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Julia Ann Bean was last seen in Sumter County, South Carolina on May 31, 2017. Her daughter reported her missing nearly six months later.
On Sunday, Aug. 20, someone claiming to be Bean’s friend contacted the sheriff’s office and claimed to have information in the case, the agency announced on Facebook.
The person met with an investigator in person and told them that they believed Bean’s disappearance was connected to Heuermann.
The Sumter County Sheriff’s Office then notified the FBI and passed along the tip, along with other information related to her disappearance.
Investigators also interviewed Bean’s daughter, who told them she saw her mother with a man resembling Heuermann.
“Sumter County Sheriff’s Office investigators have been pouring over the information they have recently received to determine if there is any evidence linking Bean with Heuermann,” the agency said on Facebook. “Yet there are no confirmed facts that confirm or deny the possibility of a connection.”
The sheriff’s office said it has investigated Bean’s disappearance “extensively” since 2017 and the case will remain open “until she is found.”
Several commenters on the sheriff’s office Facebook page asked why Bean’s daughter waited six months to report her missing. Her daughter, Cameron, responded by saying that she lived out of state at the time.
An architect with an office on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan and the father of two, Heuermann was arrested on Thursday, July 13 for the murders of three victims Megan Barthelemy, Megan Waterman, and Amber Costello.
He is also the primary suspect in the disappearance and killing of Maureen Brainard-Barnes.
The remains of the women were found on the south shore of Long Island in December 2010 during a police K9 training exercise, according to Suffolk County Police.
Investigators said all four were killed between July 2007 and September 2010 in what became known as the Gilgo Beach murders.
Heuermann has pleaded not guilty to all charges.
This continues to be a developing story. Check back to Daily Voice for updates.
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