Gilgo Beach suspect to plead guilty in Suffolk County

Rex Heuermann , a 62-year-old former architect accused in the Gilgo Beach serial killings, is expected to enter a guilty plea on Wednesday, April 8, 2026, in Suffolk County Court in Riverhead, N.Y., according to the case schedule described in the proceedings.

The anticipated plea would come about five months before his trial date. If the case had gone to trial and he had been convicted, he faced a potential sentence of life in prison without parole. Officials indicated the expected plea agreement also carries a sentence of life in prison without parole, while the specific reasons for the shift toward a guilty plea have not been disclosed.

Heuermann was first charged in 2023 with the murders of Melissa Barthelemy , Megan Waterman , and Amber Costello . Those three women disappeared in 2009 and 2010, and their cases became central to the long-running investigation. A year later, he was charged with the murder of Maureen Brainard-Barnes , and the four women are collectively known as the “Gilgo Four.”

Prosecutors later added charges involving three additional women: Jessica Taylor , Sandra Costilla , and Valerie Mack . Authorities said their remains were also found along the beach parkway, tying the later charges to the same corridor where investigators recovered multiple sets of remains.

The broader Gilgo Beach investigation has centered on the discovery of 11 sets of human remains between 2010 and 2011. The cases gained renewed momentum in 2022 when the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office reopened the investigations, officials said, leading to additional investigative steps and a more concentrated push to identify and charge a suspect.

Authorities have described several forms of evidence used to build the case against Heuermann, including a Chevrolet Avalanche linked to him, cellphone evidence, and DNA recovered from a discarded pizza crust. Heuermann was arrested in July 2023 in midtown Manhattan, marking a major turning point in a case that had remained unresolved for years.

While the expected plea would resolve the criminal case without a trial, key details remain unclear, including what prompted the change in plea and what will be stated in court when the plea is entered. The court proceeding in Riverhead is expected to clarify the terms and the scope of admissions tied to the charges.