Inside the Sentencing of the GIlgo Beach Serial Killer

0:04A million years isn't enough because you won't suffer for that long. You will spend the rest of your forever in prison, and it doesn't feel satisfying. Nothing will ever make this right. This kind of grief stays. It was an incredibly emotional day in court for the families of the victims of the Long Island serial killer Rex Heuerman, who had pleaded guilty to the murders of seven women spanning from 1993 to 2011. My mother was not a headline, a statistic, or a label. You thought you took her voice, but you didn't know that she had people who loved her. You hunted her, and I hunted you. His actions changed the course of my life forever.

0:51They devastated my family, but they also shattered the lives of his own family, who now must live with the knowledge that they shared a home with a serial killer. We have reached the final chapter of this high-profile case that has cast a shadow over the shores of Gilgo Beach on Long Island and over so many families for years. I'm 48 Hours correspondent Erin Moriarty, and this is Case by Case. On Wednesday, June 17, 2026, Hewerman was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole for three counts of first-degree murder, and then 25 years to life for each of the four counts of second-degree murder, all to run consecutively for the murders of Melissa Barthelemy, Megan Waterman, Amber Costello, Maureen Brainerd Barnes, Jessica Taylor, Sandra Costilla and Valerie Mack.

1:52Rex Hewerman spoke in court, didn't say a lot, and he showed very little emotion. There are no words I can say. I'm responsible for what was said in this room today. The words I would say have no meaning, and I'm going to leave it there at this time. Hewerman has also admitted to killing an eighth woman, Karen Vergata. However, as part of the plea deal, he was not actually charged with Vergata's murder. Rex Hewerman, though, will never hurt another woman. I've been reporting on this case since 2011. Over the years, we've interviewed the family members and friends of the murder victims. I've come to know many of them personally.

2:40And from the beginning, our goal was to make sure these women weren't seen simply as escorts, as they were often portrayed in the media, but as mothers, sisters, daughters, and friends, people whose lives mattered and whose loved ones never stopped searching for answers. Joining me today to discuss the dramatic sentencing is CBS News legal analyst and criminal defense attorney Caroline Polisi, who has been following this case since Hewerman was arrested in 2023. Thanks for joining us, Caroline. Thanks for having me, Erin. I've been watching your coverage of this case for many years now, and it's a real honor to be here today.

3:23I mean, you could feel that emotion in the courtroom. I found it so interesting. I mean, you could literally hear the judge's voice quivering as he delivered this colloquy, which was escalating to the end. He was yelling. He even wiped away tears at one point. I mean, I've never seen a judge really get so worked up at sentencing. I mean, in fact, the only person who didn't show emotion was the person who should have, the one who brought everybody together, Rex Shurman. Let's start about let's just start where this whole case started. And it's interesting. It began as a search for a missing woman, 23-year-old Shannon Gilbert.

4:04I want to be clear. Shannon was not one of the murder victims. Shannon had been working as an escort and had been at a client's house on Long Island when she called police in a panic. And then she suddenly vanished. State police? Yeah, they're somebody after me. Police did an exhaustive search for Shannon. And while searching in an area near Gilgo Beach, police found human remains of four other women who became known as the Gilgo Four. Maureen Brainerd Barnes, Amber Costello, Megan Waterman and Melissa Bartholomew. Shannon's remains were eventually found about a year and a half after her disappearance.

4:46the police believe her death was not a murder and not connected to the other victims, that Shannon had instead died from an accidental drowning. But given that police described the Gilgo Four as all petite in their 20s and working as online escorts, investigators believed that they were dealing with a serial killer who soon became known as the Long Island serial killer. They got a description of him and the car he drove from a roommate of Amber Costello. The roommate had told police about the client she'd left with the night she disappeared, describing him as looking like a, quote, ogre and having a first-generation Chevrolet avalanche.

5:27You know, it's funny. I met David Schaller, and he did use that term ogre. Investigators didn't have much else to go on, though. I mean, that could fit any large man, and the investigation stalled for over 10 years. That lack of movement was so tough on the families of the four women. I talked to Missy Kan, Maureen Brainer Barnes' sister, frequently over the years. She tried so hard to keep a spotlight on the case, but it finally took a new Suffolk County police commissioner by the name of Rodney Harrison, who happened to be a retired high-ranking New York City police detective to make real progress.

