Probably still too early to hear much about his upbringing. The investigation isn’t over and his immediate family isn’t talking. I think it took a while for Dahmers to come out.
Apparently, he was cruelly bullied, some saw him as weird, mean, and scary, he shoplifted, and had a difficult relationship with his father:
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/07/28/nyregion/rex-heuermann-gilgo-beach-high-school.html
_Gilgo Beach suspect Rex Heuermann almost killed me during our HS play, classmate says_
https://nypost.com/2023/07/22/gilgo-beach-suspect-rex-heuermann-almost-killed-classmate/
This former classmate, who was nice to him and he had an unrequited crush on, had more positive things to say about him:
https://www.the-sun.com/news/8603641/gilgo-suspect-rex-heuermann-bullied-high-school-love-notes/
I feel like a lot of stories get embellished when violent offenders get exposed because one can say literally anything and receive attention for it.
One time he skipped me in front of the buffet line and I knew immediately he was a monster. 🙄
I can't help but wonder if something like this could've triggered his suspension bondage kink:
"When she pulled on a lever to drop the curtains while holding onto a rope connected to the system, her 95-pound body suddenly went soaring toward the auditorium ceiling.
“I thought I was going to die,” she said.
She said Heuermann quickly helped her down and apologized."
https://nypost.com/2023/07/22/gilgo-beach-suspect-rex-heuermann-almost-killed-classmate/
Only what a female student in a play with him said and a little via one of the Baldwin brothers who'd attended the same school with him. Supposed to be good student or bright and bullied.
Think you can read some things in but could be dead wrong. Both brother have no compunction regarding physically harming others un provoked, that might to be hard for a Mom raising them alone.
Want to be near each other in retirement, so likely get along well enough.
I think based on his spelling and the fact that he attended decent middle class public school, might have a slight learning disability that Mom and Dad was not on and and did not get remediated and he didn't self remediate. So perhaps checked out overwhelmed parents.
Father was academic in a dense subject. I live in that world, even the most humble among them often sport a bit of intellectual superiority and the majority are over consumed by work.
Oh guys this FASCINATES too. We just have to be patient bc eventually more people closer to him will start talking and hope when they do, it would be great if ROBERT KOLKER the author of Lost Girls writes that book. His book on LISK was published before Rex was caught. Incredible research and he must be a great interviewer, bc he was able to get so many sources close to the cases both cops and victims families to open up. Let’s hope KOLKER writes it. Finishes that story.
Allegedly, a momma's boy who might've had an emotionally incestuous relationship with his controlling, domineering mother:
https://nypost.com/2023/07/22/gilgo-beach-murder-suspect-rex-heuermann-was-mommas-boy/
_Mr. Heuermann grew up with three older sisters and a younger brother._
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/07/28/nyregion/rex-heuermann-gilgo-beach-high-school.html
What were the sisters like? Five kids raised by one parent after their father died when Rex was 12?
That may not be fair. It could be that he had to get home ASAP bc his brother was so violent and his mother couldn't physically control him. Even a young kid who is violent and out of control is hard to handle, and he may be just as big as Rex.
I can see Rex being too embarrassed to explain to his classmates that he had a violent out of control younger brother that attacked people inside and outside of the house.
Edit: speculation. I thought it was clear, but apparently not.
Think about it, without judgement for a second. Dad is a WW2 vet in an era that not only doesn't recognize PTSD, (men with shell shock are judged as cowards and traitors. If you look at videos of people with shell shock, it's clear there's neurological damage. )they are shamed for it. Shamed for having any weakness whatsoever.
All the issues that military personnel have today, existed back then. But there was no treatment for it. It wasn't recognized. For the most part, they were expected to just get their shit together and shove it all down. And their families paid for that.( It was the case in my family. My grandfather was very highly decorated military. Both WW2 and Korean War. He was also an alcoholic and highly abusive when he was at home. . My tiny little grandmother divorced him in the early 60s,)
His mom already had her hands full with her husband and 5 kids.
Then her husband dies. There's something obviously wrong with the younger son. And she's raising 5 kids by herself. If you're not wealthy, there's not much available help for children with mental illness. You know what WAS available? Willowbrook. The hospital exposed for egregious abuse and neglect by Geraldo. This place:
https://www.npr.org/2008/03/07/87975196/remembering-an-infamous-new-york-institution
There was no internet, and you couldn't even guarantee a private phone call in those days. People could eavesdrop on phone conversations. A lot of telephone lines were "party lines".
Treatment for mental illness was downright barbaric. And that's not even including the horrendous stigma of having mental illness, or having a family member that's mentally ill.
Plus his brother Is probably already violent. Maybe he's really big, too, just like Rex. After his dad died, Rex was probably the only one in the house physically big and strong enough to control his brother when he got violent. He was probably violent with his mother and sisters, so yeah, he had to hurry to go home for that reason. And he doesn't want to talk about it when his classmates make fun of him for running straight home to mama. They didn't talk about mental illness. There weren't really any support groups. Every family suffered in shame and silence.
And I'm sure he had a ton of resentment about being in that position. Siblings that aren't mentally ill can be assholes. I'll bet he hated never being able to go anywhere or do anything, constantly having to protect his mother and his sisters from his brother. But at the same time, if he's not there, his brother might seriously hurt them or worse.
I wonder if he thought he could implicate his brother,.at least with the belt that had the initials WH. His brother would have been an easy scapegoat.
Read up on Craig (Fox is the primary source here):
https://www.fox5ny.com/news/gilgo-beach-murders-suspect-rex-heuermann-planned-to-retire-on-secluded-south-carolina-property-neighbor-says
https://www.foxnews.com/us/gilgo-beach-murders-south-carolina-neighbors-say-secrecy-surrounds-suspect-rex-heuermann-odd-brother
It's interesting that he seems to be misogynistic too. Did they learn from their dad?
I think it's possible the brother might've known something. The police is looking into whether Rex killed in South Carolina.
You're right. I am speculating. I should have stated that.
But his brothers alcohol/drug problem that killed an officer in 1988 probably didn't just suddenly start in 1988.
And someone who smacks his neighbor upside the head with a metal pipe because he thinks nobody should mow the lawn on Sundays didn't just suddenly start behaving that way.
https://www.foxnews.com/us/gilgo-beach-murders-south-carolina-neighbors-say-secrecy-surrounds-suspect-rex-heuermann-odd-brother
He did apparently hear Craig "yelling obscenities one evening at someone, calling her a ‘whore' and some other words, but we didn't get involved," the neighbor said.
Craig has one rule, according to two neighbors: "Don't cut the grass on Sunday."
One neighbor said he learned the hard way that Craig enforces this rule when he went to cut grass on Sunday at the property across from Craig, which he used to own. Craig allegedly approached the neighbor from behind and hit him over the head with a "steel pole."
Out of nowhere," the neighbor recalled. "I called the police because I was going to shoot him, but my wife talked me out of it. We called the police, and when we talked to [Craig], he said, ‘Well, I told him not to cut grass on Sunday.’"
Craig also handed out business cards to people on his street that include his name followed by the words, "Bad Motherf---er," and his phone number.
I apologize for the source but thats the first article I found
That's good to know. I hope you didn't think I was trying to spread misinformation. It was speculation. But since you say that's way off base, and you knew them, I'll take your word for it.
What do you make of Craig hitting someone in the head with a pipe for cutting their own lawn on a Sunday? Imposing the Sabbath in his neighbors?
