Gilgo Beach killings: Alleged serial killer Rex Heuermann's solitary existence in jail helps protect him, top official says

Rex A. Heuermann used to have views of the Manhattan skyline from his Fifth Avenue office where he operated an architectural consulting firm. But for the past six months, the accused Gilgo Beach serial killer has spent the bulk of his days in a windowless 60-square-foot cell in the Riverhead jail as he awaits trial on charges that he killed four women.

Heuermann, who has pleaded not guilty, has almost no interaction with any inmates. It is for his protection, jail officials say, as an inmate like Heuermann — alleged to be involved in a notorious killing spree with women as victims — is a major target for other inmates looking to burnish their tough-guy credentials.

Jailhouse intelligence gathered by correction officers has picked up inmate chatter to that effect.

“We have very good information that he would be a target of violence if he was not in a secure location,” Suffolk County Sheriff Errol D. Toulon Jr. said. “There was an individual that did say if he was able to get into close contact with him, 'I'm going to do something.' Inmates in jail do not like inmates that abuse women, or children. Because of the nature of his case, it's high-profile, it's incumbent to keep him safe because justice will be served in the courts and not in my jail.”

Special housing unit

Six months after his July 13 arrest on murder charges in one of the nation's most infamous serial killer cases, this is the life of the 60-year-old Massapequa Park resident.

Toulon, who oversees the operation of the county jail facilities in Riverhead and Yaphank, answered Newsday's questions about Heuermann's day-to-day existence inside a special housing unit in Riverhead.

Heuermann’s attorney, Michael J. Brown, did not respond to a message seeking comment.

“He's a man who's never been arrested before,” Brown said last August. “He's maintained his innocence from the inception of this case. So he's doing the best he can at this point in time. And looking forward to having his day in court.”

Heuermann has pleaded not guilty to first- and second-degree murder charges in the killings of Megan Waterman, Melissa Barthelemy and Amber Lynn Costello, whose remains were found near Gilgo Beach 13 years ago. He pleaded not guilty last Tuesday to second-degree murder in a superseding indictment in the slaying of Maureen Brainard-Barnes, whose remains were found near those of the other victims. All four of the women — the first of 10 sets of remains found along Ocean Parkway that are believed to be the work of one or more serial killers — were sex workers.

Inmates permitted to shake hands, embrace

His estranged wife, Asa Ellerup, who filed for divorce six days after Heuermann’s arrest, has visited him in jail three times. Heuermann, like other inmates, is permitted to have one-hour visits several times per week. Inmates sit across from visitors at a table without a partition separating them and are permitted to shake hands, embrace or kiss at the beginning and end of a visit, Toulon said. Heuermann also has had three visits from someone he knew before he was incarcerated — not a family member. Toulon declined to name that person to protect their privacy.

Ellerup's attorney, Robert Macedonio, confirmed she has visited Heuermann more than once.

Ellerup also previously showed up in court — with a documentary camera crew in tow — to observe the proceedings in Heuermann's case. (Ellerup signed a reported seven-figure deal with NBC Universal, Texas Crew Productions and G-Unit to produce a documentary on the Gilgo Beach case.) She and their daughter, Victoria Heuermann, were in the courtroom during Rex Heuermann’s latest court appearance to answer the indictment on Brainard-Barnes’ killing. It was Victoria’s first time attending one of her father’s court dates.

“She’s having a very difficult time believing that the person she was married to and the father of her children was capable of committing the crimes he’s accused of,” Macedonio said of Ellerup. “And she wants to see and hear all the evidence that’s presented against him.”

Heuermann's daily routine

Heuermann is housed in a special unit where only one other inmate lives. Toulon declined to identify that inmate but said neither communicates with the other.

Heuermann wakes up around 6 a.m. daily. He's served breakfast in his cell and can then shower if he chooses to. He also can use the services of the jail's in-house barbershop, which is staffed by inmates and outside workers. At a late September court appearance, Heuermann sported a new haircut — closely cropped on the sides with a swoop of longer hair on top.

“He does maintain his grooming standards,” Toulon said.

Heuermann, at a previous court appearance, told Supreme Court Justice Timothy Mazzei that he spends an average of two to three hours daily reviewing the voluminous discovery that prosecutors have provided to his attorney in order to plan his defense.

Toulon said correction officers either bring a laptop to Heuermann so he can access the documents in his housing unit, or he's transported to the jail's library. But in another sign of his solitary existence, he can only go to the library if no other inmates are present.

Heuermann hasn't had any behavioral issues. And correction officers watch Heuermann round-the-clock, Toulon said. He can watch television, which has some 26 stations, including local news, in the common area of the housing unit. He also has access to newspapers and books.

“He's very compliant with all the directions that all the corrections officers and supervisors give him,” Toulon said.

Meanwhile, at the jail, the sheriff's anti-trafficking initiative continues, with investigators conducting 168 interviews with inmates, many of whom were involved in sex work, including in Suffolk and Nassau counties, Toulon said. He said they anticipate continuing the work in New York City.

“So far, we've had 15 reports that we sent to the task force, and it's really the job of the task force to vet these reports,” said Toulon, who declined to detail any of the allegations other than a potential nexus to Heuermann and the Gilgo Beach killings, citing the active investigation of the Gilgo Beach Homicide Investigation Task Force. 

He's 'acclimated'

Heuermann walks regularly in a recreation area inside the jail where inmates also have the option of playing basketball and doing pullups and other exercises.

Heuermann also takes advantage of the religious outreach services offered by the jail.

It's unclear if Heuermann was particularly religious or attended church before his arrest. But he’s met with a member of the Catholic clergy pretty much weekly since he’s been incarcerated, Toulon said. Because of the security concerns, Heuermann isn't permitted to attend weekly services that groups of other inmates partake in.

But like any other inmate, Heuermann also receives mail and writes letters, Toulon said. And he meets with his attorneys regularly.

“He's acclimated,” Toulon said. “I can tell you he's slimmed down a little bit. I don't know if it's our food. I know he's eating.”

Heuermann's next court date is Feb. 6.

By Nicole Fuller

nicole.fuller@newsday.com@NicoleFuller

Nicole Fuller is Newsday's senior criminal justice reporter. She began working at Newsday in 2012 and previously covered local government.