Police searching the home of Gilgo Beach murder suspect Rex Heuermann have reportedly discovered a soundproof room in the basement, a neighbor said — while police have brought cadaver dogs to search his yard.
Police told a neighbor of the New York architect that they believed at least one woman had been murdered in that room, which had been exhumed in what state troopers called a “major dig.”
Robert Musto, 64, one of Heuermann’s longtime neighbors in Massapequa, told the New York Post, “He has a soundproof room in his basement. What do you think that was for?’
“This guy is an idiot,” the retired Long Island Rail Road employee added — claiming he heard about the basement from police, who have been searching the crime scene since Heuermann was arrested July 13.
Heuermann was arrested this month and charged with the murders 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.
State troopers said a “major excavation” is underway at the home of New York architect Rex Heuermann. Pictured is state police gathering evidence at the scene
State police and crime lab teams have been working at Heuermann’s home in Massapequa. Pictured is the scene on Saturday
Heuermann, 59, was arrested this month and charged with the murder of three women
Musto said, “They say there is evidence that he killed at least one of the girls there.
“The police are going to dig all that up. They said they’re focused on the soundproof room in the basement, but they’re going to see everything.’
Police told the Post on Sunday that “the police are looking for evidence if the victims were in the house, nothing yet.”
Aerial footage of the scene revealed groups of investigators in Heuermann’s backyard excavating soil and bagging evidence.
According to the Post, cadaver dogs were also brought to the property.
Kathy Huber, who lives nearby, said she attended high school with Heuermann, said locals are not affected by the disruption.
“We don’t care how long this has to be here,” Huber, 57, said on Sunday.
“This is a large community of police officers and firefighters, and it’s hard for me to believe anyone here would be angry that officers are taking their time and doing a good job.”
Melissa Barthelemy, top left, Amber Costello, top right, Megan Waterman, bottom left, and Maureen Brainard-Barnes. Long Island authorities vow to continue investigation into the Gilgo Beach murders after blaming an architect for the deaths of three of the 11 victims
Dominick Cancellieri, (pictured) who lived next door to Heuermann for 15 years, claimed he heard him digging in his backyard in the early hours of the morning
Dominick Cancellieri, who lived next door to Heuermann for 15 years told NewsNation last week he once heard Heuermann digging and burning things in his backyard in the early hours of the morning.
“When I was about 18 or 19 years old I was watching TV in my basement,” he told the outlet, “I went out at about one or two in the morning and heard digging in the backyard next door.
“Now I really wanted to go see what it was and look through the fence, but something kept me from doing it,” he said.
‘I was nervous, I didn’t really know what I was doing at the time. But now that everything is blossoming, it doesn’t surprise me in the slightest,” said the neighbor.
Cancellieri also recalled a confrontation over a parking space when Heuermann parked his truck halfway down his driveway.
“I got out of my car and told him to move his car,” he recalls. “He got a little loud, and I got a little loud back, and he finally moved his car.”
“He would burn his garbage and I would smell it,” he added. “It seemed like every few weeks I smelled garbage again at his house.”
Law enforcement officers load a pair of skates into a truck from Rex Heuermann’s home on Thursday
Police searched the premises Thursday for the seventh day for ‘trophies’ that may be linked to the victims
In addition to his cluttered home, Heuermann owned two storage units in Amityville. They were searched yesterday and today
Another resident who worked at Heuermann’s yard told DailyMail.com how Heuermann once told him he would be fired if he ever tried to enter his property.
Troy Weeks, 23, lives a few blocks away from Heuermann in Massapequa Park and mowed the suspect’s lawn weekly or biweekly until June 2022.
It seemed like he had no emotions or personality. He always had the same expression, a blank stare. He was very monotonous when I spoke to him,” Weeks told DailyMail.com.
‘He [Heuermann] used to say to me ‘if you are thirsty or want a drink knock on the back door, never come into the house, that’s the only rule.
“He said if you ever try to open my doors, you can’t work for me,” Weeks continued.
“I was really surprised by the condition of his house. Once, when I peered in through the back window, I saw four heads made of coconuts with carved faces.
“I thought that was super creepy,” he added, “my friends and I called it the house of shrunken heads.”
Weeks quit working for Heuermann in June 2022 after shorting him $5.