SUFFOLK COUNTY, N.Y. — Accused Gilgo Beach serial killer Rex Heuermann allegedly contacted at least 60 sex workers and viewed violent torture images before his 2023 arrest, according to new court documents filed by prosecutors.
The Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office filed a motion Tuesday revealing the extensive digital evidence against the 63-year-old architect, who faces murder charges in seven deaths spanning more than a decade. Heuermann allegedly created fake accounts on dating platforms using the names “Andrew Roberts” and “Thomas Hawk” to reach potential victims, prosecutors said. His internet search history showed “images of bruised and impaled women,” “hardcore violent pornography,” and searches for “mourning the deceased,” according to court filings.
Prosecutors arrested Heuermann in July 2023 in Manhattan for the 2009 and 2010 murders of Melissa Barthelemy, 24; Megan Waterman, 22; and Amber Lynn Costello, 27. In January 2024, he was charged with murdering Maureen Brainard-Barnes. All four women were found wrapped in burlap and buried near each other at Gilgo Beach on Long Island’s South Shore. The victims had been advertising as sex workers when they disappeared, according to investigators. “These show an absence of mistake, that he was using and making these calls, and learning about how to torture people in order to perform these acts upon his victims,” former prosecutor Vinoo Varghese told CBS News.
The charges against Heuermann expanded significantly in 2024 as investigators connected him to additional cold cases. In June 2024, prosecutors charged him with the murders of Sandra Costilla and Jessica Taylor. In December 2024, a grand jury indicted him for the murder of Valerie Mack. The victims were found in various locations across Long Island, with some remains discovered years apart. Investigators have been working to identify additional victims and determine if Heuermann was responsible for other unsolved disappearances in the area. The Suffolk County Police Department established a dedicated task force to review hundreds of missing persons cases dating back to the 1990s.
The Gilgo Beach case began in 2010 when police searching for missing sex worker Shannan Gilbert discovered the first set of remains along Ocean Parkway. Over the following months, investigators found additional victims buried in the same area, leading to one of Long Island’s most extensive serial killer investigations. The case went cold for years before advances in DNA technology and cell phone data analysis helped investigators focus on Heuermann. Police conducted surveillance of the Manhattan architect for months before his arrest, monitoring his movements and collecting evidence from his Massapequa Park home.
Heuermann’s defense team has maintained his innocence on all charges, arguing that the evidence against him is circumstantial. His trial is scheduled to begin after Labor Day 2026, according to court officials. Prosecutors indicated they are seeking a life sentence without the possibility of parole if Heuermann is convicted. “It is also very likely that the prosecution feels that they have an extremely very strong case and are not offering anything short of life in prison,” Varghese said. The Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office has not commented on potential plea negotiations.
The latest court filing represents prosecutors’ effort to introduce evidence of Heuermann’s alleged pattern of behavior and intent. Legal experts said the evidence of contact with dozens of sex workers could help establish premeditation and planning in the alleged murders. The prosecution argues that Heuermann’s search history and online activity demonstrate he is “a sexual sadist” who researched methods of torture and violence. Defense attorneys are expected to challenge the admissibility of the internet search evidence and argue it does not prove guilt in the specific murders charged.
Families of the victims have waited more than a decade for answers in the Gilgo Beach case. Some relatives have filed civil lawsuits against Suffolk County, alleging police mishandled the initial investigation and failed to properly investigate the disappearances. The case has drawn national attention as one of the most significant serial killer investigations on the East Coast. Community advocates have called for better protections for sex workers and improved police response to missing persons cases involving vulnerable populations.
Heuermann remains held without bail at the Suffolk County Jail as the case moves toward trial. Prosecutors continue reviewing evidence and may file additional charges as the investigation progresses, with several other deaths still under review for potential connections to the defendant.
