'Cold as ice': Serial killer admits to eight murders in case that haunted Long Island for years

April 8, 2026

Rex Heuermann, a 62-year-old architect from Long Island, pleaded guilty in a Suffolk County courtroom to murdering eight women between 1996 and 2010, ending a decades-long investigation. The serial killer admitted to strangling and binding sex workers he contacted through Craigslist, then disposing of their remains along remote Long Island beaches. After initially pleading not guilty following his 2023 arrest, Heuermann was linked to the crimes through DNA evidence from a discarded pizza box, along with cell phone data and materials found in his basement.

Who is affected

The eight murdered women: Melissa Barthelemy (24), Megan Waterman (22), Amber Costello (27), Maureen Brainard-Barnes (25), Jessica Taylor (20), Valerie Mack (24), Sandra Costilla (28), and Karen Vergata (34)
Family members and friends of the victims who attended the hearing
Benjamin Torres, son of victim Valerie Mack, who filed a wrongful death lawsuit
Heuermann's ex-wife Asa Ellerup and their two children
Residents of Massapequa Park, Long Island, particularly neighbors living near Heuermann's home
Eileen Coletti Edwards, whose father helped Shannan Gilbert before she disappeared
Dave Schaller, roommate of victim Amber Costello who provided the original suspect tip

What action is being taken

Heuermann is receiving several life sentences
Benjamin Torres has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Heuermann and his family seeking funds from their documentary involvement
Media and true crime enthusiasts continue to visit Heuermann's former home
Ellerup and her children are involved with a documentary

Why it matters

This case matters because it exposed serious flaws in how law enforcement handled investigations involving sex workers as victims, with family members alleging that police didn't prioritize the case due to the victims' profession. The investigation's decade-long delay was compounded by corruption among Suffolk County Police leadership, including the conviction of former Police Chief James Burke and District Attorney Thomas Spota on separate charges. The resolution demonstrates how investigative failures and institutional scandals can prevent justice for vulnerable populations, while also showing that renewed commitment with a task force approach led to solving the case in just six weeks. The guilty plea brings some closure to families who waited over a decade for answers, though questions remain about potential additional victims and whether proper investigative effort was made from the beginning.

What's next

Formal sentencing will occur on June 17
The wrongful death lawsuit filed by Benjamin Torres against Heuermann and his family will proceed through the courts

Read full article from source: BBC