Rex Heuermann, a Gilgo Beach serial killer suspect who is already facing murder charges in the deaths of six women, has been charged with the murder of Valerie Mack, whose mutilated remains were discovered more than 20 years ago.
The former New York architect, 61, was handcuffed and shackled as he appeared before Suffolk Supreme Court Justice Timothy Mazzei in Riverhead on Tuesday. He was charged with second-degree murder in Mack’s death.
“Your honor, I am not guilty of any of these charges,” Heuermann responded when asked to enter a plea.
Mack, 24, of New Jersey, was working as an escort in Philadelphia when she disappeared in October 2000. The following month, her torso was discovered in Manorville, Long Island, and she went by the name Jane Doe No. 6 for two decades. More of her remains were discovered near Gilgo Beach in 2011.
The investigation into the Gilgo Beach killings began in 2010, when police searching for a missing woman, Shannan Gilbert, discovered ten sets of human remains along the same 2.6-mile stretch of Ocean Parkway, raising concerns about a serial killer on Long Island.
Gilbert’s body was discovered in December 2011, but her death is believed to be unrelated to the Long Island serial killer case.
Over time, investigators used DNA testing and other clues to identify the victims, many of whom were sex workers. In some cases, they were linked to remains discovered elsewhere on Long Island years ago. The first victim was found in 1993, and the last victim was discovered in 2010. Police also started looking into other unsolved killings of women found dead on Long Island.
In June, Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney named Heuermann as a suspect in the murder of Mack. Her family previously stated that they expected an arrest by the end of the year.
Mack’s parents “are very grateful for the small bit of closure,” he said during the news conference on Tuesday.
According to court documents released on Tuesday, hair found on Mack’s remains was linked to Heuermann’s wife and daughter via DNA testing.
Heuermann’s daughter would have been three or four years old at the time of Mack’s murder. Hair found on six of the seven victims has now been identified as belonging to Heuermann or his family.
Prosecutors said they also linked Heuermann to Mack’s death using evidence recovered from 350 electronic devices seized by investigators during a search of his Massapequa Park home. The evidence also included a “significant collection of violent, bondage, and torture pornography.”
Some of the images showed mutilation and women tied up with ropes, which were consistent with the injuries inflicted on Mack, according to officials. Mack’s breasts had been mutilated with a sharp object, and her remains were tied with rope, according to prosecutors.
According to the bail application, one of the documents discovered contained a “body prep” section with the instructions to “remove head and hands.” Mack’s head and hands were removed from her body when it was discovered.
The documents also included a 2003 New York Post article titled “Serial Killer Eyed in LI Slay” and a 1993 Newsday article titled “Body Discovered in Woods.”
“Rex A. Heuermann sought, purchased and kept these publications as souvenirs or mementos of his crimes,” the prosecution alleges.
It was revealed that Heuermann had a document that mentioned Mill Road, where Mack’s remains were discovered, as a possible “dump site.” He had also visited several gun clubs in the vicinity of where her remains were discovered.
Tierney claimed that evidence discovered in Heuermann’s home demonstrated that he had an interest in torture and had taken notes from books about serial killing.
The judge has given prosecutors until next month to file motions involving evidence.
Heuermann was arrested in July 2023 outside his Manhattan architecture firm and charged with the murders of Megan Waterman, Melissa Barthelemy, and Amber Lynn Costello. Between 2009 and 2010, three women were killed within a year of one another.
In January 2024, Heuermann was charged with second-degree murder in the death of Maureen-Brainard Barnes, who died in 2007.
Investigators refer to Waterman, Barthelemy, Costello, and Brainard-Barnes as the “Gilgo Four.” They were the first remains found near Gilgo Beach in 2010.
In June, Heuermann was charged with second-degree murder in the deaths of Taylor in 2003 and Sandra Costilla, whose body was discovered in the Southampton hamlet of North Sea in 1993.
According to prosecutors, Heuermann has been linked to each of the killings via DNA, and witness statements and cellphone data also connect him to the victims.
Heuermann, who lived with his wife Asa Ellerup and two children in Massapequa Park, Long Island, and commuted to a Manhattan architecture office, was arrested on July 13, 2023. Ellerup has now filed for divorce.
The judge ordered Heuermann, who has been held in isolation at the Suffolk County Jail in Riverhead since his arrest, to remain without bail.
He has pleaded not guilty to all charges.
