'She was my mother'
Elizabeth Meserve, left, aunt of Megan Waterman, and Liliana Waterman, daughter of Megan Waterman, both spoke in court prior to the sentencing for Gilgo Beach serial killer Rex Heuermann at Suffolk County Court in Riverhead on Wednesday. Credit: Newsday/James Carbone
Liliana Waterman, daughter of victim Megan Waterman, said she was 3 years old when her mom went missing and didn't know the details for six years.
"I came across an article about her. That was the moment I truly understood what happened. I remember asking what 'prostitute' and 'pimp' meant," Waterman said. Her heart was broken by the information, she said.
Liliana was raised by a grandmother and they were forced to move from their home. She later lost her grandparents before she was 12 years old.
"For years I tried to find a place where I felt like I belonged," Waterman said, adding she will never know if she could have had stability if raised by her mom because Heuermann took her life.
She also questioned companies and content makers who have profited off her mom's death.
"Absolutely disgusts me," she said of the calls she receives from people looking to make money off her mom's story.
"She had hopes, dreams and plans for the future," Waterman said. "She was my mother."
She said Heuermann shattered the lives of her family and his own. She calls him calculated and remorseless.
"He deserves to spend the rest of his life behind bars," Waterman said.
"Today's proceeding ... will not bring her back," Waterman said. Instead, it's about "accountability," as he is shipped to prison.
Grant Parpan covers Suffolk County courts and federal courts for Newsday. A Long Island native, he joined Newsday in 2022.
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