A stunning arrest in the long-unsolved string of killings, known as the Gilgo Beach murders, came not just as a shock to anyone familiar with the Long Island mystery, but particularly to the people that lived next door to the suspected serial killer.
Neighbors in Massapequa Park, where Rex Heuermann has lived his entire life, say the 59-year-old grew up in the home where he currently lives with his wife and two adult children.
Those who live in the quiet neighborhood were stunned at the developments, saying they often saw Heuermann in a suit heading to work in the morning.
"He keeps to himself, we'd say hello to each other once in a while, and that was it. Morning pleasantries," said Etienne Devilliers. "It's an incredible story, been hearing about it for 15 years or something. Like I said, we're shocked. This is a very, very quiet neighborhood, everybody knows each other. We're all friendly and there's never been a problem at all."
Neighbors noted that the dilapidated property seemed out of place among rows of single family homes and well kept lawns in the small community.
“This house sticks out like a sore thumb. There were overgrown shrubs, there was always wood in front of the house,” said Gabriella Libardi, a 24-year-old teacher. “It was very creepy. I wouldn’t send my child there.”
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Barry Auslander, another neighbor, said the man who lived in the house commuted by train to New York City each morning, wearing a suit and tie and carrying a briefcase.
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“It was weird. He looked like a businessman,” said Auslander. “But his house is a dump.”
In an interview with "Bonjour Realty," a YouTube channel that highlights life in New York City, Heuermann said he has been working in the city since 1987 and he has worked extensively with the Department of Buildings.
Actor Billy Baldwin said he went to high school at the same time as Heuermann who graduated in the class of 1981. "Mind-boggling… Massapequa is in shock. 23andMe strikes again???," the Massapequa native wrote in a tweet.
Other former classmates also posted Heuermann's yearbook photo in an alumni Facebook group and said that they were shocked to learn the news of the arrest.
Police and other agencies were seen searching the Massapequa Park home of the suspect for much of the day Friday. They were looking to see if any evidence inside might link Heuermann to the killings. Law enforcement officials were also seen in midtown Manhattan, searching the suspect's office on Fifth Avenue and 36th Street.
For years, investigators suspected whether the suspect lived on Long Island and commuted to Manhattan through Penn Station. A cell phone ping at the transportation hub is part of the evidence, according to sources familiar with the investigation.
Since human remains were found along Gilgo Beach more than a decade ago, the case has drawn immense public attention for many years. The unsolved killings gained even more national interest when they became the subject of the 2020 Netflix film “Lost Girls.”
The deaths of 11 people whose remains were found in 2010 and 2011 have long stumped investigators. Most of the victims were young women who had been sex workers. Several of the bodies were found near the town of Gilgo Beach.
Determining who killed them, and why, has vexed a slew of seasoned homicide detectives through several changes in police leadership. Last year, an interagency task force was formed with investigators from the FBI, as well as state and local police departments, aimed at solving the case.
The formation of the Gilgo Beach task force represents a renewed commitment to investigating the unsolved killings of mostly young women whose skeletal remains were found along a highway on Long Island, Suffolk County Police Commissioner Rodney Harrison said.
“We’re happy to see that they’re finally active, the police, in accomplishing something. Let’s wait and see what it all leads to,” said John Ray, the attorney for the families of two victims, Shannan Gilbert and Jessica Taylor.
In talking about the bodies near Gilgo Beach, investigators have said several times over the years that it is unlikely one person killed all the victims.
