Chilling trail of clues that led to the capture of ‘ogre’ Gilgo Beach serial killer suspect

•  To watch the full episode of Murder Maps click here

By RUTH BASHINSKY FOR DAILYMAIL.COM

Published: 17:34 BST, 21 May 2025 | Updated: 10:29 BST, 22 May 2025

This summer will mark two years since the dramatic arrest of Gilgo Beach serial killer suspect Rex Heuermann in a case that has haunted New York’s Long Island for more than a decade.

The 61-year-old architect and married father-of-two from Massapequa Park is charged with the murders of seven women over a two-decade reign of terror from from 1993 to 2011.

As Heuermann prepares for trial, Daily Mail’s Senior Crime Reporter Ruth Bashinsky has examined the chilling trail of clues that led to his capture and the evidence that proved to be a ‘smoking gun’.

In the Daily Mail series Murder Maps, Bashinsky traces back to where the bodies were found and cops finally closed in on the suspect described as an ‘ogre’. 

The victims are Maureen Brainard-Barnes, 25; Melissa Barthelemy, 24; Megan Waterman, 22;  and Amber Lynn Costello, 27 – who are together known as ‘the Gilgo Four’ – Valerie Mack,  24; Jessica Taylor, 20 and Sandra Costilla, 28. 

In 2023, the remains of ‘Jane Doe 7’ were identified as Karen Vergata, 34, but Heuermann has not been charged in connection to her death. 

Heuermann was arrested in July 2023 near his office in Midtown Manhattan. He was initially charged with the deaths of three women, but as prosecutors continued to investigate, they linked him to four other women 

Melissa Barthelemy (top left) Amber Costello (top right) Megan Waterman (bottom left) and Maureen Brainard-Barnes

Sandra Costilla (left) was murdered in 1993, making her the earliest known victim. Karen Vergata’s (right) remains were identified in 2023. Heuermann has not been charged in connection to her death

The women’s bodies were found wrapped in burlap along Ocean Parkway near Gilgo beach on the South Shore of Long Island. 

Some of the women were dismembered with parts of their remains found in other remote areas around Suffolk County.

Costilla is the first known victim, with her remains found in an area known as North Sea in Southampton back in 1993.

The decades-long case has haunted the Long Island community for years ever since the first of multiple bodies were discovered along the 16-mile strip of Ocean Parkway in December 2010.

The maps featured in the popular Daily Mail crime show Murder Maps shows the location of Rex Heuermann’s Manhattan office, his home in Massapequa Park, Long Island 

Daily Mail senior crime reporter Ruth Bashinsky shares details about the investigation in the final episode of Murder Maps that aired on May 20 

Heuermann’s victims were found along the 16-miles strip of Ocean Parkway in Suffolk County, Long Island near Gilgo Beach 

Heuermann, who is being held at the Riverhead Correctional facility, has pleaded not guilty to the charges and denies all wrongdoing.

His defense is seeking to split the case into five separate trials. The judge is yet to rule on that matter.

The first episode in the two-part series on Gilgo Beach first aired on May 6 and is available on YouTube.

The final episode of the show delves into the victims, the investigation and the evidence which allegedly links Heuermann to the murders including the bombshell DNA evidence obtained through a pizza crust as well as the suspect’s use of burner phones and his Chevrolet Avalanche a key factor for police.

Heuermann’s alleged chilling planning document is also explored – a document prosecutors say he used to hunt, capture and kill his victims, mostly young women working as escorts, who he found on Craigslist.

Rex Heuermann entering the cell phone store near his midtown Manhattan office where he purchased minutes for his burner phones he used to communicate with his victims 

The documents contained notes he wrote with the the headings ‘ PLAY TIME’ which is believed to be a reference to sexual and mutilation acts on victims.  

A ‘post event’ checklist that included headings such asm ‘BURN GLOVES,’ ‘DISPOSE OF PICS’ taken of the victim, and ‘HAVE STORY SET,’ as per court records.

The episode also delves into the aftermath of his arrest and Heuermann’s upcoming trial.

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Chilling trail of clues that led to the capture of ‘ogre’ Gilgo Beach serial killer suspect

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