Rex Heuermann’s daughter was excused from a Long Island jury pool after a judge concluded that her presence could become “a distraction” during the trial.
Victoria Heuermann, 30, appeared last week in response to a Nassau County jury summons and was considered as a potential juror in a child molestation case, sources told Newsday.
The daughter of the Gilgo Beach serial killer was not initially recognized by State Supreme Court Justice Robert McDonald, the prosecutor or the defense attorney, despite her public appearances and interviews following her father’s prosecution for the murders of eight women.
Her identity became apparent during the public questioning phase, when prospective jurors were asked whether they had ever been convicted of a crime or knew someone who had, according to her attorney.
McDonald then questioned whether Victoria could remain impartial while serving on a jury given her father’s notorious criminal record.
“When they got to that question, she requested a sidebar. She was taken into chambers, answered it, and was then dismissed,” her attorney, Robert Macedonio, told the newspaper.
Victoria remained willing to serve, Macedonio said, but he was unsure whether the decision to remove her came from the prosecution, the defense or the judge because he had not reviewed the transcript.
Macedonio said Victoria, who lives in Massapequa Park, felt nervous about returning to a courtroom after the intense attention surrounding her father’s case. He even offered to submit a letter asking that she be excused from jury duty.
“There’s no overwhelming desire to serve. No one is eager to report for jury duty,” he said. “But when she was asked whether she believed she could be fair and impartial, she answered honestly.”
Victoria could have said she was unable to serve, but instead said she believed she could respect both the defendant’s rights and the prosecution’s interests despite everything her family had experienced, her attorney explained.
“The easier answer would have been no, and she would have been dismissed. Saying yes was the more difficult answer,” Macedonio said.
The judge ultimately ruled that Victoria’s presence could draw too much attention and become a “distraction” during the proceedings.
New York law requires trials, including jury selection, to take place in open court.
Heuermann, 63, received three life sentences in Suffolk County in June after pleading guilty to strangling his victims.
The 6-foot-4 architect admitted to killing and torturing eight women beginning in 1993, then disposing of most of their bodies in remote areas of Long Island. The remains began to be discovered in December 2010.
The killings went unsolved for years until authorities revived the investigation in 2022. Heuermann was arrested the following year, with DNA evidence recovered from a pizza box he had thrown away helping investigators build the case.
Macedonio said Victoria and her family will live with the consequences of Heuermann’s crimes for the rest of their lives.
“Whenever they enter the public eye, apply for jobs or face any situation in which someone conducts even a basic background check, his name will appear. That will follow her for the rest of her life,” he said.
