A strategy for homicide: The document reportedly employed by Rex Heuermann to methodically plan his fatal actions.
Detectives unearthed a Word document created by Heuermann in 2000 and saved on a hard drive in his New York home, where he lived with his spouse and offspring.
The document, written in capital letters, outlined techniques for packaging bodies and eliminating detection. It also discussed the removal of trace DNA evidences. A bail application shared on Thursday by Long Island prosecutors against Heuermann for two more murders unveiled these revelations.
"His being an architect matches the meticulousness displayed in his killings," claimed criminologist and author Scott Bonn to CNN.
He now faces charges regarding the deaths of six women across three decades and multiple cities. On the day of his bid for innocence to the newest charges of second-degree murder for Jessica Taylor's 2003 demise and Sandra Costilla's 1993 death, district attorneys disclosed the contents of the manual allegedly used to "plan out his assassinations."
"I've never witnessed a written document like this," said Raymond Tierney, the county district attorney of Suffolk.
The manual seemed to have entries such as "Supplies" and "Challenges," with "DNA" as the first item under the latter. The DNA evidence and "roadmap" document will form the prosecution case compared to his potential trial.
"The fact that he tried to destroy these files, and they were still located on the computer hard drive, is likely to be a nail in the coffin," said Casey Jordan, a criminologist, behavioral analyst, and attorney. "These two factors combined would be tough for the defense to dismiss."
The section titled "body prep" detailed cleaning, dismembering, and transporting bodies, while one labeled "post event" seemed to include tasks to evade apprehension and even maintaining a prearranged story, according to the bail application.
"Heuermann's meticulous recounting of his actions showcased his conceit and desire to relish in his actions," observed Bonn, author of "Why do we adore serial killers: An exhaustive overview of humanity's most sinister assassins."
"This egocentric documentation ultimately contributed to his downfall and intensified the case against him."
'Self-instruction and study' on murder
Heuermann was arrested in July 2023 fringing his midtown Manhattan office and eventually charged with three women's murders, whose bodies were found bound by belts or tape and covered in burlap on a section of Long Island's Gilgo Beach in 2010. He was later accused in January 2024 of a fourth woman's death.
These four victims, generally recognized as "The Gilgo Four," had their bodies found in 1993, 2003, 2010, and 2011. Heuermann's pleas of not guilty for these charges were accepted.
A major development in the investigation occurred in January 2023 with the use of leftover pizza toast discarded by Heuermann, which revealed DNA connectivity with a hair found on the burlap sack where Waterman's remains were located.
"DNA is significant in this case," remarked Tierney to CNN on Friday.
Forensic tests conducted on hairs retrieved close to both Taylor and Costilla's remains discovered that 99.96% of the North American population could be disqualified from being the source of the hairs – yet Heuermann was not. As disclosed in the latest bail document, the Gilgo Homicide Task Force concluded that 5 out of the 6 victims' hairs were traced back to Heuermann, his relatives, or the individuals living with him.
"The accused Heuermann murdered, stripped, restrained, and transported the remains of Jessica Taylor and Sandra Costilla, and the Gilgo Four until they were each found in 1993, 2003, 2010, and 2011," declared a new bail application issued on Thursday.
The 60-year-old self-employed architect was startled by the new indictments, stated Heuermann's attorney, Michael Brown, in front of a northeastern Long Island court. Heuermann got remanded without bail and is anticipated in court on July 30.
"It's one murder that's absolutely terrible, and it's a challenging case to defend," the lawyer shared. "Now we have six."
Brown informed the press on Thursday that he awaited reviewing more details before commenting further.
In January, he revealed that his client insisted, "I am not guilty of these charges," and expected to defend them in court.
The "roadmap" file was found after investigators scoured more than 350 electronic devices retrieved from Heuermann's residence, as announced by Tierney.
"We exploited the hard drive to reclaim it," the district attorney conveyed.
The bail application stated the Gilgo Homicide Task Force "presume that the totality of circumstances surrounding the ... Planning Document, along with Heuermann’s attempt to erase its presence, signals it serves as Heuermann's self-instruction and 'homework' on the subject of perpetrating serial, sexual assassinations."
"Tierney remarked, 'He aimed to track down these victims, chase them down to rule over them, and exterminate them... His purpose was simply to murder these victims.'
In the ‘blueprint’ material, a 'pre-prep' area features actions to carry out prior to a killing, for instance, inspecting an area for surveillance cameras. The 'prep' section seems to delineate what must be completed closer to the murders, such as constructing a table with a 'cross bar' below to accommodate larger items.
Jordan commented, 'This pretty much conveys how these women might have met their demise.'
The document has a 'post event' segment with methods to thwart detection, such as swapping out car tires and creating an alibi or narrative if questioned.
Peppered with errors and misspellings, the document also references sites for throwing away incriminating evidence. It consists of parts about removing tattoos and other distinguishing marks. The bail application claimed the tattoo on Taylor's chest had been defaced with a sharp object.
A 'things to remember' area appears to portray lessons learned from preceding killings. It emphasized the usage of more robust rope as lighter types 'snapped under the strain of being tightened,' per the bail application.
'Heuermann fits into a classification of serial murderer labeled as a power/control killer,' explained Bonn, who has analyzed the lifestyles of numerous serial killers such as Dennis Rader, famously known as BTK for his 'bind, torture, kill' technique. 'They are psychotic and consumed with detail and planning; covering any eventualities.'
Bonn observed parallels between the supposed Gilgo Beach assailant and BTK, who was a religious participant, Cub Scout leader, and happily married father of two before forensic advancements and modern technology eventually led to his arrest in February 2005.
Rader was meticulous when it came to his killings and meticulously kept records of his fantasies and crimes in binders and files. Rader pled guilty to 10 homicides and was sentenced in 2005 to 10 consecutive life sentences.
Tierney, the District Attorney of Suffolk County, stated the investigation is far from finished and Heuermann might be connected to further slayings. 'We'll keep going. We won't stop,' he said.
Milligan, the criminologist and behavioral analyst, remarked, 'There could be additional murders out there... We might never understand the solution to that and they may never be charged.'"
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After discovering the document, investigators discussed how Heuermann's spouse and offspring lived with him, raising questions about their involvement in his activities.
During the trial, prosecutors argued that the "self-instruction and study" on murder contained in the manual demonstrated Heuermann's intent to plan and carry out multiple murders, implicating us in his crimes.
