Accused Long Island Serial Killer Rex Heuermann changed his plea to ”guilty” in Suffolk County Supreme Court on Wednesday for the murders of seven women, and admitted to an eighth. The change closes one chapter in an investigation that began over 15 years ago.
Heuermann, a 62-year-old architect from Massapequa Park, New York, was arrested in July, 2023. He was eventually charged with killing seven women between 1993 and 2011: Sandra Costilla, Amber Lynn Costello, Jessica Taylor, Maureen Brainard-Barnes, Melissa Barthelemy, Valerie Mack, and Megan Waterman.
He admitted in court to killing and strangling the women, and in some cases, dismembering them. Their remains were found scattered around Long Island over the course of decades — from Gilgo Beach to Manorville to Fire Island.
He initially pleaded “not guilty” for all seven cases before today’s reversal.
Heuermann additionally admitted to killing an eighth woman, Karen Vergata, at today’s plea hearing. Prosecutors had previously said Heuermann was a suspect in Vergata’s murder, but no indictment had been filed.
Sentencing is scheduled for June 17. According to Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney, he’s expecting three consecutive sentences of life imprisonment without the possibility of parole for killing Barthelemy, Waterman, and Costello, plus a consecutive sentence of 100 years to life imprisonment for killing Brainard-Barnes, Taylor, Costilla, and Mack.
Tierney’s office has scheduled a briefing for 2 p.m. today.
***
In July 2023, police arrested Heuermann and charged him with the murders of Barthelemy, Waterman and Costello. Investigators were able to link Heuermann to the homicides through phone location data and DNA. He was then charged with Brainard-Barnes’ death in early 2024.
This prompted investigators to search for evidence in Heuermann’s home for a week in May of that year, eventually leading him to be charged with the murders of Costilla, Taylor and Mack.
In November 1993, two hunters discovered the body of 28-year-old Sandra Costilla in the North Sea. She had not been previously linked to the serial killer investigation.
Three years later, the partial remains of Karen Vergata were located on Fire Island. Her body was only identified in 2022 with the help of DNA analysis.
Over the following decade, Mack, Taylor, Brainard-Barnes, Barthelemy, Waterman and Costello went missing and were later found dead around Long Island.
This is a developing story.