6:07He set up a task force in 2022 devoted to cracking the case, and it worked. Yeah, and kudos to them and that task force. It was so gut-wrenching for those families when this case had turned cold for so many years. But they turned it around, and really once that task force was formed, they figured it out pretty quickly. It turns out that in the original case files, there were a number of critical clues that this new task force was finally able to connect like the pieces of a puzzle. It was all really there. Like that information we just talked about from the roommate of Amber Costello, who told police about this big ogre like man who drove a Chevy Avalanche.

6:48Police back then also knew that a client used a burner phone to contact Amber Costello on the night she disappeared. Also, that Maureen, Melissa and Megan had also been in contact with burner numbers right before they disappeared. So in 2012, with the help of the FBI, the task force determined that most of those calls were connected to cell towers inside a small area of Massapequa Park, Long Island. They called it the box. We had known that for a long time, that they believed it was someone who lived on Long Island. They didn't know Massapea Park right away. And someone who worked downtown. We always knew that.

7:28So the task force knew now that they were looking for a large belt man who also lived in that small area, the box, and owned a Chevy Avalanche. And he owned it at the time of the disappearances. In March 2022, they had what we call that aha moment. A female state trooper linked a man by the name of Rex Hewerman who lived in Massapequa Park to a first generation Chevrolet avalanche pickup truck that was registered to him at the time of the murders. So after years, and we are talking years of uncertainty, suddenly six weeks sound so fast to identify a suspect. I have to be honest, I remember hearing the news.

8:16Rex Ewerman, I mean, that name wasn't even on the radar. Same. I mean, I was shocked. I was really initially just stunned by the profile of this guy. I mean, essentially, he's the monster living among us, right? He went undetected for years. They finally were able to put all of those pieces together. Investigators say Hewerman's personal cell phone records show that his phone was in the same area as those burner phones when they were used to contact victims. They also say that when the burner phones contacted victims, they were often in Massapequa Park, where Hewerman lived, or Midtown Manhattan, where his architectural firm was located.

8:56But there was also DNA evidence. Police tailed Hureman and recovered his DNA from a discarded pizza crust in Midtown Manhattan, which was consistent with the DNA profile found on a male hair discovered with Megan Waterman's body. And from a legal perspective, when you think about investigative techniques, a discarded pizza crust is fair game for law enforcement to use to test for DNA. Remember, Hureman had never been arrested before, so obviously none of his forensic information was in any database like CODIS, which is the centralized system that combines local, state, and national crime labs information.

9:34So they had to get a new sample for this guy. And that's what made it so difficult to track him down for so long was usually a killer is connected to a victim and he was picking strangers. So this DNA became so crucial. Hewerman was arrested in 2023 and he was charged with multiple counts of murder in the deaths of Melissa Bartholomew, Megan Waterman and Amber Costello. He pleaded not guilty. And then in 2024, he was also charged with more murders. Maureen Brainerd-Barnes, Sandra Costilla, Jessica Taylor, and Valerie Mack, and again, also pleaded not guilty.

10:21So let's talk a little bit, Caroline, what the investigators learned about this man after his arrest. Well, that's right, Erin. I mean, it's just so chilling. This is where we start to get this picture of a serial killer essentially hidden in plain sight. By all accounts, he was this family man who led a normal sort of boring suburban existence. He commuted to the city every day to do his job and provide for his family. He ran an architectural consulting firm in Midtown Manhattan. He has a stepson and a daughter with his now ex-wife, Asa Ellerup, who was born in Iceland. And she would take the children to see her family there in the summers.

11:01And it was during those trips and some others that police believe that Hureman killed the women. Hureman's wife filed for divorce shortly after the arrest. Her attorney said she was as stunned as anyone, any of us, by the accusations. And I know there were real questions by the public. How could she not know? But I have seen this happen over and over again when wives of serial killers didn't know. But others would see personality traits that seem odd or stood out. And that was true with Heuermann as well, including some of Heuermann's neighbors, right? Yeah. Heuermann's neighbors obviously were shocked when police made the arrest at the house.

