Gilgo Beach murders: New York State Police, FBI impound evidence from South Carolina
By: Audrey Conklin & Chris Eberhart - FOX NewsCHESTER, South Carolina – An infamous cold case involving an alleged serial killer led the FBI and New York State Police (NYSP) more than 700 miles away from the crime scene to South Carolina, where more evidence was confiscated.
A Chevy Avalanche connected to suspected Long Island serial killer Rex Heuermann was covered in a tarp and strapped to the back of a NYSP tow truck that rolled into the impound lot of the Chester County Sheriff's Office during Tuesday afternoon's press conference in South Carolina.
Heuermann, a Long Island, New York, resident who allegedly killed at least three of the four victims dubbed the "Gilgo Four," planned to retire near his brother in Chester, South Carolina, according to neighbors.
The 59-year-old Heuermann, a married father of two and an architect working in Manhattan, pleaded not guilty to six counts of murder – first- and second-degree murder for each victim – and is a prime suspect in a fourth victim's death.
Neighbors in South Carolina told Fox News Digital during the press conference that they saw FBI agents near the Chester properties owned by Heuermann and his brother, Craig.
The FBI did not respond to questions from Fox News Digital about the search.
Heuermann and his brother's properties are barely visible from the unpaved road that runs past the homes, which are covered with no-trespassing signs.
Craig Heuermann's front gate has two signs: one that reads, "Keep out/No trespassing," and another that reads, "No Warrant/No Entry."
A neighbor who has lived across the street from Craig since 2020 said he's a quiet guy who is rarely seen outside on his property, where his dogs are often barking. The neighbor described having few, but always pleasant, interactions with Craig.
The neighbor said that, upon moving in, Craig said he had one rule: "don't cut the grass on Sunday."
A different neighbor previously told Fox News Digital that Craig hit him once because of cutting the grass on a Sunday.
Two other neighbors said Tuesday that Craig cut someone’s boat in half, and one neighbor said he can see half the boat from the pond in his backyard.
A neighbor described seeing police driving out of the neighborhood on Friday, which was when Rex Heuermann was arrested, and said he wondered what was happening. He also said he saw Craig Heuermann's truck being towed from his private property and that Craig began driving a car instead of his truck over the weekend.
The Chester County Sheriff's Office did not release any new information during the short press conference Tuesday, but officials said they continue to work closely with the Gilgo Beach Task Force established by Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond Tierney when he took office in 2022.
The murder charges are for the deaths of Melissa Barthelemy, Megan Waterman and Amber Costello, whose bodies were found on Gilgo Beach, along a parkway on the southern shore of Long Island, in December 2010.
Tierney said Friday that more charges could be filed as investigators continue to work to connect Heuermann to the first "Gilgo Four" victim, Maureen Brainard-Barnes, who was 25 when she disappeared in 2007.
By April 2011, the remains of six more people were found in the same area.
The search for missing escort Shannan Gilbert, 24, led police to the horrifying discoveries. All the victims were sex workers, according to authorities.
The suspect was tied to the crimes through DNA evidence and cellphone data. Heuermann allegedly called at least one victim's family after her death and taunted them, according to court documents.
The murders have remained unsolved for more than a decade and have been the source of documentaries like "The Killing Season," which debuted in 2017, a Netflix show in 2020 and a book.
