Rex Heuermann's lawyer shifts blame for Gilgo Beach murders on to corrupt ... trends now
Rex Heuermann's lawyer is attempting to shift the blame for the Gilgo Beach murders on to the corrupt former police chief who was previously in charge of the case.
Speaking outside the Long Island courthouse where his accused serial killer client had a hearing Wednesday morning, attorney Michael Brown said disgraced PC James Burke is 'involved' in the sordid affair.
'We received approximately almost 3,000 leads on this case,' he told reporters outside Suffolk County Supreme Court in Riverhead.
'There were numerous leads that came into the Suffolk County Police Department, suggesting that Chief Burke was involved in this.'
Burke allegedly led a double life involving crack, cross-dressing and relationships with prostitutes. He is serving jail time after being convicted of several offences including assault, public lewdness and unlawful solicitation after flashing in a park.
Heuermann, 60, has spent most of his days since his July 2023 arrest in a small windowless cell at the Riverhead Jail as he awaits trial. (Pictured: Heuermann in court Wednesday)
Speaking outside the Long Island courthouse where his accused serial killer client had a hearing Wednesday morning, attorney Michael Brown said disgraced PC James Burke (pictured) is 'involved' in the case
His ex-wife, Asa Ellerup (pictured) was also spotted pulling up in a black Mercedes outside the Long Island courthouse
Speaking about the former cop's involvement with the Gilgo Beach murders case, Brown said: 'Chief Burke would not let the FBI in to the investigation back then, with their expertise.
'It's problematic for us that the chief of police who was running the investigation had this very checkered past and was involved in criminal activity.
'He recently served a four or four-and-a-half year prison sentence in the federal system.
'Just recently he was arrested on some allegation of being very deviant sexually. We want to see those records.'
Brown's comments came after his client, Heuermann, appeared in court wearing a black suit, white shirt and navy blue tie on Wednesday morning.
He listened intently to the hearing, which centered around troves of potential evidence seized from various devices related to the case.
The 60-year-old father-of-two is charged with murdering four female sex workers whose bodies were found buried on a remote stretch of Gilgo Beach more than 10 years ago.
His ex-wife, Asa Ellerup, was also spotted pulling up in a black Mercedes outside the Long Island courthouse.
It comes just weeks after she claimed her partner of 27 years is 'not capable' of murdering the four women. Heuermann has pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Ellerup, who also shares two children with Heuermann, filed for
