Rex Heuermann admits to killing 8 women in Gilgo Beach serial killings
Source: NBC News
U.S. news
Rex Heuermann admits to killing 8 women in Gilgo Beach serial killings
Heuermann pleaded guilty to murdering seven women and intentionally causing the death of Karen Vergata. In exchange for the guilty plea, he will not be charged with Vergata's uncharged murder
April 8, 2026, 6:00 AM EDT / Updated April 8, 2026, 1:02 PM EDT
By Matt Lavietes and Adam Reiss
RIVERHEAD, N.Y. -- A former architect admitted Wednesday to killing eight women and dumping their bodies in Long Island's Gilgo Beach, more than a decade after the discovery of human remains sent shock waves through the New York City suburb and captivated the nation.
Rex Heuermann, 62, changed his plea at an appearance in Suffolk County Court on Wednesday in connection with the murders that occurred over a 17-year period. He pleaded guilty to seven counts and admitted that he intentionally caused the death of Karen Vergata and left her remains.
As part of the plea deal, Heuermann will not be charged with Vergata's currently uncharged murder. In court, he admitted to meeting all eight women, strangling them and dumping their bodies where they were found across Gilgo Beach, Manorville and Southampton. ... Heuermann also agreed to cooperate with the FBI as a part of the plea agreement.

------ Rex Heuermann in court Wednesday.James Carbone / Pool / Newsday
Heuermann is expected to receive a sentence of life in prison without parole, three consecutive life sentences, followed by four sentences of 25 years to life. His sentencing is set for June 17.
{snip}
CORRECTION (April 8, 2026, 1:00 p.m. ET): A previous version of this article misspelled the last name of Heuermann's eighth victim. She was Karen Vergata, not Bragata.
Matt Lavietes
Matt Lavietes is a reporter for NBC News.
Adam Reiss
Adam Reiss is a reporter and producer for NBC and MSNBC.
Read more: https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/gilgo-beach-serial-killer-suspect-rex-heuermann-expected-plead-guilty-rcna266547
The 6:00 a.m. story was that Heuermann would be in court today to enter an expected admission of guilt.
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Sun Jul 16, 2023:
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https://www.democraticunderground.com/100218093056
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gilgo_Beach_serial_killings
Turbineguy
(40,103 posts)Or is eight not enough?
cstanleytech
(28,488 posts)angrychair
(12,311 posts)So do seven murders and your eighth one is free?
JT45242
(4,050 posts)Whether he serves 4, 5, or 6 consecutive sentences of 25 to life, he will never get out and prosecutor can let a victim's family end the uncertainty and bury the body.
angrychair
(12,311 posts)I would never agree to that and would harass the judge and prosecutor to my dying day without mercy for allowing the killer of my wife or daughter or sister and them getting away with it for no reason other than they are to lazy and or too stupid to charge this piece of shit for killing my loved one.
To not charge someone with a crime he admitted to doing is insane. No different than a pedophile getting 90 days in jail for years of raping a child like the resent megachurch pastor.
As far as I'm concerned that is as wrong as the crime itself.
Random Boomer
(4,408 posts)The plea deals are to confirm information about other murders, so those families understand what happened to their loved ones. If a beloved family member of mine had been murdered, I would understand the anguish of someone else, whose case was still open. Bringing closure to those families is more meaningful than a performative sentencing. He's not being set free either way.
blm
(114,674 posts)mahatmakanejeeves
(70,000 posts)Danmel
(5,783 posts)He's a registered Republican. At least for now, soon to be stripped of his voting rights.
blm
(114,674 posts)DBoon
(25,018 posts)Rex Heuermann, a suspect in the Gilgo Beach killings, was contracted for work at the Trump Building in 2018, business records show. Cross references with licensing applications prove the Heuermann listed on a contract for the Trump Building is the same person arrested on suspicion of the Gilgo Beach murders.
However, to claim that he worked for Trump is a bit of a stretch. Other records show that Heuermann took on dozens of contracts across New York of which the 2018 job at the Trump Building is one. There is no evidence that even vaguely suggests that Trump was aware of the contract Heuermann was hired for.
https://www.newsweek.com/donald-trump-rex-heuermann-trump-building-new-york-fact-check-1813759
blm
(114,674 posts)Scrivener7
(59,611 posts)Mysterian
(6,530 posts)He deserves to be miserable for the rest of his worthless life.
niyad
(132,661 posts)most of the murdered (and, in some cases, mutilated) women were very much on the petite side. And a number of them were sex workers.
That big hulk of a man was Long Island Jack the Ripper.
Dear Goddess, I just read The Guardian article. . 12-day search of his home found a bbbasement vault containing 279 weapons, a computer with a blueprint of committing the murders, and online queries about muffling noises and cleaning bodies.