Kriti Mehrotra
As a three-part documentary series living up to its title in every way conceivable, Netflix’s Liz Garbus-directed ‘Gone Girls: The Long Island Serial Killer’ can only be described as haunting. That’s because it delves deep into how the search for a missing woman brought to light the fact that a serial killer was roaming free in the densely populated island of New York for nearly two decades. It wasn’t until July 2023 that he was publicly suspected as Rex Heuermann and arrested, resulting in several other women coming forward with allegations against him, including Nikkie Brass.
Nikkie Brass Once Had Dinner With the Alleged Serial Killer
Although Nicole “Nikkie” Brass has never shared details of her background or troubled early years, she has been open about the fact that she was once living with a severe addiction to opioids. In fact, it was to such an extent that she became an escort in her early 20s, advertising on websites such as BackPage and Seeker just to ensure she always had enough money for drugs. According to her own accounts, she was in such a spiral that she “wasn’t really thinking about safety” at that point — all she focused on was dating wealthy men who could provide for her lifestyle.
Therefore, when this Long Island native received a message from a man going by the name John in 2015 suggesting they rent a room in Nassau County, she agreed but had a stipulation. Since Nikkie wasn’t comfortable meeting a new client directly in private, she said she convinced him to take her out to dinner first, resulting in them going to a seafood restaurant called Steamroom. The date started out “totally normal,” as per her recollection on ABC’s ‘Good Morning America,‘ but things shifted not long after as he brought up the infamous Gilgo Beach serial killings.
Nikkie Brass’ Gut Feeling Possibly Saved Her Life
While Nikkie was completely fine with talking to “John” about his career, family life, and interests, she got an eerie feeling as soon as he suddenly changed the topic to the Gilgo Beach case. His initial question was whether she had heard of it, and when she conceded that she had been following it because of how close to home it was for her, she claimed his demeanor changed. “He mentioned one of the girls [victims] I hadn’t heard about yet,” she candidly told the network. “It seemed like he was talking about it from experience, not a point of view.”
From that point on, Nikkie’s date only got creepier because she still believes that’s when “John” got a glazed look in his eyes as if talking about the young victims was enjoyable for him. It was then that she knew she had to escape him since she kept getting “the worst gut feeling” the more he talked, so she rushed to bring the dinner to a close and leave separately. She recounted he did try to have her get into his car so that they could continue with their night, but she somehow managed to get into her own and leave without looking back.
Nikkie never went to the police despite her suspicions, not only because she had no evidence but also because she was on a 2-year probation for a prior drug conviction and was afraid that their learning of her work as an escort would only result in more trouble for her. “I’m a felon and had a history and didn’t want to get involved with cops,” she once explained. “I think he went after girls who were addicts or had a record, or anyone less likely to talk to police.” So, it wasn’t until Rex Heuermann’s arrest as the alleged serial killer in 2023 that she said she figured out he was allegedly “John” and that her fleeing that night likely saved her life in ways she could’ve never imagined.
Nikkie Brass Has Moved On in Life, Both Personally and Professionally
When Nikkie learned about the severe accusations against Rex, who is currently facing 7 murder charges, she felt conflicted about not having gone to the authorities back when she had her suspicions. However, she admittedly still believes they wouldn’t have listened to her, considering her past legal troubles, choice of career as an escort, and unstable standing owing to addiction. Yet, she is glad she managed to get herself out of the situation that fateful night since his assertion of continuing their date and taking just his car makes her think he likely had a different plan for her than what they had discussed. After all, she even looked like a lot of the Gilgo Beach victims back then – blonde-haired and petite.
Since then, though, Nikkie has managed to overcome a lot of issues and establish a good life for herself while still residing in her home state of New York. From what we can tell, the 36-year-old has done the work to gain power over her addiction to the best of her abilities and even establish a stable career. In fact, she is now a licensed cosmetologist specializing in all things hair — whether it be cuts, styles, or colors, she does it all under her own brand, Nyilo Virag. As if that’s not enough, we’re also happy to report that it appears as if this fitness enthusiast, dog lover, and proud mother is presently happily married to a man named John Tsok, whom she has been with since at least 2020. Nikkie Brass seemingly even has three kids from previous relationships, but she understandably prefers to keep them well away from the limelight.
