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A4 U.S. NEWS
Wednesday 17 January 2024

Suspect in Long Island's Gilgo Beach serial killings is charged with

the death of a fourth woman

By PHILIP MARCELO and Brainard-Barnes left her
DAVID COLLINS hometown of Norwich,
Associated Press Connecticut, on July 9,
RIVERHEAD, N.Y. (AP) — 2007, and headed to Man-
A New York architect hattan for sex work, with
charged in a string of slay- plans to return the following
ings known as the Gilgo day, according to friends
Beach killings was accused who became concerned
Tuesday in the death of when she uncharacteris-
a fourth woman, a Con- tically stopped using her
necticut mother of two phone. But the 25-year-old
who vanished in 2007 and never came back.
whose remains were found Nicolette Brainard-Barnes
more than three years later said she was only 7 years
along a coastal highway old when her mother, who
on Long Island. was once employed as a
Rex Heuermann was for- dealer at the Foxwoods Re-
mally charged in the kill- sort Casino, vanished.
ing of Maureen Brainard- "I remember she read to
Barnes, months after hav- me every night," the now
ing been labeled the prime 24-year-old said, surround-
suspect in her death when ed by other family mem-
he was arrested in July in bers following Tuesday's
the deaths of three other court hearing. "Now I can
women. Wearing a dark Alleged Gilgo serial Killer Rex Heuermann appears inside Judge Timothy P. Mazzei's courtroom no longer remember the
suit, he remained silent in with his attorney Michael Brown at Suffolk County Court in Riverhead, N.Y. on Tuesday, Jan. 16, sound of her voice."
court as his lawyer entered 2024. Maureen Brainard-Barnes'
a not guilty plea on his be- Associated Press sister, Melissa Cann, re-
half. He will continue to be membered her as a "loving
held without bail until his caught in the months lead- creasingly being used to Suffolk County District At- mother and giving friend"
next court date on Feb. 6. ing up to his arrest. solve crimes," and phrases torney Raymond Tierney who would "never get the
Police say the break- He obtained data wiping with the term "Long Island said in response that more chance to show the world
through came from DNA software in an attempt to Serial Killer." sophisticated DNA testing how talented she was."
extracted from hair at the destroy evidence on his Heuermann's attorney, had allowed investigators "Maureen was more than
scene. A hair found with laptops, phones and other Michael Brown, said af- to more conclusively deter- how she has been por-
Brainard-Barnes' remains electronic devices, they terward that his client has mine the hairs found with trayed," the 39-year-old
is genetically similar to a said. Investigators seized maintained his innocence Brainard-Barnes belonged said through tears.
DNA sample taken from hundreds of devices dur- from "day one" and looked to Heuermann's ex-wife Heuermann was arrested
Heuermann's ex-wife. Dur- ing their lengthy search of forward to defending him- and daughter. July 14 and charged with
ing the period when Brain- Heuermann's home that self in court. He also said the indictment killing Melissa Barthelemy,
ard-Barnes disappeared in prosecutors say contained He also called into ques- marks the end of the inves- Megan Waterman and
2007, Heuermann's ex-wife troves of bondage and tor- tion some of the evidence tigation into the so-called Amber Lynn Costello, three
and his daughter were ture pornography. touted by prosecutors Tues- "Gilgo four" victims and pro- women who authorities
staying out of town at a Heuermann also scoured day, suggesting new DNA vides "some small measure say also were sex workers.
hotel in Atlantic City, the in- the internet for phrases that analysis connecting Heu- of closure" for their families. Heuermann's lawyer said
dictment and her attorney suggested he was afraid of ermann to the killing was Prosecutors now turn their he has denied committing
confirmed. getting caught, including "problematic" since it was attention to prosecuting the crimes. He previously
Prosecutors also said in "How does cell site analysis being introduced some 13 those cases and investi- pleaded not guilty to kill-
Tuesday's court filing that work," "Gilgo news," "How years after Brainard-Barnes' gating other bodies found ing Barthelemy, Waterman
Heuermann feared getting cell phone tracking is in- body was discovered. nearby, Tierney added. and Costello. q

Wrestler Hulk Hogan helps rescue teenage

girl trapped after Florida car crash

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Retired nessing the accident Sun- partment said in an email
wrestler Hulk Hogan and a day night in Tampa. Tuesday that there were
friend rescued a teenage His new wife, yoga instructor only minor injuries from the
girl who was trapped in an Sky Daily, took to Facebook crash.
overturned vehicle after a to praise the quick action Hogan, whose real name
crash in Florida, according taken by her 70-year-old is Terry Bollea, is a member
to Hogan's social media husband and the couple's of the WWE Hall of Fame
posts. friend Jake Rask. and lives in the Tampa Bay
Hogan said on the social "By all appearances, she area.
media platform X that he was unscathed, just really "Thank you God, all is well
Professional wrestler Hulk Hogan poses for photographers on
March 29, 2018, in Los Angeles. used a ball point pen to rattled, which is an abso- even now," he said on X.
Associated Press puncture the car's airbag lute miracle!" Daily wrote. "Amen HH."q
and free the girl after wit- The Tampa Police De-