Accused Long Island killer Rex Heuermann charged in murder of missing N.J. woman

Authorities reported that Rex Heuermann, the accused Gilgo Beach serial killer, was charged on Tuesday with a seventh murder in connection with the death of Valerie Mack, a resident of New Jersey, who vanished more than 20 years ago.

According to her relatives, Mack, 24, vanished from Port Republic in Atlantic County during the spring or summer of 2000. Her name was Melissa Taylor, and she was an escort in Philadelphia.

During a press conference on Tuesday, Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney stated that hunters discovered her corpse on Nov. 19, 2000, in a forested area off of Mill Road near Gilgo Beach.

According to Tierney, Mill Road was identified as a dump location in a planning document that investigators discovered and ascribed to Heuermann.

Heuermann entered a not guilty plea to Mack’s murder when he appeared in court in Riverhead, New York, on Tuesday. In the past, he has entered not guilty pleas to every other charge. He is still being imprisoned without being released on bail.

Michael J. Brown, his lawyer, told news reporters during the court that his client maintains his innocence but did not immediately answer a request for comment.

Heuermann reportedly told the judge loudly during Tuesday’s session, “Your Honor, I’m not guilty of any of these charges,” according to multiple news sites.

A hair discovered with Mack’s bones matched the genetic profile of Heuermann’s daughter, who would have been a little girl at the time, Tierney said at the press conference on Tuesday.

According to Tierney, a 99.96% match between Heuermann’s ex-wife Asa Ellerup and their daughter Victoria was found through hair DNA screening.

In July 2023, Heuermann, 61, a parent and architect, was taken into custody and accused with killing six women: Sandra Costilla, Jessica Taylor, Amber Costello, Maureen Brainard-Barnes, Melissa Barthelemy, and Megan Waterman.

During the press conference, Tierney stated that Heuermann’s home played a significant role in the killings.

The district attorney also said that during inspections of Heuermann’s possessions, a number of magazines containing news about the Gilgo Beach inquiry were discovered, including items in People and The New York Times Magazine.

The hunt for another missing New Jersey woman, Shannon Gilbert, long after Mack’s disappearance, resulted in the discovery of Mack’s body on Gilgo Beach, close to the bones of a toddler.

Authorities on Long Island determined that Shannan Gilbert’s death was unrelated to the case against Heuermann and was an accident.

According to Tierney, the Mack family has expressed gratitude for the work that investigators have done over the years.

They are quite appreciative. According to Tierney, they are quite appreciative of the little closure that the Gilgo Beach task team has been able to offer.

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Anthony G. Attrino

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You may contact Anthony G. Attrinomay [email protected]. @TonyAttrino is his Twitter handle. Facebook page for FindNJ.com.

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