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(MASSAPEQUA, N.Y.) — Rex Heuermann appeared “traumatized” at his arraignment on Friday in the Gilgo Beach murders of three sex workers, his defense attorney Michael Brown said.

Brown, Heuermann’s defense attorney, spoke exclusively with ABC News on Tuesday in front of the Suffolk County courthouse about his client, who is charged with murdering the women whose bodies were found along Long Island’s South Shore in 2010. The 59-year-old architect is the prime suspect in the murder of a fourth woman, police said.

Heuermann, who was arrested near his New York City office last Thursday, was assigned to Brown, a criminal defense attorney based out of Suffolk County. Brown said that when he first met with Heuermann at the arraignment on Friday, the suspect appeared traumatized following his arrest.

Brown spoke further with ABC News on Heuerman’s condition when he met with him again at the county jail. “Nothing struck me as unusual about him. He was articulate, he was intelligent, he was soft spoken,” Brown said.

Brown said this case will be challenging for him and his co-councils as Heuerman appears to have “been convicted in the media already and the media public opinion.”

“When you have a high profile case like this, initially you have to be concerned about getting a jury that hasn’t been biased, that hasn’t convicted him, just based on what they’ve read in the newspapers and what they’ve heard on social media. So that’s going to be a challenge,” Brown stated.

Brown said the state has amassed “circumstantial evidence” against his client including phone records that correspond to burner phones used by the victims’ murderer, internet searches and DNA evidence found in a burlap sack that one of the bodies was buried in.

Brown further elaborated that he deems this evidence circumstantial as there were no eyewitnesses to the murders and no confessions from his client.

Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond Tierney told ABC News on Monday that Heuermann wouldn’t have been charged if they weren’t confident in their case.

Currently, Brown is assembling his legal team and says that he and his team are in a “wait and hold pattern” for discovery.

Heuermann has been charged with the murders of Melissa Barthelemy, Megan Waterman and Amber Costello, and has been called the “prime suspect” in the death of Maureen Brainard-Barnes. All four women were found in the same area of the beach, bound in the same fashion.

Investigators said Tuesday they were digging into Heuermann’s life and checking to see if they could tie him to unsolved murders or missing persons cases throughout New York state, an NYPD official told ABC News.

ABC News’ Aaron Katersky contributed to this report.

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(NEW YORK) — Investigations into the Gilgo Beach murder suspect have expanded beyond New York state in the days following his arrest in connection with the Long Island slayings.

Rex A. Heuermann, 59, a Manhattan architect, has been charged with the murders of three women whose bodies were found on Long Island’s South Shore in 2010. He has pleaded not guilty.

Authorities in Nevada said Tuesday they are investigating a connection between the accused serial killer and Las Vegas.

“We are aware of Rex Heuermann’s connection to Las Vegas,” the Las Vegas Metro Police Department said in a statement Tuesday afternoon. “We are currently reviewing our unsolved cases to see if he has any involvement.”

Police are trying to determine whether they should be searching any locations in Vegas and what those sites might be.

The search for forensic and physical evidence in the Long Island case has also expanded to property Heuermann owns in Chester, South Carolina, where authorities seized his Chevrolet Avalanche in connection with the investigation. A witness to Costello’s disappearance reported seeing a Chevrolet Avalanche, according to court records.

Investigators on Tuesday were digging into Heuermann’s life and checking to see if they could tie him to unsolved murders or missing persons cases throughout New York state, an NYPD official told ABC News.

The suspect’s DNA has been entered into a statewide database, available to all law enforcement agencies in New York.

Heuermann was arrested in Manhattan last week and charged with the murders of Melissa Barthelemy, Megan Waterman and Amber Costello, whose bodies were found covered in burlap along Ocean Parkway on Long Island’s South Shore in December 2010. He was also named the “prime suspect” in the death of Maureen Brainard-Barnes, a fourth woman discovered in the same spot, police said.

More than 200 firearms were found at his Long Island home, officials said.

“We wanted to take him into custody somewhere outside the house, because of access to those weapons,” Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney told ABC News.

The guns explain why police would have chosen to arrest him away from home, former NYPD Chief of Detectives Robert Boyce told George Stephanopoulos on “Good Morning America” on Tuesday.

Investigators would have searched databases and discovered that Heuermann had dozens of gun permits, Boyce said.

