GILGO BEACH, NY – A suspect in the murders of four Long Island sex workers is expected to appear at Suffolk County Supreme Court next week, fueling speculation that he could be facing an additional murder charge. Rex Heuermann, 60, has already pleaded not guilty to the murders of three women whose remains were found more than a decade ago. He has now been named a suspect in the fourth woman’s murder. Heuermann has been held without bail since his arrest.
Prosecutors had previously stated that a grand jury was being asked to consider an indictment into the murder of Maureen Brainard-Barnes, 25, whose body was found along with the other three in December 2010. The women, known as the ‘Gilgo Four,’ were discovered close to Heuermann’s Long Island home. The victims, who worked as escorts and advertised themselves on Craigslist, were found on a desolate stretch of coastline wrapped in camouflage burlap and bound with belts or red tape.
Heuermann was linked to the killings by DNA found on the burlap, which was compared to samples taken from a discarded pizza crust and napkin outside his Manhattan architectural firm. The samples showed a 99.96 percent match. Prosecutors and investigators also accused Heuermann of using different burner phones to contact each victim, and of using one victim’s phone to make taunting phone calls to her family from his office.
The suspect is also being probed over the slaying of two additional sex workers, Valerie Mack and Karen Vergata. At the time of the murders, Heuermann’s estranged wife was away from home. She has since filed for divorce and accepted a $1 million documentary deal, which has sparked controversy.
Heuermann is scheduled to appear at Suffolk County Supreme Court next week before Justice Timothy Mazzei. He was originally due to return to court in February for a conference on the original six-count indictment. The suspect’s return to court prematurely has fueled speculation that he could be facing further charges. All four victims were found on the Long Island coastline between 2010 and 2011.