Relatives of the women whose deaths made up the Gilgo Beach murders have spoken out following the recent arrest of Rex Heuermann.
The Gilgo Beach murders investigation began in late 2010 when law enforcement officials uncovered the bodies of four women within a quarter mile of each other near the southern coast of Long Island, New York, later dubbed "The Gilgo Four." The remains were found during a search for another missing woman, 24-year-old Shannan Gilbert, a sex worker from New Jersey.
A broader search across Suffolk and Nassau counties ultimately turned up six more adult bodies, including Gilbert's, as well as the body of a toddler determined to be the child of one of the victims. All 10 of the adult victims were found to have been sex workers, lending credence to the theory that they had all been targeted by one serial killer.
On Thursday, after over a decade of the investigation stalling out, Heuermann, a 59-year-old architect and resident of Long Island's Massapequa Park, was arrested and charged in connection with the deaths of three of "The Gilgo Four": Amber Costello, 27, Melissa Barthelemy, 24, Megan Waterman, 22. He is also the primary suspect in the death of the fourth victim, Maureen Brainard-Barnes, 25. His potential connection to the other Long Island serial killer cases remains unclear at this time, with some experts suggesting that those killings seem too different to have been the same suspect.
An attorney for Heuermann has dismissed the charges against his client as "extremely circumstantial." He currently faces three charges of first-degree murder and three charges of second-degree murder, to which he has pleaded not guilty.
Newsweek reached out to the Suffolk County Police Department via email for comment.
In the wake of Heuermann's arrest, relatives of his alleged victims have come forward with reactions to the long-awaited news. Amy Brotz, Barthelemy's cousin, expressed shock and relief at the news hours after it broke.
"I can't wrap my head around this," Brotz told the Associated Press. "God has brought peace to the families. Maybe we can start the healing."
She added: "The fact that my family is going to have to sit and listen to all this, to every specific, tiny little detail is making me sick."
Lynn Barthelemy, the victim's mother, gave her reaction while speaking to NBC News.
"I'd like him to suffer at the hands of other inmates," she told the outlet. "Death is too good for him."
Nicole Haycock, a longtime friend of Waterman's, said that she initially thought the news of Heuermann's arrest was a hoax and that a lot about her case remains unanswered.
"There's so many questions I still have," she said according to the AP, including, "Why her?"
Waterman's sister, Allie Pertel, also reacted to the news by saying she felt "anger" and "relief."
"It's starting all over again," Pertel told CBS News. "She was a vulnerable, naive, drug addict girl who was very easily influenced by this monster of a man."
"Job well done," Bonnie Sasse, Costello's aunt, also told CBS News. "All of the family members of these poor victims, we never thought we'd see this day. I'm rejoicing. I know they are, too."
Update, 7/17/23, 6:45 a.m. ET: The headline on this article was updated.
