Rex Heuermann, a 62-year-old Manhattan architect, was sentenced June 17 in Suffolk County, New York, to three consecutive life sentences without parole plus four consecutive 25 years-to-life sentences for the murders of eight women [1, 2, 3, 4, 5].
Heuermann pleaded guilty in April 2026 to killing seven women and admitted to an eighth, striking a plea deal in a case spanning at least 17 years from 1993 to 2010 [1, 2, 4]. The victims were mostly young sex workers who were strangled. Some were dismembered and their remains dumped along Long Island’s south shore, especially near Gilgo Beach, after which the killings were named [1, 3, 6, 7].
The case garnered attention when several bodies were found in 2010-2011 near Gilgo Beach during a search for missing Shannan Gilbert [1, 3, 4, 8]. Investigators pursued Heuermann as a suspect starting in 2022 after linking cellphone records, eyewitness accounts of his distinctive green pickup truck, and DNA from a pizza crust discarded by him to the murders [3, 6, 7, 8]. He was arrested outside his Manhattan office in July 2023 [7, 8].
At sentencing, Judge Timothy Mazzei lambasted Heuermann as a "disgusting and pathetic, small man, if you are a man at all," calling him a coward [2, 5]. Heuermann spoke briefly, saying, "I am responsible. The words I would say have no meaning" and offering a weak apology [1, 2, 9]. Family members of victims addressed the court, describing lasting trauma and condemning the killer. Jasmine Robinson, cousin of victim Jessica Taylor, said, "A million years isn’t enough. Nothing will ever make this right." JoAnn Mack, mother of Valerie Mack, said, "Justice has been done, but it can’t replace what has been taken. She had dreams, and you took them all away from her." Liliana Waterman, daughter of Megan Waterman, asked, "Was she in pain? Was she scared?" [1].
Heuermann’s ex-wife Asa Ellerup said through an attorney she believes the sentence is appropriate and that "he got what he deserved," expressing sympathy for the victims [5]. After sentencing, Heuermann was transferred to a New York state correctional facility; the exact location has not been disclosed [5].