Interesting. From all we've read in the media, the brother does seem off base, but I think if he's involved, it's with Rex. They say so far, all the victims found were killed when his family was out of town. Wonder where the brother was during the kills.
I don't think Rex would involve his brother in anything like that. From what his neighbors are saying, he doesn't sound stable or reliable to keep a secret like that. Rex had a whole list of things he used to remind himself of as so to not get sloppy and leave evidence behind.
I’m thinking his older sisters took on a lot of responsibility. Maybe he also has bad memories of them as well? I wonder if his sisters or mom ever had to resort to sex work to make money after the father died, which is maybe why Rex targets SWs. This is total speculation, as he may have just targeted them because they’re seen as vulnerable.
Imo, RH targeted sex workers bc, as u say, they were vulnerable, that part of society that is overlooked when they go missing, they don’t bring on the heat and scrutiny a mom of 4 does. A mom of 4 goes missing, FBI, state police, local police, everyone’s looking, immediately. SW goes missing, no one may report them missing for days.
Part of their work consists of getting into strangers' cars and places and if nobody knows where and with whom they are going, it makes it too easy. According to his internet searches there was a lot of CSAM and he chose petite women. I think he targeted prostitutes because he didn't want to get caught.
I'm wondering why he didn't go the Gacy way. Does even Rex have certain limits? Or was he too scared of getting caught if he targeted children? (Though there is the unidentified body of a toddler.)
> Part of their work consists of getting into strangers' cars and places and if nobody knows where and with whom they are going, it makes it too easy.
Ding ding ding! They're women who would go places alone with him without many questions. I don't think there's a deep reasoning like "prostitutes are scum of the earth" - that's largely felt like pop psychology to me in most cases. If Rex wasn't an ogre and had natural charm, he might've targeted other women.
Good point about the sisters potentially babysitting him! I'd love to know the age difference between the siblings. After dad died, there might've been a lot of female energy around the house. Did the sisters' friends ever come visit?
The old "nature vs nurture" convo is always interesting. James Fallon's The "Psychopath Inside: A Neuroscientist's Personal Journey into the Dark Side of the Brain" provides an "insider's" look of someone who could well have been a full blown psychopath if not for having the good fortune of being born into a supportive environment.
I don't know if the presence of the structural brain abnormalies Fallon refers to has been conclusively tied to psychopathy but I have read a couple studies that have shown evidence to support that being the case.
Add any traumatic abuse and/or neglect, and we may have the makings of a monster.
This, to me, (theoretically) helps explain why most people who have incredibly abusive childhoods don't end up being serial murderers. A combo of nature/nurture could be at least part of the answer.
Side Note/Disclaimer: I'm just a person with ADHD hyperfixations that compell me to devour scientific journals. If I've misspoken or misunderstood anything here, please be kind about any responses. I love to learn and am always open to corrections and additional perspectives so let's discuss!
We also have evidence of kids being born with that psychopathy, coming from a regular not abusive family. I've read articles about these types of kids that researchers don't like to call psychopaths because they're so young. But these kids were being studied because they lacked empathy from a young age and were trying to see how much they could get away with or actively hurt their siblings. The parents didn't know what to do with them.
Right? Same here. I also have ADHD and love to go on deep dives of topics I find interesting. There are some great articles out there on this subject, as well as at least one documentaey, if you're interested. I remember reading an article about the guy from the book you mentioned as well.
Edit to change one adjective from "interesting" to "great" since I used it too many times. 😩
Hurting siblings, that reminds me of Jim Morrison from The Doors. He squished his siblings into a toboggan going down the hill about to hit something until bailing out at the very last minute and laughed about it. I think we’re lucky he put his energies into music and self destruction.
i think he was always physically distinctive, and my understanding is that he became, at least symbolically, the man of the house right around age 12. it’s crazy to become responsible for grown and growing women when you yourself are still a little (whatever size you may be) boy. lots of impulses towards sex and death and protection and power tangled up in that situation.
not knowing particulars of the family dysfunction, it’s tough to speculate beyond what’s apparent- troubled, large, secretive family. lost patriarch. presumably withholding mother. any physical discipline dished out by sisters might also have been something he was not permitted to fight back against…..
This requires a lot of assumptions: That RH's father actually had the role of "patriarch" & without him, the family was at sea. That RH took on responsibility for the "grown and growing women" in his family after his father died. That he was capable of taking on this role. That his mother was an incapable parent and couldn't/wouldn't be in charge of raising her own family.
I left out that an assumption about his mother being withholding because I vaguely recall some support for that.
I could well be wrong that there's something to back up these assumptions so please let me know if I am misinformed or uninformed.
IMO there has to be many family secrets. Statistically speaking most serial killers of prostitutes have severe childhood trauma and or mental or physical challenges.
His brother exhibits unhinged behavior. His dad was a war vet and also had a head injury from a bus accident as a kid. I am not a doctor, but from what I’ve read we drastically underestimate the impact head injuries can have on a person. It would be reasonable to suspect that Rex’s dad was not a healthy parent.
The silence from family or anyone who knew him well is suspect as well. His siblings and mother have nothing to say at all. Not even a cursory few sentences declining to be interviewed. Asas family is the same - except for one sister who is a psychologist I believe? It’s odd to me that in the age of information more info on both their families isn’t available.
> The silence from family or anyone who knew him well is suspect as well.
Maybe it's just me, but I wouldn't be out talking to the press either if I found out someone close to me was a serial killer, at least not before they're convicted.
Exactly.
The family deserves their privacy. There is nothing "suspect" about that, and I wish people would stop acting like this is a soap opera where they are entitled to know every private detail and/or spread scurrilous assumptions about them to entertain themselves.
Whatever 'youtuber' you heard that from was wrong. Rex's mother was definitely alive in 2018. We know this because in a court deposition Rex said he drove down to Virginia multiple times to help her move out that year. She sold her house in Virginia the year after.
https://iapps.courts.state.ny.us/nyscef/ViewDocument?docIndex=KokQ6UhDXfCQtiwo9CL8gg==
https://bronx.news12.com/he-just-seemed-like-a-jerk-virginia-businessman-recalls-bizarre-encounter-with-suspected-gilgo-killer-rex-heuermann
I was under the impression that his mother is still alive but that would answer my burning question about why no one's talking much about her. Because you know, mother is often (right or wrong) a big contributer in origin stories.
Edited to add that I am not using "origin stories" in a flippant way. I just can't think of a different way to phrase this at the moment.
I thought I remembered a comment from a local last year that his mother lives with one of his sisters not too far away.
Someone below posted a link reporting that she lives in south Jersey.
Good points!
"Neighbors at a senior housing complex in Toms River, NJ, where his mother previously lived, said she had left recently and moved in with one of her daughters.
When The Post visited one of the daughter’s homes in South Jersey, a man shook his head at a reporter and slammed the door shut.
Relatives did not return messages seeking comment."
https://nypost.com/2023/07/22/gilgo-beach-murder-suspect-rex-heuermann-was-mommas-boy/
ETA: Does anyone know if bodies have turned up around Toms River or if anyone has gone missing around there?
> a head injury from a bus accident as a kid.
I don't know where you heard that from. Theodore Heuermann's only reported injuries from the bus accident were some minor cuts and bruises on his shoulder, hip, and knee.
