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For more than a decade, the women whose remains were found along a desolate stretch of Long Island highway had no name attached to their killer. Then, in July 2023, investigators arrested a former Manhattan architect outside his office — and the case that had haunted Suffolk County since the early 1990s finally cracked open.
Rex Heuermann has now admitted he is the Gilgo Beach serial killer, confessing to strangling eight women over a 17-year span and dumping their bodies near the beach. He was sentenced to multiple life sentences without the possibility of parole on June 17, 2026. Here’s everything to know about how he was caught and the case that gripped the country.
How Rex Heuermann Was Identified Through DNA
Heuermann was arrested in July 2023 outside his Manhattan office in connection with three of the Gilgo Beach murders. The break in the case came down to one of the most quietly damning pieces of evidence prosecutors have used in recent memory: a discarded pizza crust.
According to prosecutors, investigators used DNA from the crust to help link Heuermann to the 2007 killing of Maureen Brainard-Barnes and six other deaths. His defense team fought hard to suppress the evidence, arguing the collection method violated his constitutional right to privacy.
“We all heard about them going in our garbage, taking our pizza crust,” defense attorney Danielle Coysh said. “Rex Heuermann may have abandoned his pizza crust, but he never abandoned all that personal information that is now our DNA.”
A judge ultimately ruled the advanced DNA testing could be used at trial.
Rex Heuermann’s Digital Trail Revealed in Court Filings
Prosecutors also revealed Heuermann’s extensive online activity in court filings obtained by ABC New York. He allegedly registered burner phones and a Tinder account under the aliases “Andrew Roberts” and “Thomas Hawk” to contact sex workers hundreds of times.
A Gmail account was used to conduct “thousands” of searches related to violent content and more than 100 searches about the Gilgo Beach killings — including “Why hasn’t the long island serial killer been caught.”
Prosecutors argued the evidence showed Heuermann is a “sexual sadist” and that his pattern of contacting sex workers through burner phones reflected a “consistent pattern spanning over 15 years.” Investigators also spent weeks combing through every inch of his Massapequa home, collecting evidence and discovering a stockpile of guns in the basement.
Rex Heuermann’s Victims and Confessions
Inside a Riverhead courtroom on April 8, 2026, Heuermann amended his not guilty plea and admitted to killing eight women between 1993 and 2010. The victims were Valerie Mack, 24; Jessica Taylor, 20; Megan Waterman, 22; Melissa Barthelemy, 24; Maureen Brainard-Barnes, 25; Sandra Costilla, 28; Amber Lynn Costello, 27; and Karen Vergata, 34.
Under questioning by Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney, Heuermann admitted to strangling his victims in the basement of his Massapequa home. He also acknowledged dismembering some of them. When asked how he killed the eight women, he offered one word: “Strangulation.”
An eyewitness inside the courtroom confirmed to Us Weekly that Heuermann showed no emotion as he admitted to the brutal murders. All of the killings happened inside his home with the exception of Costilla, who he said he spontaneously killed in his car.
Rex Heuermann’s Family Inside the Courtroom
Heuermann hobbled into the Riverhead courtroom and smiled at his ex-wife, Asa Ellerup, and their daughter, Victoria Heuermann, who were accompanied by civil rights attorney Gloria Allred.
“The court has been made aware that the defendant may enter a guilty plea today, which was probably the worst kept secret in this building,” Judge Timothy P. Mazzei said from the bench.
News of the plea deal had surfaced weeks earlier when relatives of some victims informed Long Island daily Newsday that an April 8, 2026, hearing had been scheduled. After the hearing, reporters followed Ellerup and Victoria into the court parking lot. Ellerup reportedly told reporters she felt bad for the victims but would not speak beyond that.
Asa Ellerup Reacts to Rex Heuermann’s Crimes
Ellerup filed for divorce within months of Rex’s arrest. In a Peacock documentary released earlier in 2026 called The Gilgo Beach Killer: House of Secrets, she initially expressed disbelief about the allegations.
“Nobody deserves what they got. But Rex was not seeing [sex workers]. He’s a family man. He didn’t do this,” Ellerup said. “I would need to hear it from Rex face to face that he killed these girls for me to believe it. My husband never kept me out of anything.”
Ellerup later admitted she didn’t believe Rex was responsible until he confessed to her himself. Despite finally coming to terms with the killings, she said in the docuseries that she continued to visit him behind bars.
“I want to get to know this other side of Rex. I want to know why Rex killed these women,” she said. “What his triggers were. I’m processing the information in a very different way because now I see the evil in him.”
Rex Heuermann’s Sentencing and Plea Agreement
As part of his plea agreement, Heuermann agreed to cooperate with members of the FBI’s Behavioral Analysis Unit. On June 17, 2026, a Suffolk County judge handed him three consecutive life sentences plus an additional 100 years to life.
“All right, get him out of here,” the judge said as Heuermann was handcuffed and escorted out of the courtroom, according to CNN.
Rex Heuermann‘s wife, Asa Ellerup, and their kids are finally breaking their silence — and giving an unfiltered look into their home — in Peacock’s Gilgo Beach murders doc. The Gilgo Beach Killer: House of Secrets, released on Tuesday, June 10, offered Ellerup the chance to address the allegations leveled against her husband as he […]
Before the sentence was announced, several of his victims’ loved ones took the stand. Costilla’s sister Ruth Ramos said she was comforted knowing her sibling’s killer will spend the rest of his life in prison.
“While justice cannot bring [the victims] back, it ensures they are no longer forgotten and brings our families peace knowing the person responsible for our irreversible pain can never harm anyone else,” Ramos said.
One week before Rex’s sentencing, Us reported that Ellerup would not attend the hearing. Her attorney, Robert Macedonio, told Us that his client “believes this day should be centered on the victims, their families, and the profound impact these crimes have had on their lives.”
“Out of respect for those who have endured unimaginable loss and suffering, she does not wish her presence to distract from the purpose of these proceedings,” Macedonio said. “Her thoughts remain with the victims and their loved ones as they continue their pursuit of justice, healing and closure.”
What Happens Next in the Gilgo Beach Case
On April 6, 2026, lawyer John Ray filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Heuermann, Ellerup and their children on behalf of Benjamin Torres, the only child of Mack. The civil filing contends Mack’s death deprived Torres of his “mother’s care, guidance, protection, nurture, society and economic support.”
Investigators are still trying to connect Heuermann to two other bodies found at Gilgo Beach.
This story was compiled with the help of AI tools and edited by journalists.