“You don’t want to go into that house — you want to take him off-premise,” Boyce said. “This way it’s safer for everybody.”

Heuermann is next scheduled to appear in court on Aug. 1.

Heuermann’s defense attorney, Michael Brown, said in a statement Monday: “There is nothing about Mr. Heuermann that would suggest that he is involved in these incidents. And while the government has decided to focus on him despite more significant and stronger leads, we are looking forward to defending him in a court of law before a fair and impartial jury of his peers.”

ABC News’ Mark Osborne contributed to this story.

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(SANTA FE, N.M.) — A small plane crashed into a home in Santa Fe, New Mexico, on Tuesday, resulting in an unspecified number of fatalities.

The home, located just south of the Santa Fe Regional Airport, caught fire in the crash.

The twin-engine Cessna 310 crashed into a home around 9:05 a.m. local time, according to the Federal Aviation Administration. It is unknown how many people were on board, the FAA said.

New Mexico State Police said they are investigating the fatal plane crash and that the scene is active.

The FAA and National Transportation Safety Board are also investigating the crash. A preliminary report from the FAA is expected by Wednesday.

ABC News’ Sam Sweeney contributed to this report.

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.

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(NEW YORK) — Scorching temperatures continue to shatter records amid a relentless heat wave across the United States.

Tuesday marked the 19th consecutive day that temperatures at or above 110 degrees Fahrenheit were recorded in Arizona’s capital, breaking a record that was set in 1974. A high of 116 degrees was reported at the Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport, tying a record for the same date set in 2005, according to the National Weather Service.

Phoenix shattered another record for going eight straight days without overnight temperatures dipping below 90 degrees. Monday night’s 95 degrees was just shy of the record warmest low of 96 degrees set in 2003. The city is expected to continue with the record-setting trend.

Meanwhile, heat index values in Miami, Florida, reached 109 degrees on Monday, marking the 16th consecutive day that they were at or above 105 degrees. That doubled the city’s previous record of eight straight days set in 2017.

Temperatures have been at or above 100 degrees in El Paso, Texas, for the past 32 days with no end in sight. A high of 109 degrees was reported on Monday, breaking the city’s previous daily record of 106 degrees set in 1980.

Grand Junction, Colorado, saw a high of 107 degrees on Monday, breaking its previous daily record of 104 degrees set in 1971. That also tied the all-time heat record for the area set in 2021.

Temperatures hit 101 degrees in Casper, Wyoming, on Monday, breaking the city’s previous daily record of 99 degrees set in 1977.

Overall, Earth has seen its 15 hottest days on record in the past 15 days. In other words, global temperatures have yet to return to levels recorded prior to July 3. The sweltering trend is expected to continue.

The latest forecast shows hot temperatures will persist for a swath of the U.S. on Tuesday, with 72 million people across 15 states under heat alerts from California to Florida, including the entire state of Louisiana.

Both heat index values and temperatures are expected to reach the 100s in the South again on Tuesday.

This week, heat index values and temperatures in the 120s are forecast to continue for California’s Death Valley while 110s continue for Phoenix, Arizona, and Las Vegas, Nevada. Heat index values are expected to remain in the 110s for Corpus Christi, Texas.

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(HENDERSON, Nev.) — Police searched a home in the Las Vegas area on Monday night in the long-dormant murder case of Tupac Shakur, according to a law enforcement source.

“LVMPD can confirm a search warrant was served in Henderson, Nevada on July 17, 2023, as part of the ongoing Tupac Shakur homicide investigation,” Las Vegas police said in a statement. “We will have no further comment at this time.”

The celebrated hip-hop artist was shot on Sept. 7, 1996, in Las Vegas and died in the hospital six days later from his injuries at the age of 25. No arrests have been made.

During his short but prolific career, he sold more than 75 million records worldwide, including the diamond-certified album “All Eyez on Me,” which included the hit “California Love (Remix).”

Tupac was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2017.

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.

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(IDAHO FALLS, Idaho) — A woman visiting Yellowstone National Park was hospitalized Monday after being gored by a bison, National Park Service officials said.

The unidentified 47-year-old tourist from Phoenix was walking with another person near the Lake Lodge Cabins on the north shore of Lake Yellowstone when they saw two bison, according to NPS.

