The Gilgo Beach serial murder mystery, which has left investigators puzzled for more than a decade, has witnessed a breakthrough.
A 59-year-old architect, Rex Heuermann, has been arrested in connection with the case, The Associated Press (AP) is reporting.
Heuermann, living just across South Oyster Bay from where the bodies of 11 victims were discovered, was detained late on Thursday in Massapequa, disclosed an unnamed law enforcement source.
Law enforcement officers were seen at Heuermann’s property on Friday, carrying out a search operation.
An arraignment was scheduled for Heuermann in Riverhead’s state court on Friday.
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, at an unrelated public event in Long Island, commented on the arrest, AP notes.
She said, “This is a day that is a long time in coming, and hopefully a day that will bring peace to this community and to the families — peace that has been long overdue.”
Heuermann resides in Massapequa Park, close to Gilgo Beach where skeletal remains were found along a secluded highway by the ocean between 2010 and 2011.
The victims were predominantly young female sex workers, the mysterious nature of whose deaths has attracted national attention and even inspired a 2020 Netflix film, “Lost Girls.”
The complex case has been a challenge for numerous experienced homicide detectives, despite several shifts in police leadership.
An interagency task force, including the FBI and local and state police departments, was assembled last year with the goal of resolving the mystery.
A small red house in a suburb about 40 miles east of midtown Manhattan, where Heuermann lived, was raided early on Friday.
The house, in stark contrast to the neat single-family homes in the community, was dilapidated and cluttered with overgrown shrubs and wood.
Gabriella Libardi, a local teacher, expressed her discomfort about the property, saying, “This house sticks out like a sore thumb. There were overgrown shrubs, there was always wood in front of the house. It was very creepy. I wouldn’t send my child there,” according to AP.
A neighbor, Barry Auslander, remarked on the contradiction between the man’s appearance as a suit-clad businessman commuting daily to New York City and the decrepit condition of his home.
Heuermann, a married father of two, runs a small firm based in Manhattan, known for carrying out renovations for major retailers, offices, and apartments.
Rodney Harrison, the Suffolk County Police Commissioner, announced the creation of a Gilgo Beach task force last year, indicating a renewed dedication to resolving the case.
John Ray, an attorney representing the families of two victims, Shannan Gilbert and Jessica Taylor, stated, “We’re happy to see that they’re finally active, the police, in accomplishing something. Let’s wait and see what it all leads to.”
The investigation was prompted by the disappearance of 24-year-old sex worker Shannan Gilbert in 2010, leading to the discovery of the first set of remains in a nearby marsh.
Eventually, ten sets of human remains were found scattered across Long Island.
Gilbert’s body was discovered in December 2011, roughly 3 miles from the original site.
