Suspect in New York Serial Killings of Women Charged with Killing Seventh Victim

A New York architect, who is on trial for serial killings in a case known as "Gilgo Beach," has been charged with the murder of another woman, the seventh victim of this crime. Rex Heuermann, the accused, appeared in court on Tuesday, December 18, to hear the new charges. He told the judge, "I am not guilty of any of these charges." The body of the new victim, named Valerie Mack, was discovered in 2000 in Long Island, an island that is part of New York City. Ms. Mack was 24 years old and worked in Philadelphia; her family last saw her that year in New Jersey. A part of the victim's skull was found over 10 years later in Manorville, located 80 kilometers from where her body was discovered. Following forensic investigations and genetic testing, her identity was finally confirmed in 2020. The prosecution has stated in documents submitted to the court that hair strands found on the victim's body match the genetic profile of the accused's daughter. Rex Heuermann's daughter has not been charged with any crime, as she was three or four years old at the time of the victim's murder. Mr. Heuermann has also been charged with the murders of six other women, whose bodies were all found in Long Island. Investigations into these serial killings, known as the "Gilgo Beach" case, began in 2010. At that time, police officers investigating the disappearance of a woman found parts of several women's bodies in a remote area of Long Island. Through DNA sample analysis conducted over the past several years, the identities of the victims were established, and police discovered that most of these women were sex workers. It gradually became clear that some of the body parts discovered in 2010 belonged to remains of bodies found in previous years in Long Island. Using this information, police reopened investigations into the bodies of women discovered in previous years that had gone unresolved. Rex Heuermann, who lived with his wife and two children in Long Island and worked in an architectural office in Manhattan, was arrested in July 2023 for the murder of three women and was charged earlier this year with the murder of three other women.