Rex Heuermann will stand in a Riverhead courtroom to hear families of eight women describe the devastation left behind by his three-decade killing spree, a moment delayed for some victims' relatives for more than 30 years.
The 63-year-old Manhattan architect pleaded guilty to seven murders and admitted to an eighth killing in April. He will be sentenced to three consecutive life terms plus 100 years to life, effectively ensuring he dies in prison.
Families are expected to deliver two victim impact statements for each woman Heuermann killed. The victims, all young sex workers who had arranged to meet him, were Jessica Taylor, Melissa Barthelemy, Megan Waterman, Maureen Brainard-Barnes, Amber Lynn Costello, Valerie Mack, Sandra Costilla, and Karen Vergata, whose 1996 murder was not formally charged but acknowledged in the plea deal.
Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney said the statements will cut to the bone. "This is the opportunity for the victims to speak in court," he told Newsday. "Up to this point it's been about the defendant and safeguarding his rights and his presumption of innocence, and necessarily so, but that's over with now."
The crimes came to light in 2011 after the body of Shannan Gilbert was discovered in Long Island marshes. Four sets of remains later connected to Heuermann were found at Gilgo Beach, the location that gave the case its name. Police would eventually link him to killings stretching back to 1993, with some victims dismembered.
The breakthrough came from an unlikely angle. A roommate of victim Amber Lynn Costello spotted a distinctive green pickup truck and described its driver as an "ogre-like" man. That match wasn't made until 2022, decades later. Investigators then used DNA from a discarded pizza box, hair recovered from victims' remains, and cellphone records to build their case.
Gloria Allred, the attorney representing several families, said the court will finally hear who these women were beyond their deaths. "The public will hear their pain and will hear about the victims truly were, their importance and the bond they had with their families, which is now irreparably torn," she said.
Heuermann will be allowed to address the court during the sentencing. His defense attorney Michael Brown acknowledged the weight of the moment, telling Newsday the day will be "very emotional" and "long," with families waiting decades for the chance to speak their truth.
His ex-wife, Asa Ellerup, will not attend. Ellerup revealed she has been sleeping in the basement where torture and killings occurred. Through her attorney, she said she would stay away "out of respect for those who endured unimaginable loss and suffering."
Author James Rodriguez: "Three decades of silence broken in one courtroom day. This reckoning was overdue."
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