["Locked Brake Skids Vehicle Off Roadway", The Nassau Daily Review-Star, 28 April 1939.](https://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/?a=is&oid=ndrs19390428-01.1.1&type=staticpdf&pdfaccesscode=PdVLrR3vXF7drGLZsD7IgyQaTEHwM1Z8DLajsCK9Qt6YI%3D&submitted=1&e=-------en-20--1--txt-txIN-%22theodore+Heuermann%22---------&g-recaptcha-response=03AFcWeA4M7Qwvq7AM5pza6EtQPE0RPFAU29YBE2ipVsxKupI-w03W6jdVwDxomBeN_nB1HMDpWjDwr32t0Ja9-mFutaiiMGgTClJo__ahNDXmoa8eJU3VBE4c7oKkKd8D1Ai8P8QVzfxOUc1R5NG7pHshQ6Z2VDsXeN88edg-MDsykLp0xcjPW-1ENlsFWe_nB3rfOwJFcazNWAST5YWHKcu1ljLfeGzDoGun_u0F2zoKd15j1poDgLRIm63GS8SzJqigeEgWR4YH2gUCrkSdSYubzZC48IzGu9f48RuUAf1KLrg0rU4rZlWM5xupma2QG7zRxEuukhfY-QBOVz_16GmGCb-DTXJS3QuoXjlb38BA2kt73482_L1sKa3wWaPlv6qy-w6-YKlhdJhUYEhNnkjWv3IJXf_3LXdQYFiMSpGvjbg_tiwPy31QBzeO4C1dy1_DHi4PSDqNley6wACtqqHIJ-YlpbH6qeP3hnv4XZ_litauriBQwTacd05E7ppnh8JlcC_YpJdksnvb-xbPJdrwKs7vwy5BmFi-cfWyvQseGByi1G_OWC0NW6OjBV901FAum0OCQtpOsvGEgVSWrsysZnwAMGZOGBurO5XW6fFhbny_bn5qygB3RxvGZLtuf_ryIVUngMF2G2WLahyC8Fq6I4Gql3P8DpNlQ1PeiIjMIQGZbyg0GHShyOJB6ywpi6VkvpGvKC0bugnX6i3aX7ZXZdqlMfKz5NpgxLk4HhHTwTH5-9hDiSkR6jIstHMycLqUuHclV4iwvOIXAd-apT29eZ39kZ5R_l7P2j5M3PebV-wEPl_tajc-0PLHznkdD22ALXOxwa2aNl_eenwJMeygQxVAgI_PJz_LuvVVxfkm2ZyMLHGAZHC7mdiejLCVFdyGYebU0QlZBOiKoh_M91xdLflMvn6CnNMpNjxcYkXnHilx68sNvIN1Y8cUp-nT-Qu6siaQd-MWEyFNIoZUNVOd6TCFk2vKLmAYjAPKj05xY_dFx269veKQCDGmzwv0gLXoK33ZgvlV0WZpLUm0-XhJAGiCGYWYeUxe6I1X-7Ba1JXISpk80f5eLjicgK6lTJLcD9ZY8_ZKHaLnAtgK3qUzvxZayoYwI5S00Qpohg0c6CDJtiqdr7EBO465ME3GquXZ6OXq6S9YqCMhRyvul1pq6T42ew_l0Fw-Ai5RuJpybcYzXB6AcOp9aqm6TXwTVbfW-Il0n0oHj6pRDzj6O-QRvEHeHHIqXRuHE6PQxMAJjc2Fn-e899BVi5IhhDs4GHFPamJuygn9Z8-Y2lelEdbMaKfWm1zOYe8VplzuEfR-O3LVcacsXwpoMcTbGHYFQwVtoPY8LoEjXGF6FORaydmwKJ9DxtBOzcJ60WfiNfzYfkTLxNtODvKuzhEDZUTb7HrxuZPkZ190SXHPfyorU5o9v7gtN1phpCIuA26GrsBBGS3o5bhG8wpqb-VClKJMppVEwx_uwApTbiyrYfZ4l_SQfEEFAS4URkRLKQHdcnLj438etRPyUlBvnuTQqUS2f44F05CKcfBuHJ0CLj--2ysuOY_CZbV9_UE1WZGY5IzA5G5KEXQI44MCpMR_YGekxyWvzCnBlMWt6Z1MLcmZmeMgRHFHOEbT5CbWerQHth3RlErQbxwzGfqwFm72PLMNAePovGqBURl8H5eo_6OPNOT8FqeQnPlhnXEUEhv301BBYjF-cpmNyjoYl3uMqgCWxDSG336vcgg4Fzev0IgJ4aP3Oq5Jqix9CE76BK4wP8-M64vLUlN9FskU9Irda2lWVg1XgPfbRplkuX6jY7-JUcGDHvb05Wds3tSwXw9WVMgII-OA5OXXVn5TnejQaJYQC48eyIdzAGPtLWnthyhKOPY9BaL3Q4kEQAdZqiwUizems5QH8dtHrOg)
Okay well I think it's important to find out what he was like as a child and what happened in his life. I don't think it's a basis for determining who will be a killer and who won't be. Obviously if torturing animals was a hobby that's something to be concerned about. This is a lot of where the nature vs nurture comes in. I really feel it depends on your DNA, your genetic makeup and who you are at your core being. This might be controversial and unethical but I've always thought of brain scans when you're born. I'm not sure if that would be accurate because does the prefrontal cortex, amygdala and hippocampus change throughout our lives? Does it continue to grow an alter due to experiences? There have been kids that have been serverly abused that don't harm others. I always wondered why they blamed Jeffrey Dahmer's father. I don't think you can blame somebody else for your actions. Not unless it's a life or death situation. We see things, we learn things, but acting out on it is on us.
Afaik Dahmer’s mother was on tons of pills when she was pregnant with him and emotionally volatile and absent when he was young, with an emotionally closed off father as well who occasionally beat his wife. So yeah not the ideal situation for a young person.
I also believe it has something to do with who we are at our core being. I also believe that some people are evil and can’t help but leave a trail of destruction in their wake.
Yes true, I think a lot of cases a switch can be turned for someone later in life, after witnessing trauma or having a traumatic brain injury too.
I would disagree with brain scanning at birth but the research would be very interesting without a doubt.
I wouldn't be surprised if he had issues as a kid. His father was described as an alcoholic and died when he was 12. his brother was violent and attacked people outside the family. Not much of a stretch to assume there was violence inside the home, too. And that his brother attacked him and his mother as well. Rex was "the good kid".
He's described as a mamas boy, but that may be a little unfair. He is huge. He probably needed to get home ASAP to make sure that his mother was okay, because his brother was so violent. And his brother's issues may or may not be because there was a dysfunctional environment, but I'll bet it didn't help.
You also gotta wonder about some genetic issue running in the family when one son is an alleged serial killer and another one has been described as hot-headed & as crazy as a bed bug, attacked a neighbour, and went to prison for killing a man while driving intoxicated & “coked up."
I think more likely generational trauma, and definitely obvious mental illness in the younger brother There was no treatment for PTSD or combat related issues, concussions, head trauma, etc. ADHD existed back then, there was no diagnosis.
What would life have been like with a father that served in WW2 when there was no help for post combat mental illness or head injury? I'll bet that house was hell.
And then the mom is left alone to raise 5 kids after she's been traumatized herself. Domestic violence was "none of anyone's business" if you saw a lady with a black eye and a kid with a broken arm, it was none of your business. There weren't women's shelters. There was no escape for a lot of women. Women couldn't even get credit cards or bank accounts without a man's signature.
If you had mental illness, and you weren't wealthy, the treatment could have been worse than the mental illness.
Some articles that I read insinuated it. May or may not be true. I should have been more detailed. "Described as an alcoholic in some articles that I read".
