(NewsReady.com) – The Long Island serial killings have been a hot topic among true crime followers for over a decade. New York police found the remains of 11 people along a highway on the island. Netflix shined an especially bright spotlight on the case in 2020 with its film “Lost Girls.” Three years after the film’s debut, law enforcement has arrested a man in connection with some of the cases, and an old pizza crust was reportedly the linchpin in the case.
On Thursday, July 13, New York police arrested 59-year-old Rex Heuermann and charged him with the murders of Melissa Barthelemy, Amber Costello, and Megan Waterman. Authorities also believe he killed a fourth woman, Maureen Brainard-Barnes. All of the women he’s suspected of killing were found bound and are collectively known as the “Gilgo Four” because they were all discovered buried near Gilgo Beach.
In 2022, police identified Heuermann after reviewing the evidence in the cases again. In March, detectives were tailing him when they noticed he’d thrown a pizza box away that contained crust. They managed to get the box out of the public trash can and tested the DNA on the crust, comparing it to evidence found on a restraint used in the murders. The test was a match.
Law enforcement has reportedly linked cell phone evidence to the suspect and murders. In one instance, he allegedly contacted victim Melissa Barthelemy’s teenage sister about half a dozen times. Additionally, Heuermann’s truck purportedly matched a vehicle used in one victim’s disappearance.
Ray Tierney, the Suffolk County district attorney, said his office intends to convict Heuermann, an architect, and bring him to justice.
Police have not named Heuermann a suspect in the other seven murders. Authorities have long said they believe at least two distinct killers are responsible for the crimes. He has pleaded not guilty to the charges against him.
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