GILGO BEACH CASE FILES
Gilgo Beach Homicide Investigation
Years before the 2010 discovery of one set of human remains at Oak Beach in Suffolk County, 10 people fell victim to suspected homicide. Multiple females, one male, and a toddler were robbed of their lives between 1993 and 2010.
GILGO BEACH INCESTIGATION
Gilgo Beach Homicide Investigation
Case Files
November 1993 Sandra Costilla’s remains were found in North Sea by two hunters discovered 28-year-old Costilla’s body in a wooded area in North Sea, Southampton, on Nov. 21, 1993. She had been strangled to death and left partially clothed. Her remains were in the woods for several days prior to being discovered. Authorities identified Costilla by using her fingerprints, which had been entered into the system after she was arrested for jumping over a subway turnstile in 1992.
June 28, 1997, a dismembered female torso was discovered inside a Rubbermaid container in a wooded area of Hempstead Lake State Park in Lakeview, New York. The body bore a distinctive tattoo of a peach-shaped heart, with a bite taken out and two drops falling from its core. With no way to identify her, investigators called her “Peaches.”
July 2003 dismembered body of Jessica Taylor was found. The remains were Taylor’s body, decapitated and with both arms severed. A tattoo on the torso had been obliterated with a sharp object to prevent her identity.
In 2010 Four women had been bound with tape or belts or wrapped in shrouds of camouflage-patterned burlap, the sort that hunters use for blinds. They had worked as escorts and had gone missing after going to meet a client. The bodies
of the four victims – Maureen Brainard, Melissa Barthelemy, Megan Waterman and Amber Costello – were found approximately 500 feet from each other.
Investigators focused on cell phone use from the beginning of the investigation into the Long Island serial killer. The victims, referred to as the “Gilgo Four,” posted advertisements on Craigslist and used their own cell phones to connect
with clients. 2009 The authorities stated that the killer used Melissa Barthelemy’s cell phone to make several taunting phone calls to her family in Buffalo, N.Y. during the summer of 2009. These calls reportedly originated from towers
near New York’s Penn Station and other areas of Manhattan.
2010 A witness reported seeing a dark green Chevy Avalanche parked outside the home of Amber Lynn Costello in Babylon, N.Y., the day before she disappeared in September 2010. The witness informed the police that Costello had a meeting
with a client on the same day. The witness described the client as a white male, approximately 6’4″ to 6’6″ in height, in his mid-40s, with dark bushy hair, and big oval-style 1970s eyeglasses. This information is from court documents
related to the case.
Police Chief James Burke, the former officer in charge of the investigation, did not comply with the FBI on the case.
On December 10, 2015, Suffolk County Police Commissioner Tim Sini announced that the FBI had officially joined the investigation.
The announcement came one day after former police chief James Burke was indicted for civil rights violations and conspiracy.
Burke, who resigned from the department in October 2015, was reported to have blocked FBI involvement in the Gilgo Beach cases for years
2021, investigators, including the FBI, used advanced phone analytics to focus on an area of Massapequa Park, located about 17 miles from Gilgo Beach, where they believed the killer likely lived. There was a specific area where our potential
suspect was making these phone calls to the victims.
The next breakthrough in the case came when police revisited an old clue in March 2022. Investigators determined that Heuermann, who lived in Massapequa Park and matched the physical description, owned a Chevy Avalanche in 2010. Once
they had established Heuermann as a suspect, they conducted surveillance on his daily life, issuing 300 subpoenas and search warrants to collect potential evidence.
January 2023, an undercover team watched from security cameras as Heuermann allegedly tossed a pizza box into a trash can outside of his midtown Manhattan office. The team retrieved the box, which contained a partial piece of pizza crust
that was later tested for DNA. It proved to be a “99.96%” match to hair found on one of the victims at Gilgo Beach.
Timeline
November 29, 1975
- Rex Heuermann father dies at age 50, He was 12 years old.
- Rex Heuermann graduates from Berner High School in Massapequa, NY
- RH works as a seasonal employee at Jones Beach State Park
- Rex Heuermann begins working (presumably full-time) at Jones Beach State Park.
- Rex Heuermann leaves his position at Jones Beach State Park
- Rex Heuermann Started working in Manhattan (pg. 47 of the
- RH marries his first wife at St. Peter’s Church in New Brunswick, NJ. At the time of their marriage, RH was working at Greer Construction Corp. in Freeport, NY as an architect intern. He graduated from the New York Institute of Technology in Westbury, NY with a degree in architectural technology
- RH and his first wife divorce after “almost three years” of marriage (pg. 8 of the
- Rex incorporates RH Consultants & Associates.