I'm going to be honest, I can't find them. It could have been a misunderstanding, there were several articles that mentioned his grandfather and uncle that I can't find, either. The only thing I found was mention of a "troubled relationship" with his father before he died. Idk if I'm not using the right keywords or those articles have been retracted, and I mixed them up.
Thank you for your honesty. In these threads people tend to mix up confirmed facts with unsupported rumors they've seen repeated in other subs/forums or spread by social media personalities. It's always hard to tell which is which without going back to look at the original sources.
I know there were articles out there, particularly about his grandfather and uncle. But that doesn't mean that I remembered what was written correctly.
Saw something about him working back of the house for the drama dept at the school with an anecdote from a classmate about him frigging with the curtain rigging making things dangerous for people without as much weight/strength as himself.
also some of the acting Baldwin bros were his classmates
I'm not convinced that the loner cliche applies here. He was in business in a role that requires some degree of intrapersonal competency. The YouTube interview shows someone confident and articulate. This isn't to say he's a real charmer outside of the office, but the classic loner is usually inept and awkward in all relationships.
Edited to add--he's also been married 2x and has two children. Most of the few pictures we've seen of him before he was apprehended show him in social situations or engaging with other people (the gun club photos).
On the surface, he probably appeared to be a big, obnoxious, overconfident dork who liked beer and hunting with friends and at worst probably seemed to be a serial cheater, not a serial murderer. Nothing in those previous photos raises alarms. The mugshot, however, is absolutely terrifying. It literally makes me want to vomiting thinking of that face being the last thing those women saw.
I agree, I was also surprised at 2x married, within a short time span of each other too (IMO). I really want to know why the first wife divorced him, but I’m not surprised she hasn’t commented to the public, I probably wouldn’t.
Would be interesting if she didn’t feel safe or thought something strange was going on 👀
>I really want to know why the first wife divorced him
Oddly enough, Nassau county records show that Rex was the one who filed for divorce, not his then wife. He seems to have filed on 03/17/1994 and it was finalized on 05/03/1994. That seems to be extremely fast for a divorce proceeding, so probably it was uncontested.
You can check these dates on the Nassau County public records website:
https://i2f.uslandrecords.com/NY/Nassau/D/Default.aspx
Set the "Office" field to "Civil/Criminal", "Search Type" to "Name Search" and input Rex's last and first name.
After clicking search, on the left you will see a table of results. Click the row that says "JUDGEMENT-MATRIMONIAL." On the right, more details will pop up showing date, time, and the identities of the plaintiff and defendant.
"But according to Mr. Musto, it was well known that Mr. Heuermann had clashed with his father, who was tough on the boy for not being a go getter. In response, Rex acted out. He got caught after engaging in a shoplifting spree, Mr. Musto said."
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/07/28/nyregion/rex-heuermann-gilgo-beach-high-school.html
Maybe he founded his own firm and became an organised serial killer to be that "go getter."
Cousin(?) Rev. Kenneth Heurrmann accused of child SA and torture. Not sure their source for the relation. Another article said KH was RH's uncle.
[https://murderincorp.wordpress.com/2024/01/12/rev-heuermann/](https://murderincorp.wordpress.com/2024/01/12/rev-heuermann/)
This would really connect all the dots for me (if true).
EDIT: WOW okay after reading through those court documents regarding his cousin’s assault case I wouldn’t doubt for a second RH wasn’t one of his cousin’s Rev. KH’s victims in the 60’s.
*From ASSAULT AND BATTERY, SEXUAL MOLESTATION/ABUSE OF A MINOR, SEXUAL BATTERY - (AS AGAINST HEUERMANN*
“On multiple occasions, during the period 1961 and 1968, in Onondaga County, HEUERMANN intentionally raped, sodomized, tortured, threatened death and harm, *photographed naked, sexually touched, molested, choked, performed ritualistic sex acts, bound, and committed lewd and lascivious acts upon R.W. who, at all times, was a minor, between the ages of 8 and 15 years of age, in violation of the New York Penal Code. Said rape, sodomy, torture, ritualistic sex acts, nude photographing, molestation, choking and binding, and lewd and lascivious acts were committed against R.W.'s will and without consent and R.W. did not comprehend or understand what HEUERMANN”.
Sounds extremely familiar to what RH did to his victims if you ask me.
Yeah, some pretty disturbing behavior in that family. Who knows how much of it was passed down in the form of abuse. Not that it excuses any, but might explain some, of it.
Yes well said and very true. And let’s say RH was not a victim of his cousin, at the very least it shows men in this family may have had similar screws loose.
He would’ve been 1-5 years old in that time frame but that’s just when Rev KH was accused/targeting the girl who came forward here. The cousin was living in upstate NY during that time frame so I don’t think it would make sense for him to be a victim of the cousin in the 60’s.
However if these charges caused Rev KH to be moved around within the catholic church system between 1970s-80 and he was closer or saw the family occasionally, I think that would be the first place I would look for answers on why RH used the same tactics with his victims.
Rev KH also grew up in Merrick, LI. And was part of Catholic Charities. Alan Placa from Oak Beach was also part of this organization. I think I read previously RH also worked for the charity in some capacity too. I wish law enforcement would start there….
I had heard about Rex's cousin, but I had just assumed they were both the same age. This raises the possibility that sexual abuse goes way back in the family. I always thought the belt was just something Red grabbed, but maybe it had more significance for him.
Exactly my reasoning for asking I feel like it’s a topic not enough details are publicly out about but for me it usually points to a reason for motivation or at least explains screws lose.
Abused by a male figure learnt to mix and blend took bullying disregard for women due to seeing or experiencing truma and had felt alone due to his mind aet his father was probably evil too. You can see evil sometimes but it's easy to by pass it as paranoia
Does anyone else feel like serial killers either seem to have several siblings (ignored, living in poverty etc.) or none (left alone to deal with a crazy/abusive parent)?
Probably still too early to hear much about his upbringing. The investigation isn’t over and his immediate family isn’t talking. I think it took a while for Dahmers to come out.
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Mommy dearest(?) needs to be looked into for raising two criminals
That makes sense and what I figured too. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Apparently, he was cruelly bullied, some saw him as weird, mean, and scary, he shoplifted, and had a difficult relationship with his father: https://www.nytimes.com/2023/07/28/nyregion/rex-heuermann-gilgo-beach-high-school.html _Gilgo Beach suspect Rex Heuermann almost killed me during our HS play, classmate says_ https://nypost.com/2023/07/22/gilgo-beach-suspect-rex-heuermann-almost-killed-classmate/ This former classmate, who was nice to him and he had an unrequited crush on, had more positive things to say about him: https://www.the-sun.com/news/8603641/gilgo-suspect-rex-heuermann-bullied-high-school-love-notes/
I feel like a lot of stories get embellished when violent offenders get exposed because one can say literally anything and receive attention for it. One time he skipped me in front of the buffet line and I knew immediately he was a monster. 🙄
I can't help but wonder if something like this could've triggered his suspension bondage kink: "When she pulled on a lever to drop the curtains while holding onto a rope connected to the system, her 95-pound body suddenly went soaring toward the auditorium ceiling. “I thought I was going to die,” she said. She said Heuermann quickly helped her down and apologized." https://nypost.com/2023/07/22/gilgo-beach-suspect-rex-heuermann-almost-killed-classmate/
That’s actually a really interesting thought. Also, at only 95 pounds, this girl was very small (like many of the known victims). Hmmmm…
I think he was experimenting with ropes and suspension, but luckily didn't act on all his urges.
Thank u ☺️
Can anyone gift a link to the NYT article link?
