A suspect was arrested in the investigation of a string of murders on Long Island’s South Shore more than a decade after the bodies were discovered.
A spokesman for the Suffolk County District Attorney said the suspect was taken into custody Thursday night by the police in connection with the murders of four women whose remains were found wrapped in burlap near Gilgo Beach. Their bodies were found within days of each other in 2010.
The case was being presented to a grand jury and officials “anticipate an indictment later on this afternoon,” Suffolk County Police Commissioner Rodney Harrison said at a news conference. Harrison is leading the investigation along with the district attorney and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Rex Heuermann, an architect, is the suspect who will appear in court Friday, according to a person with knowledge of the matter.
The New York Post, which first identified Heuermann as the suspect, said he was the founder of RH Consultants and Associates in Manhattan. Calls to the office and his attorney weren’t answered.
Fears about a serial killer on Long Island have gripped the New York area since the so-called “Gilgo Four” were discovered after police began investigating the disappearance of Shannan Gilbert in May 2010. Several more sets of remains were discovered in 2011, including the body of a toddler, as well as those of Gilbert.
Last year, the Suffolk County Police Commissioner announced the creation of a task force to solve the case and identify four of the remaining unidentified victims. It’s unclear how many of the murders are connected, and some of the remains associated with the case first appeared in the 90s.
A 911 call made by Gilbert, a sex worker, was released last year, in which she claimed people were trying to kill her. Still, Suffolk Police have said her death was likely not a murder and not part of the broader serial killer case. Her body was found in a marsh.
Multiple sources first confirmed the arrest to News 12 Long Island, which said that First Avenue in Massapequa Park was “flooded with police.” Massapequa is north of Jones Beach Island, a popular beach destination for New Yorkers, and where Gilgo Beach is located.
There will be a court proceeding today in Riverhead, and the district attorney will hold a press conference at 4pm ET.
