In 2010, a search for a missing woman led police to uncover human remains along a barrier island parkway near Gilgo Beach, New York. Almost immediately, investigators suspected that these remains could belong to a serial killer due to the nature of the discoveries. The investigation unfolded over many years, utilizing DNA analysis and various clues to identify the victims, some of whom had been linked to remains discovered on Long Island years prior.
The timeline of this chilling case began long before 2010. On November 20, 1993, two hunters found the body of Sandra Costilla, 28, in North Sea, Hamptons. Costilla had been living in New York City prior to her death. Following this, partial remains of Karen Vergata were discovered on April 20, 1996, on Fire Island. Vergata, who was 34 at the time of her disappearance, remained unidentified until 2022 when DNA analysis made it possible. She was known to be engaged in sex work before she vanished.
In 1997, the remains of an anonymous woman were found inside a plastic tub in West Hempstead, and she was given the nickname "Peaches" due to a tattoo. Years later, her identity was confirmed as Tanya Jackson, a U.S. Army veteran. The early 2000s saw more grim discoveries: skeletal remains of Valerie Mack, last seen in 2000, and Jessica Taylor, who disappeared in 2003, were found in wooded areas of Manorville, New York. The timeline continued with the disappearances of Maureen Brainard-Barnes in 2007 and Melissa Barthelemy in 2009, both engaged in sex work, leading authorities to suspect a possible connection.
The significant turning point in the investigation came on May 1, 2010, when Shannan Gilbert, another sex worker, vanished after fleeing a client's house in Oak Beach. The frantic 911 call she made indicated she felt she was being pursued. Following her disappearance, on December 11, 2010, police uncovered Barthelemy's remains while conducting a training exercise on Ocean Parkway. In the days that followed, law enforcement discovered the bodies of Costello, Brainard-Barnes, and Waterman on that same stretch of road, leading officials to publicly announce the likelihood of a serial killer.
In 2011, more remains were discovered along Ocean Parkway, further solidifying the connection among the victims. By 2021, new efforts yielded a renewed investigation into the Gilgo Beach killings. On July 13, 2023, Rex Heuermann was arrested and charged with the murders of Costello, Waterman, and Barthelemy after investigators gathered significant mobile phone location data linking him to the victims. The evidence also included DNA traces found on the remains.
In subsequent months, charges against Heuermann expanded to include Brainard-Barnes, Costilla, and Taylor. Notably, a hair found near Brainard-Barnes’ remains matched a DNA sample from Heuermann's wife. Further indictments were made on December 17, 2024, charging Heuermann with Mack's death. It is worth mentioning that on December 18, 2025, Andrew Dykes pleaded not guilty to the murders of Tanya Jackson and her daughter, with connections found through DNA evidence.
On April 8, 2026, Heuermann entered a guilty plea for seven counts of murder, acknowledging the killings of Barthelemy, Brainard-Barnes, Costello, Costilla, Mack, Taylor, and Waterman. In court, he also admitted to the murder of Vergata. As of June 17, 2026, a judge is set to sentence Heuermann, concluding a harrowing investigation that uncovered a web of violence affecting numerous families and communities.
