LONG ISLAND, NEW YORK: Gilgo Beach murders suspect Rex Heuermann's house was located just two blocks away from a Long Island police academy. Heuermann is suspected of targeting women in the Gilgo Beach area, and the proximity of his home to the police academy has raised concerns that he might have taken pleasure in committing his crimes right under the noses of law enforcement.
The report states that during the period when he is alleged to have committed these heinous acts, Heuermann lived only a third of a mile away from the now-closed Nassau County police academy. Currently behind bars on Long Island, Heuermann, a 59-year-old architect with an office in Manhattan, faces charges of first- and second-degree murder in relation to the deaths of three Gilgo Beach victims: Melissa Barthelemy, Megan Waterman, and Amber Costello. Additionally, he is the prime suspect in the death of a fourth woman, Maureen Brainard-Barnes. He has pleaded not guilty to the charges. Law enforcement sources have indicated that investigators are looking into the possibility that at least one of the murders had occurred at Heuermann's home while his wife and children were away.
How did Rex Heuermann fool the cops?
The Nassau County police academy, which not only trained cadets but also housed elite investigative units, operated from 2006 until 2021. During this time, the academy was conveniently located just a 5-minute walk away from Heuermann's family home in Massapequa Park.
"It probably gave him an extra kick knowing that the Nassau cops were there," said Joseph Giacalone, a retired NYPD sergeant, and former Bronx Cold Case Squad commanding officer. "To think that the Suffolk [County police] had a description of the suspect, his vehicle, knew that the phone pinged in Massapequa, and we realized that the suspect lived around the corner from the Nassau police academy, is wild," he told the NY Post.
'He would have enjoyed doing this under the nose of the police'
Heuermann is facing accusations of murdering three women between 2007 and 2010, and the investigation into his alleged crimes is ongoing. "I think he would have especially enjoyed the fact he was doing this under the nose of the police," said Dr Carole Lieberman, a forensic psychiatrist. "Because he liked to think that he is smarter than everybody else. He loves feeling that he is pulling the wool over on people. And the police having their offices so close to his house gave him an extra thrill, I’m sure."
