Gilgo Beach suspect mutters two words to attorney during critical murder trial hearing on DNA evidence
The Gilgo Beach serial killer suspect muttered the words 'good job' to one of his defense attorneys during the critical murder trial hearing taking place this week.
Defense attorney Danielle Coysh was given the high praise by accused murderer Rex Heuermann after she wrapped up her questioning with their expert defense witness Nathaniel Adams, a systems engineer at Ohio-based Forensic Bioinformatic Services, Inc, Newsday reported.
Coysh has been an integral part of Heuermann's legal team and has been working alongside lead attorney Michael Brown since Heuermann's arrest in July 2023.
At the Frye hearing held at at the Arthur M Cromarty Complex in Riverhead, Long Island the defense and the prosecution continued to spar over the science.
The defense challenged the DNA evidence that prosecutors say links Heuermann to six out of the seven murders he has been charged with.
During a press conference on Wednesday Brown said the expert witness 'did well' and were not certain at this time if they will produce another witness for the defense at next month's hearing set for July 17.
Brown noted that the earliest the case will go to trial is 2026 and pointed out that 'Rex complimented the work of Ms. Coysh on her work today and yesterday.'
He spoke about Rex looking forward to his 'day in court.'
'He is very anxious to get to trial, but is a patient man and appreciates that fact that we are dotting our i's and crossing our t's,' he added.
Heuermann dressed in a dark suit, white button down shirt and navy tie, listened intently.
He studied the screen that was in front of him, as Brown intermittently leaned in to speak to him as the expert witness testified.
Though his ex-wife Asa Ellerup, who he was married to for 27 years, and his daughter Victoria Heuermann, 27, did not appear in court on both day of the hearings, Heuermann seemed alert and focused on what his legal team was doing.
Sometime after 10.15am Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney's continued his cross-examination of the defense witness on how he came to his conclusion that the IBDGem software was 'unreliable.'
The IBDGem software was created by Dr. Richard Green, a professor in biomolecular engineering at the University of California in Santa Cruz since 2010 and co-founder of Astrea Forensics.
Part of what the computer software does is create likelihood rations.
In April, Green was the prosecution's star witness, and gave comprehensive testimony regarding the technology his lab used to identify the DNA on hairs found on some of the Gilgo Beach victims.
According to investigators, hairs found on the victims' bodies were traced back to Heuermann's wife and daughter and a third unnamed individual.
Tierney questioned Adams on the amount of notes he produced after analyzing the 28 Terrabytes of data that supported the work of Astrea Lab, and appeared perplexed that only 7 to 8 pages were generated.
According to Converter.com, 28 Terrabytes of data is equivalent to 229376 Gigabytes, and is a voluminious amount of data.
He also asked Adams why he did not review the IBDGem 2.0 software if it was downloadable and publicly available online.
'It is only about the science and the witness today focused on the computer program aspects of IBDGem,' Coysh told Daily Mail.
'Some of the data is publicly online but not all of it is and there were some materials that the District Attorney's office had, some if it is public and some is proprietary.'
She further explained that 'the issue here is if it is generally accepted in the scientific community and that is what it is. We are the first in New York State to address this,' she said.
'In New York Sate the government has the burden to prove that this scientific testimony and evidence is generally accepted in the forensic scientific community so it can be introduced in a New York State of Law.
She added: 'It's brand new. 'It is up to Judge Mazzei.'
Rex looks straight ahead as his legal team Michael Brown (center) and Danielle Coysh prepare their notes during the Frye hearing on Wednesday
During Tuesday's testimony, Tierney appeared to mock Adams and questioned his credibility during the grueling two hour cross-examination and his proficiency in the field.
He took apart his 10-page CV asking him why it took nearly 10 years for him to obtain his college degrees.
The 38-year-old Adams who has an associate's degree in computer information systems and a bachelor's degree in computer science said he was still working on obtaining his Master's degree and was also working towards his master's thesis.
Adams explained that part of the delay in his master thesis was that he changed the topic and that it went beyond just probabilistic genotyping and that he was in the final stage of completion.
The DA pointed out that Dr. Green went through the vigorous doctorate program, which Adams agreed, but Tierney seemed amused to some degree that he was judging Green's work.
Brown pointed out that their expert witness 'did well.
'You don't have to have a Phd and you don't have to have Master's degree in order to to explain the analysis and evaluation
'What the prosecution has lacked any verification or validation of this product and this potential science that the Astrea folks wants to introduce.
'None of their witnesses were able to introduce any evidence about validation and verification and our witness confirmed and corroborated that it is not there.'
He added, 'Quite frankly there is no general acceptance in the realm community of the scientific community and hopefully the judge agrees with that.'
Brown said in part, that 'the biggest thing that the prosecution wants to do is generate this likelihood ratio and throw that in front of a jury.'
The pointed out that during Green's testimony, 'he didn't even know the name of his own program' and also took note that his lab Astrea Labs is 'not a certifiable lab.'
'How can they (the prosecution) claim it is generally acceptable in the scientific community. You can't,' he said.
When Brown was asked what his game plan is if the evidence is ruled admissable and if the whole genome sequencing is precluded, his response it that they will 'take it one step at a time.'
'He has maintained his innocence from day one. He wants his trial and is looking forward to his trial and we are going to keep going , Brown said.
Rex Heuermann's family members are speaking out in the new Peacock docuseries
'We are going to suppress evidence that is unconstitutionally obtained or illegal until we get to to the point to try the case,' he said.
The documentary reveals never-before-heard admissions from Heuermann's family and of a man accused of living a double life.
In a bombshell twist, Victoria admits to producers that she believes her father 'most likely' committed the murders though her mother steadfastly defends her ex-husband's innocence.
She came to her own conclusion after she reviewed the facts that were available on the case and what was explained to her. She shared the revelation with producers, a week before the series launch.
Though she did not speak about in the documentary, it was revealed in a statement at the end of the final episode.
Heuermann has been charged with the murders of seven women during a two-decade reign of horror from 1993 to 2011.
All the victims were sex workers who vanished before their remains were found along Ocean Parkway near Gilgo Beach as well as other remote spots on Long Island.
Since his arrest, prosecutors have unveiled a trove of evidence, including hairs allegedly belonging to Heuermann and his family members found on some of the victims, cellphone data allegedly placing him in contact with them, and a chilling 'planning document' in which he allegedly outlines his killings in detail.
He has pleaded not guilty to all charges.
Fears that a serial killer or killers were operating on Long Island began in May 2010 when 24-year-old sex worker Shannan Gilbert disappeared in strange circumstances one night.
During a search for Gilbert that December, officers found the body of Melissa Barthelemy, 22, in the marshes by Gilgo Beach.
Valerie Mack (left) disappeared in 2000 and parts of her body were discovered in Long Island that November. Jessica Taylor (right) vanished in 2003 with some of her remains being found in Manorville that year
Sandra Costilla (left) was murdered in 1993, making her the earliest known victim. Karen Vergata's (right) remains were identified in 2023. Heuermann has not been charged in connection to her death
Within days, three more bodies - Amber Costello, 27, Maureen Brainard-Barnes, 25, and Megan Waterman, 22 - had been found. They became known as the Gilgo Four.
Over the following months, the remains of seven other victims were found.
Earlier this year, Tanya Denise Jackson, 26, also known as Peaches, and her two-year-old daughter Tatiana Marie Dykes were identified this year.
Their deaths have not been linked to Heuermann.
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