Why do serial killers target sex workers? Alleged Gilgo Beach killer Rex Heuermann preyed on 'marginalized' group
MASSAPEQUA PARK, NEW YORK: The arrest of an architect for Gilgo Beach murders that involved the deaths of three women in their 20s has shocked the nation. Rex Heuermann has been accused of murdering Melissa Barthelemy, Megan Waterman, and Amber Costello more than a decade ago. He was arrested Thursday, July 13, before being charged with three counts of first and second-degree murder. He has, however, pleaded not guilty.
As per reports, all the alleged victims of the 59-year-old man were prostitutes. Now, Jasmine Tasaki, executive director of We Care Tennessee, an organization that advocates and helps Transgender people and LGBTQIA+ people, has said that violence against sex workers is not a new thing.
‘They are marginalized’
She told USA Today, “It's pretty much the norm. People from the community really have to watch their back when it comes to, not only people who they serve in their profession, but also people who they come into contact with who they may refuse services to, and then also police.”
Also, Gillian Branstetter of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) stated, “Sex workers are targets for violence, specifically because the people who are targeting them, like this killer in Long Island, know that they are marginalized. They know that they are less able to establish safety, that they are put at risk by a society that criminalizes their profession and by extension their existence.”
Why do criminals target sex workers?
As per Tasaki, violence against prostitutes is “almost as old as the profession is, that's how old the violence against the people that do sex work is. There are many reasons people use to attack sex workers.”
One such reason according to Tasaki is jealousy. She claimed that because of jealousy, clients sometimes "vilify or demonize" the escorts. Tasaki and Branstetter added, as per USA Today, that cops also commit “violence against sex workers if they decide to abuse their own power during interactions with people engaged in the illegal activity.”
Tasaki went on to share her happiness over Heuermann's arrest as she felt “very elated”. She also mentioned, “A lot of times people don't pay these acts of violence or murders any attention,” before expressing, “It feels good and it feels like we are paying more attention to these issues.”
Meanwhile, Heuermann has insisted that he’s innocent and has nothing to do with the killings. His lawyer, Michael Brown, noted, “We just got appointed on this case. There’s not much I can tell you folks at this point in time. I will say to you folks that it’s extremely circumstantial in nature. In terms of speaking to my client, the only thing I can tell you that he did say, as he was in tears, was 'I didn’t do this.’”
