Gilgo Beach LISK Serial Killer, Rex Heuermann, charged with 3 murders, July 2023

[Ursamajr]

Did y’all see these? Sorry if this has been posted already.

What's the info for these? I see "Camp..." on the back of a shirt. Would you know where these were taken?

 

[Adrian33]

Gallery | New York State High Power

 

[fidgeypie]

A lot of Fire Island is undeveloped, and very similar landscape to Jones Beach, Tobay Beach, Gilgo Beach, etc. Or at least, it was when I visited back in the early 2000s. I'm not sure if this is still the case, but parts of Fire Island were only accessibly by ferry when I visited. I believe the Davis Park area, where Karen Vergata's legs were found, is not very developed. And because it's relevant, hunters can hunt ducks and other waterfowl in a couple different places on Fire Island: Hunting - Fire Island National Seashore (U.S. National Park Service).

I wonder if there has ever been a search of the island with cadaver dogs, and if not, whether there would still be any evidence to find after Hurricane Bill, Superstorm Sandy, the most recent big storm a couple weeks ago, etc.?

Maybe when Karen Vergata was discovered, but I wonder if there had been one since? Can you drive to Fire island?

 

[snooptroop88]

Concerned on the Bittrolff conviction, I agree with his lawyer that semen doesn't equate with murder. Someone on here noted at one point that there was evidence beyond this, but I've been trying to confirm there's more than the woodchips and the semen and finding it difficult. Just found this: "Mr. Biancavilla said outside court that he believes Mr. Bittrolff may have killed other women. He said he was prepared to present evidence provided to his office of Mr. Bittrolff brutalizing animals..."

Manorville man sentenced to 50 to life in double murder case - Riverhead News Review Archives

John Bittrolff, the 51-year-old Manorville carpenter who was found guilty of murdering two women and dumping their bodies in the woods more than 20 years ago, was sentenced to two...

riverheadnewsreview.timesreview.com

It's not originally what I was looking for, but it sounds like good support. Also seeing that the JB victims were savagely beaten, I mean absolutely horrific. I'd say that's not like RH-- but Asian Doe was also beaten savagely, and with some of RH's victims, it's probably not really possible to know. JB's jury deliberated seven days and was deadlocked.

Is it really possible Sandra Costilla was posed because RH wanted her to be seen to implicate Bittrolff? Rita Tangredi was found Nov 2. Sandra Costilla was found Nov 20. Colleen McNamee was found in January '94. Assuming RH got wind of the murder of Rita Tangredi, it seems like that would give him very little time for efficient "copycatting"-- unless he'd already been murdering for a very long time (which I think he was). Even then, it seems unlikely to me. And would enough of details have been released for that to even be possible?

What I'd fear here more than anything is that RH knew "of" JB somehow and knew which sex workers JB frequented, RH tracked them, killed them, and figured if anything ever surfaced, they'd blame Bittrolff. While I would fear that, I find it unlikely. I would more think it likely that Bittrolff had some real, concrete association w/RH. Which also terrifies me.

 

[snooptroop88]

Maybe when Karen Vergata was discovered, but I wonder if there had been one since? Can you drive to Fire island?

Source:
The simple answer is yes, you can drive onto Fire Island. Whether you should, however, is a whole different question. Cars aren't allowed on the majority of the island - you can drive to one of two state parks but you aren't allowed to exit them by car. The better option is to drive to a Long Island port, hop on a ferry and travel to Fire Island on foot.

You can drive from Long Island onto Fire Island over bridges at either end to the Robert Moses State Park and Smith Point County Park. You cannot drive onto or through the majority of the island and can only access it on foot by taking a ferry.

Can You Drive To Fire Island?

All the details you need to know about whether you can drive to Fire Island - the documents you need, things to know about crossing the border and useful tips.

lazytrips.com

Another source:
You can access the Fire Island Lighthouse, Wilderness Visitor Center, and William Floyd Estate year-round by car. The Fire Island Lighthouse and Wilderness Visitor Center are located on Fire Island and are open throughout the year. Get Directions.

