Authorities in Las Vegas are reviewing local cold cases for potential links to alleged Gilgo Beach serial killer Rex Heuermann.
Mr Heuermann, 59, is now being looked at in connection to missing person cases and murders far beyond the shores of Long Island, where he stands accused of murdering three women before dumping their bodies across the community of Gilgo Beach more than a decade ago.
His bombshell arrest on Friday was a major breakthrough after a 2010 investigation led to the gruesome discovery of at least 10 bodies now linked to the Gilgo Beach murders case.
In the aftermath of his arrest, it has emerged that Mr Heuermann, who has pleaded not guilty to the crimes, has ties to both South Carolina and Las Vegas, owning properties in both locations.
In a statement to The Independent on Tuesday, the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department confirmed that the department is probing a link between Mr Heuermann and unsolved cases in the area.
“We are aware of Rex Heuermann’s connection to Las Vegas. We are currently reviewing our unsolved cases to see if he has any involvement,” a spokesperson said.
Former NYPD Chief of Detectives Robert Boyce told ABC’s Good Morning America that law enforcement agencies across the tri-state area of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut and even nationwide are also reviewing cold cases that Mr Heuermann may be tied to.
“I made some phone calls yesterday to see what they were doing. They’re looking at all missing persons who have never been found and see if they can put those together,” he said.
“Not just in Suffolk, but throughout the tri-state area to see what they can put together. There’s also the FBI looking at national issues as well.”
Mr Boyce pointed out that Mr Heuermann had been “free” for many years – as the accused killer continued his daily life for 13 years after the bodies were first discovered in 2010.
“So we’ll keep going in that respect because he was free for many years,” he said.
“He lived that Manhattan to Massapequa – that was his whole life right there – but it doesn’t mean he didn’t step out of it. So we have to look all the way around.”
Authorities work outside as they search the home of suspect Rex Heuermann, Tuesday, July 18, 2023, in Massapequa Park— (Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)
Mr Heuermann stands accused of murdering three women before dumping their bodies across the community of Gilgo Beach more than a decade ago— (Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)
An NYPD official told ABC News that the married father-of-two’s DNA has been entered into a statewide database and that his alleged MO is being compared to other cases across New York state – including those during the period he was allegedly active in Gilgo Beach.
So far, Mr Heuermann is charged with the murders of three women who vanished between 2007 and 2010, before their bodies were found dumped along Gilgo Beach.
He is also the prime suspect in the murder of a fourth woman.
The bodies were all discovered in December 2010, along with another seven bodies that are yet to be tied to the accused killer.
Mr Heuermann lived close to Gilgo Beach in Massapequa Park, Long Island, but worked in the heart of Midtown Manhattan where he runs an architecture firm. Some of the victims were last seen alive in the city.
Yet, Mr Heuermann also has ties to both South Carolina and Las Vegas, owning properties in both locations.
The Chester County Sheriff’s Office in South Carolina revealed that it had helped New York officials gather evidence in its case against Mr Heuermann.
Rex Heuermann, 59, was arrested last week in connection with the brutal murders of Melissa Barthelemy (upper left), Amber Costello (upper right), Megan Waterman (bottom left). He is also the prime suspect in the murder of Maureen Brainard-Barnes (bottom right)— (AP)
“The Chester County Sheriff’s Office was requested by the Gilgo Beach Task Force to assist in gathering evidence in Chester County relevant to their investigation,” the department tweeted.
Mr Heuermann’s brother Craig Heuermann lives in Chester in rural South Carolina and the suspected killer also owned a plot there.
One neighbour told Fox News Digital that Craig had told them his brother was planning to retire on the secluded property.
“[Craig Heuermann] keeps saying his brother is going into retirement,” they said.
“He told me when I first moved down here that his brother owns that lot across the road, and that his brother’s going to retire down here, and when he does, everybody’s leaving.”
Meanwhile, Mr Heuermann and his wife also bought a timeshare for a condo in Las Vegas in 2005 – not long before the murders.
The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department told The Independent on Tuesday: “We are aware of Rex Heuermann’s connection to Las Vegas. We are currently reviewing our unsolved cases to see if he has any involvement.”
Now, questions are being asked as to whether the suspect may have committed any more alleged murders besides the killings of the “Gilgo Beach Four”.
It is also unclear whether he may have killed in the period between the discovery of the bodies in 2010 and his arrest 13 years later.
