Gilgo Beach Killings: A Comprehensive Timeline of the Investigation
In 2010, police searching for a missing woman began uncovering human remains in the scrub along a barrier island parkway near New York's Gilgo Beach. Authorities almost immediately suspected the involvement of a serial killer, launching one of the most extensive criminal investigations in recent history.
Over the years, investigators employed advanced DNA analysis and other forensic techniques to identify victims, some of whom were linked to remains found elsewhere on Long Island years earlier. This timeline traces the investigation that culminated in the arrest and guilty plea of Rex Heuermann, who admitted to murdering seven women and acknowledged killing an eighth in court.
Skeletal Remains and Initial Discoveries
November 20, 1993: Two hunters discovered the body of Sandra Costilla, 28, in a wooded area of North Sea, a hamlet in the Hamptons. Costilla had been living in New York City at the time.
April 20, 1996: Partial remains of Karen Vergata were found on Fire Island, a barrier beach off the coast. Her identity remained unknown until 2022, when new DNA analysis enabled identification. Vergata, 34, was involved in sex work when she vanished.
June 28, 1997: Partial remains of a woman were discovered inside a plastic tub in a state park in West Hempstead, New York. Nicknamed "Peaches" due to a tattoo, she was identified in 2025 as Tanya Jackson, a U.S. Army veteran from Brooklyn.
September 2000: Partial skeletal remains of Valerie Mack, an escort from Philadelphia, were found in a wooded area in Manorville, New York. Mack, 24, was last seen by her family in Port Republic, New Jersey.
July 26, 2003: Partial skeletal remains of Jessica Taylor were discovered in Manorville. She was 20 and working as an escort when she disappeared.
July 9, 2007: Maureen Brainard-Barnes, 25, traveled from Norwich, Connecticut, to New York for sex work and was last heard from by a friend while leaving her hotel to meet a client. Cellphone records later placed her on Long Island.
July 10, 2009: Melissa Barthelemy, a 24-year-old sex worker, was last seen at her Bronx apartment before meeting a man. Phone location data indicated her last known location was on Long Island, and taunting calls were made to her relatives using her phone days later.
Disappearance Sparks Police Search
May 1, 2010: Shannan Gilbert, a sex worker, disappeared in Oak Beach, New York, after fleeing a client's house and banging on a neighbor's door. In a 911 call, she claimed people were after her but refused help, appearing disoriented to witnesses.
June 6, 2010: Megan Waterman, 22, who traveled from Maine for sex work, was last seen at a motel in Hauppauge, New York.
September 2, 2010: Amber Lynn Costello, 27, was last seen leaving her West Babylon home to meet a client. A friend later described the client's vehicle as a Chevrolet Avalanche.
A Surprise Discovery on Ocean Parkway
December 11, 2010: During a training exercise along Ocean Parkway, a police officer and his dog discovered human remains, initially thought to be Gilbert's but later identified as Barthelemy's.
December 13, 2010: Police found the bodies of Costello, Brainard-Barnes, and Waterman on the same quarter-mile stretch of Ocean Parkway as Barthelemy's remains.
December 14, 2010: Suffolk County Police Commissioner Richard Dormer announced the discoveries, suggesting a serial killer might be responsible. The search expanded while authorities continued looking for Gilbert.
March 29, 2011: Additional remains of Jessica Taylor were discovered along Ocean Parkway.
April 4, 2011: More remains of Valerie Mack were found on Ocean Parkway, along with those of a 2-year-old girl, later identified as Tatiana Dykes, Jackson's daughter. Nearby, the remains of an unidentified Asian male, estimated to have died five to ten years earlier, were also discovered.
April 11, 2011: Further remains of Karen Vergata were located along Ocean Parkway, west of Gilgo Beach, alongside additional remains of Tanya Jackson.
December 13, 2011: Gilbert's skeletal remains were found in a tidal marsh near Oak Beach. An autopsy concluded she accidentally drowned.
A Cold Case Thaws with New Task Force
January 2022: The Suffolk County district attorney convened a new task force to reinvestigate the Gilgo Beach killings, revitalizing the cold case.
July 13, 2023: Rex Heuermann was arrested and charged with murdering Costello, Waterman, and Barthelemy. Key evidence included mobile phone location data linking him to the victims and DNA traces on the remains.
January 16, 2024: Heuermann was charged in Brainard-Barnes's death, with prosecutors citing a hair found with her corpse that matched DNA from Heuermann's wife.
May 20, 2024: Investigators launched a nearly week-long search of Heuermann's home, gathering further evidence.
June 6, 2024: Heuermann faced additional charges for the murders of Costilla and Taylor.
December 17, 2024: An indictment was unsealed charging Heuermann in Valerie Mack's death.
December 18, 2025: Andrew Dykes pleaded not guilty to killing Tanya Jackson and Tatiana Dykes in a separate case, with DNA evidence linking him to the crimes. Authorities noted this case was unrelated to the Gilgo Beach serial killings but benefited from the investigation's resources.
April 8, 2026: Rex Heuermann pleaded guilty to seven counts of murder, involving Barthelemy, Brainard-Barnes, Costello, Costilla, Mack, Taylor, and Waterman. He also acknowledged killing Karen Vergata in court. His sentencing is scheduled for June 17, 2026.
