This idyllic US town was full of police families – and a serial killer in their midst
This idyllic US town was full of police families – and a serial killer in their midst
Residents of Massapequa take pride in labeling it a “cop town,” a designation rooted in its location along Long Island’s picturesque South Shore. Just a short train ride from Manhattan, the community hosts NYPD detectives, multi-generational police families, officers from Nassau and Suffolk Counties, and members of various law enforcement agencies. However, the 2010 discovery of body parts on Gilgo Beach—near where local teens serve as lifeguards and families gather in summer—sparked speculation that a serial killer had been operating in the area for years.
The rumors swirled. Was the killer a local? Still active? Or perhaps someone with a badge? Those questions were finally answered in 2023 when architect Rex Heuermann was arrested. His confession in court this week to the murders of eight women brought a sense of closure to the law enforcement community, according to Craig Garland, a retired NYPD detective and Massapequa resident. “It’s a great relief,” Garland said. “There were people out there trying to pin this on a cop… and it brings great closure to the law enforcement community at large that this wasn’t a cop who was a serial killer.”
“He’s covering his tracks so well and, you know, is there a possibility it could be a cop?” Garland recalled people would speculate. “Listen, there’s always a possibility it could be anybody.”
Heuermann, a 62-year-old married father of two, was apprehended in July 2023 in Manhattan after authorities found his DNA on a discarded pizza slice near his midtown office. His daily commute from Massapequa Park to the city passed by Johnny McGorey’s, a popular police bar located beside a rail station. There, officers often gathered to discuss the ongoing search for the killer. “They would come in, and we would be like, ‘What the hell is going on down at the beach, at Ocean Parkway?'” said Joanne Fountain, the bar’s owner. The gruesome finds became a constant topic of conversation, dominating news coverage for weeks.
Massapequa’s law enforcement presence is deeply ingrained. “Probably more cops live in [the] Massapequa, Massapequa Park area than any other part of Long Island,” noted Bob Livoti, president of the Association of Retired Police Officers. The town’s police families are known for their devotion to the job, with many members of the community working in first-responder roles. Firefighters, medics, and officers from other agencies also call the area home. The community was particularly affected on 9/11, as Nassau County lost around 350 people, including numerous first responders.
The Gilgo Beach case added layers of complexity. “As an administrator and someone who was a cop, it was very frustrating that it took so long to discover who’s responsible for these murders,” said John Azzata, Nassau County’s retired homicide head. The situation worsened when Suffolk County Police Chief Jimmy Burke, overseeing the investigation, was arrested in 2013 on charges involving sex toys, pornography, witness coercion, and a cover-up. Burke had entered Christopher Loeb’s home to retrieve stolen items, beating him while in custody and attempting to obscure the truth. He pleaded guilty in 2016 to reduced charges and received a 46-month prison sentence.
The scandal also led to convictions for former Suffolk County District Attorney Thomas J Spota and Christopher McPartland, the former chief of investigations for the District Attorney’s Office. McPartland, in particular, faced a five-year sentence for his role. Despite these setbacks, the arrest of Heuermann ultimately settled the lingering doubts about the killer’s identity, offering a much-needed resolution to the years-long mystery.
