I thought my neighbor was 'creepy' for 30 years - it turns out he is a the Gilgo Beach serial killer suspect

A erstwhile New York City firefighter has revealed he spent almost 3 decades surviving adjacent doorway to nan premier fishy successful the Gilgo Beach serial killings.

Etienne de Villiers, 69, and his woman Patricia, 66, had lived adjacent doorway to alleged murderer Rex Heuermann, who is accused of killing six women who vanished betwixt 1993 and 2010.

All nan while, de Villiers, known arsenic 'Frenchy' astatine his firehouse, believed his neighbour to beryllium 'creepy' but harmless, ever since moving to their location connected First Avenue successful nan mini municipality of 17,000 successful 1995 pinch his wife, Patricia. 

Heuermann and de Villiers lived adjacent doorway to 1 different successful nan Long Island municipality of Massapequa Park since 1995.

De Villiers initially was astounded to study of his neighbor's alleged crimes - but quickly recalled incidents with Heuermann that had near him emotion uncomfortable. 

He described Heuermann arsenic a man pinch a towering fig who would effort to make awkward mini talk pinch his wife, particularly erstwhile de Villiers was retired of nan location connected duty. 

'Every clip she's retired location and I'm astatine nan firehouse working, Rex would bent complete nan fence, talking to her,' de Villiers told The Daily Beast.

But Patricia yet told her hubby that Heuermann's behaviour made her nervous.

There was a clip erstwhile he would peek astatine her complete nan obstruction and look astatine her while sunbathing, trying to make mini talk, erstwhile nan mates first moved into nan neighborhood.

'He would perpetually opportunity - he was six-four, 250 pounds - and he would effort to commencement conversations pinch her,' De Villiers explained to Fox News.

De Villiers ended up confronting Heuermann and asked him to stop. Perhaps surprisingly, Heuermann complied without resistance. 

'I virtually threatened nan guy,' de Villiers said. 'I figured if I sewage to conflict nan guy, I sewage to conflict nan guy. I don’t attraction really large he is. I told him, "Don’t make me…" I said STOP!

'It was unpleasant, he complied. He stopped, didn't reason pinch me,' de Villiers said.

'He said, "I won't do it nary more", and he backed disconnected immediately. So I went, "okay."

'When I had that altercation pinch him, I fundamentally threatened him to extremity leering astatine my wife. He backed off. The unit point I didn't spot coming because he didn't travel disconnected violent. I mean, he was unusual to look at, enormous,' de Villiers recalled.

'But he ne'er became much convulsive to maine aliases to anybody that I could tell,' he said. 'It’s scary now, erstwhile you extremity and deliberation that nan girls each look for illustration my wife.' 

Over nan years, their interactions remained short but friends - moreover if they were constricted to little chats erstwhile de Villiers walked to his car parked successful nan driveway.

'We didn’t person a brew together aliases play cards aliases thing together. But whenever I came retired to get my car, he we would ever say, "How’re you doing?"', de Villiers recalled. 'That’s beautiful overmuch really it went, really it stayed complete nan adjacent 30 years.'

Heuermann would often mention his size, his 250lb weight, and his weapon collection and liked hunting, moreover noting really he a safe doorway to 'protect his guns.' The truth amazed de Villiers fixed nan tally down authorities of his home. 

'The feline was overseas and unusual but ne'er violent,' de Villiers said. 'We said each time almost. He was ever benignant and respectful. I was amazed by nan violence. I really consciousness bad for nan children.

Despite increasing up and surviving location for years, Heuermann had fto his location autumn into disrepair - moreover pinch him being an architect. De Villiers likened him to a shoemaker pinch holes successful his shoes.

It appears de Villiers' narration pinch Heuermann was unsocial successful nan neighborhood, arsenic galore others avoided him. 

'The neighbour to nan different broadside of him had these large trees put up truthful you can’t spot his location astatine all, truthful he had zero interaction pinch nan guy,' de Villiers said. 'So it’s sad to opportunity that beautiful overmuch nan only 1 who said to that feline was me.' 

Others successful nan vicinity believed nan suspected serial slayer to beryllium a quiet family man, who could often beryllium seen tinkering successful his car shed while keeping to himself.

De Villiers besides noticed that Heuermann's friends appeared scruffy, dissimilar nan emblematic Massapequa resident. 

'They seemed a beautiful debased life type. You could prime them up and put them successful a trailer park,' de Villiers said to The Daily Beast.

Heuermann had been joined to Asa Ellerup. Together they had a daughter, Victoria, while Ellerup's son, Christopher Sheridan, besides lived pinch them. 

Christopher, who has developmental disabilities seemed highly withdrawn and friendless arsenic he grew older, de Villiers said.

De Villiers, who served astatine Ground Zero aft 9/11, only precocious learned astir Heuermann's alleged 'post event' to-do database successful which he elaborate methods designed to forestall bodies from being recovered and identified. 

The document, recovered from 1 of Heuermann's computers, outlined gruesome steps specified arsenic 'remove ID marks' and 'remove caput and hands.'

It was 2010 erstwhile Suffolk County Police Officer John Mallia discovered nan remains of Melissa Barthelemy, 1 of nan Gilgo Four, while searching for a missing activity worker. 

The find led to nan unearthing of much victims and nan recognition of a caller serial slayer connected Long Island. 

Initially, investigators had suspected a high-ranking constabulary official, but DNA grounds pointed to Heuermann.

Heuermann was initially charged pinch nan murders of 3 women: Megan Waterman, Melissa Barthelemy and Amber Costello. The victims had vanished betwixt 2007 and 2010.

In January, he was besides charged pinch nan execution of a 4th unfortunate Maureen Brainard-Barnes.

Then, past month, Heuermann was charged pinch sidesplitting 2 much women, including Sandra Costilla, murdered successful 1993, and Jessica Taylor, whose torso was recovered successful 2003.

De Villiers' tin retrieve cops approaching his doorway early 1 greeting successful July 20213, asking him to move his cars. 

He complied, and upon watching nan news, learned that Heuermann was nan Gilgo slayer suspect. He was stunned, fixed their years of neighborly interactions.

De Villiers shared a speech where Heuermann's boy Christopher expressed his disbelief astir his father's guilt. 

The neighbour reassured him, emphasizing nan rule of innocence until proven guilty. He besides felt sorry for Heuermann's woman Victoria.

It was again successful May of this twelvemonth conscionable arsenic successful nan erstwhile July that helicopters buzzed overhead, and constabulary squad cars erstwhile again unopen disconnected nan suburban block. 

A 2nd hunt uncovered yet much evidence, and saw Heuermann charged pinch nan further murders.  

The indictment described his meticulous readying and sadistic methods. 

It has near De Villiers reflecting connected nan opposition betwixt his life's activity of redeeming lives arsenic a firefighter and Heuermann's alleged crimes, destroying families successful nan process.