Rex Heuermann Admits Killing 8 Women in Gilgo Beach Case: What We Know So Far

Years after eight women disappeared, their grieving loved ones finally have some answers. Rex Heuermann has now admitted to murdering eight women and changed his plea to guilty in court. Here is what we know so far about this major update in the Gilgo Beach case.

What We Know So Far: Rex Heuermann's Guilty Plea in Court

On Wednesday, April 8, 2026, Rex Heuermann entered court and admitted to murdering eight women. According to reports, he appeared calm as he pleaded guilty to three counts of first-degree murder, four counts of second-degree murder. He also pleaded guilty to intentionally causing the death of an eighth woman, Karen Vergata, whom he had not previously been charged with killing.

Heuermann told the court that he was pleading guilty of his own free will, and he waived his right to appeal as part of a plea deal. Under the agreement, he is facing life in prison without the possibility of parole, which is the expected outcome. That doesn't represent any leniency because it is the harshest available sentence since New York doesn't have the death penalty. His sentencing is scheduled for June 17, 2026.

Before his fate is decided in court, Heuermann is expected to testify and provide the details of his crimes, according to a Us Weekly report. The outlet compared what is expected to the infamous 2005 footage of BTK Killer Dennis Rader describing his murders.

The Eight Women Rex Heuermann Admitted Killing

Between 1993 and 2011, the bodies of Rex Heuermann's eight victims were discovered dumped in wooded or beach areas, sometimes wrapped in burlap. He is known to have strangled and dismembered some of the women. He has become nicknamed the Gilgo Beach Killer because four of his victims were known as The Gilgo Four due to where they were found. The loved ones of those four women spent years courageously fighting for answers. Their cases were linked because of the locations where they were discovered, the materials used to bind them, and because they shared similar victim profiles.

Rex Heuermann's Victims:

• Sandra Costilla, age 28, disappeared on or about November 19, 1993.
• Karen Vergata, age 34, disappeared around February 14, 1996.
• Valerie Mack, age 24, disappeared in spring or summer 2000 (death estimated between September and November 2000).
• Jessica Taylor, age 20, disappeared on July 21, 2003.
• Maureen Brainard-Barnes, age 25, disappeared on July 9, 2007.
• Melissa Barthelemy, age 24, disappeared on July 12, 2009.
• Megan Waterman, age 22, disappeared on June 6, 2010.
• Amber Lynn Costello, age 27, disappeared on September 2, 2010.

Rex Heuermann's Ex-Wife Previously Spoke Out About Believing He Was Innocent

When Rex Heuermann was arrested in 2023, he was married to his now ex-wife, Asa Ellerup. She filed for divorce soon after he was charged, but she was interviewed for the 2025 Peacock documentary titled The Gilgo Beach Killer: House of Secrets. In it, she discussed why she believed her ex-husband was innocent.

“My husband was home here – he is a family man. They are telling me he has been soliciting sex from sex workers. What? I don’t have sex with my husband? I don’t satisfy him? He comes home, and he eats my dinner. It isn’t good enough? No. I don’t believe my husband did this. Nobody deserves what they got. But Rex was not seeing [sex workers]. He’s a family man. He didn’t do this. I would need to hear it from Rex face to face that he killed these girls for me to believe it."

Our thoughts are with the families and friends of the victims during this difficult time.