Officials said the two visitors turned around and tried to walk away, but one bison charged at them and gored the woman.

“The woman sustained significant injuries to her chest and abdomen and was transported by helicopter to Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center,” NPS said in a statement.

Park officials did not provide an update on the wounded tourist’s condition.

It was unknown how close the visitors were to the bison when it charged. The investigation is ongoing, according to the NPS.

This is the first reported bison attack against a park visitor since June 2022, the NPS said.

Last month, the NPS put out warnings following a string of human encounters with Yellowstone wildlife that were going viral on social media.

In one video posted in May, a woman was seen getting close to a bison and taking a selfie, which park officials said was dangerous given the animal’s unpredictable movements and actions. The agency noted that bison can run three times faster than humans.

Visitors are advised to “stay more than 25 yards away from all large animals – bison, elk, bighorn sheep, deer, moose, and coyotes – and at least 100 yards away from bears and wolves,” NPS said.

“During mating season (rut) from mid-July through mid-August, bison can become agitated more quickly. Use extra caution and give them additional space during this time,” NPS said in a statement.

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(NEW YORK) — As Canada continues to battle its worst wildfire season on record, toxic smoke has traveled south and is once again blanketing states across the U.S.

A total of 18 states are under air quality alerts on Tuesday, stretching from Montana to New York and as far south as Georgia, according to AirNow, an air quality website run by a partnership between the federal government and state and local air quality agencies.

Washington, D.C., and New York City were among the top 10 worst air quality rankings in the world on Tuesday morning, according to IQAir, a website that publishes air quality data around the world.

While moderate surface smoke was still hanging over portions of the much of the East on Tuesday morning, it will lighten as the day goes on, forecasts show.

Light to moderate surface smoke will linger in some areas through the middle of the week.

There are more than 900 active fires in Canada now, with nearly 600 of them deemed “out of control” by the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre.

The fires in 2023 have already have already burned more than 26 million acres in Canada — more than 850% of normal and far surpassing the previous record set in 1995 of 17.5 million acres burned. There are still months to go in the fire season.

The Canadian wildfires began far earlier than usual and have been causing air quality concerns in the U.S. since May.

Vulnerable groups, such as children, teenagers, senior citizens, pregnant people and those with heart or lung disease, stay indoors and that people who travel outdoors consider wearing masks.

This is because wildfire smoke is made up of several toxins, including fine particulate matter — known as PM2.5 — which is 30 times smaller in diameter than a human hair.

These particles are too small to be seen with the naked eye and can be breathed deep into the body, entering the nose and throat and traveling to the lungs.

PM2.5 can cause short-term health effects, even for healthy people, including irritation of the eyes, nose and throat; coughing, sneezing; and shortness of breath. It can also cause long-term effects such as asthma and heart disease.

Canada may not be the only country in North America that has to battle wildfires. Red flag warnings went into effect Monday for much of eastern Washington and parts of Oregon and Colorado due to dry air, dry ground, and breezy conditions.

Combined with low humidity and strong winds, the conditions are prime for fires to be sparked and to grow rather quickly.

ABC News’ Kenton Gewecke contributed to this report.

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(CHICAGO) — It wasn’t a bird or a plane hurtling from the sky, although it did fall from the latter.

The Federal Aviation Administration said they are investigating after a Chicago resident found an aircraft emergency escape slide in his backyard just after noon on Monday.

The inflatable slide, which is believed to have fallen from a United Airlines flight from Zurich, Switzerland, fell onto the roof of a northwest Chicago home, which suffered minor damage from the impact.

“My father-in-law and my son are having lunch in the kitchen, and they hear a loud boom on the side of the wall,” homeowner Patrick Devitt told ABC affiliate WLS.

Surveillance footage from a nearby home showed the large slide plummeting from the sky.

Devitt told WLS that he found the silver-colored plastic slide in his backyard and dragged it to the street.

“When it’s all stretched out…it’s larger than a small car. It’s a very, very big piece of equipment that fell,” Devitt said. He also said he called 911, after which FAA officials arrived to investigate.

Meanwhile, miles away at Chicago O’Hare Airport, maintenance workers discovered that an emergency evacuation slide was missing from United Airlines Flight 12, a Boeing 767 that had recently landed following a flight from Zurich, Switzerland, according to the FAA. Devitt told WLS that United Airlines representatives came to his house later Monday to retrieve the slide.

