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Suffolk County Sheriff Errol Toulon has encountered a wide array of notorious figures, from the infamous mobster John Gotti to ruthless gang members and those who have killed police officers. Yet, none have unsettled him quite like Rex Heuermann.
After four decades of overseeing some of the most dangerous individuals, Toulon is currently tasked with monitoring the notorious Long Island serial killer until Heuermann is transferred to a state facility in June. Speaking to The Post, Toulon described the distinct unease he feels around the towering 6-foot-4 criminal.
“Throughout my career, I’ve come across many notorious individuals,” Toulon remarked. “Names like John Gotti, [cop killer] Larry Davis, the quartet responsible for Eddie Burns’ death, [accused subway vigilante] Bernhard Goetz, [disgraced lawyer] Joel Steinberg, and [Preppy Killer] Robert Chambers come to mind.
“I could meet their gaze,” Toulon explained. “But with this individual, there’s something different. He exudes a calculating aura. That’s the best way to describe it. He converses, yet there’s a constant sense that he’s assessing you. Every time I enter the room, he sizes me up.”
Heuermann reportedly spends the majority of his time confined to his cell at the Suffolk County jail, according to Toulon.
He said the Massapequa Park killer is kept in “voluntary isolation” to prevent other inmates from seeking “jailhouse justice” — killing him to make a name for themselves behind bars.
Heuermann, who strangled and dismembered eight sex works between 1993 and 2010, takes solitary walks around the jailhouse yard and routinely checks out books from the law library at the lockup, and also gets mental health and religious faith visits while in the jail — but nothing more, Toulon said.
“I never seen anything like this, where he would sit on his bunk or he would lay on his bunk so calmly,” he said. “You know, sometimes you get some hardcore gang members that want to try and prove that they’re tough. You know, been there done that guys. But definitely I’ve never seen a look like this in my 44 years.”
Toulon started his career in 1982 as a New York City correction officer, and has kept tabs on a who’s who of famous bad boys over the years, including the Gambino “Teflon Don.”
“You know, they’re all polite,” he said. “Gotti was very polite.”
But asked if he was scared of Heuermann, Toulon shot back, “Hell no!
“He’s different, but I’ve had some tough battles and fights on Rikers,” he said. “I don’t think this guy wants to fight a guy. I really don’t. He just likes to abuse women.”