Rex Heuermann Accused in Seventh Gilgo Beach Murder
The case of the Gilgo Beach serial killer just took another sharp and unsettling turn. Rex Heuermann, a 64-year-old architect who’s been under the microscope since his arrest last year, is now facing charges for the murder of a seventh woman, Valerie Mack. Mack’s body was found more than a decade ago, but only now have prosecutors connected her death to Heuermann, using new DNA analysis and technology not available at the time.
Heuermann is already accused in the murders of Melissa Barthelemy, Megan Waterman, Amber Lynn Costello, Maureen Brainard-Barnes, Jessica Taylor, and Sandra Costilla. These charges go back almost 30 years, with Costilla’s murder in 1993 considered the earliest. If those cases weren’t chilling enough, Mack’s 2010 murder adds another brutal chapter to the saga and underscores just how long this killer may have eluded police.
How Investigators Closed In: DNA and Disturbing Evidence
The breakthrough in Mack’s case came through a specialized DNA technique. Detectives found a strand of hair on Mack’s body and performed mitochondrial DNA analysis—a method that traces maternal lineage. It linked the DNA to Heuermann’s wife and daughter, placing him close enough to the scene to draw suspicion. The disturbing twist? At the time Mack was killed, Heuermann’s daughter was only 3 or 4 years old. This means she wasn’t a suspect, but her genetic material was somehow transferred, making it likely it came from a shared environment with Heuermann.
Digging even deeper, authorities searched Heuermann’s digital life. They seized a staggering 350 electronic devices—computers, hard drives, phones—and found what they called a substantial collection of violent pornography. There were images and videos depicting mutilation, rope-binding, and other acts matched to wounds and conditions seen on Mack and other victims. This digital evidence lines up with the physical evidence, making prosecutors more confident the right suspect is in custody.
- DNA evidence linking family hair to Mack’s body
- Violent, bondage-themed porn found on hundreds of devices
- Victims’ injuries matched content from seized devices
While this evidence paints a grim picture, Heuermann isn’t giving in. He has pleaded not guilty to every count. His lawyers are fighting the DNA findings, arguing they were improperly collected and shouldn’t be used in court. It’s a familiar dance in high-profile cases like these, but prosecutors are sticking to their guns. Suffolk County’s District Attorney, Ray Tierney, bluntly said, “We would not have brought this indictment if we weren’t confident.” Former investigator Rodney Harrison reminded everyone just how devastating this is for the families, who have waited years—some, decades—for justice.
The story isn’t over, either. Authorities aren’t ruling out more victims. They’re reopening old leads, rethinking old theories, and have hinted that the real number of lives lost may be higher than anyone first thought. What started as the horrifying discovery of four bodies on a Long Island beach has now grown to seven known victims across Suffolk County, with the shadow of even more unknowns hanging over the case.
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