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

Nestled along Long Island’s scenic South Shore, Massapequa has long been celebrated as a community deeply rooted in law enforcement. Its proximity to Manhattan—just a single train ride away—makes it a hub for NYPD detectives, multi-generational police households, and officers from Nassau and Suffolk Counties. Yet, this tight-knit group of public servants found themselves under scrutiny when body parts began appearing on Gilgo Beach in 2010. The location, where local teens serve as lifeguards and families gather during summer months, became the backdrop for a chilling mystery that lasted years.

The rumors of a killer operating among them spread like wildfire. Was the perpetrator a native of the area? Still active in the hunt? Perhaps even someone in uniform? Those questions lingered until the arrest of architect Rex Heuermann in 2023 provided definitive answers. His courtroom confession this week to the murders of eight women has offered the law enforcement community a sense of resolution, according to retired NYPD detective Craig Garland, who once organized Little League games in the town.

“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 that was a serial killer.”

Heuermann, a 62-year-old married father of two, was apprehended in Manhattan after his DNA was recovered from a discarded pizza crust near his midtown office. His daily commute from Massapequa Park to the city passed by Johnny McGorey’s, a popular pub adjacent to a rail station. There, officers often gathered to discuss the search for the killer, unaware that the suspect was just a few blocks away in a disheveled home.

McGorey’s owner Joanne Fountain recalled how the homicide unit became a regular presence at the bar. “They would come in, and we would be like, ‘What the hell is going on down at the beach, at Ocean Parkway?’ ” she said, describing the team as “shook” by the gruesome findings. The media frenzy turned the town’s tranquility into a constant topic of conversation, even as the killer remained elusive.

Massapequa’s law enforcement legacy is profound, with Bob Livoti, president of the Association of Retired Police Officers, noting that “probably more cops that live in [the] Massapequa, Massapequa Park area than any other part of Long Island.” The community’s ties to policing extend beyond the badge, as families often carry generations of service. Fountain highlighted this with an example: “His dad was a cop, his grandpa was a cop and he just got hired onto NYPD too,” she said, emphasizing how police life permeates daily life.

Law enforcement in Massapequa isn’t limited to police. Firefighters, medics, and officers from other agencies also call the town home. The 9/11 tragedy left a lasting mark, with Nassau County losing around 350 residents, including many first responders. Yet, the Gilgo Beach murders tested the community in a different way. John Azzata, Nassau County’s retired homicide chief, described the frustration of the case’s prolonged investigation. “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,” he said.

The situation took a further turn when Suffolk County Police Chief Jimmy Burke, overseeing the Gilgo Beach probe, 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, including a bag of erotic materials, before beating him in custody and attempting to conceal the incident. He pleaded guilty in 2016 to lesser charges and received a 46-month prison sentence. The scandal also implicated former Suffolk County District Attorney Thomas J Spota and Christopher McPartland, the former chief of investigations, who were sentenced to five years in prison for related offenses.