(NewsNation) — The family of Gilgo Beach victim Maureen Brainard-Barnes is focused on “learning the truth” now that Rex Heuermann has been charged in her killing, the family’s attorney, Gloria Allred, told NewsNation’s Ashleigh Banfield.
Allred said the family has many questions and seeks justice. They want to know why, according to the indictment, Brainard-Barnes was restrained by belts, one of which was used to tie her feet and ankles together.
“It’s just horrific to me that she (Brainard-Barnes) apparently was … put into a burlap bag. Just horrible. All of it is devastating, and she may not be the last.”
Heuermann was charged Tuesday with killing Brainard-Barnes, the final victim among the Gilgo four. Heuermann pleaded not guilty and maintained his innocence.
Heuermann was previously considered a top suspect in the case but at the time of his arrest for the killings of the three other women, investigators said they did not have the evidence to charge him with her death.
The Gilgo Beach task force has been investigating the deaths of 10 people whose remains were found along the New York beach in 2010 and 2011. Most of the victims were sex workers
In July, police arrested 60-year-old Heuermann for the murders of three women, with police considering him as a suspect in the death of a fourth. Police used familial DNA evidence to help identify Heuermann.
At the time, he was charged with the deaths of Melissa Barthelemy, 24, Megan Waterman, 22, and Amber Lynn Costello, 27. They, along with Brainard-Barnes, were known as the Gilgo Four.
Former FBI lead investigator Bobby Chacon told NewsNation’s “Elizabeth Vargas Reports” he’s hopeful that the familial DNA evidence will be in “good enough condition” to be used for other aspects of the investigation.
Stephanie Whiteside and Laura Ingle contributed to this report.