In a shocking turn of events, the Long Island serial killing case has once again made headlines with the recent arrest of a 59-year-old New York architect, Rex Heuermann, as the prime suspect.

Thirteen years after the initial discovery of the remains of the first victim by a policeman and his dog, investigators have announced that they have substantial evidence against Heuermann.

The Long Island serial killing case, also known as the Gilgo Beach serial killing case, involves a series of murders of women sex workers whose remains were found along the shores of Gilgo Beach in Long Island.

It all began with the disappearance of Shannan Gilbert, a 24-year-old sex worker, in May 2010. A police officer and his cadaver dog stumbled upon the remains of Melissa Barthelemy, wrapped in a decaying burlap sack, while searching for Gilbert.

Subsequent searches uncovered the remains of three other women – Megan Waterman, Amber Lynn Costello, and Maureen Brainerd-Barnes – all with strikingly similar characteristics. The victims were all in their 20s, weighed around 50 kg, and were current or former sex workers.

They were last seen leaving to meet their clients, and their cause of death was strangulation. The discovery of their remains ignited speculation of a serial killer at work, although Suffolk Police faced allegations that the case was not given priority due to the victims' profession.

In March 2011, the partial remains of another woman, Jessica Taylor, also a sex worker, were found further along the beach. Over the next two months, the remains of at least five other women involved in sex work, including a mother and her toddler, were discovered in the area, along with the remains of a man dressed in women's clothing.

The recent arrest of Rex Heuermann came after a fresh review of an old clue in the case tied him to the murders. Authorities linked him to the crimes through a witness statement about a specific early-model pick-up truck seen outside the home of one of the victims.

Cell phone records and credit card records also placed him near the crime scenes. DNA evidence, collected from strands of his wife's hair, was used to connect him to the victims' remains.

According to a real estate agent who worked with Heuermann, he had a chilling conversation about the Gilgo Beach slayings with a client during renovations on her Crown Heights home.

The client found the conversation to be bone-chilling and recalled discussing the use of burlap, a material in which some of the victims' remains were found. As the investigation continues, authorities have been conducting searches at Heuermann's Long Island home, seizing various items, including a large doll in a glass case, a portrait of a woman with a bruised face, and a filing cabinet.

Heuermann's home also contained an arsenal of over 200 guns, raising concerns about their legality. Heuermann appeared in court on charges related to the murders of three women and is now a prime suspect in a fourth murder.

If convicted, he faces life imprisonment without parole. Authorities are still working on additional charges, and the investigation into the Long Island serial killing case is far from over.