Monster: Hunting the Long Island Serial Killer

Episode 5 – "Mindhunter"

Released: November 17, 2025
Host: Josh Zeman
Produced by: iHeartPodcasts & Tenderfoot TV

Episode Overview

In "Mindhunter," Josh Zeman investigates the ‘why’ behind accused Long Island Serial Killer Rex Heuermann’s crimes, delving into his background, psychological makeup, and chilling efforts to evade detection over decades. This installment connects Heuermann’s methods to true crime literature like "Mindhunter," uncovering how he allegedly modeled his crimes after notorious killers and FBI techniques, and raises disturbing questions about missed opportunities for justice.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Victims and Purpose of the Investigation

Timestamp: 04:20

• The episode begins with a sensitive recounting of the known victims: Shannon Gilbert, Maureen Brainerd Barnes, Megan Waterman, Melissa Bartholomew, Amberlynn Costello, Jessica Taylor, Valerie Mack, Karen Vergata, “Asian Doe,” Sondra Castilla, Tanya Denise Jackson, and Tatiana Marie Dykes.
• Zeman stresses the importance of understanding victims beyond the circumstances of their deaths:

  “These individuals deserve to be remembered not by the details of their deaths, but by the fullness of their lives.” (04:58, Josh Zeman)

2. Early Red Flags in Heuermann’s Life

Timestamp: 07:00–14:00

• Interview with John Parisi, childhood friend:
  • Heuermann described as “[a]lways there but not there. He really didn’t speak too much. My mother used to say, watch out for the quiet ones.” (08:50, John Parisi)
  • Early warning signs: breaking into girls’ lockers to steal clothing and leaving love letters; possibly stealing items as "trophies."
  • Heuermann’s fixation with Jones Beach, both recreational and later professionally, foreshadowed the discovery of evidence decades later.

3. New Evidence and the Depths of the Investigation

Timestamp: 14:00–21:00

• Discovery at Jones Beach: Workers unearthed old purses and women’s clothing—potential evidence linked to Heuermann’s past thefts.
• Authorities reveal the accumulation of evidence:
  • Over 350 electronic devices and 8 terabytes of data seized, including burner phones and torture pornography.
  • Heuermann painstakingly erased files but kept incriminating devices, paralleling the “Seven” movie’s killer and raising the paradox of a meticulous yet careless hoarder.

4. DNA and Family Connections

Timestamp: 22:00–28:00

• Significant DNA evidence:
  • Hairs belonging to Heuermann, his wife Asa Ellerup, and daughter Victoria were found on multiple victims.
  • Prosecutors detailed their efforts to verify the family’s absence during murder dates, strongly suggesting the family was not involved.

Notable Quote:

“Despite outlandish claims suggesting that Asa and her children were somehow complicit, it’s far more likely that they had been groomed for decades by a master manipulator.” (26:30, Josh Zeman)

5. Heuermann’s Planning & "Mindhunter" as Manual

Timestamp: 29:00–39:00

• Discovery of a heavily detailed Microsoft Word murder planning document, recovered despite Heuermann’s efforts to erase it.
• The document references research from John Douglas’s "Mindhunter," showing Heuermann’s attempt to learn not about other killers’ minds but how investigators operate.
• Livestream with detectives exclaims:

  “Wow, folks, he’s reading Mindhunter by John Douglas. He’s researching... This is a guy perfecting his craft. This is absolutely insane.” (36:50, Detective on Livestream)

6. Changing Modus Operandi and Influences from Other Serial Killers

Timestamp: 41:00–50:00

• FBI profilers, including Mark Safarik, connect changes in Heuermann’s methods (dismemberment, victim dispersal) to copying Joel Rifkin and Edmund Kemper, who used similar tactics to confuse law enforcement.
• Heuermann’s physicality and psychological profile are compared to Kemper’s, suggesting both may have leveraged their intimidating presence during victim selection.

Notable Quote:

“He had two role models for that. He had Joel Rifkin in terms of how long Rifkin was able to get away with the murders... and then Kemper, I think for him it impacts him.” (47:10, Mark Safarik)

7. Nature vs. Nurture: How Serial Killers Are Made

Timestamp: 53:00–65:00

• Further conversation with John Parisi:
  • Details of Heuermann’s difficult childhood: abusive, domineering father, social isolation, and bullying, especially by girls, contributing to deep-seated resentment.

  • “If you kick the dog enough times, the dog doesn’t get up anymore. Exactly what happened to him psychologically, he was done.” (59:10, John Parisi)

• Clinical assessment from Dr. Joni Johnson:
  • Sexual sadist profile:

    “He is somebody who doesn’t just hurt people. It’s the pain and the fear and the domination that is the turn on for him… With sexually motivated serial killers, it’s the lack of consent and it’s the turn on.” (63:20, Dr. Joni Johnson)

  • Outlines the “perfect storm” theory: rare personality, predisposition, traumatic environment, triggering event merging with fantasy.

8. How Many Victims? The Data Speaks

Timestamp: 69:00–75:00

• Interview with Thomas Hargrove (Murder Accountability Project):
  • Hargrove’s homicide pattern algorithm signaled the presence of a serial killer on Long Island long before the Gilgo Beach bodies were found.
  • The presence of numerous unsolved cases suggests the killer may have been active since the early 1980s:

    “The pattern of outdoor female homicides stretches back to the early 1980s…active for over 40 years.” (74:20, Thomas Hargrove)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On early warning signs:

  “My mother used to say, watch out for the quiet ones.” (08:50, John Parisi)

• On the paradox of Heuermann’s criminality:

  “For a man who’s so seemingly large and so strong, it’s shocking how small and how weak he truly is. Too weak to overcome the trauma inflicted upon him, he chose instead to pass that trauma onto so many others.” (68:30, Josh Zeman)

• On the difficulty of truly catching serial killers:

  “Do I always think that we identify every serial killer's victims? No.” (52:50, Mark Safarik)

Timeline of Key Segments

| Timestamp | Segment | |-----------|-------------------------------------------------------------| | 04:20 | Victims are named; framing the ‘why’ of the story | | 07:00 | Childhood accounts from John Parisi | | 14:30 | Discovery of clothing at Jones Beach linked to Heuermann | | 22:00 | DNA evidence connecting Heuermann & family | | 29:00 | Revelation of planning document referencing "Mindhunter" | | 41:00 | FBI profilers on method changes & serial killer role models | | 53:00 | Heuermann’s upbringing: bullying, parental abuse | | 61:00 | Dr. Joni Johnson explains the psychology of a sexual sadist | | 69:00 | Thomas Hargrove on statistical patterns & likely victim count|

Conclusion

"Mindhunter" uncovers how Rex Heuermann’s psychological traits, childhood trauma, and obsession with true crime literature allegedly drove his decades-long campaign of terror. The episode blends first-hand witness accounts, expert psychological insights, and investigative data to paint a chilling portrait of both systemic failure and individual pathology. The message is clear: understanding ‘why’ is as vital as finding ‘who’—and that the acts of one are shaped by the failures and lessons of many.

“We all created Rex. That includes his family. That includes the bullying at school. That includes not being accepted. We all created him.” (62:50, John Parisi)

For listeners eager for further investigation, Josh Zeman directs them to explore back episodes and bonus content through the iHeart True Crime Plus subscription and his own channels.