1980s–1990s: Early Unsolved and Pattern-Linked Cases

• February 3, 1982: Partial remains of Tina Foglia, 19, were found in plastic bags along the Southern State Parkway exit ramp. Hair was visible through one of the bags. She had been dismembered.
• October 10, 1991: Tiffany Dixon, 15, disappeared while walking to school in Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn.
• October 10, 1991: Sandra Acosta, 26, was found strangled, drained of blood, and dismembered with a knife and chainsaw. Her body was discovered at 236 8th Street in Park Slope, Brooklyn.
• March 3, 1992: Becky Detres, 20, was discovered dismembered in Fort Greene, Brooklyn. She had been strangled and cut with a knife.
• November 21, 1993: Sandra Costilla, 28, was found in a wooded area in North Sea, Southampton. She had been beaten and dumped partially clothed. In 2024, her murder was linked to Rex Heuermann by DNA.

1996–2003: Dismemberment & Expanding Case Pattern

• April 20, 1996: Remains of “Jane Doe Seven” later identified as Karen Vergata found on Fire Island. DNA later linked them to a skull discovered near Ocean Parkway on April 11, 2011.
• June 28, 1997: Torso of “Peaches” (unidentified African-American woman with a peach tattoo) found in Hempstead Lake State Park. Her daughter’s remains (“Baby Doe”) were later found in 2011.
• November 18, 2000: Dismembered remains of “Jane Doe Six”, later identified as Valerie Mack, were found in Manorville. Additional remains were discovered in 2011 along Ocean Parkway.
• July 26, 2003: Jessica Taylor, 20, was found dismembered in Manorville. Her skull and other remains were later discovered near Gilgo Beach in 2011. She was linked to Heuermann in 2024.
• August 11, 2003: Victoria Camara’s body discovered in the Nevada desert near U.S. 95.
• August 14, 2003: Jodi Marie Brewer, 19, disappeared from Las Vegas.
• August 22, 2003: Camara’s body officially identified by the Clark County Coroner.
• November 10, 2003: A Caucasian woman’s decomposed body was discovered near the Long Island Expressway in Manorville. Cause of death was inconclusive.

2007–2010: Gilgo Victims Begin Disappearing

• March 3, 2007: Torso of “Cherries” (unidentified woman with cherry tattoo) found in a suitcase in Mamaroneck, NY.
• July 9, 2007: Maureen Brainard-Barnes, 25, disappeared after traveling to Manhattan. Later found among the Gilgo Four.
• July 12, 2009: Melissa Barthelemy, 24, disappeared from her Bronx apartment. Her sister later received taunting phone calls.
• June 6, 2010: Megan Waterman, 22, last seen leaving a Holiday Inn Express in Hauppauge, NY.
• September 2, 2010: Amber Lynn Costello, 27, disappeared after leaving home to meet a client. Her body was later found near Gilgo Beach.

2010–2011: Discovery & Escalation

• December 11, 2010: Melissa Barthelemy’s body found during a search for Shannan Gilbert along Ocean Parkway.
• December 13, 2010: Three more bodies found: Maureen Brainard-Barnes, Megan Waterman, and Amber Costello. These four became known as the Gilgo Four.
• January 24, 2011: SCPD publicly identified the Gilgo Four victims.
• March 29, 2011: Additional remains of Jessica Taylor discovered along Ocean Parkway.
• March 31, 2011: A fifth unidentified set of remains found (not Shannan Gilbert).
• April 4, 2011: Three more sets of remains discovered: an Asian male (John Doe), a toddler girl (Baby Doe), and Jane Doe Six (Valerie Mack).
• April 11, 2011: Skull of Karen Vergata discovered; DNA links Peaches and Baby Doe as mother and daughter.
• April 8, 2011: Killer used Melissa Barthelemy’s phone to taunt her sister from crowded NYC locations.
• May 9, 2011: DA Thomas Spota announced no conclusive link between all remains.
• May 17, 2011: Police reviewed other cold cases for links; Tanya Rush’s 2008 dismemberment mentioned.
• September 11, 2011: Police released sketches of Jane Doe Six and Baby Doe.
• November 11, 2011: Two more sets of remains found west of Gilgo Beach, including skull of Karen Vergata.
• November 29, 2011: Police ruled Shannan Gilbert’s death not tied to Gilgo Four.
• December 7, 2011: Shannan Gilbert’s purse and phone found in Oak Beach marsh.
• December 9, 2011: Shannan Gilbert’s skeletal remains discovered a quarter-mile from her belongings.
• December 14, 2011: First autopsy labeled her death as “inconclusive.”