11:44One neighbor described him as very quiet, dark, keeping to himself, extremely intelligent, very smart. I remember reading a New York Times article that reported that he used to swing an axe in his front yard while he was glaring at neighbors. And that parents told their children not to go to his house on Halloween. I think we all have that one weird neighbor, you know, that we all tell our kids not to go to on Halloween. But none of us obviously expect them to be a serial killer. I also remember the neighbors being shocked by how many firearms that he owned and were found in his house because he was a hunter.

12:24He had an arsenal. Yes, he did. This case was expected to go to trial in September of 2026, with prosecutors planning to call more than 100 witnesses. That would have been a very long trial. But then in April of 2026, almost three years after Hugh Herman's arrest, he suddenly changed his plea. He pleaded guilty to killing seven women between 1993 and 2011 and admitted to killing an A victim, Karen Vergata. So can you tell me, can you give me an idea of how unusual this is from a legal perspective? Why do you think he decides to take a plea? Yeah. I mean, to tell you the truth, I wasn't totally surprised.

13:07I think the timing was more surprising than the guilty plea itself. Look, we'll never know for sure why he did it. But when the evidence in a case is just so strong like this one and, you know, when you lose constantly those pretrial motions like Hureman did in this case, of course, the logical thing to do would be to plead guilty. and the prosecution really saves so many resources when you get a guilty plea. Also, he gives up his right to appeal. So saving you so much time and money and really the angst for those victims' families. And so that gives you a sense of sort of the benefit that both sides get here.

13:46The defense really essentially saves him from having to sit through all the gory details of what he actually did. And he may have wanted to spare his own family from hearing that. Well, that's what Michael Brown, Hewerman's defense attorney, told me that he did want to spare his family. But he also told me something that I found so interesting, that as part of the plea agreement, Hewerman agreed to cooperate with the FBI Behavioral Unit. It's the department that analyzes offenders' motivations. It also is the department that creates profiles and it assists in solving cases. So are you at all surprised that this would actually be part of a plea agreement?

14:30Have you run into that? I am so surprised. I've never, ever come across this. I find this to be one of the most fascinating aspects of this plea agreement. I've never seen it before. And honestly, you know, I do believe that this sort of excites Hureman and makes him feel important. We know other serial killers often love that attention because they're narcissists and this likely feeds into that feeling of importance for Hureman. Nonetheless, it is obviously so rare to be able to get inside the mind of someone like Hureman that there may be some benefit to law enforcement in terms of what the psychological profile is of this specific kind of serial killer.

15:13In court documents, prosecutors released an image of what they called a blueprint that Heuerman allegedly used to, I mean, it's detailed to plan out his kills with these excruciating details. What all do we know about that blueprint? And how unusual is that really to keep track of all these things for a killer? Yeah, well, and he would have to, given how many victims there were over the course of how many years. I mean, 17 years we're talking about. The details are, as you would expect, just absolutely chilling. The document has four columns labeled problems, supplies, DS and TRG, which police believe stood for dump site and targets.

16:00Among the problems that he listed down there, DNA, tire marks, bloodstains and more. I mean, it's just it's just chilling. Well, also, he was really keeping track of the investigation itself. I mean, I did not initially believe that so many bodies would be connected with the Long Island serial killer, but he is really proof of how someone would change his M.O. because he did over the years. Yeah, it really seemed like he was essentially honing his craft, as it were, and these meticulous notes that he would have when his family were away on vacation. I mean, he had to plan it out day by day, minute by minute in order to stay undetected and under the radar for that period.

16:49And there were also some interesting reports of how Hewerman has spent the last three years in jail, specifically what he reads, who he's been talking to, that also give a sense of his character and mindset. Yeah, absolutely. Suffolk County Sheriff Errol Tulin told the Associated Press that Hewerman has been a really voracious reader in jail with a preference for violent crime and mystery novels, some involving serial killers. Tulin also said that Keith Hunter Jesperson, the infamous happy face killer who's currently serving multiple life sentences in Oregon, reached out to Hewerman by letter.

