Rex Heuermann, a 60-year-old man from Suffolk County, New York, was charged with the murder of Maureen Brainard-Barnes, who went missing in 2007 while working as an escort. Heuermann had already been charged with the murder of three other escorts, whose remains were found in a desolate area near Gilgo Beach on Long Island. Prosecutors linked Heuermann to Brainard-Barnes’ death through DNA and other evidence. He pleaded not guilty to the new second-degree murder charge and was remanded to Suffolk County jail, with the next court date set for Feb. 6.
Brainard-Barnes, who was 25 years old at the time of her disappearance, is believed to be the first of the “Gilgo Four” to be killed. Her daughter, Nicolette Brainard-Barnes, expressed the deep impact her mother’s murder had on her life, stating that she was only 7 years old when it happened. Another relative, Melissa Cann, also spoke about the pain of losing Brainard-Barnes, describing her as a dedicated sister and mother.
The court filing revealed that Heuermann’s now-estranged wife and children were out of town when Brainard-Barnes disappeared, consistent with a pattern of Heuermann being home alone when the other victims were killed. Prosecutors also seized two phones from Heuermann at the time of his arrest, which they claimed were used for illicit activities, including hundreds of contacts with sex-workers between 2020 and 2023.
Investigators obtained DNA from Heuermann’s family by tracking his daughter on a Long Island Railroad train drinking from a gold-colored “Monster Java” can, which led to the recovery and analysis of the can. Last summer, a special task force linked Heuermann to the victims through DNA evidence, including a sample taken from pizza crust outside his Manhattan office.
The article also mentioned that Heuermann used electronic devices to conduct violent, bondage, and torture pornography searches preceding, during, and subsequent to the disappearances and murders of the victims. Heuermann is an architect from Massapequa Park and is currently facing charges related to Brainard-Barnes’ murder.
The family of Brainard-Barnes emphasized the importance of remembering all the victims, expressing hope for closure in the cases of the other unsolved Gilgo Beach murders.