Everything We Know About The Long Island Serial Killer
Everything We Know About The Long Island Serial Killer
Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re going over everything we know about the Long Island Serial Killer.
While it’s unclear exactly how long this serial killer has been active, the investigation essentially started on May 1, 2010, when 24-year-old Shannan Gilbert called 911. A sex worker with acting aspirations, Gilbert had just finished seeing a client when she called her driver, Michael Pak, who escorted her to another client’s home in Oak Beach. Hours later, the client, Joseph Brewer, asked Pak to remove Gilbert from the house. Gilbert appeared troubled, saying, “You guys are trying to kill me.” Hiding behind Brewer’s sofa, she made a 23-minute 911 call, again saying, “They are trying to kill me.” Gilbert fled to the houses of two neighbors, Gus Coletti and Barbara Brennan, both of whom called the police. By the time authorities arrived, Gilbert had vanished near Long Island’s South Shore.
Months passed without any developments in Gilbert’s disappearance until December 11, 2010. Searching for Gilbert since that summer, Officer John Mallia and his German Shepard Blue unearthed human remains in a burlap bag near Ocean Parkway, Long Island. This wasn’t Gilbert, but Melissa Barthelemy, who was last seen at her Bronx apartment on July 12, 2009. Her sister Amanda subsequently received numerous “vulgar” calls from Melissa’s phone. The man on the other line claimed Melissa was dead. As the authorities continued to investigate the area where Melissa was uncovered, they found three other bodies within roughly 500 feet of one another. Maureen Brainard-Barnes was last heard from on July 9, 2007, Megan Waterman disappeared on June 6, 2010, and Amber Lynn Costello had been missing since September 2, 2010.
Deemed “The Gilgo Four,” the victims were all sex workers in their 20s with similar physical appearances, some using Craigslist. The body count didn’t end there. Between March and April 2011, six more victims were discovered with their remains spread across Suffolk and Nassau counties. Only half have been identified, all three sex workers. Karen Vergata went missing in 1996, Valerie Mack was last seen by her family in 2000, and Jessica Taylor vanished in 2003. Among the unidentified victims were an Asian male, an African-American woman with a peach tattoo, and a little one. Although this investigation started with Shannan Gilbert, her body wouldn’t be discovered on Gilgo Beach until December 13, 2011, over a year after her disappearance.
Although Gilbert shared much in common with the Gilgo Four, the authorities theorized she died from an accidental drowning. Mari Gilbert, Shanna’s mother, believed otherwise, leading to an independent autopsy suggesting strangulation may’ve been involved. Nevertheless, the police weren’t convinced that Gilbert was directly connected to the Long Island Serial Killer. Tragedy befell the Gilbert family again in 2016 when Mari was stabbed to death by one of her other daughters, Sarra. Living with schizophrenia, Sarra received a 25-year prison sentence in 2017 while actress Amy Ryan portrayed Mari in the 2020 Netflix film, “Lost Girls.” Whether or not Shannan Gilbert was a victim of the Long Island Serial Killer, the other bodies might not have been found had it not been for her.
Like Shannan Gilbert, several other bodies have been discovered that may or may not be affiliated with the Long Island Serial Killer. Tina Elizabeth Foglia could be the serial killer’s oldest potential victim, having disappeared in 1982 with her body found near Robert Moses Causeway, which leads to Gilgo and Oak Beach. Andre Jamal Isaac, Natasha Jugo, Tanya Rush, Jamie Diane Seymour, Jacqueline Ashley Smith, and Patricia Viola are just some of the other possible victims. Investigators seemingly made a break in the case in 2014 when John Bittrolff was arrested for the murders of Rita Tangredi and Colleen McNamee. Both victims were sex workers found dead in Suffolk County during the early 90s. Strong DNA evidence led to Bittrolff’s conviction in 2017.
Given Bittrolff’s MO, some suspected he may be the Long Island Serial Killer. There wasn’t enough evidence to support this theory, however. Few other suspects caught the authorities’ attention until 2022 when Rex Andrew Heuermann entered the picture. Growing up in Massapequa Park, Long Island, Heuermann wasn’t the most popular child. Despite his difficult upbringing, he became a successful New York architect, founding RH Consultants and Associates in 1994. In 1996, he married Asa Ellerup. Together, they had a daughter named Victoria while Heuermann became stepfather to Ellerup’s son Christopher. Heuermann enjoyed hunting and while some of his acquaintances found him to be a little off, nobody suspected he was capable of being a serial killer. This included Heuermann’s former high school classmate, Billy Baldwin.
Heuermann became the prime suspect after the police connected him to a Chevrolet Avalanche, the same type of vehicle likely driven by Amber Costello’s killer. Investigating further, the police found that Heuermann had possessed multiple burner phones, contacting three of the known victims. It’s also believed that he was the one who harassed Melissa Barthelemy’s sister over the phone. In addition to the phone records and witness accounts, the case against Heuermann was strengthened by his internet history. Not only did Heuermann look up subjects like torture, but he conducted searches concerning the case, the victims, and their families. What’s more, Heuermann seemingly created a Word document - or “blueprint” - in 2000, detailing how to get rid of a body without leaving behind DNA evidence.
A smoking gun came in the form of Little Caesars pizza crust, matching Heuermann’s DNA to a hair found on a victim. In July 2023, the 59-year-old Heuermann was arrested for the murders of Melissa Barthelemy, Amber Costello, and Megan Waterman. Heuermann was also a suspect in Maureen Brainard-Barnes’ death, although he wasn’t charged with her murder until January 2024. Through various searches of Heuermann’s home, the authorities seized more than 350 electronic devices and over 280 guns, some of which were unregistered. Along with the Gilgo Four, Heuermann was charged with two more murders in June 2024: Jessica Taylor and Sandra Costilla. Before Heuermann entered the equation, the police suspected John Bittrolff might’ve murdered Costilla, whose body was found in 1993.
Hair possibly belonging to Asa Ellerup was also taken from crime scenes. However, the authorities don’t believe Ellerup aided Heuermann, as she was out of town with her children when three of the four murders occurred. Just as Heuermann has pleaded not guilty, Ellerup claims that her husband is “not capable of the crimes he is accused of.” Following his arrest, though, Ellerup filed for divorce after more than 20 years together. Ellerup is currently living with skin and breast cancer, her health insurance being jeopardized in the wake of Heuermann’s arrest. Victoria Heuermann, who worked with her father, is now unemployed along with Christopher. Amidst the most recent charges brought against Heuermann, Ellerup released a statement asking for privacy.
Heuermann is being held at Suffolk County’s Riverhead Correctional Facility. While Heuermann has appeared in court, a trial date is not yet set. Currently, he faces three counts of first-degree murder and six counts of second-degree murder. Time will only tell if more charges are brought against Heuermann, as several other victims could be potentially linked to the case. Even if Heuermann is proven to be responsible, some questions may never be answered, including the identities of a few victims and whether there could be other bodies hidden away. For the first time in over a decade, though, this long drawn-out case might’ve reached its most crucial turning point.
Have you been following the Long Island Serial Killer case? Share your thoughts in the comments.