There are no paved roads on Fire Island National Seashore. Once on Fire Island, you may explore the island on foot or transfer from one site to another by water taxi. Bicycles are permitted in some Fire Island communities but are not permitted on boardwalks at National Park Service facilities. Learn more about Getting Around Fire Island.

Getting To and Around Fire Island - Fire Island National Seashore (U.S. National Park Service)

www.nps.gov

 

[Eaglette]

Gosh I hadn't seen those photos of RH ^ before *insert spew*
(IMO photos of children under <18yo should NEVER be put on the internet - but parents are often the culprits )

Apologies for this question:
Curious about the wood shavings found with some bodies at the dumpsites:
Are they all from the same wood I wonder - surely they have been analyzed ?
Lets hope they can find a match to RH's home/vehicle to further prove a connection.
eg - Wooden Saw Bench - where the saw has come into contact with wooden bench - limb dropped to the floor etc ? Or, sawdust used in the same manner as Kitty Litter for blood/bodily fluids ?

Ive just googled Suspension Bondage:
Suspension bondage is a form of sexual bondage where a bound person is hung from one or more overhead suspension points.[1] It carries a higher risk than other forms of sexual bondage.[1]
The three main suspension positions are vertical, horizontal and inverted.
Vertical suspension
Horizontal suspension
Inverted suspension *insert lots of spews*

Oh dear this case is not for the faint hearted

 

[Mountain_Kat]

New charges for alleged Gilgo Beach serial killer cast scrutiny on another man's murder conviction

New charges brought against the man accused of a string of killings on New York's Long Island are raising questions about another man’s murder conviction.

apnews.com

https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2024/jun/7/rex-heuermanns-new-charges-cast-scrutiny-on-john-b/

I can't view this article because it's behind a pay wall. Could you post the significant passages ?

(Sorry if this hasd already been requested, I'm way behind this morning.)

 

[CuriousCricket]

Re: description of the similarities between Bittrolff's victims and Sandra from article in July 2014:

"But officials now say they are also investigating whether Bittrolff may be linked to third cold case in Suffolk County, the December 1993 murder of Sandra Castilla in Southampton, N.Y.

Suffolk County District Attorney Thomas Spota said that the condition of the body and the position in which it was found make Bittrolff a suspect, as does an item of clothing that was missing from all three bodies. Spota would not specific which item of clothing was missing."

Also:

Re: someone wondering if evidence from the two women Bittrolff was accused of killing. AT his trial, the defense attorney said that "148 items of evidence in Ms. McNamee’s case were mistakenly thrown away and 18 items of evidence from Ms. Tangeni’s case also were destroyed." And the prosecutor agreed with that statement.

Trial of Manorville man accused of cold case killings goes to jury - Riverhead News Review Archives

DNA evidence found on two murdered prostitutes doesn’t mean John Bittrolff killed the woman, it just means he had sex with them, defense attorney William Keahon said Monday in his...

riverheadnewsreview.timesreview.com

Ugh, Spota. It's hard to say if evidence went missing deliberately or because they just didn't care.

It is possible to think someone may have been protected and the case left open until an innocent could be accused.

On the other hand, it's also a huge coincidence that JB's DNA was found on both murdered women. From the way the DNA was discovered through familial DNA from the brother, it doesn't sound as though JB was targeted and "fitted up" from the beginning.

Since Sgt. Joe mentioned that for him the brother's testimony about helping move a body was convincing, I'm leaning in that direction too.

But with RH's indictment, lost evidence and the possibility of the brother's testimony being coerced by a corrupt DA, can we be certain "beyond a reasonable doubt"?

 

[Mountain_Kat]

I wouldn't doubt he was making snuff films, he surely wasn't making money out of his profession from the looks of his house.

The FBI has never been able to find 1 example of a snuff film. That's pretty good evidence, at least to me, that this whole genre is pretty much an urban legend.

