Gilgo Beach murder suspect Rex Heuermann is expected to appear in court next week as speculation continues to grow that he will be charged with a fourth murder.
The 60-year-old has already pleaded not guilty to the murders of three sex workers whose remains were found scattered 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 will face a new trial, prosecutors had previously stated that a special grand jury was only asked to consider an indictment in the murder of 25-year-old Brainard-Barnes.
Heuermann is scheduled to appear in Suffolk County Superior Court Tuesday morning before Judge Timothy Mazzei. Newsday reports.
Gilgo Beach murder suspect Rex Heuermann is expected to appear in Suffolk County Superior Court on Tuesday amid speculation he could be charged with a fourth murder
Prosecutors previously announced that a grand jury would be charged with investigating whether to file charges in the killing of 25-year-old Maureen Brainard-Barnes, whose remains were discovered along with those of three other sex workers, one of whom Heuermann is accused of murder.
The women known as the ‘Gilgo Four’ were discovered near Heuermann’s home on Long Island. However, other bodies – including those of sex workers – have also been found in the area
The married father of two was scheduled to return to court on February 6 for a conference on the original six-count indictment.
His premature return to court has fueled speculation that prosecutors could present him with additional 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 between 2010 and 2011 on the desolate stretch of coastline near Heuermann’s Long Island Home.
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 tied with straps or red tape.
Heuermann was linked to the murders by DNA on the burlap used to transport the body, which was compared to samples taken from a pizza crust and napkin discarded outside his Manhattan architectural office.
The samples had 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, of Maine, was found two days later.
Heuermann is accused of the murder of Amber Costello (left) and has only been linked to the murder of Maureen Brainard-Barnes (right)
The 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 trash bin outside Heuermann’s firm.
Before the DNA was tested, police were alerted that Heuermann was a potential suspect after a witness linked Heuermann’s Chevrolet Avalanche to Costello’s murder.
The car was then linked to Heuermann’s cell phone records, which allegedly linked him to locations linked to the murders.
The indictment stated that Heuermann used several burner phones to contact each of his victims.
Police also accused Heuermann of using Barthelemy’s phone to make harassing calls to her family from his office.
In October, it was revealed that Heuermann is under investigation for the murder of two additional sex workers.
Suffolk County Police Chief Rodney K. Harrison confirmed that he had assigned additional investigators to the cases of two other women, Valerie Mack and Karen Vergata.
At the time of the alleged murders, Heuermann’s now ex-wife Asa Ellerup was away from home. She filed for divorce less than a week after her husband’s arrest.
The couple have two children: daughter Victoria Heuermann, 26, who worked at her father’s company; and son Christopher Sheridan, 33.
Ellerup sparked controversy after it emerged that she had accepted a $1 million documentary deal with Peacock, which would see crews filming her husband’s trial.
Police are now investigating Rex Heuermann, 59, for his possible involvement in the deaths of Vergata and Mack. Heuermann has been charged with the murders of three other women on Long Island
Police confirmed they are investigating Heuermann’s possible link to the murders of two other sex workers: Valerie Mack, 25, went missing around the summer of 2000. Her remains were located in September and more remains were discovered nearly 11 years later .
The family home in Massapequa Park was torn apart by authorities as they searched the property for evidence
The families of the Gilgo Beach victims branded the deal “evil,” with relatives claiming it would “re-victimize” and “re-traumatize” them.
The family’s home in Massapequa Park was ransacked during a police search, while officers dismantled their cash register and tore up their couch, Ellerup said.
In September, Heuermann fought to prevent at least 50 illegal weapons from being turned over to investigators.
The stash contained “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 recently been described as ’emotionless’.