The Gilgo Case newsletter: Heuermann pleads guilty
Gilgo Beach serial killer Rex A. Heuermann appears in Suffolk County Court in Riverhead on Wednesday.
"Guilty," was the one-word answer Gilgo Beach serial killer Rex A. Heuermann gave the judge who asked how he wished to plead Wednesday morning.
That word, repeated for each of his victims, was a first step toward closing out one of Long Island’s darkest chapters, a case that has haunted and fascinated Long Islanders for decades.
I’m Grant Parpan, and I’ve been covering the Gilgo Beach homicides for Newsday since Heuermann’s arrest in July 2023.
The video recorded at Heuermann’s plea hearing Wednesday offered a first chance for many of you to see him enter the courtroom for the first time. For me, it’s something I’ve witnessed more than a dozen times in the past three years.
That did not diminish the impact of hearing Heuermann admit to the killings of eight women in a courtroom packed so tight, two overflow rooms had to be opened to accommodate the crowds. To hear Heuermann confirm that he mutilated two of his victims’ bodies, how he disposed of remains in locations around Suffolk County and the method of "strangulation" he used to kill these mothers, sisters, daughters is something I won’t soon forget.
It’s remarkable to see a 32-year investigation — dating back to the death of Sandra Costilla — be resolved in a 26-minute court hearing. The stark contrast of Heuermann’s emotionless tone as he admitted his crimes and the sobs from the now-grown daughter of one of his victims is a reminder of the cold, brutal way these cases can sometimes play out.
The key takeaway from Wednesday’s hearing is that Heuermann has taken responsibility for the deaths of eight women: Melissa Barthelemy, Megan Waterman, Maureen Brainard-Barnes, Amber Lynn Costello, Jessica Taylor, Valerie Mack, Sandra Costilla and Karen Vergata. For his guilty plea, he will serve the remainder of his life in state prison without the possibility of parole.
Heuermann will also cooperate with the FBI’s Behavioral Analysis Unit. That section, created more than 50 years ago, was popularized by the book and television series "Mindhunter," which focuses on how agents in the unit investigates serial killers. A copy of the book was seized from Heuermann’s Massapequa Park house after his arrest. He will soon be studied by that unit as the latest convicted American serial killer, the first on Long Island since Robert Shulman in 1999.
First Heuermann must be formally sentenced. State Supreme Court Justice Timothy P. Mazzei said that will happen on June 17.
Read more from Newsday’s latest coverage below.
Grant Parpan covers Suffolk County courts and federal courts for Newsday. A Long Island native, he joined Newsday in 2022.
'We just want to get paid for what we deserve' As LIRR union members picketed for a new contract, commuters and businesses weigh in ... and everyone's frustrated. NewsdayTV's Andrew Ehinger reports.
'We just want to get paid for what we deserve' As LIRR union members picketed for a new contract, commuters and businesses weigh in ... and everyone's frustrated. NewsdayTV's Andrew Ehinger reports.
