What we know about Rex Heuermann, identified as the Gilgo Beach murders suspect

The suspect charged Friday in connection with a string of long-unsolved slayings of women on Long Island, New York, lived in a cozy South Shore suburb not far from the beach highway where human remains were first found more than a decade ago.

The suspect was identified in court documents as Rex Heuermann, 59, of Massapequa Park, a village in Nassau County. His arrest sent shock waves through his quiet bedroom community as neighbors described a well-dressed man who would commute to work in Manhattan as an architect, with no reason to believe he could be involved in a series of killings that have stumped investigators and drawn national attention.

If he is found guilty, “he was living a double life,” said Rosemarie Kafka, 56, a former neighbor who had lived near the Heuermann family before moving last year. “You know, the regular guy who goes to work, has kids in the local school and in a good neighborhood, but he’s killing people on the side.”

Heuermann was arrested in midtown Manhattan on Thursday night and transported to Suffolk County. He was charged with three counts of first-degree murder and three counts of second-degree murder in the deaths of three women. He is also suspected in the disappearance and death of a fourth woman, but that investigation remains ongoing, according to a bail application. A judge remanded him without bail.

During a news conference Friday afternoon, local prosecutors and police praised a multiagency task force brought together early last year for identifying Heuermann as their main suspect and ultimately using cellphone evidence and DNA taken from a pizza crust to build their case.

“Fresh eyes in this case and the resiliency of our investigators allowed us to identify Rex Heuermann,” Suffolk County Police Commissioner Rodney Harrison said. “Rex Heuermann is a demon who walks among us.”

But Heuermann’s attorney, Michael J. Brown, told reporters that the accusations against his client are “extremely circumstantial in nature,” and he said Heuermann has denied any involvement.

“The only thing he did say, as he was in tears, was ‘I didn’t do this,'” Brown said. “He’s distraught. He’s clearly distraught about the charges here.”

The case dogged investigators for years after the discovery of human remains in 2010 near Gilgo Beach led to as many as 16 victims being found, many of them who were known sex workers. Police do not believe all of those deaths are linked to the same person, but that Heuermann is involved in four slayings in which the women were found in similar positions and bound with either belts or tape, according to court documents. The bodies of three of those women were also wrapped in burlap-type material.

Who is Rex Heuermann?

Authorities blocked off Heuermann’s Massapequa Park home Friday. Officials in hazmat suits could be seen entering the modest single-story house, located on a block of larger well-kept residences. Investigators were searching the property in addition to Heuermann’s office in midtown Manhattan.

Some neighbors said that they had short interactions with Heuermann and his family over the years, but that they typically kept to themselves.

Heuermann stood out as a “tall, big, big guy. Always well dressed,” said Patrica Maressa, 64, who has lived next door to his house for more than two decades.

“I’m still shocked that this is going on,” she said, adding, “It’s a very quiet neighborhood. At night, you could hear a pin drop.”

Heuermann’s home is also listed in connection with his business, RH Consultants & Associates. He received his architecture license in 1996, and New York state records show he does not have any enforcement actions listed.

Among his clients have been Catholic Charities, New York City’s Department of Environmental Protection, American Airlines and other major tenants at John F. Kennedy International Airport, according to an online biography.

In an interview from his Manhattan office posted on YouTube by Bonjour Realty in early 2022, Heuermann said he was an architectural consultant and “troubleshooter,” born and raised on Long Island and working in Manhattan since 1987. He spoke about the nuts and bolts of his profession and how he educated city entities about local architectural codes.

When asked about what qualities someone in his job would need, he said, “I don’t like to use the word tolerance, but sometimes you have to. And it’s not just with the city. It’s also with the client, because most clients, they don’t understand what I have to do, why I have to do it, and what it takes to get done.”

Heuermann also spoke about learning to construct furniture from his father, whom he described as an aerospace engineer who built satellites.

“I build furniture at home and I still build it in the same exact workshop,” he said. “I have one tool that’s pretty much used in almost every job, and it’s actually a cabinet maker’s hammer. It is persuasive enough when I need to persuade something.”