The Gilgo Beach serial killer suspect hired petite women who looked like his victims at his architecture firm, a former employee has claimed. The former staffer, who identified himself as 'Eric,' alleged that Rex Heuermann would assign women at the workplace to perform menial tasks like making coffee and moving his car.
He claimed that the 59-year-old murder suspect, who is 6 feet 4 inches tall, would try to make fun of them in the workplace and that he had a "fascination" with them. Heuermann was arrested on July 14 in the murders of three women, Melissa Barthelemy, Megan Waterman, and Amber Costello more than ten years ago.
Reflection of His Victims
According to the former staffer, Heuermann had a pattern of hiring women who "fit the description" of the victims associated with the Long Island serial killer. These women typically had thin builds and stood only 4-foot-11 to 5 feet tall.
"It was almost like he had a fascination with those girls that he was working with," Eric said.
Eric also claimed that Heuermann, 59, was often "very demeaning to women, not very nice" to the female employees he employed and assigned them mundane jobs like delivering him coffee or moving his car.
The former staffer further revealed that Heuermann used to boast about his firearms and even instructed a staff member to extensively research New York City strip clubs "for months", although the person "didn't know why."
Eric, who had worked with Heuermann intermittently since the late 1990s, provided evidence, including emails from the suspect, which coincided with the time when multiple victims' remains were discovered along the marshy beach.
In an email dated March 25, 2011, which was just days before Jessica Taylor's partial remains were discovered along Ocean Parkway, Heuermann stated that he was "at home sick."
Another email indicated that Heuermann was absent from his office from April 21 to April 26, 2011, shortly after the remains of an unidentified baby and an Asian man were found among a total of 11 bodies discovered in the beach area.
Eric, the former staffer, mentioned that he stopped working with Heuermann due to his frugal nature and added that he was "not surprised one bit" to hear about his former colleague's arrest.
"He always had this sinister look in his eyes," Eric said.
Mysterious Character
Heuermann, police said was found with a cache of up to 300 guns in his home. According to Eric, his former co-worker, Heuermann was known for being excessively boastful, particularly when it came to firearms and shooting guns.
However, Eric also acknowledged that Heuermann was exceptionally skilled and knowledgeable about building codes, describing him as "brilliant" in that regard. Despite this brilliance, Heuermann seemed to use his expertise as a way to shield himself or hide behind it in some situations.
"He was a very good person at blending in and being a regular, nerdy guy about his topic. And that was his kind of cover," Eric said.
Last week, Heuermann was arrested and charged in connection with the killings of three women of the 'Gilgo Four.' Their bodies were found near Gilgo Beach on Long Island back in 2010. He pleaded not guilty to the murders of Melissa Barthelemy, Megan Waterman, and Amber Costello.
The architect lived in a dwelling described as "dungeon-like," located only 18 miles away from the beach. He lived there with his wife Asa Ellerup, adult daughter, and stepson, all of whom the police stated were away from the home when the murders occurred.
In addition to the charges related to the killings of three women from the 'Gilgo Four,' Heuermann is also the main suspect in the 2007 disappearance and subsequent murder of the fourth woman, Maureen Brainard-Barnes, though formal charges have not yet been filed in that case.
Moreover, he is under investigation for the murders of six other women whose bodies were found near Gilgo Beach in 2011.
Detectives are currently expanding their inquiry into unsolved murders across the country to ascertain any possible connections to Heuermann.
Authorities have been conducting a thorough search of his property for potential "trophies" that might be linked to the victims.
As of Thursday, the investigation has continued for seven days. Additionally, they are also scrutinizing his time share in Las Vegas and a property he previously owned in South Carolina as part of their investigation.
