By
Melinda Cohenour
Gilgo Beach Serial Killer news Update
A new charge has been brought against Rex Andrew Heuermann in
connection with the remains of victims found on Gilgo Beach. Heuermann
was previously charged with the murders of Melissa Barthelemy, Megan
Waterman, and Amber Costello. On January 16, 2024, Heuermann was
officially charged with Murder in the Second Degree for bringing about
the death of Maureen Brainard-Barnes "on or about July 9, 2007."
~~~~~~~~~~~
Early in July of 2007, Maureen Brainard-Barnes was feeling
stressed and desperate. Facing an impending eviction notice and fearing
for the well-being of her two young children, Maureen headed to New York
along with a friend where the two women would market their bodies in an
attempt to earn enough money to avoid financial catastrophe.
A typical trip to the City would involve placing ads on
Craig's List or Backpage. On this particular trip, Maureen was
accompanied by a friend who later urged her to return with her to
Connecticut. Maureen declined. A video of that friend's memory of that
last fateful trip may be viewed here: Video
The decision to stay and try to earn more money would prove
to be a fatal choice for Maureen. In a phone call to another friend in
Connecticut late on July 9, 2007, Maureen advised she was not following
her usual procedure of entertaining her customer in her hotel room but
was making an "outcall." That was the last time anyone would speak with
Maureen. Her phone, however, would be used.
On July 12, 2007, Maureen's cellphone was used to check her voicemail.
Source:https://abc11.com/gilgo-beach-serial-killings-rex-heurmann-news-murders-timeline/14326351/
'Personal cell phone and credit card billing records revealed
numerous instances where Heuermann was in the general locations as
burner phones, which authorities say he had with him at the killings. He
used the phones to call the three victims and also used
"Brainard-Barnes and Barthelemy's cellphones when they were used to
check voicemail and make taunting phone calls after the women
disappeared," Suffolk County prosecutors allege.'
~~~~~~~~~~~
GILGO BEACH FOUR DISCOVERED
In December of 2010, Maureen Brainard-Barnes' skeletal remains
were discovered near the remains of Melissa Barthelemy, Megan Waterman,
and Amber Costello in the tangled brush on Gilgo Beach as Suffolk
County's Police searched for the body of Shannan Gilbert in vain. Of
those four victims, three sets of remains were shrouded in camouflage
burlap material. Brainard-Barnes remains lacked a burlap shroud but were
bound by use of three leather belts. One very distinctive belt bore
stylized initials.
One very distinctive belt bore stylized initials
The initials may be “WH,” which matches Heuermann’s grandfather, William Heuermann |
|
On the buckle of one of the three belts binding
Brainard-Barnes was a human hair. Testing of that hair determined it
matched to Heuermann's wife, tying Heuermann to the disposition of her
body.
~~~~~~~~~~~
JANUARY 16, 2024
Heuermann Court Appearance
Alleged Gilgo serial Killer Rex Heuermann appears inside Judge
Timothy P. Mazzei's courtroom with his attorney Michael Brown at Suffolk
County Court in Riverhead, N.Y. on Tuesday, Jan. 16, 2024. Heuermann is
indicted in the death of Maureen Brainard-Barnes. (James
Carbone/Newsday via AP)
~~~~~~~~~~~
***Various extracts from the Superseding Indictment and pertinent
references specific to the Murder Charge now levied against Defendant
Heuermann as to the murder of Maureen Brainard-Barnes:
Today, Defendant Rex A. Heuermann stands before this Court
charged by the Grand Jury in a Superseding Indictment, which
incorporates not only the above counts, but the additional charge of:
• MURDER IN THE SECOND DEGREE, in violation of New York
State Penal Law Section 125.25(1), a class A-I violent felony for the
death of Maureen Brainard-Barnes on or about July 9, 2007.
***
The People filed a written bail application at Rex A. Heuermann’s
initial arraignment, which occurred on July 14, 2023. That application
is annexed hereto as Exhibit A.
On July 14, 2023, the Hon. Richard Ambro ordered that Defendant
Rex A. Heuermann be remanded without bail. The matter was subsequently
adjourned to August 1, 2023, before the Hon. Timothy P. Mazzei. On
August 1, 2023, and in the ensuing appearances that have followed, this
Court has continued to remand the Defendant without bail.
Set forth below is the People’s bail application in
support of the Superseding Indictment, which will expand on additional
evidentiary developments in this investigation not included within
Exhibit A, further tying Defendant Heuermann to the murders of Melissa
Barthelemy, Megan Waterman, Amber Costello, and now, Maureen
Brainard-Barnes.
~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~
DNA Analysis of Hairs Recovered from the Examination of the Victims’ Bodies
During the course of this investigation, each of the four
victims’ bodies were examined by a Forensic Scientist with the Suffolk
County Crime Laboratory, which revealed as follows:
Maureen Brainard-Barnes
Ms. Brainard-Barnes had been left restrained by 3 leather belts,
one of which was utilized to tie Barnes’ feet/ankle/legs together.
