US: Former architect pleads guilty to 8 murders in Gilgo Beach case PHOTO

A former New York architect, Rex Heuermann, has admitted in court to killing eight women in the long-running Gilgo Beach serial slayings, bringing a dramatic turn in a case that has gripped authorities for more than a decade.

Heuermann pleaded guilty to murdering seven women and acknowledged intentionally causing the death of an eighth, Karen Vergata, Caliber.Az reports via US media.

Under the terms of the plea deal, prosecutors will not pursue a separate charge relating to Vergata’s killing.

In a hearing at Suffolk County Court in Riverhead, Heuermann admitted to meeting the victims, strangling them and disposing of their bodies across areas including Gilgo Beach, Manorville and Southampton on Long Island. He also acknowledged using burner phones to contact some of the victims before the killings.

The plea agreement is expected to result in multiple consecutive sentences, including life imprisonment without parole. Sentencing is scheduled for June 17.

Faces of the victims

Heuermann, who lived in Massapequa Park in Suffolk County, was first arrested in 2023 and initially charged in connection with three murders. He was later linked to additional victims through cellphone records, DNA evidence and other forensic material, according to investigators.

Authorities say the victims were among a group whose remains were discovered near Gilgo Beach between 2010 and 2011, an investigation that began after the disappearance of several individuals, including sex workers, in the area. Not all of the deaths are believed to be connected to a single perpetrator.

Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond Tierney said the plea brings a measure of closure for victims’ families, while emphasising the brutality of the crimes. Families of victims, some of whom attended the hearing, described the outcome as a step toward relief after years of uncertainty.

Heuermann’s defence team said the decision to plead guilty spared families the ordeal of a lengthy trial. His former wife and daughter were present in court during the proceedings.

Heuermann is expected to cooperate with federal authorities under the terms of the agreement, with sentencing later this year likely to formally conclude one of the most closely watched criminal cases in recent US history.

By Aghakazim Guliyev