Long Island Serial Killer Pleads Guilty to 7 Murders

Rex Heuermann, the architect identified as the Long Island Serial Killer, pleaded guilty to seven murders during a hearing in Suffolk County Supreme Court in Riverhead, New York on Wednesday, April 8, 2026.

The 62-year-old from Massapequa Park admitted to three counts of first-degree murder and four counts of intentional murder. His guilty plea covers the deaths of Megan Waterman, Amber Costello, Melissa Barthelemy, Maureen Brainard-Barnes, Valerie Mack, Sandra Costilla, and Jessica Taylor. In a significant development, Heuermann also confessed to killing Karen Vergata, an eighth victim not originally charged in the indictment.

According to court records, Heuermann admitted to strangling all eight victims between 1993 and 2010. He dismembered some victims and disposed of their remains across multiple locations in Suffolk County, including Gilgo Beach, Manorville, and Southampton. Investigators discovered that he used burner phones to contact his victims, many of whom were sex workers.

Under the plea agreement, Heuermann will serve three consecutive life sentences without the possibility of parole for counts 1-3, followed by four consecutive 25-years-to-life sentences. The agreement includes a provision that he will not face further prosecution and has waived his right to appeal. Sentencing is scheduled for June 17, 2026.

The guilty plea came during a pre-trial hearing, nearly three years after his arrest in July 2023. Heuermann had initially pleaded not guilty, and a trial was scheduled to begin in September 2026. According to his defense team, Heuermann decided to plead guilty to protect his interests, displaying what courtroom observers described as an unemotional demeanor throughout the proceedings.