New York (WAPEC) — Accused Gilgo Beach serial killer Rex Heuerman may change his plea to guilty and admit to killing eight women at his scheduled court appearance today, sources familiar with the case claim.
Heuerman, a New York City architect, was arrested in 2023 and pleaded not guilty to the murders of seven women whose remains were found on Long Island in New York.
The murder of Karen Vergata will now be included, meaning eight women were killed.
Karen Vergata was a 34-year-old woman from Manhattan who disappeared in 1996. Vergata is believed to have been working as an escort.
For many years, Vergata was referred to as the “Fire Island Jane Doe” because her legs and feet were found on the Bay Side of Fire Island in April of 1996. Fifteen years later, additional remains of her were found on Tobai Beach, according to investigators.
Heuerman’s alleged killing spree spans from 1993 to 2010, and he has maintained his innocence since his arrest in July of 2023.
District Attorney Ray Tierney posted on social media Tuesday, saying there would be a “major development in the Gilgo Beach murder investigation.”
The first victim was Sandra Costilla, who was murdered in 1993. Mack was murdered in 2000, and Jessica Taylor was murdered in 2003. Partial remains of Taylor and Mack were found near Gilgo Beach and at Manorville on Long Island, while Costilla was found in the North Sea on Long Island.
Maureen Brainard Barnes was murdered in 2007 and found near Gilgo Beach. Megan Waterman, Melissa Barthelemy and Amber Lynn Costello were killed between 2009 and 2010, and were also recovered near Gilgo Beach.
Before a pivotal court appearance today, Benjamin Torres, the son of victim Valerie Mack, filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Heuerman, along with his ex-wife and daughter.
“Anyone who has ever lived in a home with a family, especially a small home like this, would not tell me or anyone else that if those massacres were happening in the basement, those noises, smells, stains and the like would not have been noticed,” Torres’ attorney, John Ray, said.
Heuerman’s ex-wife, Asa Ellerup, and his daughter, Victoria Heuerman, say they had no idea anything was wrong. We spoke with their lawyers yesterday:
“Rex Heuerman (Ellerup) knows that she did not believe she was capable of committing these crimes,” attorney Robert Macedonio said.
Macedonio also stated that Victoria was so young at the time of the murders that she did not know anything was wrong.
The murder occurred somewhere in the spring or summer of 2000. “Victoria Heuerman was 3 years old, so how anyone could extend a lawsuit, the factual pattern that fits into any type of liability on a 3-year-old is beyond my control,” attorney Robert Macedonio said. “It is irresponsible and borders on malpractice.”
The family is expected to appear in court later this morning where Rex Heuerman will face a judge.
If he pleads guilty or is convicted at trial, he could spend the rest of his life behind bars.
Related | “Eyewitness on Gilgo Beach”: The horrors surrounding the sea — and the search for justice
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