RIVERHEAD, N.Y. (AP) — A Long Island architect who led a secret life as a serial killer pleaded guilty on Wednesday to murdering seven women and admitted he killed an eighth in a string of long-unsolved crimes known as the Gilgo Beach killings.
Rex Heuermann, 62, entered the pleas in a courtroom filled with reporters, police, and victims’ relatives, some of whom wept as he detailed his crimes. He will be sentenced in June to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
Heuermann’s guilty pleas – to three counts of first-degree murder and four of intentional murder – bring finality to a case that troubled investigators, tormented victims’ relatives, and captivated the public for years. He also admitted to killing Karen Vergata in 1996, though he wasn’t charged in her death.
Under questioning by Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney, Heuermann admitted that he strangled all eight victims and dismembered some of them. He used burner phones to contact them and wrapped their bodies in burlap before dumping them.
Heuermann appeared matter-of-fact and unemotional, wearing a black suit coat and white button-down shirt, as he answered questions from Tierney and the judge. He did not appear at the crowded courtroom gallery, keeping his gaze fixed straight ahead.
The women, many of whom were sex workers, were killed over a 17-year span and buried in remote locations, including along an isolated beach highway.
Tierney scheduled a news conference for later Wednesday, to be joined by victims’ family members and members of the Gilgo Beach Homicide Investigation Task Force, which solved the case with clues including DNA from a discarded pizza crust.
Killer’s ex-wife calls it a ‘difficult time’
Investigators and members of the public crowded the hearing. Reporters surrounded Heuermann’s ex-wife, Asa Ellerup, and their daughter as they entered and left the courthouse.
“My thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their families,” Ellerup said. “Their loss is immeasurable and the focus should be on them at this time and moment. I ask that you give some privacy to my family as they navigate through this very difficult time.”
Ellerup and her daughter, Victoria, had no knowledge of or involvement in the killings, according to their lawyer, Robert Macedonio. Ellerup stated she found it difficult to believe her husband was a serial killer, as he never displayed warning signs during their marriage.
Heuermann’s defense attorney, Michael Brown, told reporters, “There came a point in this defense where Rex said, ‘I want to plead guilty.’”
As part of his guilty plea, Heuermann agreed to cooperate fully with the FBI’s behavioral analysis unit.
A shocking find
The investigation began in earnest in 2010. Authorities eventually determined that Shannan Gilbert drowned, and Brown said Wednesday that Heuermann “had nothing to do with Shannan Gilbert.”
Investigators used DNA analysis and other evidence to identify victims, and in some cases, connect remains found years earlier. Remains of six victims — Melissa Barthelemy, Maureen Brainard-Barnes, Amber Lynn Costello, Valerie Mack, Jessica Taylor and Megan Waterman — were found along Ocean Parkway near Gilgo Beach. The remains of Sandra Costilla were found more than 60 miles away in the Hamptons.
Police also identified the remains of Vergata, found on Fire Island in 1996 and near Gilgo Beach in 2011.
Despite attention from a documentary series and the 2020 Netflix film, “Lost Girls,” the investigation lasted more than a decade.
A fresh look yields results
In 2022, six weeks after a new police commissioner formed the Gilgo Beach task force, detectives identified Heuermann as a suspect by connecting him to a pickup truck seen when one of the victims disappeared in 2010.
Heuermann lived for decades in Massapequa Park, a 25-minute drive to the beach where the remains were found. Some victims were believed to have disappeared from that community, and their cellphones pinged towers in the area.
A grand jury authorized more than 300 subpoenas and search warrants, allowing the task force to investigate Heuermann’s life. Detectives collected billing records for burner phones, retested DNA, and examined his internet search history, which showed violent pornography and an interest in the Gilgo Beach killings. Cellphone data showed Heuermann was in contact with some victims before their disappearances.
To obtain Heuermann’s DNA, a surveillance team watched him throw a pizza crust into a garbage can in Manhattan. The crust’s DNA matched a male hair found on burlap used to restrain one of the victims. He was arrested in July 2023.
Detectives found 279 weapons in Heuermann’s basement and a “blueprint” for the killings on his computer, including checklists to limit noise, clean the bodies, and destroy evidence.
Frequently Asked Questions
What charges did Rex Heuermann plead guilty to?
Rex Heuermann pleaded guilty to three counts of first-degree murder and four counts of intentional murder.
Did Rex Heuermann admit to killing Shannan Gilbert?
No, Rex Heuermann did not admit to killing Shannan Gilbert, and authorities stated he “had nothing to do with Shannan Gilbert.”
Where were the victims’ remains found?
The remains of six victims were found along Ocean Parkway near Gilgo Beach, one was found in the Hamptons, and one was found on Fire Island.
As this case concludes with a guilty plea, what impact will this have on the families and communities affected by these decades-long crimes?