OAN Staff Addie Davis
3:50 PM – Wednesday, April 8, 2026
Rex Heuermann, who was arrested in 2023, has pleaded guilty to murdering seven women and admitted to the killing of an eighth as part of a landmark plea deal in the Gilgo Beach serial killings.
On Wednesday, Heuermann admitted in court to murdering seven women between 1993 and 2010, strangling them and disposing of their bodies—some of which were dismembered—according to a press release from the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office.
Additionally, he pleaded guilty to intentionally causing the death of Karen Vergata, whose death was not formally charged but included in the plea agreement. According to the release, Heuermann strangled her, causing her death, and dismembered her, disposing of the remains.
His guilty plea included the murders of Sandra Costilla, Valerie Mack, Jessica Taylor, Maureen Brainard-Barnes, Melissa Barthelemy, Megan Waterman, and Amber Costello.
Most of the bodies were discovered in the Gilgo Beach area of Long Island, New York between 2010 and 2011.
Heuermann has been in police custody since 2023 and has consistently maintained his innocence, despite ample amounts evidence against him. Fox News reported that following his 2023 arrest, detectives found 279 weapons in a basement vault, as well as a computer containing a “blueprint” for the killings as described by prosecutors.
The release stated he is expected to be sentenced on June 17th to three consecutive sentences of life imprisonment without parole and a consecutive sentence of 100 years to life imprisonment. The murder of Vergata is covered in Heuerman’s guilty plea of the seven charged victims in exchange for his admission.
Media outlets reported that his ex-wife, Asa Ellerup, and daughter, Victoria Heuermann, were in the courtroom when he pled guilty.
“My thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their families,” Ellerup told reporters outside the courthouse.
“Their loss is immeasurable and the focus should be on them at this time and moment. I ask that you give some privacy to my family as they navigate through this difficult time,” she continued.
Heuermann will not face any additional prosecution related to the eight victims but is required to cooperate with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) moving forward.
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