Netflix's Gilgo Beach Killer Doc: Decade-Long Mystery Solved?
Netflix's "Gone Girls: The Long Island Serial Killer" Examines a Decade-Long Investigation
Netflix's new three-part docuseries, "Gone Girls: The Long Island Serial Killer," airing March 31, explores the decade-long delay in identifying Rex Heuermann, a suspect in the Gilgo Beach murders. Between 2010 and 2011, the remains of eleven individuals were found along Ocean Parkway near Gilgo Beach, New York. Four victims were discovered within a quarter-mile radius, bound and wrapped in similar ways, strongly suggesting a serial killer.
Heuermann, a 61-year-old New York City architect, was arrested in July 2023 and charged with the murders of seven women: Amber Lynn Costello, Megan Waterman, Melissa Barthelemy, Maureen Brainard-Barnes, Jessica Taylor, Sandra Costilla, and Valerie Mack. The docuseries suggests the lengthy investigation was hampered by the fact that most victims were sex workers. Long Island Press reporter Jaclyn Gallucci notes in the series that a prevailing attitude was that if a victim wasn’t a sex worker, “you don’t have anything to worry about.” This led to a perceived dismissal of the victims by law enforcement and the media, according to families and friends interviewed in the series. Some families claim they provided police with information about a man matching Heuermann's description years before his arrest.
Former roommates of Amber Lynn Costello recounted an incident involving a client who frightened her and resembled Heuermann. They described him and his vehicle – a first-generation Chevrolet Avalanche – to police in 2010, a description matching Heuermann’s vehicle at the time of his arrest. The series highlights controversies surrounding former Suffolk County District Attorney Thomas Spota and former Police Chief James Burke, who oversaw the initial investigation. Spota’s resignation, disbarment, and subsequent prison sentence for covering up a police brutality scandal, and Burke’s arrest for soliciting a sex worker, are explored in relation to their potential impact on the Gilgo Beach investigation. Neither Spota nor Burke were interviewed for the documentary.
Current Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney, who took office in January 2022, states that a new investigative team identified Heuermann as a suspect within six weeks of being assigned to the case. Detectives tracked Heuermann's movements and phone records for months. A crucial breakthrough came when DNA from a discarded pizza crust matched a hair found on a victim. Heuermann was arrested seven months later. He has pleaded not guilty and requested separate trials, a request prosecutors oppose. A trial date is yet to be set. The docuseries, produced by Liz Garbus, emphasizes the victims' lives and families, highlighting their struggles for justice and the enduring impact of the case.
Netflix's new three-part docuseries, "Gone Girls: The Long Island Serial Killer," airing March 31, explores the decade-long delay in identifying Rex Heuermann, a suspect in the Gilgo Beach murders. Between 2010 and 2011, the remains of eleven individuals were found along Ocean Parkway near Gilgo Beach, New York. Four victims were discovered within a quarter-mile radius, bound and wrapped in similar ways, strongly suggesting a serial killer.
Heuermann, a 61-year-old New York City architect, was arrested in July 2023 and charged with the murders of seven women: Amber Lynn Costello, Megan Waterman, Melissa Barthelemy, Maureen Brainard-Barnes, Jessica Taylor, Sandra Costilla, and Valerie Mack. The docuseries suggests the lengthy investigation was hampered by the fact that most victims were sex workers. Long Island Press reporter Jaclyn Gallucci notes in the series that a prevailing attitude was that if a victim wasn’t a sex worker, “you don’t have anything to worry about.” This led to a perceived dismissal of the victims by law enforcement and the media, according to families and friends interviewed in the series. Some families claim they provided police with information about a man matching Heuermann's description years before his arrest.
Former roommates of Amber Lynn Costello recounted an incident involving a client who frightened her and resembled Heuermann. They described him and his vehicle – a first-generation Chevrolet Avalanche – to police in 2010, a description matching Heuermann’s vehicle at the time of his arrest. The series highlights controversies surrounding former Suffolk County District Attorney Thomas Spota and former Police Chief James Burke, who oversaw the initial investigation. Spota’s resignation, disbarment, and subsequent prison sentence for covering up a police brutality scandal, and Burke’s arrest for soliciting a sex worker, are explored in relation to their potential impact on the Gilgo Beach investigation. Neither Spota nor Burke were interviewed for the documentary.
Current Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney, who took office in January 2022, states that a new investigative team identified Heuermann as a suspect within six weeks of being assigned to the case. Detectives tracked Heuermann's movements and phone records for months. A crucial breakthrough came when DNA from a discarded pizza crust matched a hair found on a victim. Heuermann was arrested seven months later. He has pleaded not guilty and requested separate trials, a request prosecutors oppose. A trial date is yet to be set. The docuseries, produced by Liz Garbus, emphasizes the victims' lives and families, highlighting their struggles for justice and the enduring impact of the case.