- The body of 28-year-old Sandra Costilla is discovered in North Sea, Long Island.
- RH purchases the house in Massapequa Park from his mother for $170,000 Nassau County Land Records Viewer
- RH obtains his architecture license in NY State NY State Office of the Professions
- RH marries his second wife (pg. 8 of the
- A hunter’s dog discovered some of Jane Doe #6 (Valerie Mack) remains in a wooded area of Manorville. The remains were in a black plastic bag wrapped with duct tape. The bag contained additional plastic bags that contained Mack’s decapitated body. The Suffolk County Medical Examiner’s Office said they were able to determine from the remains that the victim had been dead for about two-to-eight weeks before being discovered.
- Partial remains found in Manorville The remains of Jane Doe Number Five were matched to Jessica Taylor, who had been identified. Taylor, like the other victims, had worked as an escort.
- Rex Heuermann purchased a timeshare at Club du Soleil in Las Vegas for $16,995
- Rex burner phone: Maureen Brainard-Barnes’ cellphone is contacted by a burner phone (pg. 5 of the bail application
- Maureen Brainard-Barnes, 25, is last seen alive in New York City.
- 11:56 p.m. – Maureen’s cellphone pings in Midtown Manhattan near the 59th Street Bridge.
- Two outbound calls were made from Maureen’s cellphone, checking her voicemail from a cell site location near the Long Island Expressway in Islandia
- Melissa Bathelemy’s cellphone is contacted by a burner phone
- Melissa’s cellphone is contacted by the same burner phone
- Rex Heuremann wife Asa Elerup leaves the United States for Iceland
- Melissa’s cellphone is again contacted by the same burner phone
- Melissa Barthelemy, 24, disappears in New York City. Her cellphone is contacted by the same burner phone and the burner phone travels from Massapequa Park to Midtown Manhattan
- 1:43 a.m. Melissa’s cellphone travels from Manhattan to Massapequa, last pinging in Massapequa at 1:43 a.m. Earlier that same day, her phone was used to check her voicemail in both Freeport and Babylon
- Melissa’s cellphone is used to make an outbound call to check her voicemail in Babylon
- 12:40 p.m. A male caller uses Melissa’s cellphone to contact her family, connecting with a cell tower at 4 Penn Plaza in Manhattan
- 1:45 p.m. Rex Heuermann’s cellphone places a call in New York City
- 6:58 p.m. Rex Heuermann cellphone shows a call location in New York City
- 7:15 p.m. The burner phone used to contact Melissa has activity in Manhattan
- 7:22 p.m. Rex Heuermann’s cellphone shows a call location in New York City
- Melissa’s phone is used in Midtown Manhattan to make taunting calls to her family members on July 17. The male caller admits to killing and sexually assaulting her.
- 5:12 p.m.: Rex Heuermann places a call from New York City
- 6:51 p.m.: The burner cellphone used to contact Melissa registered activity at a cell tower at 19 West 34th Street in Midtown Manhattan, near RH’s office
- 2:48 p.m. Rex Heuermann places a call from New York City
- 1:39 p.m. The burner phone used to contact Melissa had activity attached to a cell tower at 19 West 34th Street in Manhattan
- 6:42 p.m. Rex Heuermann uses Melissa’s phone to contact her family from a cell tower at 275 West 39th Street in Manhattan
- 8:29 – 8:30 p.m. The burner phone used to contact Melissa has activity in New York City
- 11:05 p.m. Rex Heuermann’s cellphone places a call from Jamaica, Queens
- 6:46 – 7:05 p.m. Rex Heuermann’s cellphone pings near his office
- 6:50 – 7:11 p.m. Melissa’s phone is used in Midtown Manhattan near RH’s office to make taunting calls to her family members
- RH traveled to Iceland with his family.
