Chaz and AJ In The Morning · Chaz and AJ Audio

Pod Pick: Attorney John Ray is Pursuing the Heuermann Family

April 10, 2026·17 min·1 clip

Attorney John Ray questions how the Gilgo Beach killer's family might have known about the murders in their own home.

The episode opens with audio of Rex Heuermann's guilty plea in open court, establishing the legal milestone before host Chaz introduces Attorney John Ray. Ray immediately pushes back on the theory that Heuermann pleaded guilty to shield family members, arguing they are in a mutual bond with him rather than being protected. When asked about the wife, Ray says she shows no evidence of involvement, but he expresses a different view about the daughter. Ray references the Peacock documentary, noting the daughter initially denied her father's guilt and slowly shifted as evidence mounted. He then describes in detail a room in the basement with a military-style metal door he says police identified as the site of murders and tortures, arguing the smell of blood alone would have made concealment from housemates impossible. Ray contends that the family's periodic vacations do not account for all of the relevant timeframes, noting that some victim deaths may have occurred while the family was home. He describes Heuermann having brought many women through the house as further evidence the family must have been aware. Ray draws the hosts' attention to what he calls a renovation of the bathroom immediately after one family vacation, suggesting it may have been used to eliminate evidence. Moving to the Peacock documentary, Ray notes the daughter had a wall hanging depicting a figure associated with the Church of Satan visible on camera, arguing the choice was deliberate. He says Peacock paid the family approximately $1.2 million and raises the question of whether that money will be returned now that there will be no trial. Ray says that after the family scrubbed their social media, investigators were able to access remaining data showing the daughter had viewed images of people hanging with one foot cut off — directly paralleling Valerie Mack's injuries — as well as images related to cannibalism. He references a disturbing book found on the kitchen table during a police search that was associated with the Church of Satan, adding that the daughter was home at the time. Ray also brings up former police commissioner Rodney Harrison, who was not publicly thanked by the district attorney despite being instrumental in the arrest, and notes Harrison himself has called for continued federal investigation of the family. Ray then argues that police had enough information years earlier — a witness description of a large man in a green Chevrolet Avalanche traced to the Massapequa Park area — to conduct a simple DMV search and make an arrest that could have saved lives. He dismisses police claims that they went slow intentionally to avoid alerting the suspect as false. Ray notes that the plea deal removes the possibility of learning full details about the methods of torture, the timeline of deaths, and the possible involvement of figures like former Suffolk County Police Chief Burke. He closes by stating he is representing Valerie Mack's son in a civil lawsuit and intends to keep pursuing public accountability.

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