‘Terabytes of information’

Gilgo Beach serial killer suspect’s lawyers obtain more evidence

The team prosecuting suspected Long Island serial killer Rex Heuermann shared with his lawyers lab reports and disclosures focused on 388 leads detectives were investigating.

Heuermann appeared in court Wednesday with his lawyers, who despite the shared information, said they have not received all the evidence they are entitled to.

But Suffolk County DA Raymond Tierney said there is a mountain of material, and that it is hard to turn it all over in a timely fashion.

“We’re talking about a tremendous amount of material,” Tierney said outside of court. “When you’re talking about terabytes upon terabytes upon terabytes of information it doesn’t happen overnight. It can’t. It’s impossible.”

Tierney said the material includes 6,000 pages of various background checks, and thousands of pages on persons of interest and missing persons investigations.

Heuermann, in a wrinkled gray suit, stood with his hands cuffed behind his back. His estranged wife, Asa Ellerup, watched from the gallery with her attorney Bob Macedonio next to her.

Large square sunglasses covered her eyes. Ellerup filed for divorce just days after his July 2023 arrest in the high-profile case.

Heuermann’s attorney, Michael Brown, said the defense team is requesting information related to an earlier investigation of another potential suspect.

As for Heuermann’s state of mind, Brown said his client is eager to get to trial.

“You have to remember he’s not with the general population. He’s isolated in one jail cell. He has no interaction with any other inmates,” Brown said. “I see him as frequently as once a week. He wants to get to a trial. He maintained from the beginning of this case, and still maintains today, he is not the guy. He said that over and over.”

Heuermann, 59, was initially charged in July with the murders of three young sex workers, Megan Waterman, Melissa Barthelemy and Amber Costello.

This January, he was also charged with the murder of a fourth victim, Maureen Brainard-Barnes of Norwich.

Their bodies were found in December 2010 within one-quarter mile of each other, dumped along Gilgo Beach.

Heuermann has pleaded not guilty to all the charges against him.