- Rex Heuermann’s wife returns to the United States from Iceland
- 7:16 p.m. Rex Heuermann’s cellphone makes a call from New York City
- 7:23 p.m. Rex Heuermann uses Melissa’s cellphone to make a taunting call to her family from Manhattan, pinging from a cell tower at 249 West 36th Street
- 7:28 p.m. Rex Heuermann’s cellphone makes a call from New York City
- 11:29 – 11:34 a.m. Melissa’s cellphone is used to make a taunting call to her family member from a cell tower at 4 Penn Plaza
- 11:38 a.m. Rex Heuermann’s cellphone lists a call location from New York City
- 23-year-old Shannan Gilbert disappeared after leaving the home of a client and reportedly running through the gated community of Oak Beach. Gilbert had been transported to Oak Beach by a driver, who later received a call from the client to return Gilbert home after she began to exhibit irrational and erratic behavior. Despite multiple searches in the area where Gilbert was last seen, her body was not found until 18 months later.
- Rex Heuermann acquires a hunting license in Alaska
- Rex Heuermann’s wife travels from New York to Maryland
- Megan Waterman’s cellphone is contacted by a burner phone which had been activated that same day
- 1:30 a.m.: Megan is last seen alive at the Holiday Inn in Hauppauge, NY. At 1:31 a.m., she is contacted by the burner phone.
- 3:11 a.m.: Megan’s phone last pings near RH’s house in Massapequa Park
- Rex Heuermann’s wife returns to New York from Maryland
- Rex Heuermann’s wife travels from New York to New Jersey
- 11:33 – 11:34 p.m.: Amber Costello’s phone is contacted twice by a burner phone. During these calls, the burner phone pinged from cell towers in West Amityville and Massapequa Park
- Rex Heuermann contacted Amber from West Babylon using his burner phone. Around this time, the client — described as an ” ogre” driving a first-generation Chevy Avalanche — arrives at her residence at pays for her services, at which point a male pretends to be an outraged boyfriend and the client leaves.
- 1:18 a.m.: Amber receives a text from Rex Heuermann burner phone “That was not nice so do i credit for next time.” He sent the text message from Massapequa Park.
- 9:32 p.m.: The same burner phone communicates with Amber’s phone, using a cell tower in Midtown Manhattan
- 10:39 p.m.: The burner phone again has contact with Amber’s phone, this time from a cell tower in Massapequa Park
- 11:05 p.m.: The burner phone has contact with Amber’s phone from a cell tower in Massapequa Park
- 11:17 p.m.: The burner phone travels to West Babylon near Amber Costello’s residence. Shortly after this, a dark-colored truck was seen driving past Amber Costello’s residence.
- Rex Heuermann’s wife returns to New York from New Jersey
- Eight months into the search for Gilbert, a Suffolk County Police Department Canine Unit continued their efforts near her last known location. Instead of finding Gilbert, they uncovered human remains identified later as 24-year-old Melissa Barthelemy (Jane Doe Number One).
- Three more sets of remains, initially labeled Jane Does Number Two, Three, and Four, were found along Ocean Parkway. These remains were later identified as Maureen Brainard-Barnes, 25; Amber Lynn Costello, 27; and Megan Waterman, 22. All four women had worked as Craigslist escorts and were last seen between July 2007 and September 2010.
- Rex Heuermann links An AOL email account Springfieldman9 to a Tinder account and burner phone is established with an Astoria, Queens zip code
- Partial skeletal remains, known as Jane Doe Number Five, were uncovered.
This discovery led to the first link between the Gilgo Beach homicides and Manorville. The remains of Jane Doe Number Five were matched to Jessica Taylor, who had been identified through partial remains found in Manorville on July 26, 2003. Taylor, like the other victims, had worked as an escort.
Following the connection between the Gilgo Beach and Manorville cases via Jessica Taylor, the investigation into Shannan Gilbert’s disappearance expanded further, revealing additional links and discoveries across Long Island.
The investigation into Shannan Gilbert’s disappearance continued, and several months later, additional remains were discovered miles east of where the Gilgo Beach Four were found
March 29, 2011- The investigation into Shannan Gilbert’s disappearance continued, and on March 29, 2011, partial skeletal remains, known as Jane Doe Number Five, were discovered miles east of the Gilgo Beach Four site. These remains were later matched to Jessica Taylor, whose partial remains had been found in Manorville on July 26, 2003. Taylor, like the other victims, had worked as an escort.
- The rest of Valerie Mack remains were found along Ocean Parkway near Gilgo Beach.
