The serial killer turned out to be a successful architect and family man.
Suffolk County Court sentenced 62-year-old Rex Heuermann, known as the 'Gilgo Beach Killer', to life in prison without the possibility of parole, reports the Associated Press (AP). In April, Heuermann confessed to the murder of eight women—presumably sex workers. The remains of most of the bodies were found on Gilgo Beach on Long Island, from where the killer's nickname originated.
NBC News clarifies that Heuermann's sentence includes multiple life terms. As reported by RTVI.US, it was expected that the defendant would be sentenced to four consecutive life terms (the first without the possibility of parole), followed by four consecutive terms of 25 years to life.
"You are a disgusting, despicable, and petty man, and you are a coward," said Judge Timothy Mazzei before delivering the sentence.
The murders to which the defendant confessed were committed between 1993 and 2011. In April, Heuermann stated in court that he met with sex workers, strangled them, and then disposed of their bodies in various locations on Long Island, including the areas of Gilgo Beach, Manorville, and Southampton.
Before the April hearing, he had denied guilt for three years since his arrest.
Suffolk County Sheriff Errol Toulon told ABC News that while awaiting trial in Riverhead jail, Heuermann read books about serial killers and corresponded with Keith Jesperson, who is believed to have killed eight women between 1990 and 1995 (convicted on six counts). Jesperson is known as the 'Happy Face Killer'. In 1994, he sent several letters confessing to the newspaper and the county court in Oregon, where he signed them with smiley faces.
Decades of Investigation
Heuermann was a prestigious architect, worked in an office in Manhattan, and lived with his wife and two children on Long Island. He was arrested on July 13, 2023, while unsuspectingly walking the busy streets of New York City. Heuermann was identified through pizza leftovers he discarded in a trash container. DNA on them matched almost 100% with hair found on the remains of one of the victims. In total, investigators found the remains of 11 people on the infamous Gilgo Beach in 2010-2011, most of whom were young women. Some of these murders remained unsolved for 30 years.
Heuermann was identified thanks to payment documents from his credit cards and phone calls made from different devices. Later, the investigators' suspicions were confirmed by DNA testing. Over 350 electronic devices related to the case were found in Heuermann's home.
Initially, the man was charged with the murder of 24-year-old Melissa Barthelemy, 22-year-old Megan Waterman, and 27-year-old Amber Costello. In January 2024, 25-year-old Maureen Brainard-Barnes was added to the list of his presumed victims, and in June of the same year, as reported by RTVI.US, 28-year-old Jessica Taylor and 20-year-old Sandra Costilla, whose body was found back in 1993. He was later also charged with a seventh murder—the 24-year-old Valerie Mack. All the girls were sex workers.
At the April hearing, Heuermann confessed that among his victims was an eighth girl—Karen Vergara, who went missing in 1996. As part of a plea deal, Heuermann was not charged with this murder, NBC News reported.
During the sentencing hearing, relatives of the victims spoke.
"A million years is not enough. Nothing will ever make it right," AP quotes Jasmine Robinson, Jessica Taylor's cousin.
Amanda Funderburg, Melissa Barthelemy's sister, called Heuermann a "cannibal," a "disgusting monster," and a "demon in every sense."
"You are a coward who preyed on defenseless, innocent women, hiding behind a mask, a man without compassion, without a soul, who hunted, tortured, and killed women," NBC quotes Melissa Cann, sister of Maureen Brainard-Barnes.
Heuermann himself replied to the judge's question that he had nothing to say, as it made no sense, but added that he regretted the crimes he committed.
The case of the Long Island murders has permeated American pop culture over the years of investigation—books have been written about it, documentaries have been made, and a feature film 'Lost Girls' was released by Netflix in 2020. Additionally, in 2025-2026, a true crime documentary series 'The Gilgo Beach Killer: House of Secrets', produced by rapper 50 Cent, was streamed on the Peacock service.
In one episode, Asa Ellerup, Heuermann's ex-wife, recounted that he confessed to her about committing one of the murders just days before their wedding in 1996. However, Ellerup did not turn him in to the police. She divorced Heuermann shortly after his arrest. Ellerup and their two children refused to attend the sentencing.