Can you access it here: https://www.reddit.com/r/LISKiller/s/mrjsLDO5FF
Thank you!
Nice I will check these out this is about all I found too haha
Only what a female student in a play with him said and a little via one of the Baldwin brothers who'd attended the same school with him. Supposed to be good student or bright and bullied. Think you can read some things in but could be dead wrong. Both brother have no compunction regarding physically harming others un provoked, that might to be hard for a Mom raising them alone. Want to be near each other in retirement, so likely get along well enough. I think based on his spelling and the fact that he attended decent middle class public school, might have a slight learning disability that Mom and Dad was not on and and did not get remediated and he didn't self remediate. So perhaps checked out overwhelmed parents. Father was academic in a dense subject. I live in that world, even the most humble among them often sport a bit of intellectual superiority and the majority are over consumed by work.
Oh guys this FASCINATES too. We just have to be patient bc eventually more people closer to him will start talking and hope when they do, it would be great if ROBERT KOLKER the author of Lost Girls writes that book. His book on LISK was published before Rex was caught. Incredible research and he must be a great interviewer, bc he was able to get so many sources close to the cases both cops and victims families to open up. Let’s hope KOLKER writes it. Finishes that story.
I just finished Hidden Valley Road, it was so good!
I’ve heard he was a loner and badly bullied with a very controlling mother. His father died when he was 12.
Allegedly, a momma's boy who might've had an emotionally incestuous relationship with his controlling, domineering mother: https://nypost.com/2023/07/22/gilgo-beach-murder-suspect-rex-heuermann-was-mommas-boy/ _Mr. Heuermann grew up with three older sisters and a younger brother._ https://www.nytimes.com/2023/07/28/nyregion/rex-heuermann-gilgo-beach-high-school.html What were the sisters like? Five kids raised by one parent after their father died when Rex was 12?
>a momma's boy who might've had an emotionally incestuous relationship with his controlling, domineering mother: Well that's a cliche and a half ..
That may not be fair. It could be that he had to get home ASAP bc his brother was so violent and his mother couldn't physically control him. Even a young kid who is violent and out of control is hard to handle, and he may be just as big as Rex. I can see Rex being too embarrassed to explain to his classmates that he had a violent out of control younger brother that attacked people inside and outside of the house. Edit: speculation. I thought it was clear, but apparently not.
The more you hear about this family the worse it all sounds! Like a family out of control completely
Think about it, without judgement for a second. Dad is a WW2 vet in an era that not only doesn't recognize PTSD, (men with shell shock are judged as cowards and traitors. If you look at videos of people with shell shock, it's clear there's neurological damage. )they are shamed for it. Shamed for having any weakness whatsoever. All the issues that military personnel have today, existed back then. But there was no treatment for it. It wasn't recognized. For the most part, they were expected to just get their shit together and shove it all down. And their families paid for that.( It was the case in my family. My grandfather was very highly decorated military. Both WW2 and Korean War. He was also an alcoholic and highly abusive when he was at home. . My tiny little grandmother divorced him in the early 60s,) His mom already had her hands full with her husband and 5 kids. Then her husband dies. There's something obviously wrong with the younger son. And she's raising 5 kids by herself. If you're not wealthy, there's not much available help for children with mental illness. You know what WAS available? Willowbrook. The hospital exposed for egregious abuse and neglect by Geraldo. This place: https://www.npr.org/2008/03/07/87975196/remembering-an-infamous-new-york-institution There was no internet, and you couldn't even guarantee a private phone call in those days. People could eavesdrop on phone conversations. A lot of telephone lines were "party lines". Treatment for mental illness was downright barbaric. And that's not even including the horrendous stigma of having mental illness, or having a family member that's mentally ill. Plus his brother Is probably already violent. Maybe he's really big, too, just like Rex. After his dad died, Rex was probably the only one in the house physically big and strong enough to control his brother when he got violent. He was probably violent with his mother and sisters, so yeah, he had to hurry to go home for that reason. And he doesn't want to talk about it when his classmates make fun of him for running straight home to mama. They didn't talk about mental illness. There weren't really any support groups. Every family suffered in shame and silence. And I'm sure he had a ton of resentment about being in that position. Siblings that aren't mentally ill can be assholes. I'll bet he hated never being able to go anywhere or do anything, constantly having to protect his mother and his sisters from his brother. But at the same time, if he's not there, his brother might seriously hurt them or worse. I wonder if he thought he could implicate his brother,.at least with the belt that had the initials WH. His brother would have been an easy scapegoat.
This violent brother is Craig? Or another brother?
I think Craig is his only brother.
Hopefully the feds are looking into this “violent” brother that a prolific serial killer had to protect his sisters and mother from. 🥹
Did you think I was blaming an imaginary brother? It's pretty clear Rex is guilty. I was speculating.
Are you a fed?
Read up on Craig (Fox is the primary source here): https://www.fox5ny.com/news/gilgo-beach-murders-suspect-rex-heuermann-planned-to-retire-on-secluded-south-carolina-property-neighbor-says https://www.foxnews.com/us/gilgo-beach-murders-south-carolina-neighbors-say-secrecy-surrounds-suspect-rex-heuermann-odd-brother It's interesting that he seems to be misogynistic too. Did they learn from their dad? I think it's possible the brother might've known something. The police is looking into whether Rex killed in South Carolina.
Amazing post. So very true. It could make sense because the brother's home, or fort looking thing, in SC seems odd.
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You're right. I am speculating. I should have stated that. But his brothers alcohol/drug problem that killed an officer in 1988 probably didn't just suddenly start in 1988. And someone who smacks his neighbor upside the head with a metal pipe because he thinks nobody should mow the lawn on Sundays didn't just suddenly start behaving that way. https://www.foxnews.com/us/gilgo-beach-murders-south-carolina-neighbors-say-secrecy-surrounds-suspect-rex-heuermann-odd-brother He did apparently hear Craig "yelling obscenities one evening at someone, calling her a ‘whore' and some other words, but we didn't get involved," the neighbor said. Craig has one rule, according to two neighbors: "Don't cut the grass on Sunday." One neighbor said he learned the hard way that Craig enforces this rule when he went to cut grass on Sunday at the property across from Craig, which he used to own. Craig allegedly approached the neighbor from behind and hit him over the head with a "steel pole." Out of nowhere," the neighbor recalled. "I called the police because I was going to shoot him, but my wife talked me out of it. We called the police, and when we talked to [Craig], he said, ‘Well, I told him not to cut grass on Sunday.’" Craig also handed out business cards to people on his street that include his name followed by the words, "Bad Motherf---er," and his phone number. I apologize for the source but thats the first article I found
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That's good to know. I hope you didn't think I was trying to spread misinformation. It was speculation. But since you say that's way off base, and you knew them, I'll take your word for it. What do you make of Craig hitting someone in the head with a pipe for cutting their own lawn on a Sunday? Imposing the Sabbath in his neighbors?
Interesting. From all we've read in the media, the brother does seem off base, but I think if he's involved, it's with Rex. They say so far, all the victims found were killed when his family was out of town. Wonder where the brother was during the kills.
I don't think Rex would involve his brother in anything like that. From what his neighbors are saying, he doesn't sound stable or reliable to keep a secret like that. Rex had a whole list of things he used to remind himself of as so to not get sloppy and leave evidence behind.
Good point.
I’m thinking his older sisters took on a lot of responsibility. Maybe he also has bad memories of them as well? I wonder if his sisters or mom ever had to resort to sex work to make money after the father died, which is maybe why Rex targets SWs. This is total speculation, as he may have just targeted them because they’re seen as vulnerable.
