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Hidden Killers With Tony Brueski | True Crime News & Commentary

Accused Gilgo Killer Rex Heuermann CLEARED in One Long Island Murder-WEEK IN REVIEW

Hidden Killers With Tony Brueski | True Crime News & Commentary

True Crime Today

News Commentary, True Crime, News

3.3907 Ratings

🗓️ 16 November 2025

⏱️ 16 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

In a stunning twist in the Gilgo Beach serial killer saga, accused murderer Rex Heuermann has officially been cleared in the 1994 strangulation death of Colleen McNamee, a Long Island sex worker long believed to be one of his potential victims. For years, McNamee’s name was quietly linked to the growing list of women found murdered across Suffolk County — a list that defined Heuermann as the face of one of the most disturbing serial murder cases in American history.

But a new DNA analysis just ended that speculation for good. The Suffolk County Medical Examiner’s Office confirmed that Heuermann’s genetic profile did not match the “Unknown Male A” found on McNamee’s remains. Instead, the DNA points back toward convicted killer John Bittrolff, a carpenter already serving 50 years to life for two nearly identical murders. Ironically, it was Bittrolff himself who pushed for the test — hoping it would shift blame to Heuermann. It did the opposite.

This development doesn’t exonerate Heuermann from the seven brutal killings he’s charged with — victims Amber Lynn Costello, Megan Waterman, Melissa Barthelemy, Maureen Brainard-Barnes, Sandra Costilla, Jessica Taylor, and Valerie Mack. Their DNA trails, cell records, and forensic links remain strong. But it does sharpen the boundaries of truth: what’s proven, what’s not, and how modern forensic science continues to rewrite the Gilgo Beach narrative.

In this episode, Tony Brueski breaks down the case that looked like it belonged to Rex Heuermann — and why it never did. From forensic breakthroughs to the psychology of blame, we explore how one killer tried to hide behind another, and how DNA once again cut through the myth to reveal the facts.

#RexHeuermann #GilgoBeach #TrueCrime #ColleenMcNamee #DNAEvidence #JohnBittrolff #LongIslandMurders #HiddenKillers #TonyBrueski #TrueCrimeToday


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Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0

This is Hidden Killers Week in review.

0:02.4

I look back at the most prolific stories of the week.

0:05.3

Is Hidden Killers with Tony Brewski.

0:07.9

Here now, Tony Bruske.

0:13.5

Well, I guess it was kind of a good day for Rex hereman.

0:17.5

There won't be an eighth, at least not a young woman named Colleen McNamey.

0:24.5

McNamey was a young woman murdered in 1994.

0:31.5

They've determined that Rex was not behind that one, which would have marked the eighth.

0:39.0

Still behind the other seven, allegedly, but not this one.

0:43.1

So what does this all mean?

0:45.4

Well, it's finally closing the door that had hung half open for years for a very long time.

0:52.6

She was believed by some to be yet another victim of accused Gilgo Beach serial killer

0:58.5

Rex Sherman.

1:00.1

Now, she's not.

1:01.5

The DNA says so.

1:03.1

And that matters more than people realize because when you strip away the hysteria,

1:07.8

the hashtags, and the monster under the bed narrative that's followed this case since Truman's arrest, and rightfully so, you're left with something much harder.

1:16.6

The difference between suspicion and proof, between pattern and precision, between what we think

1:23.5

we see and what the science actually says. And it's important to make these decisions or these distinctions and not just throw everything

1:31.1

onto the steaming pile of poo named Rex Heerman.

1:36.3

Because there are other steaming piles of poo out there.

1:42.5

And they should be caught and recognized and held accountable for their crimes, too,

...

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