Gilgo Beach Suspect Rex Heuermann Charged with Seventh Murder: Valerie Mack's Case Unfolds

REX HEUERMAN

Rex Heuermann, the New York architect accused in the Gilgo Beach serial killings, has been charged with the murder of a seventh victim, Valerie Mack, officials announced on Tuesday. Mack, 24, was last seen in 2000 while working as an escort in Philadelphia. Her partial remains were initially discovered that same year in Manorville, New York, approximately 50 miles from where additional remains were later found on Gilgo Beach in 2011.

Mack’s identity remained a mystery until 2020, when DNA analysis finally confirmed who she was. This year, investigators conducted additional testing on human hair found with her remains, identifying it as a probable match to Heuermann’s daughter’s genetic profile. Prosecutors emphasized that his daughter, who would have been only three or four years old when Mack died, is not implicated in the crime.

The Gilgo Beach case began in 2010 when police searching for a missing woman uncovered 10 sets of human remains along Long Island’s barrier island. Over the next decade, investigators linked these findings to other unsolved cases, many involving sex workers. Heuermann was arrested in July 2023 and initially charged with the murders of Amber Lynn Costello, Megan Waterman, and Melissa Barthelemy. He has since been charged in connection with the deaths of three additional women: Maureen Brainard-Barnes, Sandra Costilla, and Jessica Taylor.

Authorities also continue to investigate other victims, including Karen Vergata, whose remains were identified in 2022 using advanced DNA testing. Investigators recently released new renderings of another unidentified victim who was found in 2011, believed to have died in 2006 and potentially presented outwardly as female.

Heuermann, who lived with his family in Massapequa Park, Long Island, and worked in Manhattan, has pleaded not guilty to all charges. Prosecutors previously revealed chilling details of his alleged crimes, including a file recovered from his basement containing “checklists” for carrying out his killings.

The investigation remains ongoing, with authorities urging the public to come forward with any additional information related to the Gilgo Beach murders.