Rex Heuermann, the 62-year-old former architect accused of murdering seven women over 17 years on Long Island, is expected to change his plea to guilty at his next court hearing on 8 April, according to sources familiar with the case.
Two people with knowledge of the decision, speaking on condition of anonymity because the plea has not yet been officially entered, said that both the victims' families and Heuermann's own family have been notified. Heuermann had previously pleaded not guilty and was scheduled for trial in September.
Prosecutors allege that DNA evidence, cellphone data, and items found at his Massapequa home link him to the killings. The victims—Melissa Barthelemy, Maureen Brainard-Barnes, Amber Lynn Costello, Sandra Costilla, Valerie Mack, Jessica Taylor, and Megan Waterman—were all young women involved in sex work. Their remains were discovered along Ocean Parkway near Gilgo Beach and other remote areas.
The investigation began in 2010 when police searching for a missing woman found multiple sets of human remains. Heuermann became a suspect in 2022 after detectives linked him to a pickup truck seen near a victim's disappearance. A discarded pizza crust provided DNA matching hair found on one victim, and cellphone records showed contact with victims before they vanished. Investigators also discovered a 'blueprint' on his computer with checklists for the killings.
Heuermann has been in custody since his arrest in July 2023. His lawyers had recently tried to exclude DNA evidence and split the case into multiple trials, but those motions were rejected. If the plea is accepted, it would avoid a trial that had been set to begin in September.
