Gilgo Beach serial killer suspect Rex Heuermann has now been charged with the murder of a fourth woman – more than a decade after she vanished from Manhattan, her body later found dumped along the Long Island shores.
The 60-year-old Manhattan-based architect appeared in Suffolk County Courthouse in Riverhead, Long Island, on Tuesday morning where he was hit with a fresh charge of second-degree murder in the death of Maureen Brainard-Barnes.
Brainard-Barnes was last seen alive on 9 July 2007, when she left a motel in Manhattan to meet a client for sex work.
At the time, the 25-year-old was living in Norwich, Connecticut, but had travelled to Manhattan in early July where she was staying at and working out of the Super 8 Motel on 59 West 46th St. She was known to advertise her services on Craigslist, Backpage and other websites under the names of Juliana or Marie.
Just before midnight on 9 July 2007, Brainard-Barnes called a friend in Connecticut to say she would be going to meet a client on an “out-call” outside of the motel.
She was never seen or heard from again.
Over three years later in December 2010, her remains were discovered dumped in the thick brush along Ocean Parkway, near Gilgo Beach. Her body had been bound by three leather belts, one of which was embossed with the initials “W.H.” or H.M.”
At the time of her disappearance, prosecutors allege that Mr Heuermann was home alone in Massapequa Park, with his wife Asa Ellerup and their two children Victoria and Christopher out of state on vacation.
Documents retrieved during a search of the accused killer’s storage unit as well as cellphone records reveal that Ms Ellerup and the children checked into a hotel in Atlantic City from 6 July through 20 July 2007, according to the superseding indictment, unsealed in court on Tuesday.
Mr Heuermann allegedly stayed behind in New York.
On 9 July – three days after his family left – Brainard-Barnes disappeared.
Four days later on 13 July, Mr Heuermann joined his family in Atlantic City, according to prosecutors.
“Based on the foregoing, the murders of all four victims occurred at times when Defendant Heuermann’s wife and children were traveling out of state, which allowed Defendant Heuermann unfettered time to execute his plans for each victim without any fear that his family would uncover or learn of his involvement in these crimes,” the superseding indictment states.
Prosecutors also revealed a series of messages sent in March 2020 from a burner phone used by Mr Heuermann to a woman advertising escort work in the Massapequa area.
In the messages, Mr Heuermann appears to be arranging a meeting with the woman based on when his wife is away.
Maureen Brainard-Barnes
“I WAS FREE TODAY MY WIFE IS OUT FOR THE DAY,” he allegedly wrote.
The accused killer, according to prosecutors, had several burner phones held “in fictitious names and used for illicit activities”.
Two burner phones seized from Mr Heuermann at the time of his arrest – one from his person and one from the office of his Midtown Manhattan architecture firm – had allegedly been used by him to contact sex workers between 2020 and 2023.
The court documents also reveal new chilling details about the suspected serial killer’s use of several online accounts, as well as his disturbing online searches.
Rex Heuermann in court on 16 January 2024
Rex Heuermann in court
