Gilgo Beach serial killer: What to know about Rex Heuermann's sentencing Wednesday

Gilgo Beach serial killer Rex A. Heuermann pleaded guilty in April to murdering seven women and acknowledged that he killed an eighth, in a case that shocked Long Island and the nation, both for the cruelty of the crimes and the incompetence of Suffolk County law enforcement in the early years of the investigation.

The victims were all women ages 20 to 34 who were strangled between 1993 and 2010.

The Massapequa Park architect returns to Suffolk Supreme Court in Riverhead on Wednesday for sentencing, more than 30 years after the death of his first admitted victim. Justice Timothy Mazzei is expected to send Heuermann to prison for the rest of his life, without the opportunity of parole.

Here are some questions and answers about the case.

How did the investigation into the Gilgo Beach serial murders begin?

The case began in May 2010, when a sex worker named Shannan Gilbert called 911 after fleeing from the Oak Beach home of a client. Suffolk County Police K-9 officer John Malia and his partner Blue, a German shepherd trained in cadaver searches, discovered human remains near Gilgo Beach while searching for Gilbert in December. The remains were later identified as those of Melissa Barthelemy, a native of Erie County. 

The remains of three more women —  Maureen Brainard-Barnes of Norwich, Conn.; Megan Waterman of Scarborough, Maine; and Amber Costello, of West Babylon — were found in the days that followed. Gilbert's remains were found a year later, in December of 2011. Officials determined her death to be accidental. 

Who were the other victims?

Valerie Mack, of Egg Harbor, New Jersey; Jessica Taylor, of Poughkeepsie; Sandra Costilla, originally from Trinidad & Tobago; and Karen Vergata, of Glen Head.

Heuermann pleaded guilty to the murders of the first seven women and acknowledged during his plea hearing that he killed Vergata.

Who will give victim impact statements?

Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney said there are no limits on the number of family victims who can address the court. He said he expects two victim impact statements will be given per victim.

Why did it take decades for arrests to be made in this case?

The Suffolk District Attorney’s Office and Suffolk police, under earlier leadership, publicly feuded over the investigation, with dueling theories about how many killers committed the crimes.

The investigation also soured after then-Chief of Department James Burke cut ties with the FBI, after federal agents launched an investigation into allegations that he violated the civil rights of a man who broke into his car and stole sex toys, porn videos and police equipment.

How did the case get back on track?

In February 2022, Suffolk law enforcement officials announced the creation of a task force charged with solving the decades-old murders. Heuermann became a suspect about a month later, when Tifini Atai, a New York State Police investigator assigned to the task force, discovered that Costello had been picked up by a man in a green Chevrolet Avalanche on the night she disappeared. Heuermann owned a green Avalanche and worked in areas where phone calls had been placed to victims.

How did investigators determine that Heuermann was indeed the killer?

Investigators from the task force placed the Massapequa Park resident under surveillance, eventually collecting his DNA from a discarded pizza crust he threw away in Manhattan, according to court records. His DNA matched that recovered from the victims’ remains. He was arrested on July 13, 2023, after leaving his office.

Will Heuermann address the court?

Heuermann’s attorney, Michael Brown, of Central Islip, has declined to say if Heuermann will say anything at the sentencing hearing.

What will Heuermann’s demeanor be like during the hearing?

It is difficult to predict how Heuermann will react, particularly after the victims’ families deliver impact statements blasting him for years of grief and sorrow. Sheriff Errol Toulon Jr. told Newsday the defendant has been "stoic" and said he has shown little remorse, or any emotion, while held at the Suffolk County jail in Riverhead.

Will the sentencing be livestreamed?

No. The sentencing will be recorded by a media representative, with the exception of speakers who request not to be on camera. The hearing will not be broadcast live, but media outlets will be able to share the video with their audiences.

Where will Heuermann serve his sentence?

That will be determined by the New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision, which has not yet said where Heuermann, 62, will be assigned.

Will Heuermann’s ex-wife, Asa Ellerup, attend Wednesday’s sentencing?

Ellerup’s attorney, Robert Macedonio, told Newsday earlier this month that Heuermann’s former spouse will not attend the hearing.

Heuermann told his wife that he killed his victims in the basement of their Massapequa Park home in August 2025, about eight months before he entered his guilty plea, she revealed in a Peacock series. Ellerup visited Heuermann regularly at Suffolk’s Riverhead jail even though they divorced soon after his 2023 arrest.