19 July 2023 , 19:56
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Suspected serial killer Rex Heuermann may have had a professional connection to former President Donald Trump.
Heuermann, an architect in New York City had a diverse clientele, according to reports, including office, retail, and residential projects,
He was employed by the Trump Organization for a renovation job at one of Trump's prized properties, 40 Wall Street, now known as The Trump Building.
Heuermann, 59, is charged with the murders of three women who vanished between 2007 and 2010, and is the prime suspect in a fourth murder, which became known as the 'Gilgo Beach' murders.
According to a 2018 filing with the New York City Department of Buildings, Heuermann was hired for a project on the 17th floor of the iconic 71-story Trump building.
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The renovation focused on office space, involving minor partition and plumbing changes, without any alteration to use, egress, or occupancy.
Heuermann has denied killing the women, according to his attorney, Michael Brown. (BONJOUR REALTY/Youtube)The estimated cost of the job was a little over $200,000. Steve Lafiosca, identified as the vice president of property management for Trump's firm, was listed as the owner's representative in the filing. The Trump Organization, however, declined to comment on this association when approached.
The Trump Organization acquired the ground lease at 40 Wall Street in 1995 from Kinson Properties of Hong Kong at a bargain price of less than $8 million. The acquisition was hailed as a remarkable deal by Crain's New York in 2020.
Heuermann faces charges of three counts of first-degree murder and three counts of second-degree murder in connection with the deaths of Melissa Barthelemy, Megan Waterman, and Amber Costello, all sex workers who were murdered in 2009 and 2010.
The four women, who all worked as escorts, were found within one-quarter mile of each other, bound by belts or tape and some wrapped in burlap.
As part of the ongoing investigation, police linked Heuermann to a burner phone that was used to contact Melissa Barthelemy’s family seven times after she disappeared in mid-July 2009. In addition to the burner phones, authorities found a slew of additional incriminating evidence, including gruesome searches for child porn and rape and a bizarre fake Tinder profile.
He pleaded not guilty as he appeared in court on 14 July where he was ordered to be held without bond.
Trump said in a statement on Tuesday that he had received a letter from Special Counsel Jack Smith on Sunday asking him to report to a grand jury (AP)Meanwhile, Trump himself has been facing legal troubles of his own. In June, he was arrested on 37 federal charges related to the alleged mishandling of classified documents, including obstruction of justice and making false statements. The former president pleaded not guilty to the charges
More recently, Trump claims that the United States Department of Justice informed him that he is a target in a special council probe into the Capitol riot that occurred on January 6, 2021. Federal authorities have not confirmed Trump’s account.
Trump had been falsely claiming that he lost the 2020 vote due to widespread election fraud. Late last year, a congressional panel investigating the attack recommended criminal charges against Trump.
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Adding to Trump's legal woes, he was found liable for sexually abusing advice columnist E. Jean Carroll in 1996, as determined by a civil lawsuit in May, resulting in a $5 million judgment against him.
Trump is the first former president to be criminally prosecuted. He has denied wrongdoing in all the cases, claiming that he is being targeted politically. Criminal charges do not prevent Trump from running for president or serving a second term in the White House.