The college student who mowed the Gilgo Beach suspect’s lawn has revealed he called the alleged serial killer’s Long Island home “the home of the shrunken heads” after seeing a creepy display inside.
Troy Weeks, 23, has been mowing Rex Huermann’s lawn weekly or biweekly for the past three summers and always suspected something was wrong with the 59-year-old architect, who he claimed once tried to coax $5 from him.
At the request of the alleged killer, Troy never entered the Massapequa Park home, but once peeked through a window and regretted what he saw.
“I was really surprised by the condition of his house… it looked horrible,” he told DailyMail.com outside Huermann’s home, where the suspect may have killed at least one of his victims, according to police.
Troy, who lives a few blocks away, said he saw what he described as four heads made of coconuts with carved faces on them.
Rex Heuermann lived in a Massapequa Park, Long Island home with his wife Asa Ellerup, adult daughter and stepson
Troy Weeks, 23, mowed Rex Huermann’s lawn weekly or biweekly for the past three summers
“I saw these little head things – they were like these shrunken heads. And my friends and I used to call it the house of shrunken heads because it was the weirdest coconut head thing,” Troy explained.
“It was really scary.”
He and Huermann occasionally chatted, and when asked how things were, the alleged killer always replied “same sh**, different day,” according to Troy.
It seemed like he had no emotions or personality. He always had the same expression… a blank stare. He was very monotonous when I talked to him,” Troy recalled.
And Huermann stressed that Troy, who was earning minimum wage for the performance, was not allowed to enter the house under any circumstances.
“He used to tell me if you’re thirsty or want a drink, knock on the back door, never come in the house, that’s the only rule,” Troy said.
‘[Huermann] said, “If you ever try to open my doors, you can’t work for me.”‘
The pair got into a fight after Troy claimed the suspect cheated him of $5.
“I said can I get that $5 back or I’m never doing this again. I come here with my own equipment to mow your lawn and if you’re going to give me a $5 deficit, that’s a mess. I’m just a kid in college trying to make ends meet,” Troy recalled.
He added that he is still trying to come to terms with Huermann’s arrest
“I’m not surprised… It’s scary, I’m going to have nightmares.”
Heuermann was arrested last week and charged with the murder of three of the “Gilgo Four,” a group of women whose bodies were discovered in 2010 off Gilgo Beach on Long Island.
He pleaded not guilty to the murders of Melissa Barthelemy, Megan Waterman and Amber Costello.
The architect lived in a ‘dungeon-like’ house just 18 miles from the beach with his wife Asa Ellerup, adult daughter and stepson – who police say were gone when the murders took place.
“He used to tell me if you’re thirsty or want a drink, knock on the back door, never come in the house, that’s the only rule,” Troy said.
Police searched the property for “trophies” that may be related to the victims
Heuermann is also the prime suspect in the 2007 disappearance and subsequent murder of the fourth wife, Maureen Brainard-Barnes, although he has not yet been charged in the case.
He is also under investigation for the murders of six other women whose bodies were found off Gilgo Beach in 2011.
Detectives are now investigating unsolved murders across the country to see if they are related to Heuermann.
Police searched his property Thursday for the seventh day for “trophies” that may be linked to the victims. Investigators are also looking into his share of time in Las Vegas and a property he owned in South Carolina.
Meanwhile, another neighbor revealed exclusively to DailyMail.com how he once caught the now-murder suspect rambling about “the girls.”
Jimmy Mack, who lives a few blocks from Heuermann’s home, revealed to DailyMail.com his encounters with the suspected killer.
He claimed he once caught him chatting about “the girls” at the end of his driveway while he was drunk and thought no one was listening.
Mack said that when he asked Heuermann what he was doing, he shot him over his car and threatened to cut his tires.
And another neighbor said they found six-foot Heuermann “intimidating” and once walked past him while he was working in his garage and he didn’t even look up.
Mack, 51, a trucking company owner living with his wife and three stepchildren, recalled a terrifying encounter with Heuermann outside his Long Island home.
Heuermann was walking home from the LIRR station past Mack’s house on March 2, a regular route for the architect, when a confrontation broke out between the men.
Mack was smoking a cigarette on his front porch at about 10 p.m. and heard a man Heuermann talking, he told DailyMail.com.
“I’m sitting on my porch and he doesn’t see me, but I hear him say ‘oh here we are again… I told them… I told those girls once… now you’re going to understand.’
Melissa Barthelemy, top left, Amber Costello, top right, Megan Waterman, bottom left, and Maureen Brainard-Barnes. Long Island authorities vow to continue investigations into the Gilgo Beach murders after blaming an architect for the deaths of three of the 11 victims
In addition to his cluttered home, Heuermann owned two storage units in Amityville. They were searched yesterday and today
Mack said Heuermann didn’t realize he was there and seemed startled. He said he seemed drunk and continued to chatter to himself before pulling up to the end of his driveway. Mack said to Heuermann, “brother, are you talking to my house?”
He replied, “Are you the bastard who owns this car?” … I warned them last time and now they are going to see it,” he then said aggressively that he would come back in 15 minutes to cut his tires.
Mack said he chased Heuermann out of his driveway and told his wife to lock the doors before following him down the street on foot and asking him, “what did you say about the girls… are you talking about my wife and daughter?”
The confrontation escalated and Mack told Heuermann “we’ll settle our affairs now or I never fucking see you again” before Heuermann walked off.
Mack then followed his neighbor in his car and recalled feeling “something wasn’t right.” I need to know where this man lives.’
Watching Heuermann jump over his neighbor’s fence and shield his face as he escaped, he recalled, “he didn’t want me to see his face.”
Mack said the confrontation and air of unease he felt meant he “knew something was up for me to get back in my car and follow this guy to his house.”
He remembers telling his friends and family “if anything happens to this house or anything, it’s this guy.” He added, “that’s how much I knew there was something wrong with this.”
“Who knows if he would have come back with a gun,” Mack asked. “He (Heuermann) said fifteen minutes and that’s about how long it would have taken him to get back to my house”
“I lost five nights of sleep. I waited for this man to come back. I sat on my porch every night. Even my wife slept badly. Everyone was nervous.’
Mack added, “I’m not trying to sound like a tough guy, but if someone threatens my family.”
He also told his neighbors about the confrontation and warned them where the man lived.
“I told everyone in the neighborhood to watch out…my gut just told me something was wrong…it was more than a normal confrontation.”