Rex Heuerman, who is charged in the Gilgo Beach, Long Island shootings, plans to plead guilty next month, according to two people with knowledge of his decision.
From “innocent” to “guilty”
Specifically, Rex Heuerman, a former architect accused of murdering seven women over a 17-year period, is expected to change his plea from “not guilty” to “not guilty” at his next scheduled court hearing on April 8, they said.
The two people involved in the case spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the guilty plea has not yet been filed in court. One of the people said the families of the victims and Heuerman’s own family have already been notified of the decision, although his lawyers did not immediately respond to emails seeking comment.
However, a lot can happen before the trial date. Heuerman can simply change his mind, and any guilty plea would also have to be accepted by the judge.
Heuerman, 62, was scheduled to go on trial in September. He has been in custody since his arrest in July 2023 and had previously pleaded not guilty in court. His plan to change his plea was first reported by Newsday.
Prosecutors have said DNA evidence, cell phone data and evidence found during a search of Heuerman’s home in Massapequa, New York, linked him to the victims, all of whom were young women involved in prostitution.
The remains of several victims were found in an isolated section of the coastal road, although some remains were scattered in other remote areas. The victims include Melissa Barthelemy, Maureen Brainard-Barnes, Amber Lynn Costello, Sandra Costiglia, Valerie Mack, Jessica Taylor and Megan Waterman.
Heuerman’s identification and evidence linking him to the victims
The search for a possible Long Island serial killer came to a head in 2010 when police, searching for a missing woman, discovered numerous human remains in bushes along Ocean Parkway, not far from Gilgo Beach.
Over the years, investigators have used DNA analysis and other evidence to identify the victims. In some cases, they were able to link them to remains found elsewhere on Long Island years earlier.
It took years for investigators to identify Heuerman as a possible suspect.
A new investigation into the unsolved case first identified him as a possible perpetrator in 2022. Detectives linked Heuerman to a van that a witness reported seeing when one of the victims disappeared in 2010.
Investigators tracking Heuerman then discovered a discarded pizza crust and used it to match him to DNA from a hair found on one of the victims’ bodies.
Data from Heuerman’s computer
In addition, cell phone data showed Heuerman was in contact with some of the victims shortly before their disappearances, while an examination of his internet searches revealed a history of viewing violent torture pornography — as well as searching for information related to the investigation into the murders.
Last year, investigators retrieved files from Heuerman’s computer that they described as a “blueprint” for the murders, including a series of checklists with reminders to keep noise down, clean up bodies and destroy evidence.
In recent months, the judge in the case rejected requests by Heuerman’s lawyers to exclude some DNA evidence from the trial, as well as to split the case into multiple trials.
