Judge Tim Mazzei rebuked defense counsel for Rex Heuermann and ordered that the trial begin after Labor Day 'come hell or high water.' The defense filed motions contesting about 20 search warrants and seeks to suppress DNA evidence recovered from trash items, including a pizza crust and an energy drink container. Suffolk County DA Ray Tierney says prosecutors will not offer a plea and are ready to go to trial; Heuermann, arrested in July 2023, has pleaded not guilty to charges linking him by DNA to seven Long Island murders from 1993–2010.
Judge Orders Rex Heuermann Trial To Begin 'Come Hell Or High Water' After Labor Day
Judge scolds alleged Gilgo Beach killer's defense, vows trial will begin ‘come hell or high water'
A New York judge sharply reprimanded defense lawyers for accused Gilgo Beach suspect Rex Heuermann on Tuesday, warning that the long-delayed trial will start after Labor Day 'come hell or high water.' Presiding Judge Tim Mazzei expressed frustration during a hearing more than two years into pretrial proceedings in the high-profile Long Island murder case.
The rebuke followed a late filing by Heuermann's attorney, Michael Brown, who on Monday night submitted a new packet of motions challenging evidence gathered during the investigation.
New Motions Target Search Warrants And DNA Evidence
The defense filings reportedly contest roughly 20 search warrants executed by investigators and seek suppression of certain DNA material — including a discarded pizza crust and an energy drink container recovered from the trash — on Fourth Amendment grounds. Brown framed the argument as a constitutional protection against unreasonable searches, saying the government should not be able to "rummage through trash" to collect a person's DNA.
'If our government can go into our garbage can and take our DNA and learn everything about us, what’s the purpose of having a Fourth Amendment anymore?' Brown told reporters.
Judge Mazzei has previously weighed in on the disputed DNA evidence. In a September ruling, he allowed prosecutors to introduce DNA results as part of their case, but the new defense motions seek to revive challenges to those and other investigative steps.
A map created by Suffolk County Police shows the locations of the bodies found on Gilgo Beach between 2010 and 2011.
Prosecution: Ready For Trial; No Plea Expected
Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney reiterated that his office will not pursue a plea agreement for Heuermann and that prosecutors are prepared to go to trial. 'The judge was very explicit, and we are ready,' Tierney told reporters, while adding that the recent flurry of motions is often simply 'the nature of the business' rather than intentional delay.
Allegations And Case Background
Prosecutors allege Rex Heuermann, 62, is responsible for the brutal killings of seven sex workers whose bodies were discovered in remote areas around Long Island between 1993 and 2010. The victims named by authorities are Valerie Mack, 24; Megan Waterman, 22; Jessica Taylor, 20; Maureen Brainard-Barnes, 25; Amber Lynn Costello, 27; Sandra Costilla, 28; and Melissa Barthelemy, 24.
The killings went unsolved for decades, unnerving the Long Island community, until Heuermann was arrested outside his Manhattan architecture office in July 2023. Prosecutors initially charged him in three deaths; subsequent DNA evidence has allegedly linked him to four additional victims. Heuermann has pleaded not guilty and faces a single trial on seven counts related to the alleged killings.
Media coverage has also highlighted personal fallout: Heuermann's ex-wife has publicly defended him while one daughter has said he 'most likely' committed the crimes. Heuermann’s defense team did not immediately respond to requests for comment from media outlets covering the story.
Help us improve.