17:32Kierman did write back, but he hasn't responded to several follow-up letters from Jesperson. Sorry, I think it's very creepy that this case has brought out response from other serial killers. It gives you a sort of a look inside the mind of, you know, some of these guys want to feel important and this is how they do it. Right. But on this sentencing hearing, this was not about the killer now. This now was something that was specifically for the families of the victim, something they had been waiting for for years. And in the case of one family since 1993.

18:19Hi, it's Sierra Miller. I can't wait for you to check out my new collection of shoes and accessories at Designer Shoe Warehouse. If you love shoes as much as I do, then trust me, I got you. From cute sneak arenas to the perfect flip-flops to stunning heels, these shoes are all style, no drama. It's a girl's girl summer, and DSW has just the shoes. Shop the Sierra Miller Collection right now at your DSW store or dsw.com.

18:51On June 17, 2026, Rex Heuermann showed up in court. He sat at the defense table without much reaction. There were times I thought he looked red, but he didn't seem to be reacting. He remained still with like one hand over the other. Yeah. You know, noticeably, his ex-wife, Asa Ellerup, was not at the sentencing hearing. Her attorney did release a statement on her behalf that read, quote,

19:41In hindsight, I think it was wise that she did not go to this hearing. During the sentencing, we heard from several of the victim's families and friends. These families have been through a terrible time. They are angry. They want answers. And they were allowed to address him directly, which actually surprised me. Do you believe that they were limited in what they could actually say to him? Well, look, this was really meant to be a catharsis for those families letting out all that anger. And yeah, they were basically allowed to say anything that they wanted, obviously within these usual boundaries of courtroom decorum.

20:25So generally no swear words, no yelling, etc. Every judge has different rules about what they allow. But they were very powerful in those statements and just very gut-wrenching. I thought it was kind of odd that they were facing the judge and he was to their left. So they had to keep like looking over. So I thought pretty typical. That's pretty typical. But, you know, if you listen to the statements, they are directed at Hureman. I thought, you know, while he was emotionless, you could see sort of something on his face that wasn't, you know, he wasn't, it wasn't penetrating. He wasn't feeling the emotion that was on display by the victim's families.

21:14Well, it could be also because he was like looking down most of the time. We first heard from Valerie Mack's family. She disappeared in 2000, and this is what her adoptive mother, Joanne Mack, said to the court. Even though justice is done, it cannot replace what you have taken from us. Or can it give our beloved Valerie back her life here on earth? I do, however, want you to understand that even though you were able to commit these horrendous atrocities against our daughter, And no matter what sense of power or control you felt over Valerie's body, you were never able to touch her soul. We then heard from Jasmine Robinson, a cousin of Jessica Taylor who was killed in 2003.

22:07And she was the one that was just so emotional. And I think it really was because they were marking Jessica Taylor's 43rd birthday. I can't even put into words the eviscerating looking I have for you. My heart broke even more that there were more victims. Sick, twisted, heartless. There aren't enough words for these murders. Missy Kan is the sister of Maureen Brainerd Barnes, and I have spoken to her actually many times before. She always carried so much guilt. The last time she talked to her sister, her sister had called her from Penn Station right before she disappeared, asking for a ride home, but Missy was living in Connecticut.

22:50It was late at night. So this is what Missy said at the hearing, and this just broke my heart. When Rex chose to take Martin's life, he didn't just take her from us. He took my sense of safety. He took my peace of mind. He took the way I used to move through the world without fear. In many ways, I became one of his victims too. Well, I do have a, I could say that just what I had forgotten until I heard her speak is that they also had a brother, Will. And I mean, she just vanished. And then he died. So Missy lost two siblings and then had all of this guilt. Yeah, it's absolutely gut-wrenching. Also in attendance there was Maureen's son, Dylan Haggett, who was just one year old at the time of her murder.

