What's jail life like for Rex Heuermann? News 12 goes behind bars to get a glimpse
Heuermann is being held at the Suffolk County Correctional Facility in a 60-square-foot cell.
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The Turn To Tara team went behind bars to learn what life has been like for suspected serial killer Rex Heuermann in the month since his arrest.
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Heuermann is being held at the Suffolk County Correctional Facility in a 60-square-foot cell.
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"When he was first incarcerated, that first week, he was either laying on his back or with his back against the wall and really he slept a lot," says Sheriff Errol D. Toulon Jr. "Now, the last couple of times I've seen him, he's sitting up on his bunk. He may be reading a book. So, he's really acclimated to jail life."
He says that for the most part, Heuermann does not move around the jail often or spend a lot of time in a recreational area that he has access to throughout the day.
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"He seems very convicted to stay to himself, not speak to anyone, not communicate more than just the basic needs of interaction between a correctional officer and someone that's incarcerated," says Toulon.
Heuermann does meet with Catholic clergy for private prayer services once a week - with two cameras rolling at all times.
"He has requested it, and he seems like he's going to continue," he says. "It's a neutral party that's supposed to bring some solace and some comfort, spirituality through his spirituality."
News 12 has been told that Heuermann has had little contact with the outside world. He received two visitors in the past month: his lawyer and another person whose identity the sheriff will not release. The sheriff did say that the second visitor is a male and not a relative.
"It wasn't a name I was familiar with until we did some research on the individual," Toulon says.
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Toulon says that Heuermann also uses the phone two to three times a day, but he doesn't know who he is calling.
The sheriff says that the staff has prepared and has anticipated that Heuermann may be under their care for some time, possibly even years.
"The biggest thing for me is to make sure my staff isn't complacent and that we're diligent every single day," he says.
Heuermann's mental health suicide watch that was initially placed on has also been lifted.
Toulon says they are keeping him under a less severe "jail" suicide watch, which enables them to allocate more staff to his supervision.
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He adds that they are reevaluating every week to see if they need to step down or step up - and to make sure he sees his day in court.
