Gilgo Beach Serial Killings Suspect Heads To Court For Expected Guilty Plea

A erstwhile designer accused of sidesplitting 7 women and dumping their bodies successful Long Island's Gilgo Beach is expected to plead blameworthy Wednesday, much than a decade aft nan find of quality remains sent daze waves done nan New York City suburb and captivated nan nation.

Rex Heuermann, 62, is group to alteration his plea astatine an quality successful Suffolk County Court connected Wednesday successful relationship pinch nan murders that occurred complete a 17-year period, sources told NBC News past week.

The anticipated alteration of plea comes conscionable 5 months earlier Heuermann was group to guidelines trial, wherever he was facing a condemnation of life successful situation without parole if convicted. In nan expected plea deal, Heuermann still faces a condemnation of life successful situation without parole.

It remains unclear why Heuermann has decided to alteration his plea — which a judge must approve, aliases nan proceedings will proceed. Since his apprehension successful 2023, he has maintained his innocence.

The Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office and a lawyer for Heuermann did not instantly return requests for comment.

Authorities opportunity that betwixt 2010 and 2011, a full of 11 sets of quality remains, astir of which belonged to activity workers, were recovered on a beachside parkway successful Gilgo Beach, a mini oceanfront vicinity connected Long Island’s confederate shore. They do not judge each nan killings are connected to 1 person.

Heuermann — who lived successful Massapequa Park, a middle-class suburb astir an hr eastbound of Manhattan — was initially charged successful nan deaths of Melissa Barthelemy, 24, Megan Waterman, 22, and Amber Costello, 27. The women vanished successful 2009 and 2010.

All 3 women were among nan "Gilgo Four," aliases a group of activity workers whose bodies were recovered successful Gilgo Beach successful 2010. Their bodies were bound astatine nan head, midsection and legs by burlap.

A twelvemonth later, Heuermann was charged pinch sidesplitting nan 4th female of nan "Gilgo Four," 25-year-old Maureen Brainard-Barnes. He was later charged pinch sidesplitting 3 much women whose remains were recovered connected nan formation parkway: Jessica Taylor, 20, who vanished successful July 2003; Sandra Costilla, 28, whose remains were recovered successful Southampton successful 1993; and Valerie Mack, 24, who vanished successful 2000.

John Ray, an lawyer for Valerie Mack's son, antecedently told NBC News that his customer was "cautiously awaiting nan facts" astir nan plea deal. He added that if a woody is struck, overmuch will dangle connected nan accusation presented during a imaginable allocution.

"If nan afloat facts do not travel out, make nary mistake, we are going to prosecute this," he said. "It’s not over."

Gloria Allred, who is representing astir of nan families, declined to remark connected Heuermann’s expected plea change.

The serial killings person agelong rocked Long Island, an expansive and densely populated suburb that stretches astir 100 miles eastbound of New York City from Queens to nan Hamptons.

In nan years instantly pursuing nan find of nan remains astir 2 decades ago, authorities came up empty-handed for suspects.

Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond A. Tierney reopened nan cases successful 2022, breathing caller life into nan investigation. That aforesaid year, authorities zeroed successful connected a Chevrolet Avalanche registered to Heuermann, which was flagged successful an aged witness's extremity astir Costello's disappearance.

Authorities besides utilized a trove of cellphone grounds to pinpoint nan crimes to a fishy who lives successful nan neighborhood, wherever Heuermann lived pinch his woman and 2 big children, and commutes to Manhattan. They said they discovered burner phones that Heurmann utilized to interaction victims pinged astatine cellphone towers successful some locations. Heuermann discarded nan burner phones aft sidesplitting nan women, authorities said.

Officials besides utilized DNA grounds from a discarded pizza crust recovered successful a midtown Manhattan garbage can to build their lawsuit against Heuermann.

Heuermann was past arrested successful July 2023. Surveillance footage showed Heuermann being surrounded by respective rule enforcement officials successful acheronian suits connected nan streets of midtown Manhattan, wherever he worked, during evening unreserved hour.

"Rex Heuermann is simply a demon that walks amongst us, a predator that ruined families," Suffolk County Police Commissioner Rodney Harrison said astatine nan clip of his arrest.

Authorities opportunity his then-wife, Asa Ellerup, was ever retired of municipality connected nan nights of nan killings. The brace divided aft his arrest.