NEW YORK — The New York architect dealing with homicide costs in a string of deaths often known as the Gilgo Seaside killings is difficult the DNA proof towards him and looking for separate trials within the sprawling case.
Rex Heuermann’s attorneys argue DNA evaluation relied on by prosecutors just isn’t broadly accepted within the scientific group and must be excluded from the trial. The Lengthy Island resident’s protection group additionally needs to interrupt out the case towards him into a number of trials.
Since late 2010, police have been investigating the deaths of no less than 10 individuals — largely feminine intercourse employees — whose stays have been found alongside an remoted freeway not removed from Gilgo Seaside on Lengthy Island’s south shore.
Heuermann was arrested in 2023 and charged within the deaths of three of the victims between 2009 and 2010: Melissa Barthelemy, Amber Lynn Costello and Megan Waterman.
Whereas in custody, he was subsequently charged within the deaths of Valerie Mack in 2000, Jessica Taylor in 2003, Maureen Brainard-Barnes in 2007 and Sandra Costilla in 1993.
Huermann has maintained his innocence and pleaded not responsible to all counts.
Michael Brown, Heuermann’s legal professional, stated following a Wednesday court docket listening to that his shopper dangers being improperly convicted due to the “cumulative impact” of the proof put ahead by prosecutors.
He additionally argued there’s a “substantial disparity” within the proof within the a few of the deaths, which he maintained includes completely different time frames, killing strategies and places for disposing the our bodies.
“The hazard of getting depend after depend, sufferer after sufferer in the identical trial is that ‘If there’s smoke, there’s fireplace’ mentality,” Brown stated. “They shouldn’t be tried collectively. One situation has nothing to do with the opposite.”
Prosecutors on Wednesday filed a written response to the DNA problem and stated they’ll reply to the movement for separate trials later. Heuermann’s subsequent court docket date is Feb. 18.
DNA outcomes from hair strands discovered at a few of the crime scenes are among the many key items of proof prosecutors have put ahead within the case.
Suffolk County District Lawyer Ray Tierney has maintained the DNA science is sound and that his workplace will oppose separate trials.
Of their Wednesday submitting, prosecutors argued that the “complete genome sequencing” method utilized within the case has been accepted in peer-reviewed scientific journals and by federal regulators, paleontologists, virologists, and medical communities.
The findings by Astrea Forensics, a California lab, have been additionally independently corroborated by mitochondrial DNA testing, a strategy lengthy accepted by New York courts, prosecutors stated.
Entire genome sequencing “permits extra complete assortment and analysis of DNA,” prosecutors wrote. It’s “so broadly used for scientific, medical, and forensic functions, it will appear there may be little query as as to whether it has been accepted within the related scientific group.”
Prosecutors additionally say Heuermann stored a “blueprint” of his alleged crimes on his laptop that included a collection of checklists with duties to finish earlier than, throughout and after the killings, in addition to sensible classes for “subsequent time.”