Current:Home > Contact-usInvestigators pore over evidence from the home of alleged Gilgo Beach serial killer as search ends-LoTradeCoin
Investigators pore over evidence from the home of alleged Gilgo Beach serial killer as search ends
View Date:2024-12-23 23:56:35
NEW YORK (AP) — An intense police search of the Long Island home of Rex Heuermann is now complete, authorities said Tuesday as they ended a 12-day hunt for evidence that involved ripping up the yard and the discovery of basement vault containing hundreds of weapons kept by the man accused of killing at least three women more than a decade ago.
At a press conference outside the Massapequa Park home where Heuermann lived with his wife and two kids, Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney said police had found a “tremendous amount of information” during their search.
He declined to describe the bulk of the material, but said there was not a “singular piece of evidence” that jumped out to him.
Other news Excavator seen digging in backyard of man charged in Gilgo Beach killings Investigators have been digging in the yard at the Long Island home of Rex Heuermann. The New York architect was charged earlier this month with killing at least three women and burying their remains on a remote stretch of beach highway. He came face to face with an alleged serial killer. 12 years later, his tip helped crack the case As police comb through the home of a man charged in a string of serial killings in New York, one witness is frustrated it took so long to solve the crime.The search turned up at least 279 weapons kept inside a thick basement vault large enough for a person to walk into, Tierney said. Police took boxes of additional evidence from the house, which he described as a “very cluttered environment.”
An effort in recent days to dig up the backyard in search of possible clues about where the murders were committed did not yield any “large items of evidence,” he added.
A coalition of law enforcement agencies have been pouring over the property since July 14th, when Heuermann was arrested and charged with killing three women – Melissa Barthelemy, Amber Costello, and Megan Waterman – and dumping their bodies along a remote stretch of coastal highway near Long Island’s Gilgo Beach more than a decade ago. Prosecutors identified him as the prime suspect in the death of a fourth woman, Maureen Brainard-Barnes.
Heuermann, who worked as an architect in Manhattan, has denied the charges through his lawyer.
The killings, all of which involved women engaged in sex work, happened while Heuermann’s family members were out of town, according to court papers. There is no indication his wife or children had knowledge of the crimes, Tierney said.
During the search, police used a scanning technology to identify “disturbances” in the ground outside Heuermann’s property, Tierney said. An excavator dug up the yard, and investigators with shovels could be seen scraping through freshly upturned earth.
Police were also seen pulling a large doll encased in glass and a portrait of a woman with a bruise on her face from the house. All of the material recovered from the house will soon be tested for DNA and blood samples that may be relevant to the case.
“We won’t know exactly what we have for quite some time, just given the sheer volume of evidence that was taken,” Tierney said.
The end of the search comes as police in Las Vegas and South Carolina are beginning their own investigations into whether the suspect may have been connected to any unresolved cases. Heuermann owns a timeshare in Las Vegas and planned to retire in a remote area of South Carolina, where his brother currently lives.
Tierney declined to discuss specifics in the other cases on Tuesday, but noted the investigation “is not limited to New York state.”
Heuermann is due back in court on August 1st.
veryGood! (184)
Related
- Massachusetts lawmakers to consider a soccer stadium for the New England Revolution
- Psst! Everything at J.Crew Factory Is 50% off Right Now, Including Hundreds of Cute Springtime Finds
- Anne Hathaway Shares She's 5 Years Sober
- New Mexico reaches record settlement over natural gas flaring in the Permian Basin
- Kyle Richards Shares an Amazing Bottega Dupe From Amazon Along With Her Favorite Fall Trends
- Stock market today: Asian shares mostly rise to start a week full of earnings, Fed meeting
- FCC fines Verizon, AT&T other major carriers nearly $200 million for sharing customer data
- CBS makes major changes to 'NFL Today': Phil Simms and Boomer Esiason out
- Ready-to-eat meat, poultry recalled over listeria risk: See list of affected products
- Kate Middleton and Prince William Celebrate 13th Wedding Anniversary With Never-Before-Seen Photo
Ranking
- Over 1.4 million Honda, Acura vehicles subject of US probe over potential engine failure
- Tensions rise at Columbia protests after deadline to clear encampment passes. Here's where things stand.
- GaxEx: Leading the Way in Global Compliance with US MSB License
- Mississippi lawmakers expected to vote on Medicaid expansion plan with work requirement
- Tua Tagovailoa tackle: Dolphins QB laughs off taking knee to head vs. Rams on 'MNF'
- Travis Kelce's NFL Future With Kansas City Chiefs Revealed
- Jax Taylor and Brittany Cartwright Reveal Very Different Takes on Their Relationship Status
- Death of Frank Tyson, Ohio man who told police 'I can't breathe' has echoes of George Floyd
Recommendation
-
Judge recuses himself in Arizona fake elector case after urging response to attacks on Kamala Harris
-
Where's Wally? Emotional support alligator who gives hugs and kisses is missing in Georgia
-
Politicians and dog experts vilify South Dakota governor after she writes about killing her dog
-
Skipping updates on your phone? Which apps are listening? Check out these tech tips
-
The USDA is testing raw milk for the avian flu. Is raw milk safe?
-
Numerous law enforcement officers shot in Charlotte, North Carolina, police say
-
Connecticut governor takes partial blame for illegal cutting of 186 trees on neighbor’s property
-
American tourist facing prison in Turks and Caicos over ammunition says he's soaking up FaceTime with his kids back home