Long Island, United States

Investigations into suspected Gilgo Beach serial killer, 59-year-old Rex Heuermann, took another grim turn when a walk-in vault with a "big iron door" was found at his home. The architect, reportedly, "secured numerous amounts of guns" in this vault.

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Heuermann is the prime suspect in the murders that happened in Long Island between 1996 and 2011. He has been named by the police a "demon" and a "predator". The discovery of the giant vault came during the weekend investigation by the police as they dismantled the wooden deck of the suspected killer's house.

As per reports on Monday, a video showed the wrecked condition of the Heuermann's backyard as the police carried out its inquiry into the Gilgo Beach serial killings.  

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Suffolk County Police Commissioner Rodney Harrison said, "The task force that we've put together still has their sleeves rolled up. We are not at a place where the investigation is finished." 

"I've been an investigator for a long period of time now. These cases do not get solved easily. There are a lot of pieces of the puzzle that need to be put together," Harrison added. 

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The police also said that the search for evidence at the home of the serial killer could finish by Tuesday. 

As the police continued their investigation around the neighbourhood of suspect Rex Heuermann's house, Nassau County Police Commissioner Patrick Ryder said, "This is not going to turn into a show, a sideshow. Anyone that thinks they're going to come down and drive down the street and stop and take photos is going to be issued a summons for stopping in traffic." 

Heuermann's home, backyard searched 

An extensive search was carried out for the twelfth day on Tuesday. It included areas such as Heuermann's home, and his backyard, which was dug up with an excavator by the authorities. According to the officials, the search into the serial killings will almost definitely conclude by the end of this week.

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What is the case about? 

Suffolk County Police began a search operation to locate Shannan Gilbert in 2010 after the 24-year-old sex worker vanished from New Jersey.

While the search continued, the Missing Persons Bureau's Officer John Mallia along with his trained cadaver dog 'Blue' accidentally found the remains of four women in their 20s. The police drew the conclusion that the women found near Gilgo Beach, Long Island were sex workers who used to advertise their services on Craigslist.

One report from NBC suggested that the bodies had a gap of about 500 feet in between them. Later, the bodies were identified as Amber Costello, Melissa Barthelemy, Megan Waterman, and, Maureen Brainard-Barnes.

In another similar incident in 2015, a fifth woman's body, who was an escort, was discovered. AFP reports said that since 2010, at least 11 bodies, including three unidentified victims, have been found along the isolated stretch of the ocean beachfront on Long Island.

It is important to note that even though the police initially rejected that there was any link between the killings, they soon had a different opinion. Prosecutors concluded that the women are the victims of a serial killer, who would infamously come to be known as the Long Island Serial Killer, the Gilgo Beach Killer or the Craigslist Ripper. 

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