SUFFOLK COUNTY, N.Y. — The wife of Rex Heuermann, the man accused of killing at least three women whose bodies were found near Gilgo Beach more than a decade ago, filed for divorce Wednesday, according to multiple reports.
Heuermann’s wife filed for divorce in Suffolk County Supreme Court, WABC-TV reported. A court docket reviewed by the news station showed the divorce was “uncontested.”
The filing came just under a week after authorities arrested Heuermann on suspicion of killing Melissa Barthelemy, 24; Amber Lynn Costello, 27; and Megan Waterman, 22. The three were among the “Gilgo Four,” four women found slain near Ocean Parkway on Long Island in late 2010.
Officials also identified Hueuermann as a “prime suspect” in the killing of Maureen Brainard-Barnes, 25, who is also part of the Gilgo Four.
Authorities said they connected Heuermann to the killings through evidence that included hair found on three of the victims. The hair was matched to Heuermann’s wife, officials said. As she was not in New York at the time of at least two of the killings, investigators believe the hair was picked up on Heuermann’s clothing and left during the killings.
Heuermann and his wife have been married for 27 years, according to CNN. Citing a 2018 deposition, the news network reported that they tied the knot in April 1996 and have since lived in Heuermann’s childhood home in Massapequa Park, a suburb of Long Island, with their daughter and Heuermann’s stepson.
Police have said that they believe Heuermann’s wife and children were “in the dark about his double life,” WCBS-TV reported. Suffolk County police commissioner Rodney Harrison told CNN that Heuermann’s wife and daughter were “shocked, they were disgusted, they were embarrassed” to learn about his alleged crimes.
“If you ask me, I don’t believe, that they knew about this double life that Mr. Heuermann was living,” Harrison told the news network. He added that authorities are still investigating.
“Time will tell,” he said.
The Gilgo Four were among 11 people found dead near Gilgo Beach in 2010 and 2011. Most of the victims were women, including several sex workers. An unidentified man and a toddler identified as the daughter of one of the slain women were also found in the area.
Heuermann has not been charged in connection with any of the other deaths. He has pleaded not guilty to murder charges.
Authorities continue to investigate.
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