Policy- The hunt for a suspect in the Gilgo Beach killings culminated this week in the arrest of Rex Heuermann.
- Police have found the remains of 10 people and a toddler near Gilgo Beach on Long Island since 2010.
For more than a decade the Gilgo Beach murders remained a mystery. But this week police said they finally found the man they think is responsible. Police arrested Rex Heuermann, 59, at his home in Massapequa Park, New York. He is an architect who is married and has two children, according to a neighbor.
The grisly story of the murders began more than a decade ago. Here's a timeline of the Gilgo Beach murder investigation.
May 1, 2010: Shannan Gilbert goes missing
After visiting a client she met on Craigslist, Shannan Gilbert, who earned a living as a sex worker, did not come home. In a more than 20-minute 911 call placed just before 5 am on May 1, the 24-year-old said her life was in danger. She then knocked on the doors of multiple residents in the Long Island town of Oak Beach. Witnesses said she appeared incoherent and afraid before running off.
Gilbert's family later filed a missing person report, CBS News reported, triggering a manhunt.
December 2010: Remains found on Gilgo Beach
While searching for Gilbert, police discover the bodies of four other women along a highway between Cedar Beach and Gilgo Beach in Long Island, not far from where Gilbert was last seen. But Gilbert herself is not found.
The four women, whose remains were found in burlap sacks, also worked in the sex business. They were later identified as Megan Waterman, Maureen Brainard-Barnes, Melissa Barthelemy, and Amber Lynn Costello. All had been missing for years.
At the time, police downplayed concerns.
"I don't want anybody to think we have a Jack the Ripper running around Suffolk County with blood dripping from a knife," Police Commissioner Richard Dormer told a local NBC affiliate.
April 2011: More bodies found
Police continue to find more potential murder victims, announcing they had found a 10th set of human remains in the area around Jones Beach State Park. The remains included those of a toddler, The New York Times reported.
But they were no closer to identifying a perpetrator.
"Right now, it could be anybody," Det. Lt. Kevin Smith told a local radio station.
December 2011: Shannan Gilbert's body found
Police divers find Gilbert's remains in marshland near Oak Beach. But authorities differed on whether she was a victim of the same person who killed the other women, CNN reported.
"The theory is now that we're dealing with one serial killer," Police Commissioner Richard Dorner said at the time. But at the same press conference, Suffolk County District Attorney Thomas Spota pushed back, saying "I don't know of anybody" who believes all were killed by the same person.
July 9, 2013: 'Lost Girls' book published
Author Robert Kolker publishes a literary account of the missing women in 'Lost Girls: An Unsolved American Mystery,' bringing renewed attention to the case. The book is well-received. Critics describe it as one of the best works of nonfiction in recent years.
Jan. 16, 2020: Authorities reveal new evidence
Police in Suffolk County release a photo of a black leather belt found near one of the crime scenes, highlighting the initials on it: either HM or WH.
"We do believe that this item was handled by the suspect and did not belong to any of the victims," then-Suffolk County Police Commissioner Geraldine Hart told reporters.
March 13, 2020: Film about disappearances released
Streaming platform Netflix releases "Lost Girls," a film based on the earlier published novel about the disappearance of Gilbert and several other women around Gilgo Beach. In an interview, actress Amy Ryan, who stars as Gilbert's mother, said she hoped the production would help bring a resolution to the case.
"If some justice could be brought for the families, that would be such a success for the film in my eyes," Ryan said.
Feb. 15, 2022: New task force announced
Suffolk County Police Commissioner Rodney Harrison, two months after being appointed to his position, announces a new interagency task force to investigate the unsolved killings, bringing in the FBI as well as state and local law enforcement.
"I believe this case is solvable and identifying the person or people responsible for these murders is a top priority," Harrison said in a statement.
July 13, 2023: Suspect arrested
Police arrest a 59-year-old man, Rex Heuermann, at his home in Massapequa Park, New York. He is an architect who is married and has two children, according to a neighbor.
"We've been here for about 30 years, and the guy's been quiet, never really bothers anybody," Etienne DeVilliers told CBS New York.
July 14, 2023: Murder charges
Prosecutors charge Heuermann with three counts of first-degree murder and three counts of second-degree murder in connection with the killings of Melissa Barthelemy, Megan Waterman, and Amber Lynn Costello.
He is also a suspect in the death of a fourth victim, Maureen Brainard-Barnes. He has pleaded not guilty.