23:43He spoke about how he never had her when he needed her, and she never got to see who he had become. And there was Nicolette Brainerd Barnes, Maureen's daughter. She spoke really lovingly about her mother, but then really turned her anger on Hewerman. You are a pathetic man who thinks you're better than women. You need to believe that sex workers are subhuman because you're a coward who takes out your own shortcomings on others. I feel bad for you because your capacity for hate means that you can't possibly understand love, the purity of it, the kind of love I had and still have for my mother. Seeing your last appearance and the way you smirked as you finally confessed to what you did to my mother proves that you need to be locked away for the safety of the community.

24:30There are no words extreme enough to communicate the level of depravity within you. You make me sick and I don't forgive you. Well, I think it's the toughest for the kids. The kids of these women, they never really got to know their parents. Megan Waterman's daughter, Liliana, I know her as Lily Waterman, who's so grown up now, started her statement and she was so caught up in emotion and she was sniffling as she was trying to speak. and I hadn't even thought about this. She was noting that she is now the same age as her mother was when she was pregnant with her. And Liliana expressed how difficult it had been living out this tragedy so publicly.

25:17For years, my mother's murder has been discussed in articles, television specials, podcasts, and across social media. There are weeks when I cannot bring myself to open any social apps because I'm constantly confronted with reminders of the worst thing that's ever happened to me. I am grateful that people want to say her name and seek justice for her. But there's a difference between remembering who she was and profiting off of the tragedy that she's been through. Then there was a statement from Kimberly Overstreet. That was the sister of Amberlynn Costello. that was read aloud in court. In it, she spoke of finding religion and direction in the wake of her sister's murder, and she actually credited her sister's death as leading to a crack in the case.

26:08For Karen Vergata, another victim, her two sons were present in court for support, but they chose not to speak. A statement was read from Sandra Costilla's sister, Ruth Ramos. She spoke of Sandra as a mother. I was actually a little surprised to see Amanda Funderburg there. She was the little sister of Melissa Bartholomew. And when she was 15 years old, right after her sister disappeared in 2009, she gets a call and it looks like it's from her sister's phone. But when she answered, it wasn't Melissa at all. It was a man. It was her killer. We now know that was Rex Heuerman, which means that he has such an evil, sadistic streak because he threatened to do to Amanda what he had done to Melissa.

27:02What was interesting was as Amanda is talking, as we've mentioned Caroline all the way through this, you know, he's looking down and she's looking over him and you could tell it was really upsetting her. And so she tells him, you know, stop looking down. Look at me. You can look at me while I'm talking. It's been about 17 years since we spoke, don't forget. Yeah, I mean, talk about taking the bull by the horns. I mean, this is her one shot, her one chance to finally get that closure. And she was not going to throw it away. Amanda also specifically referenced Fuhrman's call during that sentencing hearing.

27:43and then said something that, I don't know about you, Caroline, but it really took me aback and showed how angry she really is. You murdered my sister, and the things I do to you are far worse than anything you've ever done to anyone or even thought of. And just because you have a few fans, remember, you are hated by so many. I know everyone spoke on heaven, but do me a favor, send me a spot in health, and I'll see you there. I mean, I really was, I was so sad at her, I think her statements the most. You'll see a range of emotions from each victim. Some just extreme sadness, obviously at the loss, but then others really did have this angry side because there's obviously so much anger here.

28:29And it was almost like, you know, an emotional release for these victims to have their day in court, to have this justice, to have this closure. After hearing from many of the victims' families, the judge, Timothy Mazie, himself addressed Rex Eurman. Let's take a listen to that. I know that you're sorry that you got caught. I assume that you're sorry for what you've done to your wife and children. Are you a little bit sorry for what you did to these poor, innocent women? Eight women that you strangled to death? At least eight that we know of? Are you at least a little bit sorry for that? Yes? Yes, I am.

29:09Yeah, and Aaron, if you listen closely, you can faintly hear him in the background saying, yes, I am. The judge, though, didn't mince words at all. I mean, he seemed to be getting angrier, didn't you think? Yeah, I mean, honestly, you don't see that that often at a sentencing. this judge again you could hear the quiver in his voice he was audibly yelling by the end you know what you've been described as a very big man but you're a disgusting and despicable small man if you're a man at all and you're a coward um you know when we're when we watch sentencings on television typically it is for heinous crimes so judge judges do get a little more worked up and emotional.