RIVERHEAD, NEW YORK — Rex Heuermann is scheduled for sentencing on June 17, 2026, in Riverhead, New York, after pleading guilty to charges of murdering seven women. Heuermann also admitted in court to killing an eighth woman, Karen Vergata.

The women Heuermann pleaded guilty to murdering are Megan Waterman, Melissa Barthelemy, Amber Lynn Costello, Maureen Brainard-Barnes, Valerie Mack, Jessica Taylor, and Sandra Costilla. Heuermann was not formally charged in connection with Vergata's death. Heuermann stated in court that he strangled his victims and dismembered some of the bodies.

Investigators began discovering human remains along Ocean Parkway in 2010 during an investigation into the disappearance of Shannan Gilbert. Gilbert's death was later ruled an accidental drowning. Heuermann agreed to cooperate with the FBI behavioral analysis unit to assist in catching other serial killers.

Heuermann, a 62-year-old architect from Massapequa Park, New York, faces a life prison sentence. Investigators identified him as a potential suspect in 2022. They matched DNA from a discarded pizza crust found in a Manhattan trash can to genetic material extracted from the victims' remains. Cellphone and tracking data indicated Heuermann arranged meetings with several victims shortly before their disappearances. Prosecutors also recovered computer files from Heuermann in 2024 containing checklists with instructions to limit noise, clean bodies, and destroy evidence.

Heuermann was arrested in July 2023 and has been housed in the county jail in Riverhead. He will serve his sentence in a state prison to be determined at a later date.

Melissa Cann, sister of a victim, said, "Justice finally found its way to you. Your voice was never silenced. Your story never forgotten, and your life will always mean more than the tragedy that took you."

Asa Ellerup, Heuermann's ex-wife, stated through her attorneys that she will not attend the sentencing proceedings. Heuermann's two adult children also will not attend. Michael Brown, Heuermann's defense attorney, stated his client is not responsible for the deaths of Shannan Gilbert or an unidentified victim referred to as Asian Doe.