After Heuermann Arrest, Cold Cases in 3 States Get New Look

Long Island architect owns property in Nevada, South Carolina; Atlantic City looking its cases over
By Arden Dier,  Newser Staff
Posted Jul 21, 2023 8:15 AM CDT
Cold Case Detectives in 3 States Look for Links to Heuermann
Authorities search the home of suspect Rex Heuermann, Tuesday, July 18, 2023, in Massapequa Park, NY.   (AP Photo/John Minchillo)

Unsolved murders "around the nation" are getting a fresh look this week in light of the arrest of suspected serial killer Rex Heuermann, Suffolk County, New York, Police Commissioner Rodney Harrison tells WABC. Heuermann is charged with killing three sex workers on Long Island, and is considered the prime suspect in the murder of a fourth found in the same Gilgo Beach area. But detectives wonder if Heuermann might also be tied to cases in South Carolina, Nevada, and New Jersey. Officers have been searching a property in Chester, South Carolina, that Heuermann and his brother purchased in 2021.

Police in nearby Rock Hill, South Carolina, are reviewing files "to see if there is a correlation between the disappearance of Aaliyah Bell and Rex Heuermann," Lt. Michael Chavis tells the New York Daily News. Bell was 18 when she vanished from her Rock Hill home on Nov. 25, 2014. "So far there is no indication that leads us to identify Heuermann as a suspect in this case," Chavis says. But "we will continue to investigate Bell's disappearance and follow up on all tips and leads." Heuermann also owned a timeshare in Las Vegas with his wife, per KABC. Las Vegas police say they're "reviewing our unsolved cases to see if he has any involvement."

Suffolk County police are also probing whether Heuermann's crimes extended to New Jersey. Of particular interest are the unsolved 2006 murders of four sex workers found in a ditch along Route 40 near Atlantic City. "The deaths are believed to be the work of a serial killer," per WABC. "What I'm being told is it's not a connection," Harrison tells the outlet. But "shame on us if we don't look into Las Vegas, South Carolina, even Atlantic City," he adds. "We've got to make sure if anyone has any information." WTXF reports Heuermann's DNA will soon be entered into a national database, making it accessible to law enforcement agencies across the country. (More Rex Heuermann stories.)

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