Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

‘Hundreds’ of true crime enthusiasts visit home of alleged Gilgo Beach serial killer Rex Heuermann

’I couldn’t wait to see it. I’m so into this thing,’ a woman who travelled 30 miles to see the house told The New York Times

Andrea Blanco
Friday 21 July 2023 07:06 EDT
Gilgo Beach: Neighbour claims he confronted suspected killer for leering at his wife

True crime fans have clustered outside the modest Massapequa Park home in Long Island, New York, where alleged Gilgo Beach serial killer Rex Heuermann lived until his bombshell arrest last week.

Rex Heuermann, 59, was charged on 13 July with the murders of Amber Costello, Megan Waterman and Melissa Barthelemy, who vanished between 2007 and 2010 before their bodies were found dumped in Gilgo Beach.

The suspect lived in Massapequa Park, Long Island, with his wife of 25 years, who has since filed for divorce, and two adult children. He also ran the architecture firm RH Consultants & Associates in Midtown Manhattan.

In the aftermath of the breakthrough arrest, hundreds of crime enthusiasts have gathered outside the suspect’s home, The New York Times reports.

“I couldn’t wait to see it. I’m so into this thing,” 51-year-old Long Island teacher Scarlett Fascetti, who made a 30-mile trip to see Mr Heuermann’s home, told the outlet.

Lidia Feldman, 26, also visited the house along with her two-year-old daughter.

“It’s part of history,” Ms Feldman told the Times.

Crime scene tape surrounded the red house, which neighbours have previously said was always “unkempt,” as police carted more boxes of potential evidence earlier this week.

Items pulled out of Mr Heuermann’s home in Massapequa Park in recent days have included more than 200 firearms, a large doll in a glass case, a large portrait of a woman with a bruised face and a filing cabinet.

Investigators, some dressed in “crime lab” T-shirts and protective suits, were seen Tuesday carting away a desktop computer, a large picture frame, a mirror and many other household items.

Authorities search the home of suspect Rex Heuermann, Tuesday, July 18, 2023, in Massapequa Park
Authorities search the home of suspect Rex Heuermann, Tuesday, July 18, 2023, in Massapequa Park (Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)
True crime fans have clustered outside the modest Massapequa Park home in Long Island
True crime fans have clustered outside the modest Massapequa Park home in Long Island (Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)

Mr Heuermann, 59, is being held at the maximum-security Suffolk County Correctional Facility in Riverhead following his arrest. He has pleaded not guilty to the murder charges against him.

On Thursday, South Carolina investigators confirmed they are probing potential links between Mr Huermann and the disappearance of a teen nearly a decade ago.

“Our investigators have been reviewing any information to see if there is a correlation between the disappearance of Aaliyah Bell and Rex Heuermann,” Rock Hill Lieutenant Michael Chavis told ABC News in a statement. “So far there is no indication that leads us to identify Heuermann as a suspect in this case. We will continue to investigate Bell’s disappearance and follow up on all tips and leads.”

In the aftermath of Mr Heuermann’s arrest, it has emerged that he has ties to both South Carolina and Las Vegas, owning properties in both locations.

In a statement to The Independent on Tuesday, the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department also confirmed that the department is probing a link between Mr Heuermann and unsolved cases in the area.

“We are aware of Rex Heuermann’s connection to Las Vegas. We are currently reviewing our unsolved cases to see if he has any involvement,” a spokesperson said.

Former NYPD Chief of Detectives Robert Boyce told ABC’s Good Morning America that law enforcement agencies across the tri-state area of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut and even nationwide are also reviewing cold cases that Mr Heuermann may be tied to.

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in