Judge sentences Gilgo Beach killer to consecutive life terms

Rex Heuermann, the serial killer who murdered eight women along Long Island’s Gilgo Beach between 1993 and 2010, was sentenced to three consecutive life terms on Wednesday, a decision that followed a hearing marked by angry statements from victims ’ families.

The judge added four 25‑year‑to‑life sentences for second‑degree murder, with all sentences to run consecutively, after Heuermann admitted responsibility in a plea. The court’s guilty admission followed years of investigation that began in 2010 when remains were found on the beach and intensified in 2023 when DNA from a pizza box linked the man to the murders.

Families were heard telling of the "lifelong devastation" caused by the killings, depicting the killer’s chilling phone calls and the sexual exploitation of the victims, most of whom were sex workers. The judge called Heuermann a "despicable, small man" and said, "Get him out of here," prompting cheers from the courtroom.

Heuermann, a 62‑year‑old architect from Massapequa Park, gave a brief statement, acknowledging his crimes and expressing a "little bit" of remorse. The sentencing closed a case that, for decades, suffered from slow police responses and accusations of bias due to the victims’ professions.