During the examination of the belts, a female human hair was recovered
from the buckle of one of the belts by the Suffolk County Crime Lab
(hereinafter “Female Hair on Barnes”). On or about December 18, 2010,
the Suffolk County Laboratory (examined) this hair and was able to
determine that it corresponded to a “Caucasian head hair fragment.”
Although this hair was not suitable for nuclear DNA profiling at that
time, it was subsequently submitted for further DNA analysis.
~~~~~~~~~~~
Source: https://patch.com/new-york/riverhead/gilgo-suspect-rex-heuermann-be-charged-4th-murder-docs
Tierney said the Suffolk County Crime lab as well as two
outside forensic laboratories, conducting testing of hairs recovered on
various victims, specifically compared the DNA profiles generated from
those hairs recovered at the crime scenes to DNA profiles developed from
Heuermann and members of his immediate family.
Throughout the investigation, key evidence has included the
five hairs found on the victims. Nuclear DNA testing helped provide more
accurate results, Tierney said.
Nuclear DNA is found in the cell nucleus; mitochondrial DNA is found in cell cytoplasm, according to reports.
Brainard-Barnes, the report said, had been left restrained by
three leather belts, one of which was used to tie her feet, ankles, and
legs together. A female human hair was found on the buckle.
The DNA profile generated from the female hair on Barnes,
recovered from the belt buckle "is 7.9 trillion times more likely to
have come from a person genetically identical to Asa Ellerup's SNP
Genotype file than from an unrelated individual," the bail report said.
~~~~~~~~~~~
Daughter's DNA Helped Link Gilgo Suspect Rex Heuermann To Murders: DA
Nuclear DNA technology led to new information, Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney says.
RIVERHEAD, NY — Rex Heuermann, the man charged in three of
the Gilgo Beach murders, has been charged with the murder of a fourth
woman, Maureen Brainard-Barnes, according to Suffolk County District
Attorney Ray Tierney. And new DNA evidence revealed Tuesday helped
connect Heuermann to all four of the deaths, he said.
Heuermann was charged with second-degree murder, an A-1
violent felony, in the death of Brainard-Barnes on July 9, 2007, Tierney
said.
~~~~~~~~~~~
Last July, Heuermann, of Massapequa Park, was indicted on three
counts of first-degree murder charges and three counts of second-degree
murder charges in the deaths of sex workers Melissa Barthelemy, Megan
Waterman and Amber Costello, whose remains were found along Ocean
Parkway in 2010. Heuermann also pleaded not guilty to the charges.
A total of 11 sets of remains were found in the Gilgo Beach
murders, which rocked Long Island, including that of a toddler and an
Asian male.
Tierney said Monday that he and other members of the Gilgo
Beach Homicide Investigation Task Force were set to announce a
"significant development" in the case Tuesday.
Melissa Cann, Brainard-Barnes' sister and her daughter
Nicolette Brainard-Barnes appeared in the courtroom Tuesday, as did Asa
Ellerup, Heuermann's estranged wife.
According to the bail report, Ellerup and the couple's
children were also out of town on the date that Brainard-Barnes went
missing; they were also away for the previous murders, according to the
DA.
According to the bail report, additional burner phones and
online activity were linked to Heuermann. The burner phones revealed
communications with sex workers as well as a new email account of
Heuermann's, which was subscribed to the fictitious name of Andrew
Roberts, Tierney. said.
That "Sandbagger" account was utilized as recently as April
2021, to access and conduct searches related to "pornography, rape,
torture and sex workers several thousand times," the bail report said.
Heuermann, the report said, also searched for information regarding the
Gilgo Beach investigation and the victim's relatives.
An analysis of his laptop indicated the use of a file
shredding software on July 9, 2009, shortly before he was to meet
Barthelemy; investigators believe it was an attempt to "shred" any
digital evidence of the laptop computer utilized to search for her
prostitution advertisement, the report said.
An analysis of his laptop revealed that on September 1, 2010,
at 9:03 p.m. Heuermann accessed Amber Costello's Backstage ad; about
two hours later, a burner phone linked to Heuermann had communications
with Costello's phone, the report said, adding that during those
communications, the burner cellphone connected to cell site towers in
West Amityville and Massapequa Park.
Later, the cellphone traveled to West Babylon, near
Costello's home, and again had contact with her phone on Sept. 2, 2010,
which is when witnesses said he arrived at her residence, the report
said.
"Despite Defendant Heuermann's attempts to 'wipe out' or
'scrub' his laptop computer, he was unsuccessful in concealing his
access to Ms. Costello's Backpage ad," the report said.
~~~~~~~~~~~
DNA analysis
Tierney said the Suffolk County Crime lab as well as two outside
forensic laboratories, conducting testing of hairs recovered on various
victims, specifically compared the DNA profiles generated from those
hairs recovered at the crime scenes to DNA profiles developed from
Heuermann and members of his immediate family.