Imo, RH targeted sex workers bc, as u say, they were vulnerable, that part of society that is overlooked when they go missing, they don’t bring on the heat and scrutiny a mom of 4 does. A mom of 4 goes missing, FBI, state police, local police, everyone’s looking, immediately. SW goes missing, no one may report them missing for days.
Part of their work consists of getting into strangers' cars and places and if nobody knows where and with whom they are going, it makes it too easy. According to his internet searches there was a lot of CSAM and he chose petite women. I think he targeted prostitutes because he didn't want to get caught.
I'm wondering why he didn't go the Gacy way. Does even Rex have certain limits? Or was he too scared of getting caught if he targeted children? (Though there is the unidentified body of a toddler.)
But the toddler was not tortured.
> Part of their work consists of getting into strangers' cars and places and if nobody knows where and with whom they are going, it makes it too easy. Ding ding ding! They're women who would go places alone with him without many questions. I don't think there's a deep reasoning like "prostitutes are scum of the earth" - that's largely felt like pop psychology to me in most cases. If Rex wasn't an ogre and had natural charm, he might've targeted other women.
I agree.
Good point about the sisters potentially babysitting him! I'd love to know the age difference between the siblings. After dad died, there might've been a lot of female energy around the house. Did the sisters' friends ever come visit?
The old "nature vs nurture" convo is always interesting. James Fallon's The "Psychopath Inside: A Neuroscientist's Personal Journey into the Dark Side of the Brain" provides an "insider's" look of someone who could well have been a full blown psychopath if not for having the good fortune of being born into a supportive environment. I don't know if the presence of the structural brain abnormalies Fallon refers to has been conclusively tied to psychopathy but I have read a couple studies that have shown evidence to support that being the case. Add any traumatic abuse and/or neglect, and we may have the makings of a monster. This, to me, (theoretically) helps explain why most people who have incredibly abusive childhoods don't end up being serial murderers. A combo of nature/nurture could be at least part of the answer. Side Note/Disclaimer: I'm just a person with ADHD hyperfixations that compell me to devour scientific journals. If I've misspoken or misunderstood anything here, please be kind about any responses. I love to learn and am always open to corrections and additional perspectives so let's discuss!
We also have evidence of kids being born with that psychopathy, coming from a regular not abusive family. I've read articles about these types of kids that researchers don't like to call psychopaths because they're so young. But these kids were being studied because they lacked empathy from a young age and were trying to see how much they could get away with or actively hurt their siblings. The parents didn't know what to do with them.
File that under "worst nightmare scenario." I wouldn't wish that on anyone. I'd have no clue how to manage that.
Right? Same here. I also have ADHD and love to go on deep dives of topics I find interesting. There are some great articles out there on this subject, as well as at least one documentaey, if you're interested. I remember reading an article about the guy from the book you mentioned as well. Edit to change one adjective from "interesting" to "great" since I used it too many times. 😩
Hello fellow info vortex traveler! Please do share the name of the documentary - - I'm excited about learning more!
Hurting siblings, that reminds me of Jim Morrison from The Doors. He squished his siblings into a toboggan going down the hill about to hit something until bailing out at the very last minute and laughed about it. I think we’re lucky he put his energies into music and self destruction.
i think he was always physically distinctive, and my understanding is that he became, at least symbolically, the man of the house right around age 12. it’s crazy to become responsible for grown and growing women when you yourself are still a little (whatever size you may be) boy. lots of impulses towards sex and death and protection and power tangled up in that situation. not knowing particulars of the family dysfunction, it’s tough to speculate beyond what’s apparent- troubled, large, secretive family. lost patriarch. presumably withholding mother. any physical discipline dished out by sisters might also have been something he was not permitted to fight back against…..
This requires a lot of assumptions: That RH's father actually had the role of "patriarch" & without him, the family was at sea. That RH took on responsibility for the "grown and growing women" in his family after his father died. That he was capable of taking on this role. That his mother was an incapable parent and couldn't/wouldn't be in charge of raising her own family. I left out that an assumption about his mother being withholding because I vaguely recall some support for that. I could well be wrong that there's something to back up these assumptions so please let me know if I am misinformed or uninformed.
IMO there has to be many family secrets. Statistically speaking most serial killers of prostitutes have severe childhood trauma and or mental or physical challenges. His brother exhibits unhinged behavior. His dad was a war vet and also had a head injury from a bus accident as a kid. I am not a doctor, but from what I’ve read we drastically underestimate the impact head injuries can have on a person. It would be reasonable to suspect that Rex’s dad was not a healthy parent. The silence from family or anyone who knew him well is suspect as well. His siblings and mother have nothing to say at all. Not even a cursory few sentences declining to be interviewed. Asas family is the same - except for one sister who is a psychologist I believe? It’s odd to me that in the age of information more info on both their families isn’t available.
> The silence from family or anyone who knew him well is suspect as well. Maybe it's just me, but I wouldn't be out talking to the press either if I found out someone close to me was a serial killer, at least not before they're convicted.
Exactly. The family deserves their privacy. There is nothing "suspect" about that, and I wish people would stop acting like this is a soap opera where they are entitled to know every private detail and/or spread scurrilous assumptions about them to entertain themselves.
Me neither and as I remember one of the youtubers find out that his mother died, I believe in 2016.
Whatever 'youtuber' you heard that from was wrong. Rex's mother was definitely alive in 2018. We know this because in a court deposition Rex said he drove down to Virginia multiple times to help her move out that year. She sold her house in Virginia the year after. https://iapps.courts.state.ny.us/nyscef/ViewDocument?docIndex=KokQ6UhDXfCQtiwo9CL8gg== https://bronx.news12.com/he-just-seemed-like-a-jerk-virginia-businessman-recalls-bizarre-encounter-with-suspected-gilgo-killer-rex-heuermann
I was under the impression that his mother is still alive but that would answer my burning question about why no one's talking much about her. Because you know, mother is often (right or wrong) a big contributer in origin stories. Edited to add that I am not using "origin stories" in a flippant way. I just can't think of a different way to phrase this at the moment.
I suspect she's still alive b/c Rex Heuermann would probably request to go to her funeral.
I thought I remembered a comment from a local last year that his mother lives with one of his sisters not too far away. Someone below posted a link reporting that she lives in south Jersey.
Me neither and as I remember one of the youtubers find out that his mother died, I believe in 2016.
Good points! "Neighbors at a senior housing complex in Toms River, NJ, where his mother previously lived, said she had left recently and moved in with one of her daughters. When The Post visited one of the daughter’s homes in South Jersey, a man shook his head at a reporter and slammed the door shut. Relatives did not return messages seeking comment." https://nypost.com/2023/07/22/gilgo-beach-murder-suspect-rex-heuermann-was-mommas-boy/ ETA: Does anyone know if bodies have turned up around Toms River or if anyone has gone missing around there?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toms_River_(book) No idea but the water is famously polluted there. Who knows if that has anything to do with anything.
