Gilgo Beach investigation: Answers to new questions

The investigation surrounding alleged Gilgo Beach serial killer Rex A. Heuermann entered a new, less public phase Wednesday. Crowds that had gathered on the streets outside the residence during the 12-day search of his Massapequa Park home, have shrunk. Investigators are now turning their attention to a special grand jury and the Suffolk County Police Department Crime Lab.

Here are some answers to questions about the investigation.

Has Rex Heuermann been charged in connection with more killings since his arraignment on the initial three?

No. Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney has said since Heuermann’s initial court appearance July 14 that he will likely be charged in the death of Maureen Brainard-Barnes, but an indictment has not yet been announced. On Tuesday, Tierney told reporters the investigation into Brainard-Barnes’ death is still before a secret grand jury.

“So I can’t talk about that,” Tierney said.

The indictment charging Heuermann in the deaths of Melissa Barthelemy, Amber Lynn Costello and Megan Waterman states the special grand jury will sit through Sept. 15. Tierney has since made public comments that the grand jury is “winding down” and is “pretty much completed.”

The body of Brainard-Barnes was found in proximity to the other three women, prosecutors have said.

It remains unclear how soon Heuermann could face new charges.

When is Heuermann due back in court?

He is currently scheduled to next appear Tuesday before state Supreme Court Justice Timothy Mazzei in Suffolk criminal court in Riverhead.

It’s scheduled as a conference, an appearance that gives prosecutors and the defense an opportunity to update the court on the status of a case. Conferences often take place in a judge’s chambers before a brief public appearance.

This will be Heuermann’s first appearance before Mazzei, who did not handle his initial arraignment but will preside over the case.

What happened to all the evidence taken from Heuermann’s home?

That evidence has been taken to the Suffolk County Crime Lab in Hauppauge, police said. It will now be reviewed by two departments within the crime lab: the Trace Section and the Biological Sciences Section, Tierney said. They are looking specifically for hair, fibers, blood and DNA.

“There is a massive amount of material that needs to be catalogued and analyzed and it’s going to take quite some time,” the district attorney said.

The Trace Section reviews a wide range of materials, Including hair and fiber. Blood and DNA  would be handled by the Biological Sciences Section.

Did the dig in Heuermann’s backyard lead to human remains?

No. In fact, Tierney told reporters the dig led to “nothing of consequence."

Were victims killed inside Heuermann’s home?

Police have not yet made a determination “one way or the other," Tierney said. Investigators hope the analysis of the hundreds of pieces of evidence taken from the home provides a definitive answer to that question.

Could Heuermann’s DNA link him to more killings?

It certainly could, but that wouldn’t happen overnight. Tierney and Harrison have said investigators will continue to look at him for other crimes, including the additional unsolved murders near Gilgo Beach, but the primary focus is on the current case.

“We’re going to focus on the Gilgo Four and continue to investigate that case and prepare that case for trial,” Tierney said.

State law also prohibits DNA from being shared in the federal database until after a person is convicted, which could slow investigations elsewhere. Police in three states where Heuermann has lived or owned property — Nevada, New Jersey  and South Carolina — have said since his arrest that they’re taking a fresh look at unsolved cases.

By Grant Parpan

grant.parpan@newsday.com@GrantParpan

Grant Parpan covers Suffolk County courts and federal courts for Newsday. A Long Island native, he joined Newsday in 2022.