A dramatic video has emerged that appears to capture the moment Gilgo Beach serial killer Rex Heuermann strolled down a sidewalk when plainclothes cops pounced on him and arrested him. Heuermann was walking down a crowded Midtown Manhattan street when cops started following him before arresting him.
Heuermann, 59, a lawyer and a father of two, was arrested on Thursday and arraigned on Friday in the murders of three women, Melissa Barthelemy, Megan Waterman, and Amber Costello more than ten years ago and a year after he came onto officials' radar as a potential suspect. He is also being investigated as the main suspect in the killing of another woman, Maureen Brainard-Barnes.
Moment Before Being Nabbed
The dramatic video captures the final moments before Heuermann is arrested. The video footage obtained by WABC shows Heuermann walking along, seemingly unaware of his surroundings, carrying a messenger bag over his shoulder.
Suddenly, plainclothes cops can be seen positioning themselves in front of him and encircling him, leading to his arrest. This incident took place near Heuermann's office on Fifth Avenue, which is just a few steps away from the location where investigators claim he made phone calls to arrange meetings with the victims under the pretext of engaging in sexual activities.
It is also close to the area from where he allegedly made phone calls to taunt the families of the deceased women after their murders.
Heuermann appeared in court on Friday afternoon and pleaded not guilty to three counts of first-degree murder and various other charges connected to the killings of three women more than a decade ago.
Despite being a lifelong suburban resident, he displayed no emotion during the court proceedings.
Heuermann led a normal life for years before he was busted on Thursday. Detectives say they matched DNA from pizza that the suspect ate to genetic material found on the women's remains. However, his arrest has left his neighbors in shock as they never saw anything suspicious about Heuermann.
On Saturday, investigators swarmed Heuermann's dilapidated home in Massapequa Park, conducting a thorough search for evidence. They meticulously combed through the rundown backyard, collecting various items that seemed unrelated and puzzling—such as cat food and a cat scratch pole, a framed picture, and an empty bookcase.
Drone footage obtained by the Daily Mail revealed authorities, donned in powder blue caps, white jumpsuits, and blue rubber gloves, meticulously sifting through the tiny backyard in search of potential additional clues. The authorities' presence dotted the property as they went about their search, as captured in the 58-second clip.
Devil in Disguise
The police spent 18 months constructing their case against Heuermann, establishing connections that tied him to the infamous killings. Their evidence included traces of burner cell phone calls, disturbing Google searches, and DNA evidence that pointed to his involvement in the crimes.
Meanwhile, neighbors from the middle-class neighborhood where Heuermann lived all his life in Massapequa Park, close to where the victim's remains were found, described him as a menacing figure who children avoided on Halloween, who was once thrown out from a Whole Foods for stealing oranges, and who owed thousands in back taxes.
"We would cross the street. He was somebody you don't want to approach," neighbor Nicholas Ferchaw, 24, told the New York Times.
According to a long-time colleague of Heuermann, they had a conversation with the suspect on Thursday evening, he was reportedly in a jovial mood, cracking jokes and displaying no signs of distress or unusual behavior.
"That must have been right before he left the office and they arrested him," Steve Kramberg told the Times.
The suspect's neighbors had long been wary of the enigmatic architect. Mike Schmidt, one of the neighbors, revealed that he would frequently have conversations over beers with another neighbor, during which they would point at Heuermann's home and make remarks: "He probably has bodies in there," according to the Times.
Schmidt shared that last Halloween, he decided to break years of tradition and take his children to trick-or-treat at Heuermann's home, where he lived with his family, including his wife, daughter, and stepson. It's the same house he grew up in.
When the hulking architect answered the door, he kindly gave each child a plastic pumpkin filled with candy. However, when Schmidt informed his wife where the treats came from, she insisted on throwing them away due to their origin.
Neighbors had previously described Heuermann's home as 'creepy' and 'dungeon-like' in interviews.
In his professional life, Heuermann was seen by some as an arrogant person. Paul Teitelbaum, who worked with Heuermann on a project involving a building in Brooklyn Heights, noted that the suspect had a distinct 'swagger' about him.
"I'm the expert, you're lucky to have me" was Heuermann's attitude, according to Teitelbaum.
According to neighbors and reports, Heuermann is married to Asa Ellerup, who is said to have Icelandic heritage. Ellerup, 59, is listed as residing in the same Massapequa Park residence. There is a single photo on her Facebook page where Heuermann can be seen looking in her direction.
Not much information is available about Ellerup. According to their next-door neighbor, Etienne DeVilliers, who is a retired New York City firefighter, Ellerup is described as "quiet."
Heuermann also has a 26-year-old daughter, Victoria, was is prominently featured as one of the key members of his "team" on his company website until it was taken down shortly after he was identified as a suspect.
Heuermann also has a special needs son. Neighbors had less interaction with him, and there were suggestions from some sources that he might be his stepson.
Heuermann often spoke proudly of his father, Theo, stating that he worked as an aerospace engineer involved in building satellites, while also pursuing a career as a cabinet maker.
Heuermann inherited his father's skills and expressed his own passion for furniture making, claiming that he continues to create furniture. Through his father's teachings, he learned the importance of reliability and likely applied that principle to his work.