In September, a cheek swab taken recently from Heuermann
matched DNA found on pizza crust disposed of by Heuermann — a key part
of evidence that officials say led to his arrest.
Members of the Gilgo Beach task force met with Heuermann's
wife Asa Ellerup and his daughter, Victoria Heuermann, and stepson,
Christopher Sheridan, to obtain buccal swab. The swabs were tested
against 11 bottles found in garbage cans placed in front of Heuermann's
home on July 21, 2022, as well as a "Monster Java" can, the report said.
Investigators saw Victoria Heuermann drinking from the can
while on a Long Island Rail Road train; they took the can after she
discarded it in a trash bin, the bail report said.
Throughout the investigation, key evidence has included the
five hairs found on the victims. Nuclear DNA testing helped provide more
accurate results, Tierney said.
Nuclear DNA is found in the cell nucleus; mitochondrial DNA is found in cell cytoplasm, according to reports.
Brainard-Barnes, the report said, had been left restrained by
three leather belts, one of which was used to tie her feet, ankles, and
legs together. A female human hair was found on the buckle.
The DNA profile generated from the female hair on Barnes,
recovered from the belt buckle "is 7.9 trillion times more likely to
have come from a person genetically identical to Asa Ellerup's SNP
Genotype file than from an unrelated individual," the bail report said.
.....
Two female hairs were found on Megan Waterman; a DNA profile
generated said the hair was 2.374 x 10 to the 48th power, to have come
from a person genetically linked to Ellerup's profile than to an
unrelated individual, the report said. The second hair, recovered from
the tape from Waterman's head area, is 2.778 x 10 to the 480th power to
come from a person genetically identical to Ellerup's profile, the
report said.
A female hair found on Costello, after a one-to-one autosomal
nuclear DNA comparison, said it was 4.654 x 10 to the 63d power more
likely to have come from a person genetically linked to Victoria
Heuermann's SNP Genotype file than from an unrelated individual, the
report said. At the time of Costello's disappearance and murder,
Victoria Heuermann would have been about a month shy of her 14th
birthday, the report said.
Two forensic labs have independently determined that the
female hairs recovered on Waterman and Costello are derived from a
person genetically identical to the SNP Genotype files of members of
Heuermann's family, specifically Asa Ellerup and Victoria Heuermann, the
report said. Because they were away and out of state at the time of the
murders, it "provides further support that Rex A. Heuermann murdered,
restrained and transported the remains of the victims to Gilgo Beach
until they were ultimately discovered in December 2010, the report said
A male hair found on Waterman was also linked to Heuermann, according to the report.
His attorney Michael Brown said Heuermann pleaded not guilty; Heuermann will next appear in court on Feb. 6.
~~~~~~~~~~~
Should new charges be filed, identification of Peaches, her
toddler daughter or of the Asian male be announced, or any other
Breaking News occur during the coming month, be assured it will be
reported in the next update on Armchair Genealogy.
Stay tuned
~~~~~~~~~~~
Maureen L. DuCharme Brainard-Barnes
<
A very young Maureen L. DuCharme Brainard-Barnes (from the memorial established in her memory on Find-A-Grave website)
Maureen L. Ducharme Brainard-Barnes
BIRTH: 14 Jun 1982
New London, New London County, Connecticut, USA
DEATH: Age 25 (Date believed killed between Jul 9, 2007 and Jul 12, 2007) on or near Massapequa, Long Island, New York
her remains found) 13 Dec 2010 (aged 28)
Gilgo Beach, Suffolk County, New York, USA
BURIAL: Saint Marys Cemetery
Norwich, New London County, Connecticut, USA
MEMORIAL ID: 64693289
From Find-A-Grave memorial
She was 25.
She had been last seen on July 9, 2007. Death date above is the date her body was found. Actual date is not known.
Cause of death: murdered, remains found with 3 other women, police are searching for a serial killer.
A suspect was arrested in July 2023, with DNA match evidence, and is connected to the other 3 girls found with her.
Cemetery info provided by (#48452907)
Below provided by (49259303)
Maureen Brainard-Barnes, 28, formerly of Norwich, died Dec. 13, 2010, in Babylon, N.Y.
She was born June 14, 1982, in New London, the daughter of Marie
Ducharme of Groton and the late Robert Senecal. She was formerly
employed at Foxwood's Resort & Casino as a dealer.
Besides her mother she is survived by two children, Nicolette
Brainard-Barnes of Mystic and Dylan Haggett of Norwich; a sister,
Melissa Vieu of New London; a half-sister, Bryona Senecal; and several
nieces, nephews, and cousins.
She was predeceased by a brother, William Vieu Jr.
Her family received relatives and friends at the Impellitteri-Malia Funeral Home in New London.
A funeral service was held. Interment followed in St. Mary Cemetery.
Published in The Day on Feb. 2, 2011
~~~~~~~~~~~
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