Rex Heuermann pleaded guilty on Wednesday to murdering eight women in the Gilgo Beach serial killings, admitting he strangled the victims and disposed of their remains on Long Island.
Heuermann entered the plea in Suffolk County Court in Riverhead, New York, ending a case that had moved through the courts for years after the discovery of multiple bodies near Gilgo Beach in 2010 and 2011.
Prosecutors said Heuermann admitted killing seven women he had originally been charged with and also acknowledged the death of Karen Vergata, whose remains were found in separate locations years earlier. Court reports said he also agreed to cooperate with the FBI under the plea deal, according to CNN.
The plea agreement calls for a sentence of life in prison without parole, including three consecutive life terms and four additional sentences of 25 years to life, according to prosecutors. His sentencing is scheduled for Jun. 17.
The case began drawing national attention after investigators searching for missing woman Shannan Gilbert found the first remains near Ocean Parkway in December 2010. Those remains became known as the "Gilgo Four": Maureen Brainard-Barnes, Melissa Barthelemy, Megan Waterman, and Amber Costello, the BBC reported.
Over time, police identified more victims along the same stretch of Long Island, including Jessica Taylor, Valerie Mack, Tanya Jackson, her daughter Tatiana Dykes, and Karen Vergata. Prosecutors said the evidence against Heuermann included DNA, burner phone records, cell tower data, and items recovered from his home in Massapequa Park.
Authorities arrested Heuermann in July 2023 after a renewed investigation that used newer forensic methods and rechecked old evidence. Officials later said searches of his home uncovered more evidence tying him to the killings.
Family members of the victims attended the hearing and described the plea as a major step, though they said it could not undo their loss. Prosecutors said they will continue reviewing the case for any possible links to other unsolved deaths on Long Island, as per NBC News.