2012–2016: Internal Collapse, New Investigations

• February 17, 2012: Skeletal remains of a male found off North Street, estimated to have been there five years.
• March 21, 2012: A woman’s body found in Manorville Hills County Park; estimated to have died a week prior.
• November 15, 2012: Mari Gilbert filed a lawsuit against SCPD demanding answers regarding her daughter’s death.
• December 12, 2012: Christopher Loeb stole a duffel bag from SCPD Chief James Burke’s vehicle, triggering a federal investigation.
• January 5, 2013: FBI officially opened an investigation into Burke’s conduct.
• January 23, 2013: Unidentified Asian woman’s remains found near Oyster Bay, bearing trauma and a pig pendant.
• March 16, 2013: Natasha Jugo disappeared; her car and belongings were found near Gilgo Beach.
• June 24, 2013: Jugo’s body washed up on Gilgo Beach.
• September 5, 2014: Independent autopsy by Dr. Michael Baden found damage to Shannan Gilbert’s hyoid bone, suggesting possible strangulation.
• October 5, 2015: SCPD Chief James Burke resigned amid the FBI probe.
• December 10, 2015: FBI formally joined the Gilgo Beach murder investigation.
• July 23, 2016: Mari Gilbert was tragically murdered by her daughter, Sarra Gilbert, who was later found not guilty by reason of insanity.

November 29, 1975

• Rex Heuermann father dies at age 50, He was 12 years old.

May 1981

• Rex Heuermann graduates from Berner High School in Massapequa, NY

Summer 1981

• RH works as a seasonal employee at Jones Beach State Park

March, 5 1984

• Rex Heuermann begins working (presumably full-time) at Jones Beach State Park.

October 24, 1987 

• Rex Heuermann leaves his position at Jones Beach State Park
  

Late 1987

• Rex Heuermann Started working in Manhattan (pg. 47 of the

September 1990

• 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

1994

• RH and his first wife divorce after “almost three years” of marriage (pg. 8 of the
• Rex incorporates RH Consultants & Associates.

November 19-20, 1993

• The body of 28-year-old Sandra Costilla is discovered in North Sea, Long Island.

April 29 , 1994

• RH purchases the house in Massapequa Park from his mother for $170,000  Nassau County Land Records Viewer

November 4, 1996

• RH obtains his architecture license in NY State  NY State Office of the Professions

April, 13 1996

• RH marries his second wife (pg. 8 of the

1996 Victoria H was born

November 19, 2000

• 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.
  

July 26, 2003

• 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.

April 23, 2005

• Rex Heuermann purchased a timeshare at Club du Soleil in Las Vegas for $16,995

July 6, 2007

• Rex burner phone: Maureen Brainard-Barnes’ cellphone is contacted by a burner phone (pg. 5 of the  bail application

July 9, 2007

• 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.

July 12, 2007

• Two outbound calls were made from Maureen’s cellphone, checking her voicemail from a cell site location near the Long Island Expressway in Islandia

July 3, 2009

• Melissa Bathelemy’s cellphone is contacted by a burner phone

July 6, 2009

• Melissa’s cellphone is contacted by the same burner phone

July 8, 2009

• Rex Heuremann wife Asa Elerup leaves the United States for Iceland

July 9, 2009

• Melissa’s cellphone is again contacted by the same burner phone

July 10, 2009

• 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
  

July 11, 2009

• 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

July 12, 2009

• Melissa’s cellphone is used to make an outbound call to check her voicemail in Babylon

July 14, 2009

• 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

July 17, 2009:

• 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.

