Gilgo Beach killings: How Rex Heuermann arrest, charges landed across Long Island, in Manhattan
A crowd gathers on First Avenue in Massapequa Park on Friday. Credit: Joseph Sperber
The crowd of curious neighbors, true crime buffs and media from across the state began arriving near the home of alleged Gilgo serial killer Rex A. Heuermann shortly after dawn.
They remained in the picturesque neighborhood — a typical slice of Long Island suburbia — hours later.
The flag-lined streets of Massapequa Park, home to countless members of law enforcement, firefighters and EMS, both active and retired, had been transformed overnight into the nation's most prominent crime scene.
The man police said is responsible for the murders of three sex workers, and under investigation for a fourth, had been living there for years with his wife and two children, quietly walking to the nearby Long Island Rail Road station, wearing a suit and tie, briefcase in hand, and heading to his job at a Manhattan architectural firm.
The picture on First Avenue in Massapequa Park stood as one of four simultaneous surreal scenes unfolding from Manhattan to Riverhead on Friday in the wake of Heuermann's arrest, as Long Islanders processed this earthshaking development in a case that's haunted so many for so long.
Massapequa Park stunned by Gilgo news
"It's a shocker," said Massapequa Park resident Richard Harmon. "It's a real eye opener. Living here for 29 years, this is the worst case I've ever seen … Nobody suspected this."
Law enforcement began shutting down a portion of First Avenue, near the corner of Michigan Avenue, in the early morning, only hours after the suspect was arrested in Manhattan.
Throughout the day, streets in the community were blocked to traffic as law enforcement moved in and out of Heuermann's home, removing multiple items and placing them in several trucks parked on the street. Later in the day, police towed a black Chevrolet Avalanche from the suspect's driveway, which authorities said matched the one driven by a man believed to be responsible for one victim's disappearance.
In the police-friendly community, neighbors were ready to assist responding law enforcement, offering thanks and a cup of coffee. One motorist shouted “Nice work. Way to get him,” as his truck rolled past.
Local residents spoke among themselves about the suspect, hoisting cellphone cameras high to try and capture the surreal scene. Others snapped selfies to post on Instagram.
At one point, heavy rain sent the crowds scattering back into their homes. But when the sun returned moments later, so did the throngs of onlookers.
Those taking in the scene included families with young children in strollers and dogs; workers who had taken the day off work to bear witness; and a flag-waving "Back the Blue" supporter.
Members of the media — print, TV, radio and podcasters, in multiple languages from across the region and beyond — locked in their spaces near Heuermann's home and set up beach chairs as they waited for news.
Cheryl Lombardi, a longtime resident of Massapequa Park, said Heuermann's home was poorly maintained, sticking out among the houses on the block with well-manicured lawns and carefully trimmed bushes.
"It's a little scary," she said. "Every time we walked past the house we'd ask, 'why didn't they fix this house up?' It's the only one in the neighborhood that looks like this."
Late-morning brought a hastily arranged news conference by Suffolk Police Commissioner Rodney Harrison and County Executive Steve Bellone. The hushed audience hung onto the officials' every word, seeking answers. But neither man took questions from the press.
It was a scene unlike anything in southern Nassau County since then-17-year-old Amy Fisher of Baldwin shot Mary Jo Buttafuoco, the wife of her lover, Joey Buttafuoco, on the porch of their Massapequa home in May 1992. The notorious incident occurred just three miles from Heuermann's home, which is also less than nine miles from the East Meadow residence of convicted serial killer Joel Rifkin.
Frenzy at Rex Heuermann arraignment
A frenzied scene took place during Heuermann's arraignment in Suffolk County Court in Riverhead, as well, where huge crowds gathered for the high-profile arraignment.
Before the courthouse had even opened for the day, crime scene tape closed off a large portion of the main entrance in an effort to streamline people entering the building.
More than 15 court officers, including members of the State Court Officers' Emergency Response Team, lined the perimeter of the courtroom during the proceeding as nearly all of the more than 100 seats in the courtroom were filled. In an unusual move, Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney handled the arraignment himself, as Sheriff Errol Toulon took it in from the first row. Curious Suffolk judges watched from the jury box and virtually through Zoom.
At the Suffolk County Sheriff’s Office in Yaphank, where officials held an afternoon news conference, police checked the driver's license and license plates of arriving reporters, who were directed to a second security book, where credentials were checked another time.
Others gathered outside the Chelsea office of Heuermann’s firm, where Suffolk County Crime Lab workers were seen entering and leaving in the afternoon, while some officers carried crowbars and sledgehammers. Members of the NYPD stood outside the door, holding back media members, who waited outside on the sidewalk.
Back at the street in Massapequa Friday evening, the crowds had roughly doubled since the morning. About 200 gathered at the yellow crime scene tape, staring at the suspect's home.
With Craig Schneider, Grant Parpan and Michael O'Keeffe
Robert Brodsky is a breaking news reporter who has worked at Newsday since 2011. He is a Queens College and American University alum.
