'None Of The Victims Deserved To Die': Gilgo Families Unite In Grief

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“The palpable excitement from these investigators made it obvious — the lives of these women matter,” he said. “We’re delighted, honored and privileged to be able to work with these families. At least, we provide them some small measure of closure.”

Family members stood, tears in their eyes, at the media event, silent in mourning still so real, even after years and hours and weeks of tears and unthinkable loss.

“Through the grand jury process, we get to learn a little bit about our victims,” Tierney said. “Valerie is similar to the other victims — she was an extraordinary person, her family are extraordinary people. We are honored to prosecute this case on the behalf of Valerie.”

He added: “The Mack family is emblematic of other families in this case who have stood steadfastly by their loved ones and jealously guarded their memories. We have nothing but respect and admiration for those victims’ families.

Gloria Allred, attorney for the families, also spoke after Tuesday’s indictment.

“It will be up to a jury to decide; under the law he is presumed innocent until found guilty in a court of law,” she said. Referencing Heuermann’s statement in court Tuesday, telling the judge that he was not guilty — it was the first time that he has spoken in any court proceeding thus far — Allred said: “He can say it until he’s blue in the face, but what matters is what the evidence shows.”

As the family members stood, one pregnant, another in a wheelchair, young and old ravaged by pain and united in a horror only they can unwillingly fathom, they held one another close. They remained silent — no one gave a statement — but faces lined with time and agony spoke volumes.

“I can tell you this, the group behind me consists of some of the most courageous people I have ever met,” Allred said. “They’ve been though such horrific experiences, but they support each other. They sacrifice to come here, to show how strong they are, but they’ve shed many tears when they’re alone — and when they have to see this accused person in the courtroom. So they will be here, and they will be here, and they will be here,” throughout the course of the trial, she said.

Allred introduced victim Melissa Barthelemy’s mother Lynn and sister Amanda; Brainard-Barnes’ daughter Nicolette; Jessica Taylor’s mother Elizabeth and cousin Jasmine; and Megan Waterman’s aunt Elizabeth. Mack’s parents stood quietly, their faces etched with loss.

“We are here today because we wish to support the family members of victim Valerie Mack,” Allred said. “We want her family to know that they are not alone in their grief.”

Her clients, Allred said, have also lost a loved one as a result of a homicide. “Many of them have experienced the despair, depression, anger, trauma and grief that results from such a tragic loss,” she said. “As Queen Elizabeth II once said, ‘Grief is the price that we pay for love.'”

Years may have passed since the young women were murdered, but, Allred said, “The impact of the loss, and the knowledge that this was not a missing person’s case, but murder, has caused the pain that they feel to cut to their hearts. Their loss and what their loved one may have suffered before she was killed has affected their minds and hearts, even now.”

Allred said the young women, who were reportedly sex workers, were more than just their circumstances at the time they died. They were mothers, daughters, sisters, cousins, friends — and their loss leaves a trail of devastation.

She added: “Let’s be clear: None of these victims deserved to die. They were all innocent, just trying to earn some funds to support themselves and their families. They were, and they are, loved. And they are missed every day by those who knew them and who had a strong bond with them.”

Her clients, she said, traveled to the court Tuesday to say to Valerie Mack’s family, “We see you. We hear you. And we ask you to accept our condolences for your loss.”

Her clients attend court appearances because they want their loved ones to be remembered, Allred said.

“They want to give their loved ones a voice. And they support one another. Most of all, however, they want justice for those who were murdered —and who were buried at Gilgo Beach. There can be no healing without justice.”

Next, Allred gave red roses to all the family members and one by one, they handed those roses to Valerie Mack’s brokenhearted mother and father, wrapping them in their arms as the tears flowed.

“We all love you,” one woman said.

“God, keep us strong,” Edwin Mack said.

It’s not the first time family members have opened their hearts to reveal their deep pain.

Nicolette Brainard-Barnes was only 7 years old when her mother Maureen was murdered. In January, as Heuermann was charged with her death, Nicolette spoke for the first time about the mother she lost.

“First, I’d like to thank law enforcement who have been dedicated to working on this case,” she said. “I very much appreciate your efforts on behalf of these vulnerable victims.”

Of her mother’s death, Nicolette said: “Her loss drastically changed the trajectory of my life. There are countless times I needed her, and she was not there. I remember she read to me every night, and now I can no longer remember the sound of her voice. I wish she was here today — but she was taken from us.”

For years, she said, it seemed there might not be charges filed against anyone for her mother’s murder. “While the loss of my mom has been extremely painful for me, the indictment by the grand jury has brought hope for justice for my mom and my family.”

She added: “I owe so much to my mom, and I know that she would want me to speak out for her in this process and let everyone know who she really was. Even though it is difficult for me, I am doing it because I want her to be remembered as the loving mother that she was.”

Melissa Cann, Brainard-Barnes’ sister, wiped away tears as Nicolette spoke. She, too, spoke, remembering the dark day 13 years ago that her sister was found murdered after she’d been missing for three-and-a-half years.

“Throughout those years, I had continued to hold onto hope that one day, there would be justice for Maureen, and that whoever took Maureen’s life would be held accountable,” she said.

Her husband by her side, Cann reflected on the years gone by, time lost with the sister she loved.

“Today is another important chapter in the long pursuit of justice for Maureen,” she said. “It has been 16 years since the last time I saw my sister and 16 years since I heard her voice because, 16 years ago, she was silenced. Losing Maureen became a wound that never truly heals. It remains a part of me.”

Her sister, she said, her voice breaking with emotion, was the mother of two “amazing children, and they will forever be without their mother. Maureen was my older sister, who was always there for me when I needed her. Maureen was inspired to be a writer, and she loved reading books. She was only 25 years old. She had her whole life ahead of her. Maureen would never get the chance to show the world how talented she was. My family will never get the chance to know who Maureen would have been because her life was tragically taken.”

And, Cann said, during the past 13 years, her family has had to endure her sister’s being “judged and marginalized.” Her sister, she said, was “more than how she has been portrayed. She was first and foremost a loving mother, a caring sister, and a giving friend.”

Reflecting on how her sister’s loss shaped her own life, Cann spoke with candor. “With the loss of Maureen came unimaginable pain and panic,” she said. “My life shattered with the confirmation of Maureen’s death.”

Due to her sister’s disappearance and death, Cann said she suffered from PTSD, overthinking every situation. “Every situation I deemed a threat, because the worst possible thing in my life happened.”

She became guarded, she said. Overprotective of her loved ones. “I knew firsthand that evil exists in this world.”

Cann asked that all the victims be remembered. “These victims had families, and they were human beings, with aspirations and hope for a better future for themselves. They have families who love and miss them. . . .They miss them more than anyone will ever know.”

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