Accused Gilgo Beach Suspect An 'Outlier' In Serial Killer Field: Psychologist

MASSAPEQUA PARK, NY — Accused serial killer, Rex Heuermann, the man charged with six murder counts in the deaths of three sex workers in the Gilgo Beach case, is anything but average, at least in the realm of serial killers, says an expert, who has written extensively on the subject.

One of the things that is widely known about the elusive Heuermann, so far, is that he is an architect, which is “surprising” to forensic psychologist, Louis Schlesinger, a professor of psychology at John Jay College of Criminal Justice.

“The one thing that kind of surprised me is — I'm never surprised by anything — is that [Heuermann’s] an architect,” he told Patch. He added: “The vast majority of these guys are not college graduates.”

The perpetrators are “unusually unemployed, low-level, unskilled types of people,” he added.

“The notion that they're 'Hannibal Lecter' is really a myth,” he said, referencing the fictitious serial cannibalistic killer from "Silence of the Lambs."

Schlesinger wants his comments kept in perspective, as he has not completed a psychological evaluation of Heuermann, who has been placed on suicide watch at an undisclosed facility in the Suffolk County correctional facility.

Schlesinger currently serves as the co-principal investigator with the FBI's Behavioral Science Unit studying sexual and serial murder, rape, bias homicide, suicide by cop, and other “extraordinary crimes,” his bio on the college’s website states.

He was also a member of the New Jersey Senate Task Force that rewrote Megan’s Law, the namesake of 7-year-old rape and murder victim, Megan Kanka, who died at the hands of her neighbor, a previously-convicted sex offender. Megan’s Law now makes it mandatory to notify the community of sex offenders’ addresses.

Schlesinger has testified at numerous trials and is the author of many books in his field.

He says there are only a handful of educated serial killers, like Ted Bundy, a law school dropout, and Dennis Lynn Rader, who went to college.

Bundy reportedly confessed to the murders of 30 women, though some say the true number is unknown, and Rader killed 10 people in Kansas.

“This guy obviously is an architect, but that's rare,” he says. “Among the group of serial, sexual murderers, most of them are unskilled, and so on. But the American people want their serial killers to be evil geniuses with IQs of 160 that speak five languages, including Aramaic.”

Lecter still has an influence that is prolific in how the U.S. perceives serial killers.

He is a doctor who became a serial killer and, after his imprisonment, helps FBI agents find suspects.

"They want them to be connoisseurs of fine wine," Schlesinger jokes, adding, “That's Hannibal Lecter; that's the movies.”

In the movie, "Silence of the Lambs," Lecter indicates he has a taste for fine wine, when telling FBI agent Clarice Starling he ate a victim's liver with "a fine Chianti."

Heuermann is not the same sort of connoisseur.

He has some very fine clients like, Nike, Footlocker, American Airlines, and others.

As accused, Heuermann, stands out as an overachiever in serial killer terms.

"You know, that's not true, but so he's an outlier in terms of his – let's say – his academic accomplishments," Schlesinger said. "I mean, he's an architect. That's a high-level profession."

He’s not “the usual,” Schlesinger adds.

In a YouTube interview last year, Heuermann told Bonjour Realty that his firm handled permit expeditions for clients with difficult building issues in the state of New York.

But, does Heuermann — the architect — fit the profile of a serial killer?

Oh, yes.

“Well, obviously, if he's guilty of this,” Schlesinger said. “It's pretty obvious. I think [the task force] linked him to four now.”

Heuermann on Friday was charged with three counts each of first-and second-degree murder in the slayings of three of the Gilgo Four – Melissa Barthelemy, Megan Waterman, and Amber Lynn Costello. He is the prime suspect in the killing of the fourth woman, Maureen Brainard-Barnes, investigators say.

All four women, who were sex workers, were found buried along Ocean Parkway in December 2010.

Another seven sets of remains, including an infant and an Asian male who was reportedly wearing women’s clothing, were uncovered.

“Who knows if he was involved in all of these, but yes, this is very typical,” Schlesinger said. “This is not unusual.”

Schlesinger will explain why in Part 2 of this series.

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