July 22, 2009

• 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

July 23, 2009:

• 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

August 5, 2009:

• 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

August 10, 2009

• RH traveled to Iceland with his family. 
  

August 18, 2009:

• Rex Heuermann’s wife returns to the United States from Iceland

August 19, 2009

• 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

August 26, 2009:

• 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

May 1, 2010

• 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.

May 17, 2010:

• Rex Heuermann acquires a hunting license in Alaska

June 4, 2010:

• Rex Heuermann’s wife travels from New York to Maryland

June 5, 2010:

• Megan Waterman’s cellphone is contacted by a burner phone which had been activated that same day

June 6, 2010:

• 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

June 8, 2010:

• Rex Heuermann’s wife returns to New York from Maryland

August 28, 2010:

• Rex Heuermann’s wife travels from New York to New Jersey

September 1, 2010

• 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

September 2, 2010

• 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.

September 5, 2010:

• Rex Heuermann’s wife returns to New York from New Jersey

December 11, 2010

• 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).
  

December 13, 2010,

• 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.

January 15, 2011

• Rex Heuermann links An AOL email account Springfieldman9  to a Tinder account and burner phone is established with an Astoria, Queens zip code

March 29, 2011

• 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.

April 2011

• The rest of Valerie Mack remains were found along Ocean Parkway near Gilgo Beach.

April 4, 2011

• 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.

April 4, 2011

• 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.

December 2011

• 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.

October 31, 2013

• RH is allegedly (case later dismissed) struck by a car at the intersection of West 36th Street and 6th Avenue in Manhattan  Link

2014 or 2015

• RH had hernia surgery (pg. 99 of the

February 19, 2016

• RH allegedly is involved in a car accident on the Capital Beltway in Prince George’s County, Maryland (pg. 3 of the

January 11, 2017

• 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

January 23, 2017

• RH returned from LV and saw the Dr. Visram (4 month of Physical Therapy) hip, arm, neck & back

March 2017:

• RH drives down to Virginia to visit his mom by himself. p129

November 2017

• RH visits Las Vegas alone p133

January 2018

• RH drives down to Cocoa Beach, Florida with his wife, mother, and daughter

February 12, 2018

• RH underwent shoulder surgery.

March 2018

• RH drives down to Virginia to visit his mom, most likely alone

April 2018:

• RH drives his army Jeep “for the first time since September” p117
  

May 2020

• 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.
  

May 23, 2020

• RH’s home IP address was used to access the official SCPD “Gilgonews.com” website

In 2020

• 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.

July 3, 2020

• RH’s home IP address was again used to access the official SCPD “Gilgonews.com” website

February 14, 2021 

• 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
  

July 28, 2021

• 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

January 2022

• The Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office creates a task force to conduct a comprehensive review of evidence in the investigation.

February 3, 2022

• RH allegedly gets into a car accident near the intersection of Union Avenue and Devoe Street in Brooklyn

March 14, 2022

• 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.

March 28, 2022

• 9:19 – 9:25 a.m.:** A fictitious Gmail account, “thawk080672,” is used to search “long island serial killer”

July 13, 2023

• 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.

July 14, 2023

• 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.

August 4, 2023

• 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.

September, 2023

• Workers cleaning near the East Bathhouse at Jones Beach unearthed a cache of disturbing items buried about two feet in the sand. Police were immediately notified. Items Found:
• Several purses and women’s and girls’ clothing (estimated from the late 1980s–1990s), including rayon mini-skirts, shorts, pants, and shirts. Some had popped buttons, suggesting possible force.
• A blood-covered workman’s glove.
• A leather strap hidden in an employee shack still in use.
• Context: Jones Beach is about 3 miles from Gilgo Beach and connects directly via Ocean Parkway. Rex Heuermann had worked summers at Jones Beach between 1981–1984. The East Bathhouse has been closed since 2009, undergoing renovations, but the location is near areas familiar to Heuermann. Jones Beach traditionally uses burlap fencing to protect dunes; several Gilgo victims were found wrapped in burlap, raising investigative interest.
• Investigation: All items were collected by detectives for forensic testing. It remains unclear if results have been returned. Authorities cautioned the discovery could be coincidental but noted its proximity and timing were significant.

