Gilgo Beach murders suspect Rex Heuermann is expected to appear in court next week as speculation continues to grow that he will be charged with a fourth killing.
The 60-year-old has already pleaded not guilty to the murder of three sex workers whose remains were found strewn across Long Island more than a decade ago.
He was officially named by police as a suspect in the murder of a fourth woman, Maureen Brainard-Barnes, whose body was found along with the other three in December 2010.
While it has not been confirmed why the disgraced architect is facing a new court date, prosecutors had previously stated a special grand jury was only being asked to consider an indictment into the killing of Brainard-Barnes, 25.
Heuermann is slated to appear at Suffolk County Supreme Court before Justice Timothy Mazzei’s on Tuesday morning, Newsday reports.
Gilgo Beach murders suspect Rex Heuermann is expected to appear at Suffolk County Supreme Court on Tuesday amid speculation he could be charged with a fourth killing
Prosecutors previously announced a grand jury was being directed to examine whether to issue an indictment for the murder of Maureen Brainard-Barnes, 25, whose remains were discovered along with those of three other sex workers who Heuermann has been charged with killing
The women known as the ‘Gilgo Four’ were discovered close to Heuermann’s Long Island home. However, other bodies – including those of sex workers – have been found in the area
The married father-of-two had been due to return to court next on February 6 for a conference on the original six count indictment.
His return to court prematurely has fueled speculation prosecutors could be about to him him with further separate charges.
Heuermann has been held without bail since his arrest for the murders of Megan Waterman, 22, Melissa Barthelemy, 24, and Amber Lynn Costello, 27.
All four women were among 11 found on the desolate stretch of coastline close to Heuermann’s Long Island Home between 2010 and 2011.
All of the victims worked as escorts who advertised themselves on Craigslist.
Their remains were found on a stretch of beach wrapped in camouflage burlap and bound with belts or red tape.
Heuermann was linked to the killings by DNA on the burlap used to transport the bodied which was compared to samples taken from a pizza crust and napkin that were discarded outside his Manhattan architectural firm.
The samples boasted a 99.96 percent match.
The first victim, 24-year-old Melissa Barthelemy, was discovered by Suffolk County Police on December 11, 2010. The body of Megan Waterman, 22, from Maine, was found two days later
Heuermann is charged with killing Amber Costello (left) and has only been linked with the murder of Maureen Brainard-Barnes (right)
DNA found on the burlap wrapped around Waterman’s body was a 99.96 percent match to samples from a discarded pizza crust and napkin in a garbage bin outside Heuermann’s firm
Prior to testing the DNA, cops were alerted to Heuermann as a potential suspect after a witness linked Heuermann’s Chevrolet Avalanche to Costello’s murder.
The car was then tied to Heuermann’s cellphone records, which allegedly tied him to locations related to the murders.
The indictment stated that Heuermann had used different burner phones to contact each of his victims.
Cops also accused Heuermann of using Barthelemy’s phone to make taunting phone calls to her family from the comfort of his office.
In October, it was revealed that Heuermann is being probed over the slaying of two additional sex workers.
Suffolk County Police Commissioner Rodney K. Harrison confirmed he had assigned additional investigators to the case of two other women, Valerie Mack and Karen Vergata.
At the suspected time of the murders, Heuermann’s now ex-wife Asa Ellerup was away from home. She filed for divorce less than a week after he husband’s arrest.
The couple have two children – daughter Victoria Heuermann, 26, who worked at her father’s firm; and son Christopher Sheridan, 33.
Ellerup sparked controversy after it emerged that she had accepted a $1 million documentary deal with Peacock which would involve crews filming at her husband’s trial.
Police are now probing Rex Heuermann, 59, for his possible involvement in the deaths of Vergata and Mack. Heuermann has been charged in the killing of three other women on Long Island
Police confirmed they are probing Heuermann’s potential link to the murders of two other sex workers: Valerie Mack, 25, went missing around the summer of 2000. Her remains were located that September, and more remains were discovered nearly 11 years later
The family home in Massapequa Park was torn apart by authorities as they combed the property for evidence
The deal was slammed by the families of the Gilgo Beach victims as ‘evil’, with relatives claiming it will ‘re-victimize’ and ‘re-traumatize’ them.
The family’s Massapequa Park home was ransacked by police during a search as officers dismantled their greenhouse and shredded up their couch, according to Ellerup.
In September, Heuermann fought to stop at least 50 illegal weapons from being turned over to investigators.
The stash included ‘at least 26 unregistered handguns, 15 unregistered assault weapons and ten high-capacity magazines appear to have been possessed,’ according to court documents.
He had previously been placed on suicide watch but has lately been described as ’emotionless’.