Former Police Commissioner Details Taskforce That Solved Gilgo Beach Serial Killer Case
Rodney Harrison, the former chief of detectives for the New York Police Department, was not present in the Riverhead courtroom on Long Island last week when serial killer Rex Heuermann pleaded guilty to murdering seven women and confessed to an eighth killing. However, as the police commissioner of Suffolk County, where Heuermann dumped his victims, Harrison assembled the critical taskforce that ultimately cracked the long-stalled case.
"I'm happy we're able to put this behind us now," Harrison stated on Friday, shortly after Heuermann admitted to the murders, which targeted mostly sex workers over a 17-year spree from 1993 to 2010. "Anytime there's a criminal that's gotten away with such heinous crimes for such a long time, and now they're going to jail for a long period, is very rewarding in the law enforcement world."
Background of the Gilgo Beach Murders
When Harrison assumed the role of police commissioner in 2020, it had already been a decade since police discovered four sets of remains on Gilgo Beach in Suffolk County, later identified as Melissa Barthelemy, Maureen Brainard-Barnes, Megan Waterman, and Amber Lynn Costello. These victims, known as the Gilgo Four, were found 500 feet apart, each wrapped or covered in burlap sack cloth. Six additional bodies were located in the same area, none of whom were local, but all had used Craigslist for work postings.
At that time, the investigation was plagued by allegations of police incompetence and bureaucratic paralysis, with only one detective assigned to the case. Suffolk County investigators had initially invited FBI assistance but later declined it. "This is not just Suffolk county but a lot of local agencies where there is a bit of an ego. 'Hey, we can figure this out ourselves. We don't need to partner with anybody.' But Suffolk county didn't have all the resources and different databases and I think hindered the investigation," Harrison explained.
Turning Point in the Investigation
Harrison emphasized that while allegations of misconduct were a disservice, some police actions were "alarming." Under his leadership, Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney, a former colleague from Brooklyn, prioritized the case. They reinstated FBI involvement and assembled a team of local detectives, quickly focusing on the housemates of victim Amber Costello, who disappeared in September 2010.
Dave Schaller, a housemate, provided a crucial description of a towering, "ogre-like" figure with an "empty gaze" who threatened Costello. Most importantly, Schaller noted the man drove a green Chevrolet Avalanche pickup truck. "That was the thing that broke the case – being able to attach that to Rex Heuermann," Harrison said, expressing disappointment that this detail had been overlooked in earlier investigations. "For there not to have been a deeper dive into the green Avalanche is disappointing – that should have been caught a long time ago."
Breakthrough and Arrest
State investigators traced a similar vehicle to Massapequa Park, a town 30 miles east of Manhattan. Within three weeks of forming the taskforce, Harrison announced they were "confident that we're getting closer to making an arrest." By April 2022, police internally identified Heuermann as a person of interest.
Investigators utilized cell tower data from burner phones Heuermann used over two years to contact sex workers, linking this to geographical data from his registered phone and Costello's. They tracked his internet searches and credit card use, revealing a double life. Mitochondrial DNA from hair on burlap matched DNA from a pizza crust Heuermann discarded outside his Manhattan office, leading to his arrest and charges in July 2023.
Aftermath and Ongoing Concerns
Harrison, now a CBS News commentator, believes Heuermann changed his plea because he realized "his days were numbered," especially after a judge allowed the DNA evidence in court last year. "He saw that he was cornered. If he were to go to trial, the level of embarrassment that would come to him and his family ... He realized what was going to come out so he thought: 'Let me take the plea deal and put this thing behind me,'" Harrison stated, adding that Heuermann is expected to apologize to families at his sentencing in June, where he will receive consecutive life sentences.
Harrison credited the taskforce, particularly 31-year veteran Det Lt Kevin Beyrer, Suffolk County's homicide chief who led the investigation until retiring two months ago. "I didn't do one computer check, I didn't interview one witness or look at any of the case folders, I just came in there and rejuvenated the investigation," he emphasized.
With Heuermann admitting to killing an additional victim, Karen Vergata, whose dismembered remains were found in two Long Island locations, Harrison advocates for keeping the taskforce active. "The taskforce needs to remain intact. We need to see if there are other missing sex workers out there and to maybe attach them to Rex Heuermann or other predators who are engaged in the same activity," he urged, highlighting the need to continue advocating for missing sex workers despite Heuermann's imprisonment.