November 2023 – Additional Murder Charges Filed

• Heuermann was indicted for additional victims, including:
• Valerie Mack (24).
• Sandra Costilla (28).
• Brought total to seven murder charges.
• Prosecutors stated Heuermann remains the leading suspect in several of the still-unidentified remains along Ocean Parkway.

December 2023

• Pretrial Motions on DNA Evidence:
• Defense Argument: Challenged the admissibility of advanced DNA testing methods used on hairs recovered from the victims’ burlap wrappings.
• Prosecution Argument: Urged the court to admit forensic genealogy and new hair DNA analysis, citing FBI testing.
• Result: Motions carried into 2024, setting the stage for a major ruling on DNA evidence in the case.

January 16, 2024

• 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.

February 5, 2024 – Hearing on Discovery Issues

• Judge set deadlines for discovery exchanges between Suffolk County DA’s Office and Heuermann’s defense team.
• Court addressed volume of digital evidence seized from Heuermann’s home and office.

March 14, 2024 – Suffolk County Court Appearance

• Heuermann appeared briefly in Riverhead court for case conference.
• Defense renewed challenge to admissibility of DNA hair evidence retrieved from victims’ burlap wrappings.

April 2024: Raw DNA Data

• Justice Richard Ambro signs a subpoena ordering the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office to turn over raw DNA data from the McNamee and Tangredi murder cases to Bittrolff’s appellate defense team.

April 17, 2024 – Forensic Evidence Updates

• Prosecution disclosed testing of burlap fibers and hair samples using a new forensic method not previously admitted in New York courts.
• Defense signaled intent to file a Frye challenge (hearing on admissibility of novel scientific evidence).

May 2024:

• Assistant District Attorney Rosalind Gray opposes defense motions linking Heuermann, writing that the defense has “neither demonstrated a nexus between Rex Heuermann and Ms. McNamee, nor provided an adequate legal basis” for a comparison.

May 30, 2024 – Status Conference

• Judge reviewed timelines for expert witness disclosure and trial readiness.
• Prosecution confirmed intent to call forensic genealogy experts and FBI lab specialists.

June 6, 2024

• 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.

June 18, 2024 – Public Disclosure

• Suffolk County DA Ray Tierney announced in press conference that forensic evidence pointed to seven confirmed victims linked to Heuermann.
• Four additional remains found along Ocean Parkway (including Jessica Taylor and unidentified remains) remained under active investigation.

July 11, 2024 – One-Year Anniversary of Arrest

• Survivors’ families held vigils along Ocean Parkway.
• DA’s office issued statement reaffirming commitment to “pursue every lead” regarding remaining unidentified victims.

September 16, 2024

• 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.

Mid-2024:

• The defense engages Cybergenetics, a DNA analytics firm, whose probabilistic modeling reports that Bittrolff was not a contributor to the male DNA found on the jeans, stretch pants, and a separate body swab.

October 2, 2024 – Frye Hearing Testimony

• FBI forensic analysts testified that the new DNA method was reliable.
• Defense cross-examined experts on lack of widespread court acceptance.

November 25, 2024 – Judge’s Tentative Decision

• Court signaled it was leaning toward allowing DNA evidence, citing “scientific reliability” and FBI validation studies.

December 17, 2024

• 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.

Rex A. Heuermann has been charged with the following murders: 

• Maureen Brainard-Barnes
• Melissa Barthelemy
• Megan Waterman
• Amber Costello
• Jessica Taylor
• Sandra Costilla
• Valerie Mack

December 19, 2024 – Final Conference of Year

• Court set trial readiness for mid-2025.
• Both sides ordered to complete expert witness disclosures by early 2025.

