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Long Island man accused in Gilgo Beach murders charged with killing 7th woman, prosecutors say
By
Charles Lane
Published Dec 17, 2024
Modified Dec 17, 2024
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James Carbone-Pool / Getty Images
By
Charles Lane
Published Dec 17, 2024
Modified Dec 17, 2024
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The Long Island man accused of killing multiple women and burying them near Gilgo Beach has been indicted for allegedly murdering a seventh victim, according to a grand jury indictment unsealed on Tuesday in Suffolk County.
The remains of Valerie Mack, who prosecutors say was 24 when she died, were identified in 2020 through DNA evidence, the indictment states. Mack is believed to have been a sex worker who traveled between Philadelphia and Wildwood, New Jersey, where she lived with her son’s father, as well as Atlantic City, before she was killed, according to prosecutors. Her remains were found in two separate locations in Suffolk County in 2000 and 2011, respectively. She is believed to have been killed sometime between September and December 2000.
Rex Heuermann, 61, had already faced murder charges in the deaths of six other women whose remains were found within miles of each other. After decades of mystery in the case, police and prosecutors finally had enough evidence to charge him in a bombshell indictment during the summer of 2023. Heuermann, an architect and consultant who lived in Massapequa Park, pleaded not guilty to the earlier charges.
His lawyer did not immediately respond to requests for comment on Tuesday. Prosecutors asked a judge to remand him without bail.
“[The families] are very grateful for this small bit of closure we can provide,” Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney said after Heuermann was arraigned on the new indictment on Tuesday. “The lives of these women matter, and we as investigators understand that.”
Heuermann was charged in Mack’s death after DNA from hair found on her body was determined to closely match DNA from Heuermann’s wife and daughter, according to court documents.
“As the judge said in court today, this is cutting-edge DNA [testing],” Tierney said, adding that he is preparing for a court hearing on this evidence. “It has been used elsewhere in the country, but never in New York state.”
Tierney also said the case against Heuermann rests on a “planning document” found on his laptop that appears to have originally been created in 2000, the year Mack was killed. The district attorney added that law enforcement agents found news publications in Heuermann’s home containing articles about the murders of Mack and other Gilgo Beach victims.
“If you look at the planning document, if you look at the adhesive staining on the walls, all of that is consistent with the murders occurring at the home,” said Tierney.
Mack’s torso was found in a wooded lot near Manorville in November 2000, prosecutors said, while her head, hands and feet were found near Gilgo Beach in April 2011. Heuermann is accused of referring to these sites in the planning document as “DS,” or “dump sites,” according to the Suffolk County district attorney’s office.
The document appears to describe Heuermann’s preferred victims, the indictment states. Mack stood approximately 5’0” and weighed less than 110 pounds at the time of her disappearance, and fit Heuermann’s alleged description of “SMALL IS GOOD” in the document, according to prosecutors.
The other Gilgo Beach victims include the original “Gilgo Four” whose remains were first found near the beach: Maureen Brainard-Barnes, Melissa Barthelemy, Megan Waterman and Amber Lynn Costello. Two other victims were later identified as Sandra Costilla and Jessica Taylor. All the women are believed to to have been in their 20s when they were killed.
This story has been updated with additional information as well as to clarify the vicinity where the women's remains were found.
Tagged
new york state
public safety
long island
gilgo beach
suffolk county
Charles Lane
Charles is a Day-of reporter focused on breaking news and enterprise. He’s very friendly and can be reached at [email protected], or more securely on whatsapp/signal 631-295-6715
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