MASSAPEQUA PARK, NEW YORK: The infamous Gilgo Beach murders, a 13-year-long investigation that has gripped the nation, has finally witnessed a breakthrough. Architect Rex Heuermann, 59, was apprehended on Friday, July 14, in connection with the deaths of three victims. Heuermann's arrest has not only brought him under scrutiny but has also shed light on the fate of Megan Waterman, believed to be the third victim among the group known as the "Gilgo Four."
A DNA match was discovered between a pizza crust consumed by Heuermann and genetic material found on the victims' remains. This, coupled with a witness report connecting Heuermann to a pickup truck seen during one of the victims' disappearances in 2010, led to his arrest.
Heuermann now faces three counts of first-degree murder and three counts of second-degree murder, specifically relating to the killings of Melissa Barthelemy, Amber Costello, and Waterman. While not yet formally charged, he is also suspected of the murder of Maureen Brainard-Barnes.
Who was Megan Waterman?
Waterman was 22 years old when she was last seen on June 6, 2010. Originally from Scarborough, Maine, she worked as a sex worker and advertised her services on Craigslist and Backpage using the aliases Lexxy and Sexy Lexi. Waterman was staying at the Holiday Inn Express in Hauppauge, Long Island, and was known to frequent other hotels and motels in the area. On the night she disappeared, she left the hotel to meet a client after calling her pimp, who was in Brooklyn at the time.
Waterman was reported missing to the Scarborough Maine Police Department on June 8, 2010, as her family grew concerned when she didn't check in on her young daughter. Suffolk County Police were contacted to assist in the investigation. Tragically, Waterman's body was discovered on December 13, 2010, during the search for another missing person, Shannan Gilbert, on the north side of Ocean Parkway near Gilgo Beach.
Waterman is believed to be the third victim among what is now known as the "Gilgo Four." The investigation into the Gilgo Beach homicides has been ongoing, and the arrest of Heuermann brings renewed hope for justice in these cases. It is important to note that Waterman's pimp was arrested on federal charges of Interstate Trafficking of Prostitutes but is not suspected of having any knowledge or involvement in her murder.
