The Gilgo Beach Killer: House of Secrets on Peacock: Rex Heuermann's case
Documentary series about the investigation of the Long Island serial killer and his family's first public statements
What is the series about?
The Gilgo Beach Killer: House of Secrets (Peacock, 2025) is a documentary series that closely examines one of the most complex serial killer cases in New York's history. The series specifically focuses on Rex Heuermann, an architect from Massapequa Park, who was arrested and charged in 2023 for being behind a series of murders committed along the coast of Long Island. In particular, episode 2, titled 'House of Secrets', sheds light on the previously unknown aspects of Heuermann's life through interviews with his closest family members, who speak out for the first time about the shock of the arrest and the discoveries made by the police in their shared home.
The real case
The real case behind the series began between 2007 and 2011, when the bodies of several women were found in the dense underbrush along Ocean Parkway near Gilgo Beach. Most of the victims worked as sex workers and had disappeared under mysterious circumstances. The investigation stalled for over a decade until a new task force used advanced DNA analysis and mobile data to trace suspicion to Rex Heuermann. The case has shaken the Long Island community, as the suspect lived an apparently normal life as a family man and professional architect in Manhattan while, according to prosecutors, committing brutal crimes in secret.
Timeline of the case
The case of the Gilgo Beach murders spans nearly two decades. It started with the discovery of the so-called 'Gilgo Four' in December 2010. These are the victims Maureen Brainard-Barnes, Melissa Barthelemy, Megan Waterman, and Amber Lynn Costello. After many years of stagnation in the investigation, a breakthrough in 2023 led to a massive search of Heuermann's property, where police looked for evidence in the basement and backyard. Read more about Rex Heuermann here . The documentary on Peacock follows this timeline and supplements it with new information about the evidence found in what the press has dubbed 'the house of horrors'.
Watch the series
The documentary series can be streamed on Peacock and is a must for true crime followers who want a deeper understanding of the psychological and technical aspects of modern investigations. The series highlights both the victims' stories and the enormous effort that the Suffolk County Police Department and FBI have put into solving the case. For further context on similar cases, see our coverage of