Family members of a woman killed in a cold case nearly thirty years ago are calling on police to investigate her death in connection with accused Gilgo Beach murder suspect Rex Heuermann.
There appears to be a similarity between the 60-year-old Heuermann and a police sketch of the alleged murderer of Alicia Showalter Reynolds, who was murdered in March 1996.
Alicia was a promising graduate student at Johns Hopkins University and was working on a vaccine for a parasitic infection at the time of her disappearance.
She was 25 years old when she was killed by the as-yet-unidentified Route 29 Stalker while driving from Baltimore to Charlottesville.
Alicia’s family recently noticed similarities between Heuermann and the Route 29 Stalker sketch and have now asked investigators to investigate this possible connection.
The 1996 murder of 25-year-old Alicia Showalter Reynolds remains unsolved nearly thirty years later, but her family is urging police to re-examine her case
Alicia’s family recently noticed similarities between Gilgo Beach murder suspect Rex Heuermann (right) and the 1996 Route 29 Stalker sketch pictured above
The circumstances surrounding Reynolds’ disappearance are deeply disturbing.
She was on a 150-mile trip shopping with her mother, Sadie Showalter, and had planned to meet her around 10:30 a.m.
When Alicia didn’t arrive, Sadie waited at the mall, thinking bad weather or unforeseen circumstances had delayed her daughter.
Later that same day, at 6 p.m., Alicia’s car was found abandoned on the shoulder of Route 29 near Culpeper, Virginia, with a white paper napkin under the windshield wiper – a signal commonly used to indicate a problem with the Notify vehicle.
It later turned out that there was nothing wrong with the car. Three witnesses also came forward and told police that Alicia had been seen talking to a well-groomed white man who was driving a dark-colored pickup truck.
Alicia’s body wasn’t found for another two months. Her body was dumped in a forest 15 miles east of Culpeper.
The Virginia State Police investigation into Alicia’s death remains active and the family is still waiting for answers about her disappearance and murder some 27 years later.
When Alicia’s family noticed the similarity between Heuermann and a 1996 police sketch of the Route 29 Stalker, they urged investigators to look deeper into the possible connection
Virginia State Police investigators search the area near where the body of Alicia Showalter Reynolds was found in May 1996 outside of Culpeper, Virginia
Barbara Josenhans, Alicia’s younger sister, reported that she had given up hope of finding her sister’s murderer years ago.
But when Barbara noticed the similarity between Heuermann and a police sketch of the Route 29 Stalker, she urged investigators to delve deeper into the possible connection.
Barbara emphasized the similarities in Heuermann’s facial features, particularly his cheeks, and pointed out that he was about 32 or 33 years old at the time of Alicia’s murder.
“It’s the cheeks, there’s something on the cheeks,” Barbara Josenhans, Alicia’s younger sister, told The Sun.
“It’s pretty noticeable […] He would have been around 32 or 33 years old at the time. I wonder if he was ever questioned about this. If not, he should.’
There are other possible coincidences, too: Property records indicate that Heuermann’s mother has lived in Palmyra, Virginia – about 50 miles from where Alicia was last seen alive – since at least 1994.
Additionally, in an affidavit for an unrelated lawsuit, Heuermann admitted to traveling to Virginia multiple times during 2018.
“She was a good sister,” Barbara recalled. “She was 25 when she died and I was 20. We were very different people […] But we were just on the threshold of our adult relationship.
“It was incredibly unfair that this happened to Alicia.” It was completely random and unpredictable.
“It’s strange to think that if she had died in a car accident, in some ways it would have been easier to deal with than her being murdered. “It doesn’t make sense, but psychologically it does.”
Alicia was a promising graduate student at Johns Hopkins University and was working on a vaccine against parasitic infections at the time of her disappearance.
She was last seen alive on March 2, 1996, driving on a rural stretch of Route 29 outside of Culpeper. She had driven to see her mother in Charlottesville but never made it
Other disturbing facts later came to light, including that between February and March 1996, 23 female drivers on or near Route 29 were flashed with lights or honked to get them to stop.
Some were also yelled at that there was something wrong with their car.
Three women who stopped were taken to a payphone without any problems, but a week before Alicia’s disappearance, another woman was stopped on the highway by a man who used the same trick to report that something was wrong with her car.
After offering her a ride, he managed to force her into his own pickup truck before attacking her with a screwdriver.
The woman managed to escape after jumping out the passenger door.
Investigators believe the man was likely the same person who was seen with Alicia on the day she disappeared.
Virginia State Police believe the man may have been conducting “test runs” before finally plucking up the courage to kill.
