LONG ISLAND, NEW YORK: A former client of Gilgo Beach murders suspect Rex Heuermann has come forward to recount a "bone-chilling" conversation she had with him as she drove him home through a "dark and desolate" road. The 59-year-old Manhattan architect was arrested on Thursday, July 13, on charges related to the murders of four prostitutes, whose bodies were found on an isolated Long Island beach in December 2010.
Following Heuermann’s arrest, real-estate agent Jeffrey St Arromand told NY Post that he vividly remembers his weird encounters with the alleged killer, who worked closely with him on a Brooklyn brownstone project over the past year. St Arromand said he was enjoying a usual Friday morning when he received a call from one of his female clients who hysterically broke the news of the reputed architect’s arrest. The woman also worked with Heuermann several times in the past. In a year, he worked as the architect and expeditor for her longtime Crown Heights home, which she purchased in 2002. He had worked on renovating the deck and making several additions to the 1800-built house.
'They had a conversation about the murders'
The client said Heuermann was also responsible for securing a Certificate of Occupancy, which is obtained following an inspection from the agent. “I met with him and her at her place,” St Arromand told The Post, adding, “He was in the backyard… there was an extension that he had to look at. And they left.” He also noted that after moving to Long Island, his client once drove Heuermann home through a "dark and desolate" road. "In that drive, they actually had a conversation about the murders, and the first thing he said — and she told me this specifically was, "I don't know why he would use burlap net." And she was like, "I don't know, either,” explained St Arromand, who worked as an award-winning sports television producer before steering his career toward the real-estate business.
The client, who wishes to remain anonymous, also recounted the conversation, saying, "I was only with him in my home to review the scope of work. 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." Heuermann's comments and behavior seemed "odd," she recollected. "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," she continued.
'I had such a bad experience with Rex'
The woman noted that "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.'' She was so upset by Heuermann’s actions that she urged him not to show up when it was time to close on the property. "When we ultimately were able to close on the property, I had such a bad experience with Rex that I told him not to attend the closing. He still needed to pick up the balance of payment, and he went to the attorney's office separately to pick up the check," the client stated.
St Arromand said the woman was "angry" when she learned of Heuermann's arrest. "She is very angry. She really supported him. She needed the weekend just to decompress. She's someone that really supported this guy," he said. "She always spoke highly of him in his work." Heuermann is currently facing charges of first-degree and second-degree murder in the killings of Melissa Barthelemy, Megan Waterman, and Amber Costello. He also stands as the prime suspect in the murder of Maureen Brainard-Barnes. On Friday, July 14, he appeared in a Riverhead court where his lawyer indicated that he'll plead not guilty to the charges.
