Accused Gilgo Seashore, New York, serial killer Rex Heuermann admitted to the murders of eight ladies in courtroom on Wednesday as he modified his plea to responsible.
Heuermann, a New York Metropolis architect, was arrested in 2023 and initially pleaded not responsible to killing seven ladies. Over 17 years, he focused intercourse staff and dumped their our bodies close to Lengthy Island’s Gilgo Seashore, prosecutors stated. His trial had been set for September.
“Do you are feeling it’s in your finest curiosity to plead responsible relatively than go to trial?” Decide Timothy Mazzei requested.
“Sure, your honor,” Heuermann replied.
Rex A. Heuermann, pleads responsible to murdering seven ladies and admitted he killed an eighth in a string of long-unsolved crimes often called the Gilgo Seashore killings, at a courtroom listening to in Suffolk County Court docket in Riverhead, N.Y., April 8, 2026.
James Carbone/Newsday through AP
Heuermann, 62, agreed to serve three consecutive life sentences adopted by 4 consecutive sentences of 25 years-to-life, Suffolk County District Legal professional Ray Tierney stated. He’ll face no different prosecution in reference to the eight victims however should cooperate with the FBI going ahead.
His sentencing is about for June 17.
Standing in a darkish go well with together with his arms shackled behind his again, Heuermann admitted he murdered Melissa Barthelemy, Megan Waterman and Amber Costello, whose our bodies had been discovered alongside Ocean Parkway close to Gilgo Seashore.
“You killed every sufferer in the identical method, specifically strangulation?” Tierney requested.
“Sure,” Heuermann answered in scientific trend.
Heuermann additionally pleaded responsible to strangling to loss of life Sandra Costilla, Valerie Mack, Jessica Taylor and Maureen Brainard-Barnes.
Suffolk County police stand exterior the house of Rex Heuermann, Might 24, 2024, in Massapequa Park, N.Y.
Phil Marcelo/AP
Heuermann additionally admitted to an eighth killing: 34-year-old Karen Vergata. He was not formally charged with Vergata’s loss of life, however admitted to it as a part of the plea settlement.
Authorities consider Vergata was working as an escort when she went lacking in February 1996, prosecutors stated. A few of her stays had been present in April 1996 on Lengthy Island’s Fireplace Island, prosecutors stated, and extra stays had been recovered in April 2011 on Lengthy Island’s Tobay Seashore.
A number of of the victims’ family members sobbed quietly and had been seen wiping tears as Heuermann admitted to the killings.
Heuermann’s ex-wife, Asa Ellerup, and his daughter attended the listening to.
Ellerup leaned ahead in her seat, gripping the again of the chair in entrance of her. Ellerup and her daughter sat within the again row of the courtroom full of family members of victims and investigators who’ve labored over the case for many years.
Asa Ellerup, estranged spouse of accused Gilgo Seashore serial killer Rex Heuermann, speaks to the media, after he pleaded responsible to killing seven ladies between 1993 and 2011 and admitted he killed an eighth, exterior Suffolk County Court docket in Riverhead, New York, April 8, 2026.
Shannon Stapleton/Reuters
“My ideas and prayers are with the victims and their households,” Ellerup stated after courtroom. “Their loss is immeasurable.”
“She by no means wished to consider the person she was married to for 27 years, the daddy of Victoria, was able to these heinous acts,” Ellerup’s legal professional, Bob Macedonio, stated.
Victoria Heuermann, the daughter of Rex Heuermann, arrives on the Suffolk County Court docket for a scheduled courtroom look by Rex Heuermann in reference to the Gilgo Seashore serial killings, in Riverhead, New York on April 8, 2026.
David Dee Delgado/AFP through Getty Pictures
Protection legal professional Michael Brown stated the choice to plead responsible and cooperate with the FBI belonged solely to Heuermann.
“There got here some extent on this protection when Rex stated, ‘I wish to plead responsible,’” Brown stated, including that admitting his guilt introduced Heuermann “an enormous sense of reduction.”
Brown stated Heuermann would probably have extra to say at sentencing in June.
Rex A. Heuermann, pleads responsible to murdering seven ladies and admitted he killed an eighth in a string of long-unsolved crimes often called the Gilgo Seashore killings, at a courtroom listening to in Suffolk County Court docket in Riverhead, N.Y., April 8, 2026.
James Carbone/Newsday through AP
The Gilgo Seashore killings went unsolved for twenty years till the Suffolk County District Legal professional’s workplace, New York State Police and the FBI first recognized Heuermann as a suspect in 2022 by means of his Chevrolet Avalanche, a particular pickup truck sparsely bought on Lengthy Island.
From there, prosecutors stated they compiled DNA from a hair lifted from burlap used to wrap a number of the victims and from pizza crust within the trash exterior Heuermann’s Manhattan workplace.
Heuermann used an alias to speak with dozens of intercourse staff and to amass an intensive assortment of torture pornography. Prosecutors stated he saved a “blueprint” of his killings that included an inventory of provides, areas of “dump websites” and reminders to “contemplate a success to the neck subsequent time.”
Heuermann’s victims date again to 1993, when Costilla was killed. The ultimate girl, 27-year-old Costello, went lacking in September 2010, in response to police.
Click on right here to learn extra in regards to the victims.
ABC Information’ Tonya Simpson contributed to this report.
