New Charges: LI Serial Killer Suspect Was At It Longer Than Thought

Heuermann charged in 2 new killings; prosecutors say they found 'blueprint' to do better 'next time'
By Newser Editors and Wire Services
Posted Jun 6, 2024 9:55 AM CDT
Long Island Serial Killer Suspect Hit With 2 More Counts
Alleged Gilgo Beach serial killer Rex Heuermann is seen in a courtroom on Feb. 6 in Riverhead, New York.   (James Carbone/Newsday via AP)

The New York architect previously accused of killing four women and leaving their corpses scattered along a coastal highway was charged Thursday in the deaths of two more women, instead of the one that prosecutors had hinted at earlier in the week. Rex Heuermann, 60, was set to appear before a judge to face charges that he killed Jessica Taylor and Sandra Costilla, two young women who were long suspected of being the victims of men preying on sex workers. Taylor disappeared in 2003, reports the AP, while Costilla was killed in 1993. The new charges came just days after police finished extensive searches of Heuermann's Massapequa Park home and a wooded area on Long Island tied to the investigation into the Gilgo Beach serial killings.

In a court filing, prosecutors said they were able to use new forensic testing methods to match hairs found on or near the vicinity of both victims to a DNA profile that's a likely match to Heuermann. Additionally, prosecutors say they discovered a "planning document" on the hard drive found in his basement used to "methodically blueprint" his killings. The document includes Heuermann's concerns about leaving behind forensic evidence, guidance for cleaning and washing bodies, and notes on how to improve "next time," according to the bail application. The charges involving Costilla, who was killed 30 years ago, indicate that prosecutors believe Heuermann was killing victims for much longer than previously thought.

Heuermann was arrested last July and charged with killing four women: Megan Waterman, Melissa Barthelemy, Amber Lynn Costello, and Maureen Brainard-Barnes. Investigators who had searched Heuermann's home extensively last summer returned to the house again last month and spent nearly a week searching it again. They focused their efforts mostly in the basement, according to a lawyer for Heuermann's wife. Investigators in April also spent days searching a property in the hamlet of North Sea, where Costilla's body was discovered in 1993. Heuermann has pleaded not guilty. He'd been set to return to court on June 18 for a status hearing. (More Rex Heuermann stories.)

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