The number of alleged victims in the Gilgo Beach serial killings has now reached seven, all of whom were women, after prosecutors charged the man with murder on Tuesday.
According to court documents, a hair belonging to suspect Rex Heuermann’s wife or daughter was discovered close to victim Valerie Mack’s left wrist. Mack is 24 years old.
Heuermann’s now-estranged wife is not regarded as a suspect in any of these killings, and his daughter would have been four years old when Mack was killed.
Before her skeleton remains were discovered in 2000 and 2011, Mack was employed as an escort; it took years for her identity to be determined.
According to authorities, Mack’s killer sliced off her right leg, which bore a tattoo of her son’s name.
“For the removal of identifying marks on the victim’s body,” including tattoos, “prior to packaging the body for transportation,” according to notes discovered on the suspect’s computer that prosecutors have dubbed his “planning document.”
The killer allegedly severed “Mack’s lower right leg at mid-calf to inhibit and/or delay the identification of Ms. Mack’s tattoo and therefore, Ms. Mack,” according to court documents filed by the prosecution.
Numerous victims were prostitutes who supposedly met Heuermann after promoting their services.
“The lives of these women matter,” Ray Tierney, the district attorney for Suffolk County, told reporters in Riverhead.
As investigators, we are aware of that. Families are obviously the ones who understand it the best. Therefore, once more, we are incredibly happy, humbled, and grateful to have the opportunity to work with these families.”
Heuermann, 61, denied any role in the woman’s murders and the disposal of her remains, which were discovered on Long Island’s southern shore, during a brief court appearance on Tuesday.
“I am innocent of all these charges, your honor,” he added.
Michael Brown, the defense attorney, declared outside the court that he would target the business that provides DNA testing to investigators.
The defense is also debating whether to request that the seven murder counts be divided into different cases or to have the trial transferred outside of Suffolk County.
“I know he s extremely frustrated, he has said from day one he is not responsible for these murders,” Brown stated to reporters. “He wants his day in court.”
According to police, investigators are still looking into other unsolved homicides in the area to see if Heuermann is connected to them.
Karen Vergata, 34, who was once known as Jane Doe Seven, was killed, but no one has been taken into custody as of yet. Her remains were discovered in sets in 1996 and 2011.
Investigators are still trying to find the murderer of a victim known as “Asian Doe.”The person, whose body was found in 2011, has been described by authorities as a biological male of Chinese descent who was wearing women s clothes when the remains were discovered.
There s no telling how many possible victims could be out there, and an army of investigators is pursuing numerous cold cases in the area, according to Tierney.
The prosecutor spoke to reporters with loved ones of several victims standing behind him.
Gloria Allred, a lawyer who represents the families of multiple victims, stated, “Let’s be clear, none of the victims deserve to die,” “They were merely attempting to make some money to sustain themselves and their families, and they were all innocent. They were and they are loved and they are missed every day.”
According to officials, Heuermann was charged after Mack’s close ones were kept informed about the investigation.
“They are very grateful,” Tierney stated. “They are very grateful for the small bit of closure that the task force has been able to provide.”
The charge connected to Mack comes after Heuermann was accused by Suffolk County prosecutors of murdering Melissa Barthelemy, Megan Waterman, Amber Costello, Maureen Brainard-Barnes, Sandra Costilla and Jessica Taylor.
Costilla was killed in 1993, Taylor in 2003, Brainard-Barnes in 2007, Barthelemy in 2009 and Costello and Waterman in 2010, officials said.
Heuermann, a New York City architect, wasarrested in July 2023and initially indicted in connection with the slayings of Barthelemy, Waterman and Costello.
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