Rex Heuermann told his defense attorney she did a “good job” during a hearing on DNA evidence on Tuesday.
The comment came after defense attorney Danielle Coysh finished her direct questioning of Nathaniel Adams, a systems engineer at Forensic Bioinformatic Services Inc., Newsday reported.
The Context
Heuermann, 61, is facing murder charges for the deaths of seven women between 1993 and 2010. He was arrested in 2023 in connection with remains found over a decade prior near Gilgo Beach on Long Island, New York.
The defense is challenging DNA evidence prosecutors say links Heuermann to six of the seven killings he’s charged with.
The judge is expected to rule on whether the evidence will be admissible at Heuermann’s trial.
What To Know
Adams said that California-based lab Astrea Forensics failed to follow some of the nationally accepted verification and validation standards. He also said the developers of the software used in Heuermann’s case, IBDGem, have identified data errors and other defects in the system.
The software has been updated since testing finished in Heuermann’s case, Adams said.
Adams said system errors would require a “risk and hazard analysis” to avoid “a miscarriage of justice,” the New York Post reported.
The prosecution has maintained that the DNA testing used in the case is widely accepted in the scientific community.
Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney challenged Adams’ qualifications, claiming that his testimony has not been admissible in about 30 court cases.
Heuermann’s ex-wife, Asa Ellerup, and daughter, Victoria Heuermann, did not attend the hearing on Tuesday. They have previously attended several of Heuermann’s court appearances.
Ellerup and Victoria were recently interviewed in the new Peacock documentary series The Gilgo Beach Killer: House of Secrets.
What People Are Saying
Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney, questioning Nathaniel Adams on Tuesday: “You’ve been in school for 10 years and have only obtained a bachelor’s degree in all this time? You’re supposed to be an expert, but you don’t even know who your adviser was or if you graduated summa cum laude or not.”
Nathaniel Adams, discussing DNA testing in court on Tuesday: “It’s unreliable. The software has been updated multiple times since the DNA in this case has been tested.”
What Happens Next
The judge has yet to rule on the permissibility of DNA evidence. A date for Heuermann’s trial has not been set yet. The defense has requested that the charges be split into five separate trials.
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