Warning: This article contains a recollection of crime and can be triggering to some, readers’ discretion advised.
LONG ISLAND, NEW YORK: The attorney of Rex Heuermann, who is facing charges in connection to the infamous Gilgo Beach serial killings, has claimed that cops have arrested the wrong guy and that they are ignoring "significant and stronger leads" pointing towards other suspects. The 59-year-old Manhattan architect was arrested on July 13 as a primary suspect in the murder of the "Gilgo Four," whose remains were discovered on a remote Long Island beach.
Heuermann currently faces three counts of first-degree murder and three counts of second-degree murder in the deaths of Melissa Barthelemy, Megan Waterman, and Amber Costello. He is also named the prime suspect in the death of the fourth victim, Maureen Brainard-Barnes, but authorities weren't able to charge him due to missing phone records. The suspected perpetrator has pleaded not guilty to the murder charges. His attorney, Michael Brown, recently said that the architect has "insisted he did not commit these crimes" and described his client as a "hardworking" licensed architect in New York City who has his own firm with no prior criminal record, as reported by Newsweek.
'The government has decided to focus on him'
"He is a loving husband to his wife of over 25 years and an involved and dedicated father to his daughter and stepson," Brown stated, further claiming that there is no evidence suggesting that Heuermann was connected to the serial killings, adding, "There is nothing about Mr. Heuermann that would suggest that he is involved in these incidents." The attorney expressed that the prosecutors are fixated on his client despite the existence of more substantial leads. "And while the government has decided to focus on him despite more significant and stronger leads, we are looking forward to defending him in a court of law before a fair and impartial jury of his peers," Brown said.
Having said that, he didn't expand on what the "leads" pointing to other suspects might be. While Brown has described Heuermann as a family man, prosecutors and police have painted a completely different image of him. Law enforcement officials have branded him a "predator" who allegedly preyed on vulnerable women while his family was away. At a recent press conference, Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney expressed concern over the defendant's potential flight risk and the danger he posed to the community, prompting the decision to charge Heuermann as quickly as possible. "We are going to convict him, and we are going to hold him responsible for what he did," Tierney said.
Chilling evidence against Rex Heuermann
The claims made by Brown came after a slew of freshly released court documents revealing that police traced Heuremann with the help of a burner phone that he used to contact the alleged victims. Another important piece of evidence that linked him to the murders was a piece of his hair that was allegedly found at the bottom of a burlap bag used in wrapping Waterman’s body. Authorities are currently investigating the suspect's residence and storage units to find additional evidence against the alleged serial killer. Notably, police have already discovered several shocking items, including a massive haul of firearms and a child-sized doll.
