Gilgo Beach Suspect Pleads Guilty to Eighth Murder

Rex A. Heuermann , the man accused in the Gilgo Beach killings, is expected to enter a guilty plea to an eighth homicide on Wednesday, April 7, 2026 , during a court appearance in Riverhead, New York . Officials said the plea will cover the 1996 killing of Karen Vergata , described as a Manhattan mother.

The hearing is set for 11 a.m. before State Supreme Court Justice Timothy Mazzei . The Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney ’s office said it will hold a news conference at 2 p.m. after the court proceeding, with Tierney appearing alongside law enforcement officials and relatives of victims.

Authorities said Vergata’s remains were recovered in two separate places and at different times. Partial remains were found near Ocean Parkway in April 2011 , while other remains were located on Fire Island in April 1996 . Officials said Vergata was born in 1961 .

The expected plea comes after Heuermann was previously charged in the deaths of seven women over a 17-year period. Officials described the agreement as a major shift in a case that has remained a focal point of a long-running investigation tied to the Gilgo Beach area.

Investigators publicly identified Vergata in August 2023 , using investigative DNA techniques, officials said. That identification connected a name to remains that had been found years earlier, adding a new victim profile to the broader set of cases associated with the Gilgo Beach investigation.

Officials said Heuermann, 62 , of Massapequa Park , became a suspect in March 2022 after investigators linked him to the case using vehicle information and the locations of phone calls. The full terms of the plea agreement have not been made public, and officials have not disclosed additional details ahead of the scheduled court appearance.