Suspected Gilgo Beach serial killer Rex Heuermann could plead guilty to a series of murders during his next court appearance, according to multiple reports.
The former Manhattan architect, 62, who has maintained his innocence, is scheduled to appear in court on April 8, where sources familiar with the case say he could formally change his plea and admit to the murders of seven women.
Heuermann had been scheduled to stand trial in Riverhead, New York, in September. He was arrested in July 2023 outside his New York City office as part of an investigation into the deaths of at least 10 people — mostly female sex workers — whose remains were found along Ocean Parkway near Gilgo Beach and other isolated areas on Long Island.
He was first charged with the murders of Melissa Barthelemy, Amber Lynn Costello, and Megan Waterman, whose bodies were found between 2009 and 2010.
While in custody, Heuermann was subsequently charged in the deaths of four other women: Valerie Mack in 2000, Jessica Taylor in 2003, Maureen Brainard-Barnes in 2007, and Sandra Costilla, whose remains were found in a wooded area in Southampton in 1993.
The Independent has reached out to Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney for comment.
The case first drew national attention in 2010, when police searching for missing woman Shannan Gilbert uncovered multiple sets of human remains along the shoreline at the beach.
But it would take years for investigators to identify Heuermann as a potential suspect.
Then in 2022, a renewed investigation into the cold case first identified him as the potential culprit. Detectives linked Heuermann to a Chevrolet Avalanche registered to Heuermann that a witness reported seeing when Amber Lynn Costello disappeared in 2010.
Investigators used DNA analysis, cellphone records and witness accounts to identify victims and connect the killings. A discarded pizza crust was recovered from outside his office and authorities say it was used to tie him to DNA evidence found on a victim.
The arrest shocked the community of Massapequa Park, where Heuermann lived with his wife, Asa Ellerup, and their children. Ellerup filed for divorce a short time after his arrest, but continued to attend his hearings in Riverhead.
Additional cellphone data allegedly placed him in contact with some of the victims before their deaths, while internet searches showed interest in violent pornography and updates on the investigation, prosecutors say.
Last year, investigators said they uncovered digital files described as a “blueprint” for the killings, including checklists referencing efforts to limit noise, clean bodies and destroy evidence.
In recent months, a judge rejected defense motions to exclude key DNA evidence and to sever the charges into multiple trials. He faces life without parole if convicted of the top charge of first-degree murder.
If Heuermann changes his plea April 8, the judge would then likely schedule sentencing for a later date.