January 9, 2025 – Defense Motions Filed

• Heuermann’s attorneys filed motions to suppress evidence obtained through forensic genealogy, arguing Fourth Amendment violations.
• They also sought to exclude evidence gathered during the Massapequa Park home search, alleging overreach.

February 20, 2025 – Prosecution Response

• Suffolk County DA’s Office filed opposition briefs, defending the constitutionality of forensic genealogy searches.
• Prosecutors emphasized that FBI validation supported the DNA hair analysis method.

March 13, 2025 – Court Hearing on Motions

• Judge heard oral arguments regarding suppression of DNA and electronic data.
• Defense claimed the novel DNA technique had not yet been accepted under New York case law.
• Prosecution highlighted the technique’s successful use in other jurisdictions.

April 29, 2025 – Expert Disclosure Deadline

• Both sides submitted expert witness lists.
• Prosecution named FBI forensic scientists, forensic genealogists, and cell tower specialists.
• Defense listed DNA reliability experts and digital forensics specialists.

May 22, 2025 – Status Conference

• Judge confirmed case remained on track for September trial date.
• Court ordered any remaining discovery disputes to be resolved by June.

June 26, 2025 – Pretrial Hearing

• Judge formally ruled that prosecutors could present DNA evidence at trial, including results from advanced hair analysis.
• This marked the first time in New York State that this specific DNA technique would be admitted.

July 18, 2025 – Victims’ Families Statement

• Families of Gilgo victims issued a joint statement outside Suffolk County Court expressing relief that the trial was moving forward.
• Advocated for inclusion of unidentified and partial remains in the ongoing investigation.

August 12, 2025 – Final Pretrial Conference

• Court finalized jury selection procedures and trial logistics.
• Both prosecution and defense confirmed readiness for trial.

September 23, 2025 – Trial Scheduled

• Rex Heuermann’s trial for the murders of seven women (Valerie Mack, Melissa Taylor, Megan Waterman, Melissa Barthelemy, Maureen Brainard-Barnes, Sandra Costilla, and Amber Lynn Costello) is set to begin in Suffolk County Supreme Court.
• Jury selection expected to take several weeks.
• Case will mark the largest serial murder trial in Long Island history

2025

• January 2025: The Legal Aid Society of Suffolk County (Appeals Bureau) files a motion to vacate Bittrolff’s convictions, citing new DNA evidence and requesting Heuermann’s DNA be compared to the “Unknown Male A” profile.
• October 7, 2025: Justice Ambro issues an order authorizing limited testing — a direct DNA comparison between “Unknown Male A” and Heuermann’s profile — but denies broader defense requests, including mitochondrial DNA and CODIS database comparison.
• October 10, 2025: The Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office obtains a DNA sample from Heuermann’s 2023 buccal swab for the comparison.
• October 14, 2025: Legal Aid issues a statement saying they are “grateful the DNA analysis will be conducted” but “greatly disappointed” that Ambro declined to vacate the conviction.
• October 21, 2025: The Suffolk County Medical Examiner’s Office releases its lab report:
• “Rex Heuermann is excluded as ‘Unknown Male A.’”
• The unknown DNA found on McNamee’s jeans, stretch pants, and body does not match Heuermann.
• October 23–25, 2025: Prosecutors file the lab report with the court. Justice Ambro declines to vacate Bittrolff’s conviction. The identity of “Unknown Male A” remains unresolved.
• November 2025: Prosecutors reaffirm that Heuermann remains charged in seven homicides, including the Gilgo Four and Sandra Costilla. Defense motions to dismiss remain pending.

Key Takeaways

• Heuermann excluded: No DNA connection between Heuermann and McNamee murder.
• Bittrolff conviction stands: Despite new analysis, courts uphold prior rulings.
• Unknown Male A: Remains unidentified, leaving an unexplained profile in evidence.
• Multiple offender theory reinforced: Evidence supports the idea of distinct serial offenders operating in Suffolk County during the 1990s and early 2000s.