiracy theory. Now he’s suing
2023-07-15 03:49

Iowa governor signs 6-week abortion ban into law
Iowa Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds signed a bill into law Friday that bans most abortions in the state as early as six weeks into pregnancy.
2023-07-15 03:49

Truck seized from Gilgo Beach murders suspect’s house as neighbour describes ‘very quiet family’
Neighbours congregated in shock in Massapequa Park on Friday after the arrest of long-time resident Rex Heuermann in connection with the Gilgo Beach murders, looking on as police loaded and hauled away a black pickup truck and another large, tarped-over piece of evidence on flatbeds. One woman, whose property backs up to that of Mr Heuermann and his wife, told The Independent on Friday: “I really have no comment ... I mean, we’ll all watch it unfold.” Mr Heuermann’s street, First Avenue, is one block from the now-closed Nassau County Police Academy and a stone’s throw from a nature preserve that borders main Long Island thoroughfare Sunrise Highway. One long-time neighbor of the Heuermanns, who has lived a few doors down from the family for more than two decades, told The Independent on Friday that the suspect, his wife and two children were “a very quiet family” who made “no imprint at all” on the local community. “Basically, we never had any contact with him ... living here 22 years and never said two words to him,” she said – while quick to point out that “one bad apple doesn’t spoil the bunch” in a “great neighbourhood.” Mr Heuermann was charged Friday with three counts of murder in connection with the infamous Gilgo Beach killings, which were believed to be the work of a serial killer after the first bodies were found in 2010 along remote stretches of Long Island shoreline. The killer is believed to have claimed at least 10 victims. A 59-year-old architect with an office in Manhattan, Mr Heuermann is married with children and graduated from high school on Long Island. He faces three counts of murder in the first degreee and three in the second degree over the deaths of Megan Waterman, Melissa Barthelemy and Amber Costello. It is not clear what led to the sudden breakthrough in the case over a decade after bodies began being dumped along remote beaches. The Gilgo Beach murders have long stumped law enforcement officials in Suffolk County who believed it could be the work of one or more serial killers who targeted sex workers and dumped their bodies along the remote beaches on Ocean Parkway. The purported serial killer has been linked to up to 11 victims, though authorities have never been able to confirm if the same person was responsible for all. Mr Heuermann was first linked to the cold case in March of 2022 after investigators discovered that a first-generation Chevrolet Avalanche registered to Mr Heuermann was possibly the one spotted by a witness in Costello’s disappearance. As law enforcement closed in on Mr Heuermann, they served more than 300 subpoenas and search warrants that uncovered cellphone records for burner phones used to arrange meetings with three of the “Gilgo Four” victims before they went missing. Further analysis also allegedly link Mr Heuermann to taunting calls made to family members of the victims. A bail application released by the Suffolk County District Attorney revealed that Mr Heuermann was linked to the serial killings through cellphone evidence and surveillance. Prosecutors argued in the application that no bail should be set for Mr Heuermann due to his recent searches for “sadistic materials, child pornography, images of the victims and their relatives.” Read More Rex Heuermann charged with three Gilgo Beach murders as burner phones and truck tie him to serial killings Gilgo Beach murders – live: Long Island serial killer suspect Rex Heuermann charged with killing three Manhattan architect, family man and accused serial killer: Who is Gilgo Beach suspect Rex Heuermann?
2023-07-15 03:46