Gilgo Beach Murders: Phone Number in Serial Killer Suspect’s Alleged ‘Planning Document’ Linked to Sex Worker, Family Says

Investigators have connected one of the two phone numbers listed in an alleged planning document tied to Gilgo Beach serial killer suspect Rex A. Heuermann to a former Bronx sex worker, according to authorities.

The phone number was made public in June when Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney asked for help in identifying a woman Heuermann may have targeted around 2002.

The one number has been linked to Danielle Goodling, a former Bronx sex worker who died in 2021 from an apparent drug overdose, her family told Newsday.

The second phone number in the document, a pager, remains unverified, but investigators are continuing to assess its relevance.

According to authorities, Heuermann used the planning document between 2000 and 2002 and it outlines his plans for carrying out his crimes and avoiding law enforcement.

The planning document has those phone numbers mentioned above associated with someone identified as "Megan?" and "Target 1," which may refer to Goodling, though her mother, Cindy Fitt, told Newsday that she does not recall her daughter using that name.

Goodling was involved in sex work in New York during the late 1990s and early 2000s and had multiple arrests, with two occurring in 2002 near Heuermann's former office.

On July 13, 2023, Heuermann, now 60, was arrested outside his Manhattan office in connection with the 2010 deaths of Melissa Barthelemy, 24; Megan Waterman, 22; and Amber Costello, 27, Front Page Detectives reported.

Since his arrest, authorities have also added charges in three additional murders.

Heuermann was also charged with the killing of Maureen Brainard-Barnes, 25, whose remains were near the other three. These four victims were known as The Gilgo Four.

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In June 2024, authorities filed charges against Heuermann for the alleged murders of Jessica Taylor in 2003 and Sandra Costilla in 1993, Front Page Detectives previously reported.

The cases span 30 years, from the 1993 death of Costilla to Heuermann’s arrest in July 2023. Prosecutors say each of the women has been associated with sex work.

Heuermann has pleaded not guilty to all of the charges.