On Tuesday, prosecutors in Suffolk County, New York, formally charged accused serial killer Rex Heuermann with the murder of Maureen Brainard-Barnes, who vanished in 2007 while working as an escort.
Heuremann is already facing charges for the murders of three other victims, including Melissa Barthelemy, 24; Megan Waterman, 22; and Amber Lynn Costello, 27.
Now, the latest charge involves the discovery of Brainard-Barnes’s remains in a remote area along the Ocean Parkway near Gilgo Beach, mirroring the circumstances of the other victims he’s accused of murdering.
“Today, Defendant Rex A. Heuermann stands before this Court charged by the Grand Jury in a Superseding Indictment, which incorporates not only the above counts, but the additional charge of: MURDER IN THE SECOND DEGREE, in violation of New York State Penal Law Section 125.25(1), a class A-I violent felony for the death of Maureen Brainard-Barnes on or about July 9, 2007,” prosecutors wrote, according to ABC 7.
As CrimeOnline previously reported, Brainard-Barnes’ remains were discovered amid a search for Shannan Gilbert, 24, who vanished from Oak Beach, New York, in May 2010. Though police believed Gilbert’s death was accidental, her disappearance led to the discovery of 10 sets of human remains — including Brainard-Barnes’.
In July, police arrested Heuermann in Manhattan for the 2009 and 2010 murders of the three women.
Officials said Brainard-Barnes and the three other victims were found wrapped in burlap and buried near each other. All four women were reportedly advertising as sex workers when they vanished.
DNA from a discarded slice of pizza linked Heuermann to Barthelemy, Waterman, and Costello’s slayings, according to investigators. A hair belonging to Heuermann’s wife was allegedly recovered from the crime scene.
Prosecutors added Tuesday that the defendant’s estranged wife and their two children were out of state when Heuremann allegedly murdered Brainard-Barnes.
“As set forth in Exhibit A, travel and cellular telephone billing records had previously established that Defendant Heuermann’s wife and children were out of the state during the disappearances and murders of three of the four victims, specifically, Melissa Barthelemy, Megan Waterman, and Amber Costello,” prosecutors said.
“Based on the foregoing, the murders of all four victims occurred at times when Defendant Heuermann’s wife and children were traveling out of state, which allowed Defendant Heuermann unfettered time to execute his plans for each victim without any fear that his family would uncover or learn of his involvement in these crimes.”
Prosecutors added that investigators found two phones in Heuermann’s possession that he used “in fictitious names and used for illicit activities.” Investigators also found numerous devices inside Heuremann’s Massapequa Park home, during a search of the residence last year.
Prosecutors said Heuermann utilized the devices to search for information about the deceased victims and their family members. He also searched for software capable of wiping or erasing data from computers and similar digital devices.
“Defendant’s devices also contained the following: A collection of violent, bondage, and torture pornography preceding, during, and subsequent to the disappearances and murders of the aforementioned victims between 2007 and 2010; and prostitution-related searches preceding, during, and subsequent to the disappearances and murders of the aforementioned victims between 2007 and 2010,” prosecutors wrote.
Heuermann pleaded not guilty to Brainard-Barnes’ murder and previously pleaded not guilty to the other three murders. His attorney, Michael Brown, submitted the not-guilty plea on Heuremann’s behalf.
“He has maintained his innocence from day one,” Brown said, following Tuesday’s hearing. “He’s looking forward to fighting these charges and we’re doing that.”
Meanwhile, Heuremann remains behind bars at Suffolk County jail. His next court appearance is scheduled for February 6.
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[Feature Photo: Rex Heuermann, right, appears in Suffolk County Supreme Court with his attorney, Michael Brown, Wednesday, Nov. 15, 2023, in Riverhead, N.Y. Heurmann was arrested in July on murder charges in the killings of Melissa Barthelemy, Megan Waterman and Amber Costello, three of the women whose bodies were found along a remote beach highway on Long Island, and has been named as the prime suspect in the death of a fourth woman.(James Carbone/Newsday via AP, Pool)]
Additional reporting by Jacquelyn Gray
