Rex Heuermann: Serial killer suspect charged in connection with fourth murder through DNA evidence

LONG ISLAND, NEW YORK: Long Island serial killer suspect Rex Heuermann has now been charged with a fourth murder, according to the reports from CNN, ABC New York, and NBC News, citing court filings released on Tuesday, January 16. 

The Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office announced that the 59-year-old former architect from Massapequa Park has been linked to the killing of Maureen Brainard-Barnes through DNA evidence and has been charged with second-degree murder, according to authorities, ABC New York reports.

The victim was one of  four escorts found buried in the same marshy

Brainard-Barnes was one of four escorts found buried in the same marshy, desolate area in Gilgo Beach in Long Island in December 2010, all within about 500 feet of each other. The other victims were identified as Amber Costello, Melissa Barthelemy and Megan Waterman.

All four women had worked as online escorts and were missing between 2007 and 2010. Heuermann was charged with the murders of Costello, Barthelemy, and Waterman in July. He has pleaded not guilty to the killings.

Brainard-Barnes vanished on July 9, 2007, in New York City after checking out from a Super 8 Motel. Her body was discovered bound with three leather belts, one of which was utilized to tie her ankles.

How was the killer linked to the other victims?

Heuermann was allegedly linked to the killings by burner phones used to arrange meetings with the victims, as well as by a piece of his hair allegedly found at the bottom of a burlap bag used to wrap Waterman’s body.

He was also traced to a Chevrolet Avalanche registered to him that was allegedly seen at the time of Costello's disappearance.

Authorities, during the search also found evidence that Heuermann was allegedly obsessed with the case and searched for articles about the task force that was formed to investigate the murders.

What did the District Attorney say?

“We saw all this, really sort of concerning searches that he was undergoing,” Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney previously said. “In a 14-month period, over 200 times, he’s searching for information about the Gilgo investigation. He’s trying to figure out what we’re up to.”

According to authorities, included in his searches were, "Why could law enforcement not trace the calls made by the Long Island serial killer” and “Why hasn’t the Long Island serial killer been caught.”

Investigators also allegedly found hundreds of internet searches about raping and torturing women, child porn and rape porn as well as searches for his victims and their families.

“He was obsessively looking at the victims, but he’s also looking at the victim’s siblings,” claimed Tierney.

The suspect was fascinated by serial killers

Heuermann also allegedly seemed to be fascinated by serial killers and sleuthed online for “11 currently active serial killers,” and “8 Terrifying Active Serial Killers (We Can’t Find).”

Tierney said Heuermann was "pretty surprised" when he was arrested on July 13 near his office building in Manhattan.

“I think he lived this double life, and he used the anonymity of phones and computers to shield himself from the rest of society," he said.

"Unfortunately for him — and fortunately for the rest of us — he wasn’t successful.”