‘I am responsible.’ Takeaways from Gilgo Beach serial killer Rex Heuermann’s sentencing hearing

By Eric Levenson, CNN

(CNN) — About 33 years since he claimed his first victim, Gilgo Beach serial killer Rex Heuermann was sentenced to life in prison without parole Wednesday as part of a court hearing that represented the end of a long road.

The killings of primarily young female sex workers on Long Island, New York, took place between 1993 and 2010, and Heuermann was arrested in 2023 and earlier this year pleaded guilty to seven of the killings and admitted to an eighth.

Family members of victims who had waited years to confront the killer stood up and spoke about their loved ones, their emotional and psychological challenges, and their disgust for Heuermann, who in April admitted he fatally strangled eight women and discarded their remains.

“For so many years, this case has been a weight I carried every single day,” said Liliana Waterman, the daughter of victim Megan Waterman.

“Today’s proceedings do not erase what happened, and nothing ever will. But today brings accountability.”

In 2010, Waterman was among the four women whose remains were found on an isolated stretch off Ocean Parkway in Gilgo Beach, earning them the nickname the “Gilgo Four.” That gruesome discovery set off a wider search, and investigators ultimately found at least 10 sets of human remains.

“He took my sense of safety, he took my peace of mind,” said Melissa “Missy” Cann, the sister of Maureen Brainard-Barnes, another of the Gilgo Four. “In many ways, I became one of his victims, too.”

Here are a few takeaways from the sentencing hearing, including Heuermann’s muted statement, the heartfelt and emotional speeches from victims’ families and the next steps on the road to justice.

Heuermann speaks – but quietly

During the victims’ family statements, Heuermann showed little interest. He sat stone-faced, his hands crossed on the table in front of him, and looked down, declining to make eye contact.

The question hung over the courtroom: Would Heuermann actually stand up in court and speak about his crimes? What would he say?

The answer: Not much.

Heuermann was seated when he first began to speak, and Judge Timothy Mazzei directed him to stand up.

“There are no words I can say,” Heuermann said in a quiet voice, nearly inaudible in the courtroom.

“I am responsible for all that was said in this room today. The words I would say have no meaning,” he said.

Mazzei asked whether Heuermann was truly remorseful.

“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,” Mazzei said, his voice growing louder. “Are you a little bit sorry for what you’ve done 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,” Heuermann replied, nodding.

The judge sighed deeply.

“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!” Mazzei said.

Mazzei then sentenced Heuermann to the maximum: three terms of life without parole and four terms of 25 years to life.

All 8 victims represented

The eight victims have often been reduced to a grainy photo and a short description, but in court their families and loved ones sought to make them into three-dimensional figures.

Valerie Mack had a “fire inside of her that lit up the world around her,” her sister Danielle Mack said.

Jessica Taylor, who would have turned 43 on Wednesday, “was pure sunshine” and a “spunky, smart, beautiful friend,” her cousins said.

“I’m so grateful for this day of justice and i know she is too,” Violet Swager said. “Happy birthday, Jess.”

Maureen Brainard-Barnes was “loving, selfless and unforgettable” and had a “nurturing spirit,” her sister Melissa “Missy” Cann said.

Melissa Barthelemy “was a fighter for love, for family, for a better life,” her sister Amanda Funderburg said.

Megan Waterman “dreamed of building a wonderful life for herself and her daughter,” her aunt Elizabeth Meserve said.

Amber Costello was a “sinner,” her sister Kimberly Overstreet wrote in a statement read by prosecutors, but “her sacrifice and soul brings victory to this courtroom because she has strength in Jesus Christ.”

Sandra Costilla’s sister Ruth Ramos praised the task force for solving the case, saying “it ensures (the victims) are no longer forgotten and brings our families peace knowing the person responsible for our irreversible pain can never harm anyone else.”

Two sons of Karen Vergata were in court but did not read a statement, Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney said.

Families criticize true crime media and former officials

Several families sharply criticized the media for what they felt was disrespectful coverage of their loved ones and of their grief.

“Just because someone’s family doesn’t want to talk to the press, doesn’t mean they’re not experiencing deep pain,” said Jasmine Robinson, the cousin of Taylor. “The way the press has treated the victims and families over the years is painful, bringing out the worst of the worst.”

Liliana Waterman said she has had to relive this tragedy in the news, on podcasts and on social media.

“I am constantly confronted by reminders of the worst thing that’s ever happened to me,” she said.

In addition, Meserve criticized the former Suffolk County leaders who failed to solve this case for years prior to the establishment of the task force in 2022.

If not for them, “This case would have been closed years earlier, perhaps.”

Several family members raised the possibility that Heuermann had other victims beyond the eight women in this case.

He has not been charged in connection to any other offenses.

Tierney, the district attorney, has repeatedly been asked whether he believes Heuermann has other victims. He responded that it doesn’t matter what he “believes,” it matters what he can prove in a court of law.

“If I had evidence, I’d put it into a grand jury and an indictment, and then we’d come and talk about it. Until I have that, I’m not going to talk about it,” he said.

Most immediately, Tierney said, investigators are still hoping to identify the remains of “Asian Doe,” an unidentified person whose remains were found near Gilgo Beach in 2011.

Authorities are trying to identify Asian Doe – potentially using investigative genetic genealogy — to give the victim “some dignity and also give us some investigative leads,” Tierney said.

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