Naman Shrestha
In Prime Video’s ‘Killing Grounds: The Gilgo Beach Murders,’ the primary focus is on the Gilgo Beach murders and the decades-long search for the alleged killer, Rex A. Heuermann, responsible for them. Amber Lynn Costello was one of the multiple women that Rex allegedly killed and disposed of in a secluded area of Long Island, New York. At the time, she was living with her friend and roommate, Dave Schaller, who features in the four-part documentary series and opens up about his late friend and how he tried to help the authorities apprehend the suspect.
Dave Schaller Allegedly Had a Face-to-Face Encounter With Amber Costello’s Alleged Killer
Amber Lynn Costello was living with her friend and roommate, Dave Schaller, in West Babylon, Long Island, when she disappeared in September 2010. As per Dave’s account, in the previous month, Amber called him and asked him to return home as her lap dance customer was forcing himself onto her. After Dave rushed in, the tall customer allegedly left the residence only after a physical scuffle with Dave. That’s when he noticed the strange man driving away in his dark green Chevrolet Avalanche. According to Dave, Amber received multiple texts and calls from the same man in the following weeks for another meetup.
On the night of September 2, 2010, when he allegedly offered her $1,500, she agreed to meet him again. The entire thing made Dav uneasy as too much money was involved. He stated in an A&E special, “It was like quarter to 10. The guy called. I walked to the edge of the property. She gave me a hug. And she bounced. She was off.” After she vanished into thin air, Dav told the detectives about her customer, calling him an “ogre” and mentioning his first-generation Chevrolet Avalanche. A few months later, when Amber’s remains were discovered in a secluded area of Long Island shoreline, Dave gave the description of the man whom he believed was responsible for her murder. He told The Associated Press, “When they told me she was dead, he was the first person who jumped in my head.”
Dave Schaller Prefers to Stay Out of the Limelight
More than a decade after Amber Costello was killed, the authorities arrested a New York City-based architect, Rex A. Heuermann, for the murder of Amber and two other women — Melissa Barthelemy and Megan Waterman. He was also linked to the killings of other women in the Long Island area. The accused resembled the physical description provided by Dave Schaller. He admitted to meeting with the investigators multiple times during the initial phases of the investigation.
According to him, he also picked the truck’s model out of a line-up and provided enough physical description of the suspect. Thus, he was angry and confused about the police not taking his statements seriously. He said, “I gave them the exact description of the truck and the dude. I mean come on, why didn’t they use that?” As of today, he is awaiting the sentencing hearing of Rex Heuermann while leading a private life in New York.
Read More: Amber Lynn Costello: How Did She Die? Who Killed Her?
