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 Rex A. Heuermann, who ultimately pleaded guilty to the crimes. Amber Lynn Costello is one of the multiple women whose murders Rex Heuermann pleaded guilty to, after being charged with disposing of their remains 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 Reported a Face-to-Face Encounter With Amber Costello’s Killer
Amber Lynn Costello was living with her friend and roommate, Dave Schaller, in West Babylon, Long Island, when she disappeared in September 2010. According to court documents detailing Dave’s police statements, in the previous month, Amber called him and alleged that her lap dance customer was forcing himself onto her, prompting him to head home. After Dave rushed in, the customer allegedly left the residence 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 man in the following weeks for another meetup.
According to reports, on the night of September 2, 2010, Amber left home to meet the man. Dave told the police that the client offered her $1,500, a higher-than-usual fee, and asked her to leave her phone and purse at home. The entire thing made Dave uneasy as too much money was involved. In an A&E special, he stated: “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, Dave told the detectives about her customer, referred to him as an “ogre,” and mentioned 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 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. Rex resembled the physical description provided by Dave Schaller. For his part, Dave stated that he met with the investigators multiple times during the initial phases of the investigation and picked the suspect’s truck model from a lineup.
He added that he provided a sufficient physical description of the suspect. 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, Dave Schaller 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?
