On Tuesday, the New York prosecutor handling the Long Island serial killer case visited the suspect’s house, where police had been executing search warrants for over a week.
According to Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney, investigators have concluded their search of 59-year-old Rex Heuremann’s home this week, but still have a lot of evidence to process.
“The evidence doesn’t point one way or the other that someone was killed in the house,” he said during a Tuesday press conference. “We have obtained a massive amount of material that has to be cataloged and analyzed.”
“We were looking for tangible items of evidence as well as trace evidence including blood and DNA and hair fibers. That is a process that it takes a while.”
Tierney added that although no human remains were discovered at the residence, investigators were still examining trace evidence collected from inside the house and the backyard.
Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman added on Tuesday that they hope to restore normalcy to the Massapequa Park neighborhood (where Heuermann lived) “as quickly as possible.”
“We don’t want people to think of this as some kind of gruesome tourist attraction, we are not going to tolerate that,” Blakeman said.
Heuremann’s family members are currently not at the home but will be allowed back in as soon as everything is wrapped up.
Neighbors in the Massapequa Park community, according to ABC New York, are fed up with the extensive police presence and influx of crowds, disrupting their once-quiet neighborhood.
“This is not going to turn into a show, a sideshow. Anyone that thinks they’re going to come down and drive down the street and stop and take photos is going to be issued a summons for stopping in traffic,” Nassau County Police Commissioner Patrick Ryder said.
Officials also confirmed that there was no soundproof room found at the suspect’s home. However, a vault that contained numerous firearms was located.
As CrimeOnline previously reported, Heuermann was arrested July 13 for the deaths of three of the four women known collectively as the “Gilgo Four.” The bodies were found within days of each other on Gilgo Beach in December 2010. All four women were buried in burlap sacks.
Heuerman has been charged with six counts of murder in the deaths of Melissa Barthelemy, 24; Megan Waterman, 22; and Amber Lynn Costello, 27; and is the prime suspect in the death of 25-year-old Maureen Brainard-Barnes.
He remains behind bars at the Suffolk County Correctional Facility in Riverhead, without bail. Suffolk County Sheriff Errol Toulon said Heuremann is in an isolated cell alone and appears to be “comfortable.”
“He’s in the cell by himself, he’s receiving all the services that any other person who’s incarcerated will receive,” Toulon told WCBS 880.
“It seems like he’s very comfortable in his cell and his surroundings. He’s indicated to my staff that he would not be any issue to us and would be extremely compliant, so we’ll see how that plays out in the days and weeks ahead.”
He’s also on suicide watch, according to Toulon, who said it was “pretty standard for someone that comes in with a case of this type of notoriety.”
“Our mental health staff will re-evaluate him to see if they actually do feel he has suicidal tendencies.”
Toulon added that they monitor and videotape Heuermann 24 hours a day, and “all inmate movement stops” when he is moved from one place to another within the jail.
Check back for updates.
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[Feature Photo: Authorities continue to work at the home of suspect Rex Heuermann in Massapequa Park, N.Y., Monday, July 24, 2023. Heuermann has been charged with killing at least three women in the long-unsolved slayings known as the Gilgo Beach killings. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)]
