This idyllic US town was full of police families – and a serial killer in their midst

This Idyllic US Town Was Full of Police Families – and a Serial Killer in Their Midst

Massapequa, a quiet community on Long Island’s South Shore, has long been known as a “cop town.” Its residents, including NYPD detectives and officers from multiple law enforcement agencies, have made it a hub for policing in the region. But in 2010, when body parts began turning up on Gilgo Beach—near where teens serve as lifeguards and families gather during summer—the town’s image was shattered by a hidden threat.

Speculation and Closure

For years, the Gilgo Beach murders fueled rumors about a local killer. Was the murderer a cop? Had he been operating unnoticed for years? These questions haunted the community, especially as law enforcement officials scrambled to solve the case. The arrest of architect Rex Heuermann in 2023 provided answers. His recent court confession to eight murders brought a sense of finality, according to Craig Garland, a retired NYPD detective and Massapequa resident.

“It’s a great relief,” Garland said. “There were people out there trying to pin this on a cop and… it brings great closure to the law enforcement community at large [that] this wasn’t a cop that was a serial killer.”

A Quiet Life, a Dark Secret

Heuermann, a 62-year-old married father of two, was apprehended in Manhattan after his DNA was found on a discarded pizza crust near his midtown office. His daily commute from Massapequa Park to the city passed by Johnny McGorey’s, a popular police bar where officers often discussed the case. Joanne Fountain, the bar’s owner, recalled how the homicide unit became a regular fixture, questioning the killer’s identity as bodies continued to be discovered.

“They would come in, and we would be like, ‘What the hell is going on down at the beach, at Ocean Parkway?'” Fountain said. “Then it was all day, every day, on the news.”

Legacy of Service

Massapequa’s police families are deeply embedded in the community, with generations of law enforcement members living there. “He’s covering his tracks so well and, you know, is there a possibility it could be a cop?” Garland said, describing how people speculated about the killer’s identity. “Listen, there’s always a possibility it could be anybody.” The town also hosts firefighters, medics, and officers from other agencies, many of whom trace their roots to local families. Fountain noted one of her staff members, whose father and grandfather were cops, as an example of this tradition.

9/11 and the Unseen Struggle

Massapequa’s first responders were particularly affected by the 9/11 attacks, with Nassau County losing around 350 lives, including numerous officers. Yet the Gilgo Beach murders added another layer of tension. “As an administrator and someone who was a cop, it was very frustrating that it took so long to discover… [who’s] responsible for these murders,” said John Azzata, a retired homicide chief from Nassau County.

Scandal and Doubt

The investigation faced further scrutiny in 2013 when Suffolk County Police Chief Jimmy Burke was arrested on charges related to sex toys, pornography, witness coercion, and a cover-up. Burke had entered Christopher Loeb’s home to retrieve stolen items, beating him while in custody and attempting to conceal the incident. He pleaded guilty in 2016 and received a 46-month sentence. The scandal also led to convictions for Thomas J Spota, a former district attorney, and Christopher McPartland, the former chief of investigations, both serving five-year prison terms.