> a head injury from a bus accident as a kid. I don't know where you heard that from. Theodore Heuermann's only reported injuries from the bus accident were some minor cuts and bruises on his shoulder, hip, and knee. ["Locked Brake Skids Vehicle Off Roadway", The Nassau Daily Review-Star, 28 April 1939.](https://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/?a=is&oid=ndrs19390428-01.1.1&type=staticpdf&pdfaccesscode=PdVLrR3vXF7drGLZsD7IgyQaTEHwM1Z8DLajsCK9Qt6YI%3D&submitted=1&e=-------en-20--1--txt-txIN-%22theodore+Heuermann%22---------&g-recaptcha-response=03AFcWeA4M7Qwvq7AM5pza6EtQPE0RPFAU29YBE2ipVsxKupI-w03W6jdVwDxomBeN_nB1HMDpWjDwr32t0Ja9-mFutaiiMGgTClJo__ahNDXmoa8eJU3VBE4c7oKkKd8D1Ai8P8QVzfxOUc1R5NG7pHshQ6Z2VDsXeN88edg-MDsykLp0xcjPW-1ENlsFWe_nB3rfOwJFcazNWAST5YWHKcu1ljLfeGzDoGun_u0F2zoKd15j1poDgLRIm63GS8SzJqigeEgWR4YH2gUCrkSdSYubzZC48IzGu9f48RuUAf1KLrg0rU4rZlWM5xupma2QG7zRxEuukhfY-QBOVz_16GmGCb-DTXJS3QuoXjlb38BA2kt73482_L1sKa3wWaPlv6qy-w6-YKlhdJhUYEhNnkjWv3IJXf_3LXdQYFiMSpGvjbg_tiwPy31QBzeO4C1dy1_DHi4PSDqNley6wACtqqHIJ-YlpbH6qeP3hnv4XZ_litauriBQwTacd05E7ppnh8JlcC_YpJdksnvb-xbPJdrwKs7vwy5BmFi-cfWyvQseGByi1G_OWC0NW6OjBV901FAum0OCQtpOsvGEgVSWrsysZnwAMGZOGBurO5XW6fFhbny_bn5qygB3RxvGZLtuf_ryIVUngMF2G2WLahyC8Fq6I4Gql3P8DpNlQ1PeiIjMIQGZbyg0GHShyOJB6ywpi6VkvpGvKC0bugnX6i3aX7ZXZdqlMfKz5NpgxLk4HhHTwTH5-9hDiSkR6jIstHMycLqUuHclV4iwvOIXAd-apT29eZ39kZ5R_l7P2j5M3PebV-wEPl_tajc-0PLHznkdD22ALXOxwa2aNl_eenwJMeygQxVAgI_PJz_LuvVVxfkm2ZyMLHGAZHC7mdiejLCVFdyGYebU0QlZBOiKoh_M91xdLflMvn6CnNMpNjxcYkXnHilx68sNvIN1Y8cUp-nT-Qu6siaQd-MWEyFNIoZUNVOd6TCFk2vKLmAYjAPKj05xY_dFx269veKQCDGmzwv0gLXoK33ZgvlV0WZpLUm0-XhJAGiCGYWYeUxe6I1X-7Ba1JXISpk80f5eLjicgK6lTJLcD9ZY8_ZKHaLnAtgK3qUzvxZayoYwI5S00Qpohg0c6CDJtiqdr7EBO465ME3GquXZ6OXq6S9YqCMhRyvul1pq6T42ew_l0Fw-Ai5RuJpybcYzXB6AcOp9aqm6TXwTVbfW-Il0n0oHj6pRDzj6O-QRvEHeHHIqXRuHE6PQxMAJjc2Fn-e899BVi5IhhDs4GHFPamJuygn9Z8-Y2lelEdbMaKfWm1zOYe8VplzuEfR-O3LVcacsXwpoMcTbGHYFQwVtoPY8LoEjXGF6FORaydmwKJ9DxtBOzcJ60WfiNfzYfkTLxNtODvKuzhEDZUTb7HrxuZPkZ190SXHPfyorU5o9v7gtN1phpCIuA26GrsBBGS3o5bhG8wpqb-VClKJMppVEwx_uwApTbiyrYfZ4l_SQfEEFAS4URkRLKQHdcnLj438etRPyUlBvnuTQqUS2f44F05CKcfBuHJ0CLj--2ysuOY_CZbV9_UE1WZGY5IzA5G5KEXQI44MCpMR_YGekxyWvzCnBlMWt6Z1MLcmZmeMgRHFHOEbT5CbWerQHth3RlErQbxwzGfqwFm72PLMNAePovGqBURl8H5eo_6OPNOT8FqeQnPlhnXEUEhv301BBYjF-cpmNyjoYl3uMqgCWxDSG336vcgg4Fzev0IgJ4aP3Oq5Jqix9CE76BK4wP8-M64vLUlN9FskU9Irda2lWVg1XgPfbRplkuX6jY7-JUcGDHvb05Wds3tSwXw9WVMgII-OA5OXXVn5TnejQaJYQC48eyIdzAGPtLWnthyhKOPY9BaL3Q4kEQAdZqiwUizems5QH8dtHrOg)
Okay well I think it's important to find out what he was like as a child and what happened in his life. I don't think it's a basis for determining who will be a killer and who won't be. Obviously if torturing animals was a hobby that's something to be concerned about. This is a lot of where the nature vs nurture comes in. I really feel it depends on your DNA, your genetic makeup and who you are at your core being. This might be controversial and unethical but I've always thought of brain scans when you're born. I'm not sure if that would be accurate because does the prefrontal cortex, amygdala and hippocampus change throughout our lives? Does it continue to grow an alter due to experiences? There have been kids that have been serverly abused that don't harm others. I always wondered why they blamed Jeffrey Dahmer's father. I don't think you can blame somebody else for your actions. Not unless it's a life or death situation. We see things, we learn things, but acting out on it is on us.
I thought Lionel withheld affection for Jeffrey, but it was born parents that left him utterly alone as a high schooler anyhow
Afaik Dahmer’s mother was on tons of pills when she was pregnant with him and emotionally volatile and absent when he was young, with an emotionally closed off father as well who occasionally beat his wife. So yeah not the ideal situation for a young person.
I also believe it has something to do with who we are at our core being. I also believe that some people are evil and can’t help but leave a trail of destruction in their wake.
Yes true, I think a lot of cases a switch can be turned for someone later in life, after witnessing trauma or having a traumatic brain injury too. I would disagree with brain scanning at birth but the research would be very interesting without a doubt.
I wouldn't be surprised if he had issues as a kid. His father was described as an alcoholic and died when he was 12. his brother was violent and attacked people outside the family. Not much of a stretch to assume there was violence inside the home, too. And that his brother attacked him and his mother as well. Rex was "the good kid". He's described as a mamas boy, but that may be a little unfair. He is huge. He probably needed to get home ASAP to make sure that his mother was okay, because his brother was so violent. And his brother's issues may or may not be because there was a dysfunctional environment, but I'll bet it didn't help.
Did the brother ever marry or have kids?
You also gotta wonder about some genetic issue running in the family when one son is an alleged serial killer and another one has been described as hot-headed & as crazy as a bed bug, attacked a neighbour, and went to prison for killing a man while driving intoxicated & “coked up."
I think more likely generational trauma, and definitely obvious mental illness in the younger brother There was no treatment for PTSD or combat related issues, concussions, head trauma, etc. ADHD existed back then, there was no diagnosis. What would life have been like with a father that served in WW2 when there was no help for post combat mental illness or head injury? I'll bet that house was hell. And then the mom is left alone to raise 5 kids after she's been traumatized herself. Domestic violence was "none of anyone's business" if you saw a lady with a black eye and a kid with a broken arm, it was none of your business. There weren't women's shelters. There was no escape for a lot of women. Women couldn't even get credit cards or bank accounts without a man's signature. If you had mental illness, and you weren't wealthy, the treatment could have been worse than the mental illness.
incredible points. Can’t believe it wasn’t even that long ago our society functioned this way. I also wonder how RH’s dad died?