Law enforcement authorities have not commented on whether Heuermann is considered a suspect in the Alicia case.
“State police do not comment on potential suspects, whether confirmed or unconfirmed,” a police statement said.
“Despite more than two decades and reviewing more than 10,000 tips, the Virginia State Police continue to actively pursue the disappearance and murder of Alicia Showalter Reynolds.”
“State Police remain hopeful that this case will reach a successful resolution and continue to encourage the public to come forward with any information related to the investigation.”
Alicia Showalter Reynolds gravesite
Alicia Showalter Reynolds’ family (from left), father Harley Showalter, husband Mark Reynolds and mother Sadie Showalter, are seen at a press conference in May 1996
Reynolds’ family is hoping for some sort of closure, but at the same time they are aware of the emotional toll that a trial could bring.
“Honestly, I want to believe the guy is dead,” Barbara told The Sun.
“That would make everything easier.” […] One of the hardest things about this was watching my parents deal with their grief and my own at the same time.
“At this point, 27 years later, while I would like to see the case resolved, I would hate to see it go to trial.
“For me at least, going through the process of seeing this person in the flesh and reliving it all again would be more disturbing than helpful.”
“I don’t know if the rest of my family feels the same way, but that’s definitely my opinion.”
Heuermann, 60, was charged with the murder of three sex workers
The bodies of three sex workers were among 11 found between 2010 and 2011 on the remote stretch of coastline near their Long Island home
Rex Heuermann’s home on Long Island is pictured in September of this year
Melissa Barthelemy, top left, Amber Costello, top right, Megan Waterman, bottom left, and Maureen Brainard-Barnes. Authorities on Long Island are vowing to continue investigating the Gilgo Beach murders after blaming an architect for the deaths of three of the 11 victims
During searches in 2010 and 2011, police found 11 bodies dumped on the shore of Gilgo Beach
As the investigation into Heuermann’s alleged crimes expands, authorities now face the demanding task of re-examining cold cases and examining possible connections to other unsolved murders across the country.
Other police departments across the country are looking back at unsolved cases to investigate Heuermann for possible connections to other unsolved murders.
Asa Ellerup, the wife of suspected Gilgo Beach serial killer Rex Heuermann, is pictured on Friday. She will appear in court to see for herself whether there is evidence that he committed the atrocities he is accused of
Heuermann is currently in custody in New York and is charged with the murders of several sex workers on Gilgo Beach on Long Island, New York, where he has pleaded not guilty.
In July, Heuermann was charged with the murders of Melissa Barthelemy, Megan Waterman and Amber Costello.
The three sex workers were found tied up and wrapped in burlap on a deserted beach path in 2010.
Authorities said he was also the “prime suspect” in the murder of Maureen Brainard-Barnes.
On Wednesday, his now ex-wife Asa Ellerup visited the architect, who is in prison in Manhattan, for the first time since his arrest in July and spent up to an hour with him.
Six days after Heuermann, 60, was charged with murdering three sex workers, she filed for divorce. The 11 bodies were among those found between 2010 and 2011 on the remote stretch of coastline near her Long Island home.
As she stood outside the family’s Massapequa Park home on Friday, her lawyer Robert Macedonio confirmed the visit to and said she would attend her husband’s trial to see if he was guilty of the crimes.
“She wants to hear and see how it turns out in court.” Not what the media has put out. “Not what the podcast people say,” he said.
“Certainly not what John Ray says, she wants to hear and see for herself what will be presented in court,” Macedonia added, referring to John Ray, who is an attorney for the families of two women dead in the eastern New York Peninsula were found.
Asa Ellerup (seen Friday) visited the architect, who is in prison in Manhattan, for the first time since his arrest on July 13 and spent up to an hour with him on Wednesday
Her son Christopher was seen leaving the house to walk the dog and her daughter Victoria also appeared outside
Ellerup was at home on Friday with her two children and what appeared to be a television or production crew.
Her son Christopher was seen leaving the house to walk the dog and her daughter also appeared outside.
Ellerup, who wore a beige cardigan and black pants, did not want to speak to the media, but her lawyer spoke on her behalf.
“She’s doing well.” “She’s holding up well,” Macedonio said. “She had a visit with Rex on Wednesday afternoon and spent about an hour with him.”
“I didn’t engage in the discussion about what the content of the conversation was.”
He added: “She had not seen him in person since the day before his arrest. “Otherwise she is fine.”
Asked if she supported Heuermann, Macedonio said, “She wants to see and hear for herself what evidence they have that he did this.”
Heuermann’s next court date is scheduled for Wednesday, but there will likely be no hearing.