A woman who worked with the Gilgo Beach murders suspect has revealed a chilling interaction she had with him last year.
Rex Heuermann, 59, was arrested last week in connection with the murders of Amber Costello, Megan Waterman and Melissa Barthelemy, whose remains were found along with seven other bodies in the shoreline community of Gilgo Beach in December 2010. He is also the prime suspect in the murder of Maureen Brainard-Barnes, with authorities saying they’re confident more charges loom ahead.
Mr Heuermann lived in Massapequa Park, near the sites where some of the victims were last seen, and has an architecture business in Midtown Manhattan. Real state agent Jeffrey St Arromand, who worked with Mr Heuermann on a Brooklyn brownstone project last year, told The New York Post that the now alleged serial killer had a bizarre conversation with one of their shared clients.
The female client, who spoke to the Post under the condition of anonymity, said that Mr Heuermann was in charge of renovations to her Crown Heights home, which she was looking to sell at the time. During one of those exchanges, the woman claims Mr Heuermann brought up the Gilgo Beach slayings.
“I was only with him in my home to review the scope of work,” she said. “I even gave him a ride to his home in Long Island from Brooklyn. At one point on the drive, we talked about the Gilgo Beach murders — we even discussed the burlap and why someone would use that. In retrospect, thinking about that conversation, it’s just bone-chilling.”
Costello, Waterman, Barthelemy and Brainard-Barnes were found within one-quarter mile of each other.
They were bound by belts or tape and some of them were wrapped in burlap.
Mr St Arromand said that the client called him following her odd exchange with Mr Heuermann.
“ ...they actually had a conversation about the murders,” Mr St Arromand told the Post. “And the first thing he said — and she told me this specifically — the first thing he said was, ‘I don’t know why he would use burlap net.’ And she was like, ‘I don’t know, either.’”
Police booking photo of Rex Heuermann— (AP)
The woman also said that Mr Heuermann had become extremely difficult to work with during the project, despite having previously worked with him several times in the past. After she finally sold the house to a celebrity client, she asked Mr Heuermann not to attend the closing.
“Throughout the transaction, he was becoming very difficult to work with, even becoming belligerent at times. He was constantly arguing with the plumber on the job and questioning his work. Just very odd behavior,” the woman told the Post. “For some reason in this transaction, he would constantly say, ‘I’m not doing anything to get a fine or open an investigation of my license.’”
Former NYPD Chief of Detectives Robert Boyce told ABC’s Good Morning America on Tuesday that the 59-year-old suspect is now being looked at in connection to missing persons cases and murders far beyond the shores of Long Island – across the tri-state area of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut and even nationwide.
Heuermann was arrested last week in connection with the brutal murders of Melissa Barthelemy (upper left), Amber Costello (upper rigth), Megan Waterman (bottom left). He is also the prime suspect in the murder of Maureen Brainard-Barnes (bottom right)— (AP)
“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.”
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.
