Gilgo Beach murders live updates: Rex Heuermann charged with three counts of first-degree murder

A suspect has been taken into custody on New York‘s Long Island in connection with a long-unsolved string of killings, known as the Gilgo Beach murders, a law enforcement official told The Associated Press on Friday.

The case has drawn immense public attention since human remains were found along a New York beach highway more than a decade ago.

The mystery attracted national headlines for many years and the unsolved killings were the subject of the 2020 Netflix film “Lost Girls.”

Rex Heuermann was taken into custody late Thursday and investigators were at a Massapequa home connected to the case on Friday.

Records also show that several online accounts under fictitious names linked to Mr Heuermann were used for illegal activities. Mr Heuermann allegedly used those accounts and burner phones to contact women for prostitution services, as well as making chilling online searches.

The searches included sadistic, torture-related pornography, child pornography and disturbing content. Mr Heuerman is also accused of searching “why could law enforcement not trace the calls made by the long island serial killer,” “why hasn’t the long island serial killer been caught” and “new phone technology may be key to break in case.”

“Defendant Rex A. Heuermann was further linked to the burner cellphone … because on May 19, 2023, Defendant Heuermann was observed by law enforcement via video and field surveillance, at a cellphone store in Midtown Manhattan, and purchased additional minutes which were added to this burner cellphone,” the bail application filed by prosecutors states.

Neighbours congregated in shock in Massapequa Park on Friday after the arrest of long-time resident Rex Heuermann in connection with the Gilgo Beach murders, looking on as police loaded and hauled away a black pickup truck and another large, tarped-over piece of evidence on flatbeds.

The Independent’s Sheila Flynn reports:

“Rex Heaurmann is a demon that walks among us. He is a predator who ruined families,” Suffolk County Police Commissioner Rodney Harrison said during Friday’s press conference. “If not for the member of this task force, he would still be free today.”

Mr Harrison added that Mr Heuermann’s arrest is only the first step in the process of bringing justice to the families.

Mr Heaurmann appeared in court on Friday, where he was ordered held without bail.

“We just got appointed on this case. There’s not much I can tell you folks at this point in time,” his attorney, Michael Brown told reporters, according to NBC. “I will say to you folks that it’s extremely circumstantial in nature. In terms of speaking to my client, the only thing I can tell you that he did say, as he was in tears, was ‘I didn’t do this.’”

Mr Heuarmann allegedly broke down in tears and claimed to be innocent.

Mr Heuermann was first linked to the cold case in March after investigators discovered that a first-generation Chevrolet Avalanche registered to Mr Heuermann was possibly the one spotted by a witness in Costello’s disappearance.

Mr Heuermann, a married father of two, also lives in Massapequa Park, near where the victims disappeared from.

As law enforcement closed in on Mr Heuermann, they served more than 300 subpoenas and search warrants that uncovered cellphone records for burner phones used to arrange meetings with three of the “Gilgo Four” victims before they went missing.

Prosecutors noted in court records that several online accounts under fictitious names linked to Mr Heuermann were used for illegal activities.

Mr Heuermann allegedly used those accounts and burner phones to contact women for prostitution services, as well as making chilling online searches.

The searches included sadistic, torture-related pornography, child pornography and disturbing content. Mr Heuerman is also accused of searching “why could law enforcement not trace the calls made by the long island serial killer,” “why hasn’t the long island serial killer been caught” and “new phone technology may be key to break in case.”

“Defendant Heuermann also searched for and viewed articles concerning the very Task Force that was investigating him,” investigators noted in the bail application.