(RIVERHEAD, N.Y.) — A New York architect already facing murder charges in a series of Long Island killings was indicted Tuesday for the death of a seventh woman.
Rex Heuermann, who has entered a not guilty plea, is now accused of killing Valerie Mack, whose remains were discovered on Long Island in 2000. Mack, 24, worked as an escort in Philadelphia and was last seen by her family that year in New Jersey.
Some of Mack’s skeletal remains were initially found in Manorville, New York; additional remains were uncovered approximately 50 miles (80 kilometers) west, in Gilgo Beach, over a decade later. Her identity remained unknown until genetic testing in 2020.
Hair discovered with Mack’s remains underwent testing earlier this year; the results indicated a probable match with the genetic profile of Heuermann’s daughter, according to court documents. His daughter, who is not implicated in any wrongdoing, would have been 3 or 4 years old at the time of Mack’s death.
Heuermann, 61, faces charges for the deaths of six other women whose remains were found on Long Island. He maintains his innocence on all charges.
“The lives of these women matter. We, as investigators, understand that. No one understands that more than the families,” Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney stated at a press conference attended by Mack’s parents and relatives of other victims.
Mack’s parents did not address the media. However, relatives of four other victims presented the Macks with roses and hugs, expressing their sorrow and support through an attorney.
“They were, and they are, loved. And they are missed every day by those who knew them and who had a strong bond with them,” said Gloria Allred, representing the families of Melissa Barthelemy, Maureen Brainard-Barnes, Jessica Taylor, and Megan Waterman.
The investigation into the Gilgo Beach killings commenced in 2010 when police, while searching for a missing person, uncovered 10 sets of human remains in the brush along a barrier island parkway, raising concerns about a serial killer.
Over time, investigators employed DNA analysis and other evidence to identify the victims, many of whom were sex workers. In several instances, authorities linked remains found at different Long Island locations years apart. Police also revisited other unsolved killings of women found dead on Long Island.
The case spanned five police commissioners, over 1,000 tips, and questions regarding the existence of a serial killer.
Heuermann, who resided with his wife and two children in Massapequa Park on Long Island and worked at a Manhattan architecture firm, was apprehended on July 13, 2023. Initial charges included the murders of Barthelemy, Waterman, and Amber Lynn Costello.
Earlier this year, additional charges were filed in the deaths of three more women — Brainard-Barnes, Taylor, and Sandra Costilla.
In a June court filing, prosecutors revealed a file found on a hard drive in Heuermann’s basement, which they described as a methodical outline of his killings — containing checklists of pre-murder, during-murder, and post-murder tasks, as well as notes for future crimes.
Court documents presented Tuesday indicated that this document, created the same year as Mack’s murder, contains details consistent with her case.
For instance, it mentions “Mill Road” — a road near the initial discovery site of Mack’s remains — under the heading “DS,” believed by investigators to stand for “dump site.”
The document also lists “foam drain cleaner” under “Supplies.” Prosecutors noted that on October 3, 2000, Heuermann’s phone records appear to show him calling a Long Island plumbing company twice, and he paid another company the following month for mainline drain service.
Recent searches of Heuermann’s home and office uncovered old magazines and newspapers featuring articles about the Gilgo Beach killings and investigation, which prosecutors believe he kept as “souvenirs” or “mementos.” This included a July 29, 2003, copy of the New York Post with an article about the investigation into Mack and Taylor’s remains.
Investigators believe Heuermann’s home was the location of the killings — typically when his family was away. Tierney stated that authorities are unsure of his family’s whereabouts during Mack’s murder.
Prosecutors are also investigating the death of Karen Vergata, whose remains were discovered in 1996 and identified in 2022 through new DNA analysis.
In September, authorities released updated renderings of an unidentified victim found in 2011. Officials stated the victim, initially believed to be male, may have presented as female and died in 2006.
___ Associated Press writer Jennifer Peltz contributed from New York.