"The ruling is in - nuclear DNA results in the Gilgo Beach serial killer case will be admissible during trial. Suffolk County Judge Timothy Mazzei issued his decision early Wednesday during an extremely brief appearance by suspected killer Rex Heuermann. It was an almost anticlimactic conclusion to a hearing that began in March and only concluded in August, where both the defense and prosecution called witnesses to the stand for examinations and cross examinations, some of which lasted several business days."
"A nuclear DNA profile was made of Heuermann when prosecutors obtained a buccal swab - which Heuermann's defense attorneys Michael Brown and Danielle Coysh attempted to block in real time. Nuclear DNA, which was introduced in the case in January of 2024 when he was charged with the murder of Maureen Brainard-Barnes, has since allegedly tied Heuermann to six of the seven murders he is charged with: Brainard-Barnes, Jessica Taylor, Valerie Mack, Sandra Costilla, Megan Waterman, and Amber Lynn Costello. Non-DNA circumstantial evidence was used to charge Heuermann with the murder of Melissa Barthelemy."
A Suffolk County judge ruled that nuclear DNA results will be admissible at the Gilgo Beach murder trial. The decision followed a Frye hearing that began in March and concluded in August, during which both defense and prosecution called and cross-examined witnesses over multiple business days. Prosecutors obtained a buccal swab from Rex Heuermann to create a nuclear DNA profile. The DNA testing was outsourced to California-based Astrea Forensics, which uses IBDGem software. The nuclear DNA has allegedly linked Heuermann to six of seven charged murders; non-DNA circumstantial evidence was used in the remaining charge. The defense argued the Astrea methods are novel and unreliable.
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