- three additional sets of remains were discovered along Ocean Parkway in Suffolk County. Among them were those of a female toddler, an unidentified Asian male, and what was initially referred to as Jane Doe Number Six. A week later, two more sets of remains were found in Nassau County. One set was confirmed through DNA analysis to be the mother of the female toddler, known as “Peaches” due to a peach-shaped tattoo. The other set was linked to remains found in Davis Park on Fire Island in 1996, broadening the investigation’s timeline and geographical scope.
- Jane Doe Number Six, initially identified as Manorville Jane Doe, was confirmed by the Suffolk County Police Department’s Homicide Unit to match remains discovered in Manorville on November 19, 2000. These remains, a white female with brown hair, were found by recreational hunters in a wooded area off Halsey Manor Road.
- Suffolk County Police found Shannan Gilbert’s purse and mobile phone in Oak Beach marshland. Two days later, Gilbert’s remains were discovered a quarter-mile east of her belongings.
- RH is allegedly (case later dismissed) struck by a car at the intersection of West 36th Street and 6th Avenue in Manhattan Link
- RH had hernia surgery (pg. 99 of the
- RH allegedly is involved in a car accident on the Capital Beltway in Prince George’s County, Maryland (pg. 3 of the
- 10:15 p.m.: Car accident at the intersection of Front Street and Second Avenue in Massapequa Park p35
- January 2017: RH flies to Las Vegas to attend a conference for “four or five days” p19
- RH returned from LV and saw the Dr. Visram (4 month of Physical Therapy) hip, arm, neck & back
- RH drives down to Virginia to visit his mom by himself. p129
- RH visits Las Vegas alone p133
- RH drives down to Cocoa Beach, Florida with his wife, mother, and daughter
- RH underwent shoulder surgery.
- RH drives down to Virginia to visit his mom, most likely alone
- RH drives his army Jeep “for the first time since September” p117
- Jane Doe Number Six was identified as Valerie Mack with the help of advanced forensic DNA technology provided by the FBI. Mack, who disappeared at 24 while living in Philadelphia, worked as an escort under the alias ‘Melissa Taylor’ (unrelated to Jessica Taylor). Mack’s family provided DNA samples, confirming they last saw her in Port Republic, New Jersey, in the spring and summer of 2000. This matched the timeline that Mack’s remains were dumped in Manorville at the end of 2000.
- RH’s home IP address was used to access the official SCPD “Gilgonews.com” website
- former Suffolk County Police Commissioner Geraldine Hart released previously undisclosed evidence, including photos of a belt believed to be used by the suspect but not belonging to any of the victims.
- In 2022, current Suffolk County Police Commissioner Rodney K. Harrison established a multi-agency task force, involving the FBI, New York State Police, Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office, and Suffolk County Sheriff’s Office, to reinvigorate the investigation and seek justice for the victims.
- RH’s home IP address was again used to access the official SCPD “Gilgonews.com” website
- Rex Heuermann created a Gmail account, “Hunter1903a3,”he used “Andy Roberts” as a name and linked to the burner phone 347-885-1697. The IP address used to accept the Terms of Service for this account was RH’s residence in Massapequa Park. The “Hunter1903a3” account is used to send pictures of a prostitute in upstate New York between two of RH’s “burner” email accounts
- RH purchases four unimproved lots totaling about 5 acres on Rippling Brook Drive in the Mirror Lakes subdivision in Chester County, SC for $154,351
- The Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office creates a task force to conduct a comprehensive review of evidence in the investigation.
- RH allegedly gets into a car accident near the intersection of Union Avenue and Devoe Street in Brooklyn
- Heuermann first comes up as a suspect in the investigation, according to Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney. Heuermann was tracked through his car, a Chevrolet Avalanche, according to court documents. A witness to Costello’s disappearance reported seeing a Chevrolet Avalanche at Costello’s home, court records stated.
- 9:19 – 9:25 a.m.:** A fictitious Gmail account, “thawk080672,” is used to search “long island serial killer”
- Heuermann is arrested in Manhattan at his midtown office. Investigators matched DNA from hair recovered from the burlap used to wrap Waterman’s body to leftover pizza crust Heuermann threw into a Manhattan garbage can in January 2023, according to court documents.
- Defense attorney Michael Brown enters a not guilty plea on Heuermann’s behalf at his arraignment for three counts of first-degree murder and three counts of second-degree murder. Heuermann was ordered held on no bail.
- Authorities announce they have identified Jane Doe No. 7, whose remains were first located on Fire Island in 1996, as 34-year-old Karen Vergata. More of her remains were found on April 11, 2011, on Long Island’s Tobay Beach. There are no charges at this time, Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond Tierney says.