JMO

 

[iamshadow21]

The FBI has never been able to find 1 example of a snuff film. That's pretty good evidence, at least to me, that this whole genre is pretty much an urban legend.

JMO

I think the reason it lingers is because of fiction, but also because plenty of killers have recorded mementos of killing their victims with photos, audio and video... They just do it for their own gratification.

MOO

 

[wcasewatch]

JB's victims had been raped anally, strangled and viciously beaten, blunt force. That does not appear to be the case with Costilla. JB's DNA was found under Tangredi's fingernails, and one of JB's former workmates said that he saw McNamee's ID in his truck. There was also blood. When he asked JB about it, JB said that a sex worker had tried to rob him. There seems to be a sizeable amount of people who want to believe that JB was stitched up, but I'm not seeing it. He was never charged with Costilla's murder. They only looked at him for it.

 

[wcasewatch]

The woodchips in JB's case are also overblown. These were "specks", not wood shavings. The ME said that they may have been specks of wood or plastic, but they weren't easily visible to the human eye. JB was convicted because of solid DNA evidence. He brutalised those women.

 

[Mountain_Kat]

Gallery | New York State High Power

Welcome to Websleuths, Adrian. Banging first post !

 

[Mountain_Kat]

JB's victims had been raped anally, strangled and viciously beaten, blunt force. That does not appear to be the case with Costilla. JB's DNA was found under Tangredi's fingernails, and one of JB's former workmates said that he saw McNamee's ID in his truck. There was also blood. When he asked JB about it, JB said that a sex worker had tried to rob him. There seems to be a sizeable amount of people who want to believe that JB was stitched up, but I'm not seeing it. He was never charged with Costilla's murder. They only looked at him for it.

That's my biggest concern. That the task force might have rushed to charge RH with Costilla's murder. I have no idea what supporting evidence they might have wrt RH being connected to her, but I pray it's more than 2 hairs.

JMO

 

[girlhasnoname]

Did y’all see these? Sorry if this has been posted already.

RH is a huge dude tall and robust. Not easily mistaken or misidentified IMO

 

[CuriousCricket]

JB's victims had been raped anally, strangled and viciously beaten, blunt force. That does not appear to be the case with Costilla. JB's DNA was found under Tangredi's fingernails, and one of JB's former workmates said that he saw McNamee's ID in his truck. There was also blood. When he asked JB about it, JB said that a sex worker had tried to rob him. There seems to be a sizeable amount of people who want to believe that JB was stitched up, but I'm not seeing it. He was never charged with Costilla's murder. They only looked at him for it.

Thanks for this. It is indeed compelling.

 

[CuriousCricket]

That's my biggest concern. That the task force might have rushed to charge RH with Costilla's murder. I have no idea what supporting evidence they might have wrt RH being connected to her, but I pray it's more than 2 hairs.

JMO

I don't get the impression that this task force is rushing anything. We hear about enough to indict, but the majority of evidence is being held for the trial, I suspect.

 

[Mountain_Kat]

I don't get the impression that this task force is rushing anything. We hear about enough to indict, but the majority of evidence is being held for the trial, I suspect.

Like you, I assume that to be the case. I hope so anyway, because the thought that JB might be put back on the street is terrifying to me.

 

[Knitty]

Gallery | New York State High Power

We really need a better link than an link to a page of links, some of which have five or six pages themselves. Somebody out there in Sleuthland who has time to go through those pages, please reply with the correct link, please.

Thanks,
Knitty

 

[Deleted member 117884]

I don't get the impression that this task force is rushing anything. We hear about enough to indict, but the majority of evidence is being held for the trial, I suspect.

I agree, there is no rush at this point for the task force. RH is behind bars. The task force has time to assemble strong cases and then make charges....and this could go on for years, imo.

With his arrest last summer, they did have to make a fast move because they were concerned he was about to strike again. Now that he's in jail, the public is not in danger and time is on LE's side.

jmo