Can you help bring Amber's killer to justice? Amber Lynn Costello, a 27-year-old female, was a woman whose life, marked by both struggle and moments of hope, came to a tragic end in the fall of 2010. Originally from Wilmington, North Carolina, she had moved to New York in 2009 with the hope of overcoming a heroin addiction. Despite completing a rehabilitation program, she relapsed and turned to sex work to support her habit, advertising her services on platforms like Craigslist.
On the evening of September 2, 2010, Amber was at her
home in North Babylon, a residence she shared with others who also struggled with addiction. She received a call from a client who offered her $1,500, a significantly higher amount than she typically received. At around 10:30 PM, the client called a final time to say he was parked down the street. Leaving her phone behind, Amber, dressed in a pink hoodie and jeans, walked out of her house to meet him and was never seen alive again. Her roommates later provided police with a description of the man and the Chevrolet Avalanche he was driving.
For months, Amber's whereabouts remained a mystery. Her family was unaware she was missing, believing she might have entered another rehabilitation facility. The grim truth was discovered on December 13, 2010, when police, searching the desolate stretch of Ocean Parkway near Gilgo Beach, found human remains. Through DNA, the remains were identified as Amber Lynn Costello; she had been strangled. Her body was one of four sets of female remains discovered in burlap sacks in close proximity to each other, a group that would become known as the 'Gilgo Four.'
The case remained cold for over a decade, a source of anguish for the victims' families and a puzzle for law enforcement. A breakthrough finally came in July 2023 with the arrest of Rex Heuermann, a Manhattan architect. Heuermann was charged with the murders of Amber Lynn Costello, Melissa Barthelemy, and Megan Waterman. He was later identified as the prime suspect in the death of the fourth woman, Maureen Brainard-Barnes, and was subsequently charged with her murder as well. The investigation into Heuermann was reportedly prompted by a witness's description of his Chevrolet Avalanche, the same type of vehicle seen the night Amber disappeared. Further evidence, including DNA from a discarded pizza crust that was matched to a hair found with one of the victims, helped to solidify the case against him. Heuermann has pleaded not guilty to the charges.
