LONG ISLAND, NEW YORK: Gilgo Beach murder suspect Rex Heuermann's colleagues nicknamed him after the sitcom 'Family Guy' character 'Peter Griffin'. The 59-year-old architect who is 6 feet 4, and weighs about 240 pounds has a striking resemblance to the popular animated character, according to his colleagues.
The architect who runs his own firm RH Consultants and Associates founded in 1994 was arrested for the alleged killings of Amber Costello, Melissa Barthelemy, and Megan Waterman, and is considered a prime suspect in the death of the 'Gilgo Four' who is identified as Maureen Brainard-Barnes. The triple-murder suspect pleaded not guilty to three counts of murder in the first degree and three counts of murder in the second degree, according to New York Post.
Why was Rex Heuermann called 'Peter'?
A former colleague of Heuermann with whom he worked for almost 20 years said, "We called him ‘Peter,’ the ‘Family Guy,’ mostly because of the way he looked — he was goofy." The New York-based architect who asked not to reveal his name said was shocked to learn the married father of two's alleged connection with the serial killings. He described Heuermann as " really friendly and really nice."
"A year ago, my wife was watching a documentary about [the case], telling me how [a] guy was out there killing all these girls on Long Island. I could have never imagined this. It’s like ‘The Twilight Zone,' " he added.
The alleged killer was likely 'very cruel to certain people'
In 2011, CBS show 'Criminal Minds' producer and former FBI profiler Jim Clemente described the person behind the unsolved killings as an intelligent, educated, and mild-mannered "sexual sadist" who is likely to enjoy watching people suffer.
"He shows this mask, this cover of kindness, so he can continue to commit his crimes. He’s incredibly good at compartmentalizing, separating his murders from his family life," said Clemente who added that the killer may have been "very cruel to certain people."
A former colleague of the suspect said a friend in Atlanta sent him a story link about the Gilgo Beach murders and asked if he knew the alleged killer. "And I’m like, 'What the f**k? I do know him,' When I saw this whole thing unfold, I was in shock. How was this even possible? It’s crazy. His contact is literally in my phone," he said. The man shared that he first met Heuermann in 2003 at the company Mojo Stumer where the suspect worked as a consultant. "He was always pretty patient with me. He taught me how to navigate through the city’s building code," he recalled.
