Trial date set for suspected Gilgo Beach serial killer

A Riverhead judge on Jan. 13 set a firm start date for the long-awaited trial of Rex Heuermann, the man accused in a string of Gilgo Beach murders that has haunted Suffolk County. "right after Labor Day, come hell or high water," said Judge Timothy Mazzei in his Riverhead courtroom as he directed that the trial begin Sept. 7.

The Sept. 7 date comes a little over three years after Heuermann was first arrested in connection with the deaths of Melissa Barthelemy, Megan Waterman and Amber Costello. Heuermann, 62, has been additionally charged with the murders of Maureen Brainard-Barnes, Jessica Taylor, Sandra Costilla and Valerie Mack and has pleaded not guilty to all seven counts.

The Jan. 13 hearing focused less on new evidence than on procedural combat that will shape what jurors see in court. Defense attorneys filed a 178-page motion the day before, asking, among other things, that the murder charge for Sandra Costilla be dismissed. The defense also objected to law enforcement extracting and analyzing Heuermann’s DNA from a pizza box he discarded, arguing that the extraction violated the Fourth Amendment.

Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney, who is leading the prosecution, signaled opposition to most of the defense requests and said prosecutors are confident in the evidence linking Heuermann to the victims. The parties were given deadlines for further briefing: the prosecution has until March 3 to respond to the defense filing, and the defense will have until March 17 to reply.

The scheduling marks a milestone in a case that has involved years of pretrial hearings, extensive investigative work and intense public interest across Long Island. Holding the trial in Riverhead puts the proceedings squarely in Suffolk County, where residents have followed court developments closely and where the families of victims have sought answers and closure.

For local residents, the court timetable will mean months of legal wrangling before jurors are seated. The disputes over discarded-property DNA and the scope of individual charges are likely to generate legal precedent and add to court calendar congestion at the Suffolk County courthouse. The presence of a high-profile criminal trial will also require security and logistical planning in and around the courthouse, and it will prolong media and public attention on the case.

What comes next is a period of focused legal filings and hearings that could narrow or expand the issues jurors will ultimately consider. If motions are denied or sustained, they could alter the shape of the trial beginning after Labor Day, and they will determine how and whether key pieces of evidence reach a jury. For families and residents, the Sept. 7 start date provides a target for expectations about when the long-running legal chapter in the Gilgo Beach case will move into the trial phase.