United Airlines confirmed that the flight was carrying 155 customers and 10 crew. United Airlines said in a statement that immediately contacted the FAA, which is not investigating the matter.

No injuries were reported on the ground where the slide landed or onboard the aircraft, but the incident startled residents who live below the flight paths to O’Hare.

“Just seeing that in my backyard, I was like ‘Wow, this really happened,’” Devitt said. “This fell off an airplane and landed in our backyard.”

ABC News’ Victoria Beaule and Chris Looft contributed to this report.

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

(NEW YORK) — Scorching temperatures continue to shatter records amid a relentless heat wave across the United States.

Monday marked the 18th consecutive day that temperatures at or above 110 degrees Fahrenheit were recorded in Arizona’s capital, tying a record that was set in 1974. A high of 116 degrees was reported at the Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport, tying a record for the same date set in 2005, according to the National Weather Service. The city is expected to break the all-time record for the longest hot streak on Tuesday.

Phoenix shattered another record for going eight straight days without overnight temperatures dipping below 90 degrees. Monday night’s 95 degrees was just shy of the record warmest low of 96 degrees set in 2003. The city is expected to continue with the record-setting trend.

Meanwhile, heat index values in Miami, Florida, reached 109 degrees on Monday, marking the 16th consecutive day that they were at or above 105 degrees. That doubled the city’s previous record of eight straight days set in 2017.

Temperatures have been at or above 100 degrees in El Paso, Texas, for the past 32 days with no end in sight. A high of 109 degrees was reported on Monday, breaking the city’s previous daily record of 106 degrees set in 1980.

Grand Junction, Colorado, saw a high of 107 degrees on Monday, breaking its previous daily record of 104 degrees set in 1971. That also tied the all-time heat record for the area set in 2021.

Temperatures hit 101 degrees in Casper, Wyoming, on Monday, breaking the city’s previous daily record of 99 degrees set in 1977.

Overall, Earth has seen its 15 hottest days on record in the past 15 days. In other words, global temperatures have yet to return to levels recorded prior to July 3. The sweltering trend is expected to continue.

The latest forecast shows hot temperatures will persist for a swath of the U.S. on Tuesday, with 72 million people across 15 states under heat alerts from California to Florida, including the entire state of Louisiana.

Both heat index values and temperatures are expected to reach the 100s in the South again on Tuesday.

This week, heat index values and temperatures in the 120s are forecast to continue for California’s Death Valley while 110s continue for Phoenix, Arizona, and Las Vegas, Nevada. Heat index values are expected to remain in the 110s for Corpus Christi, Texas.

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

(NEW YORK) — More than 200 firearms were found at the home of the suspect in the Gilgo Beach murders, officials said.

Rex A. Heuermann, 59, a Manhattan architect, was arrested in Manhattan last week and charged with three first-degree murders.

“We wanted to take him into custody somewhere outside the house, because of access to those weapons,” Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney told ABC News.

Heuermann has been charged with the murders of Melissa Barthelemy, Megan Waterman and Amber Costello, whose bodies were found covered in burlap along Ocean Parkway on Long Island’s South Shore in December 2010. He was also named the “prime suspect” in the death of Maureen Brainard-Barnes, a fourth woman discovered in the same spot, police said.

The guns explain why police would have chosen to arrest him away from home, former NYPD Chief of Detectives Robert Boyce told George Stephanopoulos on Good Morning America on Tuesday.

Investigators would have searched databases and discovered that Heuermann had dozens of gun permits, Boyce said.

“You don’t want to go into that house — you want to take him off premise,” Boyce said. “This way it’s safer for everybody.”

Investigators were on Tuesday digging into Heuermann’s life and checking to see if they could tie him to unsolved murders or missing persons cases throughout New York state, an NYPD official told ABC News.

The suspect’s DNA has been entered into a statewide database, available to all law enforcement agencies in New York.

Heuermann’s defense attorney, Michael Brown, said in a statement Monday: “There is nothing about Mr. Heuermann that would suggest that he is involved in these incidents. And while the government has decided to focus on him despite more significant and stronger leads, we are looking forward to defending him in a court of law before a fair and impartial jury of his peers.”

ABC News’ Mark Osborne contributed to this story.

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.