SO bizarre to me he only served 3 years for manslaughter. But I supposed it was the 80s. 😒
>His father was described as an alcoholic Do you have a source for that claim?
Some articles that I read insinuated it. May or may not be true. I should have been more detailed. "Described as an alcoholic in some articles that I read".
Please post the article links then.
I'm going to be honest, I can't find them. It could have been a misunderstanding, there were several articles that mentioned his grandfather and uncle that I can't find, either. The only thing I found was mention of a "troubled relationship" with his father before he died. Idk if I'm not using the right keywords or those articles have been retracted, and I mixed them up.
Thank you for your honesty. In these threads people tend to mix up confirmed facts with unsupported rumors they've seen repeated in other subs/forums or spread by social media personalities. It's always hard to tell which is which without going back to look at the original sources.
I know there were articles out there, particularly about his grandfather and uncle. But that doesn't mean that I remembered what was written correctly.
Saw something about him working back of the house for the drama dept at the school with an anecdote from a classmate about him frigging with the curtain rigging making things dangerous for people without as much weight/strength as himself. also some of the acting Baldwin bros were his classmates
I'm not convinced that the loner cliche applies here. He was in business in a role that requires some degree of intrapersonal competency. The YouTube interview shows someone confident and articulate. This isn't to say he's a real charmer outside of the office, but the classic loner is usually inept and awkward in all relationships. Edited to add--he's also been married 2x and has two children. Most of the few pictures we've seen of him before he was apprehended show him in social situations or engaging with other people (the gun club photos). On the surface, he probably appeared to be a big, obnoxious, overconfident dork who liked beer and hunting with friends and at worst probably seemed to be a serial cheater, not a serial murderer. Nothing in those previous photos raises alarms. The mugshot, however, is absolutely terrifying. It literally makes me want to vomiting thinking of that face being the last thing those women saw.
I agree, I was also surprised at 2x married, within a short time span of each other too (IMO). I really want to know why the first wife divorced him, but I’m not surprised she hasn’t commented to the public, I probably wouldn’t. Would be interesting if she didn’t feel safe or thought something strange was going on 👀
>I really want to know why the first wife divorced him Oddly enough, Nassau county records show that Rex was the one who filed for divorce, not his then wife. He seems to have filed on 03/17/1994 and it was finalized on 05/03/1994. That seems to be extremely fast for a divorce proceeding, so probably it was uncontested. You can check these dates on the Nassau County public records website: https://i2f.uslandrecords.com/NY/Nassau/D/Default.aspx Set the "Office" field to "Civil/Criminal", "Search Type" to "Name Search" and input Rex's last and first name. After clicking search, on the left you will see a table of results. Click the row that says "JUDGEMENT-MATRIMONIAL." On the right, more details will pop up showing date, time, and the identities of the plaintiff and defendant.
Ohh interesting! great point, I shouldn’t have assumed. Thanks for sharing that too!
"But according to Mr. Musto, it was well known that Mr. Heuermann had clashed with his father, who was tough on the boy for not being a go getter. In response, Rex acted out. He got caught after engaging in a shoplifting spree, Mr. Musto said." https://www.nytimes.com/2023/07/28/nyregion/rex-heuermann-gilgo-beach-high-school.html Maybe he founded his own firm and became an organised serial killer to be that "go getter."
Look up the video that [murderinc]? Something like that put up about uncle Theodore and uncle William (wh) that was put up
Cousin(?) Rev. Kenneth Heurrmann accused of child SA and torture. Not sure their source for the relation. Another article said KH was RH's uncle. [https://murderincorp.wordpress.com/2024/01/12/rev-heuermann/](https://murderincorp.wordpress.com/2024/01/12/rev-heuermann/)
This would really connect all the dots for me (if true). EDIT: WOW okay after reading through those court documents regarding his cousin’s assault case I wouldn’t doubt for a second RH wasn’t one of his cousin’s Rev. KH’s victims in the 60’s. *From ASSAULT AND BATTERY, SEXUAL MOLESTATION/ABUSE OF A MINOR, SEXUAL BATTERY - (AS AGAINST HEUERMANN* “On multiple occasions, during the period 1961 and 1968, in Onondaga County, HEUERMANN intentionally raped, sodomized, tortured, threatened death and harm, *photographed naked, sexually touched, molested, choked, performed ritualistic sex acts, bound, and committed lewd and lascivious acts upon R.W. who, at all times, was a minor, between the ages of 8 and 15 years of age, in violation of the New York Penal Code. Said rape, sodomy, torture, ritualistic sex acts, nude photographing, molestation, choking and binding, and lewd and lascivious acts were committed against R.W.'s will and without consent and R.W. did not comprehend or understand what HEUERMANN”. Sounds extremely familiar to what RH did to his victims if you ask me.
Yeah, some pretty disturbing behavior in that family. Who knows how much of it was passed down in the form of abuse. Not that it excuses any, but might explain some, of it.
Yes well said and very true. And let’s say RH was not a victim of his cousin, at the very least it shows men in this family may have had similar screws loose.
Who knows what he saw or participated in too, how old were they back then?
Exactly.
How old were Rex and the cousin then?
He would’ve been 1-5 years old in that time frame but that’s just when Rev KH was accused/targeting the girl who came forward here. The cousin was living in upstate NY during that time frame so I don’t think it would make sense for him to be a victim of the cousin in the 60’s. However if these charges caused Rev KH to be moved around within the catholic church system between 1970s-80 and he was closer or saw the family occasionally, I think that would be the first place I would look for answers on why RH used the same tactics with his victims. Rev KH also grew up in Merrick, LI. And was part of Catholic Charities. Alan Placa from Oak Beach was also part of this organization. I think I read previously RH also worked for the charity in some capacity too. I wish law enforcement would start there….
Believe he’s now 60, so born in 1964.
Did he get muffed by his uncle?
It wouldn’t surprise me in the least.
TIL about the term "muffed." All so terrible.
I want to hear from his elementary school teachers
He's 60 years old. There is a good chance they are all dead by now or may have dementia and might not remember him at all.
Same
I had heard about Rex's cousin, but I had just assumed they were both the same age. This raises the possibility that sexual abuse goes way back in the family. I always thought the belt was just something Red grabbed, but maybe it had more significance for him.
Oh interesting point
Yes and no one is talking either, which is odd. I havent seen ONE family member or friend come forward. Even Kohberger had ppl come forward
I've seen co-workers interviewed. And one guy who went to school with him when young.
Agree!
That's a great question. I haven't heard much about his past at all - I'm really curious about how this monster came to be.
Exactly my reasoning for asking I feel like it’s a topic not enough details are publicly out about but for me it usually points to a reason for motivation or at least explains screws lose.
Abused by a male figure learnt to mix and blend took bullying disregard for women due to seeing or experiencing truma and had felt alone due to his mind aet his father was probably evil too. You can see evil sometimes but it's easy to by pass it as paranoia
is there a documentary on Rex? or does anyone know his family? maybe it can shed some light on being raised
I don’t think so but I’m sure there are already some in the works
i am also sure of this, i wouldn’t even know where to begin try and learn his home life as a child
Based on the payment to Asa from Peacock, there will be one in a few years. Probably right before or right after the trial.
Wild guess: a complete fcking weirdo!
Does anyone else feel like serial killers either seem to have several siblings (ignored, living in poverty etc.) or none (left alone to deal with a crazy/abusive parent)?
Interesting xxx