The arrest of Rex Heuermann on Thursday shocked many people in the Long Island community of Massapequa Park, where residents learned an accused serial killer had been living in their midst.
But the news did not surprise criminologists, who more than a decade ago described a psychological profile of someone largely matching key facets of Heuermann’s life and personality, according to Fox News.
Heuermann has been charged with first- and second-degree murder in connection with the deaths of Melissa Barthelemy, Megan Waterman and Amber Costello, whose bodies were found buried on Long Island’s Gilgo Beach in 2010. He is also the prime suspect in the death of a fourth woman.
In 2011, experts said the person responsible for the killings was likely a white male, educated and living on the southern shores of Long Island. Further, these experts said, the suspect was likely to be in his mid-20s to mid-40s, employed, married and may drive an expensive car or truck.
“This is someone who can walk into a room and seem like your average Joe,” Drew University sociology professor Scott Bonn told The New York Times. “He has to be persuasive enough and rational enough that he is able to convince these women to meet him on these terms. He has demonstrated social skills. He may even be charming.”
Heuermann, who is white, ran an architectural firm in Manhattan, where he was hired by major companies for his deep knowledge of New York City’s building code. He is married and has two children. Now 59, Heuermann would have been around 46 when the last victim was murdered in September 2010. And Heuermann drove a black Chevrolet Avalanche pick-up truck, a key piece of evidence that led police to him.
Still, not all aspects of the profile appear to match perfectly with Heuermann. Experts predicted that the suspect would likely be financially secure, but Heuermann lived in a run-down home and he and his wife have been the subject of legal actions over hundreds of thousands of dollars in unpaid taxes, according to WABC-TV.
The profile also indicated that the suspect might be considered charming. People who know or have interacted with Heuermann have provided a wide range of descriptors about his personality, including joking and goofy, quiet but also talkative, arrogant, and creepy.
Still, Heuermann’s residence in Massapequa Park was also consistent with the profile. Experts suggested previously that the killer likely lived in and was familiar with the area where the bodies were buried.
“He did not stumble upon that location,” FBI profiler Jim Clemente told the Times.
Clemente had suggested earlier that the killer might attack his victims when he has the opportunity, namely when his wife or children are away. As CrimeOnline previously reported, authorities allege that during the slayings charged so far, Heuermann’s wife and kids were out of town.
Heuermann on Friday pleaded not guilty to the charges. He remains in jail without bond.
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[Feature Photo: Rex Heuermann/RH Consultants and Associates]
