Law enforcement officers investigating the Gilgo Beach murders have begun digging in the backyard of suspect Rex Heuermann. Myles Miller reports.
The case against accused Gilgo Beach serial killer Rex Heuermann will be prosecuted by Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney, his office confirmed.
The announcement that Tierney would be the lead prosecutor in the Long Island murder case came as a surprise -- it's reportedly the first time the district attorney has prosecuted a case himself since taking the position last year.
"[Tierney] is an experienced working prosecutor who began his career in 1992," a spokesperson for his office said Wednesday. "He intends to prosecute this case fully and bring justice to the victims of this alleged serial killer."
Investigators this week finished with their digging up of Heuermann's backyard and walked away with what they described as a "massive amount" of potential evidence.
Tierney said while there were many things taken from the dilapidated and cluttered home — including many guns stored in a basement vault — there wasn't any key piece of evidence found.
"I think everyone wanted that singular piece of evidence but I don’t think there’s any one thing that jumps out at us at this juncture," said Tierney.
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He did not offer further details on what specific items were found in the home, but did say it appears no human remains were discovered during a search of Heuermann's backyard. As for whether any of the three women he is charged with killing were actually murdered at the home, Tierney said that "evidence doesn’t point one way or the other."
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The DA said everything taken from Heuermann’s home will be analyzed for blood, hair and DNA — a process Tierney said could take some time.
The search comes after investigators on July 20 said they were looking at unsolved murder cases nationwide for any connection to Heuermann, a Suffolk County Police spokesperson confirmed to NBC 4 New York. Among the cases being looked at for a possible connection to Heuermann are the murders of four women in Atlantic City in 2006, according to the spokesperson. However, in the past, police have not seen any connections between the bodies dumped at Gilgo Beach and the Atlantic City killings.
Heuermann was arrested on July 14 and charged with three counts of first-degree murder and three counts of second-degree murder in the deaths of Melissa Barthelemy, Megan Waterman and Amber Costello, according to court documents. He is also a suspect in a fourth killing, of Maureen Brainard-Barnes.
"The DA’s office will continue to work with our [Gilgo Beach] Task Force partners to develop new evidence and prepare the case for trial," Tierney's spokesperson added Wednesday.
The Suffolk County Sheriff's Office has said that Heuermann was "on suicide watch which is determined by the County’s mental health staff.”
In court documents, prosecutors described the alleged murders as "planned and heinous in nature."
Heuermann pleaded not guilty during an initial court appearance, but said nothing else. He was remanded without bail and is due back in court on Aug. 1.
