Gilgo Beach serial killer Rex Heuermann’s large cache of weapons included more than 50 pistols and apparently illegal assault weapons, according to new court filings.
The revelations come as the 59-year-old married dad fights to keep nearly 300 guns taken from his dilapidated Massapequa Park home from being turned over to Nassau County investigators who are considering separate charges, Newsday said.
“Some of the firearms appear to be illegally possessed,” Suffolk County Assistant District Attorney Lawrence Opisso said in Tuesday’s filing, challenging Heuermann’s right to keep them.
“For example … at least 26 unregistered pistols, 15 unregistered assault weapons and 10 high-capacity magazines appear to have been in possession of the defendant’s home in violation [state firearms laws].”
The gun was found at Heuermann’s home during an investigation by officers in Suffolk County, where the Gilgo Beach victim was found, after he was arrested near his Midtown office.
Accused Gilgo Beach serial killer Rex Heuermann has more than 50 illegal guns at his Long Island home. Getty Images Accused Long Island serial killer Rex Heuermann appears during a hearing in Suffolk County Supreme Court in Riverhead, New York, September 27, 2023. via REUTERS
Suffolk investigators said they always planned to turn the weapon over to authorities in Nassau — where Heuermann’s home is.
Tuesday’s court filing is the first public confirmation of the investigation in Nassau County, Newsday said.
Heuermann’s defense attorney Sabato Caponi said the seized cache included “magazines, cases, attachments, bullets, bullet fragments and bullet casings.”
Suffolk police seized more than 280 firearms from Heuermann’s home during a search warrant in July.Edmund J Coppa
However, he argued in the filing that the court should only legally transfer the weapons if Nassau County requests it or has a pending case involving the weapons.
The Suffolk architect and married father of two disputed Suffolk investigators’ plans, filing court papers Sept. 21 in which his defense team argued that his financially struggling family should be able to keep — and pawn — legally owned guns.
Heuermann is charged with murder in the 2010 murders of Melissa Barthelemy, 24, Megan Waterman, 22, and Amber Lynn Costello, 27, whose bodies were found in a burlap sack along Gilgo Beach. Authorities say he is also the prime suspect in the death of 25-year-old Maureen Brainard-Barnes.
Heuerman is accused of killing Megan Waterman, 22, Melissa Barthelemy, 24, and Amber Lynn Costello, 27, and is the prime suspect in the murder of Maureen Brainard-Barnes, 25.
But no firearm is believed to have been used in the death of the Gilgo Beach victim.
An inventory taken during an intensive 12-day search of the Heuermann family home, which was left in disarray from the investigation, found the accused killer had collected firearms dating back to the 1860s and firearms manufactured in various European countries.
Some of his weapons were even used in world wars. His stash also included an assault rifle, as well as one with a defaced serial number, according to court documents.
Heuermann has pleaded not guilty to killing three women whose bodies were found along Gilgo Beach.New York Post
Robert Macedonio, an attorney representing Heuermann’s estranged wife, previously estimated his entire collection could be worth about $300,000.
“It’s a valuable collector’s item that he collected legally,” he said earlier this month, calling Heuermann a “gunman” who attended an NRA conference.
Macedonio argued in earlier court documents that Heuermann’s wife, Asa Ellerup, has the right to retain ownership of any legally purchased guns because they are “marital property” worth “hundreds of thousands of dollars.”
His wife’s attorney has argued that legally owned guns are “marital property.” Kevin C. Downs for the NY Post
Heuermann only had a permit for his 92 firearms, but possessed many unauthorized long guns, prosecutors said.
His gun license was also suspended following his arrest.
Heuermann is due back in court on Nov. 15.
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
