New charges against Rex Heuermann: Suspected Gilgo Beach killer faces seventh murder allegation
The disturbing revelation came at a court appearance on Monday, where Heuermann was formally charged with the 2000 killing of Valerie Mack, a 24-year-old mother whose partial remains were discovered in Manorville and along Ocean Parkway.
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The Long Island man accused of being the Gilgo Beach serial killer, Rex Heuermann, is facing new charges in connection with a seventh murder.
For the first time, prosecutors are suggesting that the killings may have occurred inside Heuermann’s home in Massapequa Park.
The disturbing revelation came at a court appearance on Monday, where Heuermann was formally charged with the 2000 killing of Valerie Mack, a 24-year-old mother whose partial remains were discovered in Manorville and along Ocean Parkway.
According to Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney, new forensic evidence, including mitochondrial DNA from a hair found on Mack's remains, has linked Heuermann to the crime.
The DNA appears to match that of Heuermann's wife or his daughter, who would have been only three or four years old at the time of Mack’s disappearance.
During the hearing, Heuermann vehemently denied the charges, maintaining his innocence.
“Your Honor, I am not guilty of any of these charges,” he told the judge. His defense attorney, Michael Brown, echoed his client’s claims, questioning the validity of the DNA evidence presented by prosecutors.
“There’s something a little weird about this,” Brown said. “Every time they have these allegations and a body, they claim there’s one hair.”
In a dramatic twist, District Attorney Tierney also presented a theory that the murders may have occurred inside Heuermann’s home.
According to the prosecution, physical evidence found at the house, including adhesive markings and pinholes on the basement walls, suggests that Heuermann may have used the space to carry out the crimes.
Tierney also referenced a “planning document,” allegedly matching actions Heuermann took around the time of Valerie Mack’s disappearance.
“If you look at the planning document, if you look at the adhesive staining on the walls and the enclosed pattern, all of that is consistent with the commission of those murders occurring at the home,” Tierney explained.
Neighbors have expressed shock and fear at the prospect that the brutal killings could have been carried out in a home so close to their own.
"It gets creepier when you start to think that stuff was actually happening inside the house,” said Etienne Devilliers, who lives next door.
