Childhood Friend Breaks Down Rex Heuermann’s Mind | Long Island Serial Killer

What turns an awkward, bullied boy into a suspected serial killer.

In this episode of Sinister with Josh Zeman, Josh sits down with John Parisi, a childhood friend who grew up just blocks away from Rex Heuermann in Massapequa Park. John knew the Heuermann family, played on the same streets and watched Rex go from a big, quiet kid at the edge of the group to a man he now believes fits the pattern of a premeditated psychopath.

From stories of an abusive, terrifying father, to a mother who “never protected him,” to cruel bullying from classmates and girls who laughed in his face, John walks us through the early red flags. Love letters left in lockers, stolen clothing, trophy taking behavior, hypersexuality and a fascination with Jones Beach and the ocean parkway that would later become a Gilgo Beach dump site.

John also shares his professional perspective as a counselor, talking about psychopathy, shallow affect, hatred of women, and why he believes “we all created Rex”. including the family, the community and a system that ignored the signs.

If you want to understand how a Long Island serial killer might be made, not just caught, this conversation is essential context.

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