Rex Heuermann, the alleged Gilgo Beach serial killer accused of taking the lives of seven women, will have all charges addressed in a single trial, as determined by a judge.
On September 23, Suffolk County Judge Tim Mazzei in Riverhead, NY, ruled against the proposal from Heuermann’s attorney, Michael J. Brown, who had requested that separate trials be held for each victim’s case.
Brown argued that presenting numerous charges and victims in one trial could lead jurors to think, “where there’s smoke, there’s fire.”
According to reports from People, the defense team highlighted in court on September 23 that there wasn’t a “unique and consistent modus operandi” linking all seven murders.
Judge rules on DNA evidence
At the same hearing, reported the New York Post, Mazzei also denied the defense’s request to exclude advanced DNA evidence.
Prosecutors aim to use new DNA analysis techniques on old, degraded DNA samples collected from the victims, a point of contention for Heuermann’s defense team.
They argue against this DNA evidence, claiming it is not widely accepted within the scientific community and hasn’t been applied in New York before.
What is Rex Heuermann charged with?
Heuermann is charged with the murders of Melissa Barthelemy, Megan Waterman, Amber Costello, Maureen Brainard-Barnes, Jessica Taylor, Sandra Costilla, and Valerie Mack.
The remains of the women were discovered in and around the Gilgo Beach area of Long Island between 1993 and 2011.
Heuermann, 61, was arrested on July 13, 2023, and he has pleaded not guilty to all charges.
He is in custody at the Riverhead Correctional Facility in Suffolk County while he awaits trial.
Heuermann is also featured in the Peacock documentary The Gilgo Beach Killer: House of Secrets, which has aired on Oxygen and is streaming on Peacock.
