09/23/2025
đ¨ Judge Rules Gilgo Beach Suspect Rex Heuermann to Face One Trial for All 7 Murders | Court Update 2025
Accused Gilgo Beach serial killer Rex Heuermann appeared in court Tuesday as a Suffolk County judge ruled that all charges against him will remain in one trial. Judge Timothy Mazzei denied a defense request to separate the cases, which argued that the first three murders should be tried apart from the others because of the years between the deaths, differences in how the victims were killed, and the locations where their remains were found.
Defense attorney Michael Brown acknowledged the setback. âUltimately, we do not make the decision, that is up to the judge. The judge ruled against us, we do not like the decision, we do not agree with the decision, but in our system that is the decision and we have to move forward,â Brown said.
Prosecutors supported a single trial, pointing to Heuermannâs history as a seasonal Jones Beach employee in the 1980s, when he patrolled the area on an ATV. They argued that role gave him intimate knowledge of Ocean Parkway at night, the same stretch where six victimsâ remains were discovered. District Attorney Ray Tierney also cited a planning document that prosecutors say referenced murders that had already taken place as well as others still to come.
The defense again tried to exclude DNA evidence, calling it improperly collected, but Judge Mazzei ruled it will remain admissible.
Heuermannâs estranged wife, Asa Ellerup, and their daughter, Victoria, attended the hearing. Ellerupâs attorney, Robert Macedonio, said the case has devastated the family. âIt is a difficult process because you have two young ladies who are emotionally distraught, this has destroyed their lives. Their lives are never going to be the same,â he said.
Heuermann, 62, has pleaded not guilty to killing seven women. Authorities say Megan Waterman, Melissa Barthelemy, and Amber Lynn Costello were murdered between 2009 and 2010. Maureen Brainard-Barnes was killed in 2007. Jessica Taylor was killed in 2003, Valerie Mack in 2000, and Sandra Costilla in 1993. The remains of Waterman, Barthelemy, Costello, and Brainard-Barnes **known as the Gilgo Four** were discovered near Gilgo Beach. Taylor and Mackâs partial remains were found both near Gilgo Beach and in Manorville, while Costillaâs remains were recovered in North Sea.
Judge Mazzei did not set a trial date, allowing the defense additional time to file motions that prosecutors expect to be extensive. The next court appearance is scheduled for January 13, 2026.