- Rex Heuermann has been indicted on a new charge of second-degree murder for the killing of Maureen Brainard-Barnes. Summary of evidence against Heuermann in Brainard-Barnes’ case: A hair found on a belt buckle used to bind Brainard-Barnes was matched to Heuermann’s wife, Asa Ellerup. Credit card statements show that Heuermann’s family was in Atlantic City during the period when Brainard-Barnes went missing while Heuermann remained in New York. Additional charges: 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.
- Heuermann is charged with two more murders after investigators spent months combing through evidence taken from his family home and following searches of a wooded area in Manorville. He is charged with the 2003 murder of Taylor, whose remains were found on Long Island in Gilgo Beach in March 2011, and in Manorville in July 2003, and the 1993 murder of Sandra Costilla, whose remains were found in North Sea, Long Island, in 1993, according to court documents. DNA, including a hair found on a drape under Jessica Taylor‘s body, ties Heuermann to both murders, according to prosecutors. Costilla’s murder was initially suspected to have been the work of a different killer, John Bittrolff, but advanced DNA now points to Heuermann.
- The Gilgo Homicide Task Force released updates on the Asian Doe victim, including facial reconstructions, descriptions of the victim’s clothing, pictures of clothing labels, and new genealogical data. The information has been translated into multiple Asian languages. The facial reconstructions were created by a Forensic Artist with the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (“NCMEC”) and depict what the victim may have looked like prior to their disappearance and murder. Both male and female presentations are provided, as the victim was found wearing women’s clothing. A reward of up to $2,500 from Suffolk County Crime Stoppers is being offered for information leading to the identification of the victim.
- Rex Heuermann has been indicted on a new charge of second-degree murder for the killing of Valerie Mack. Summary of evidence against Heuermann in Valerie Mack’s case: A hair found at the crime scene on Valerie Mack’s wrist matches Heuermann’s daughter’s DNA. The “HK Planning Document”, which was found on Heuermann’s computer, was created the year Valerie Mack was murdered. The document shares many similarities to aspects of Mack’s case, including references to Mill Road, the location her body was found. Additional charges: 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 Valerie Mack on or about or between September 1, 2000 to November 19, 2000.
- Maureen Brainard-Barnes
- Melissa Barthelemy
- Megan Waterman
- Amber Costello
- Jessica Taylor
- Sandra Costilla
- Valerie Mack
- Megan Waterman June 6, 2010;
- Amber Costello September 2, 2010;
- Melissa Barthelemy July 10, 2009;
- Megan Waterman June 6, 2010;
- Amber Costello September 2, 2010.
Gilgo Beach Murders Investigation
The Gilgo Beach murder investigation began on December 11, 2010, when Suffolk County Police were searching for missing Shannan Gilbert near Ocean Parkway on Long Island. While using a cadaver dog, officers instead discovered the remains
of another woman wrapped in burlap later identified as Melissa Barthelemy. Over the next few days, police uncovered three more sets of remains Maureen Brainard-Barnes, Megan Waterman, and Amber Lynn Costello in close proximity. This
shocking discovery launched a major investigation into what authorities soon believed was the work of a serial killer. The case expanded over the years as more remains were found in the area, sparking national attention and a decade-long
hunt for the perpetrator
Melissa Barthelemy
Jessica Ruth Taylor
Maureen Barnes Maureen
Megan Waterman
Amber Lynn Costello
Sandra Costilla
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- Gilgo Beach Bodies Discovered
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- The Search and Discovery
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- Brainard-Barnes was found at Gilgo Beach
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- Body Dump Area
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- Brush area along Ocean Parkway. where remains were recovered
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- Brush area along Ocean Parkway. where remains were recovered
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- area along Ocean Parkway. where remains were recovered
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- Brainard Brush area along Ocean Parkway. where remains were recovered
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- Gilgo Beach Task Force and The FBI
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- Brush area along Ocean Parkway. where remains were recovered
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- Brush area along Ocean Parkway. where remains were recovered
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- Gilgo Beach Search
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- Gilgo Beach Search
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- Brush area along Ocean Parkway. where remains were recovered
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- Melissa Barthelemy’s remains were discovered on the north side of Ocean Parkway, near Gilgo Beach, on Dec. 11, 2010.
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- Gilgo Beach Body Found
