More than three decades after a New York woman vanished without anyone reporting her missing, the accused Gilgo Beach serial killer is set to face an eighth murder charge, the BBC has confirmed. Rex Heuermann, a 62-year-old New York architect already charged with seven killings linked to the Long Island Gilgo Beach serial murder case, will be formally charged with the death of Karen Vergata, attorney John Ray – who represents multiple victims’ families in the case – confirmed to media outlets.
Vergata disappeared on Valentine’s Day in 1996 at the age of 34, and unusually, no one ever filed a missing person report for her after her vanishing. Partial remains of her body were first discovered that same year on Fire Island, with additional remains located later at Gilgo Beach, and her remains were formally identified through DNA testing in 2023.
Heuermann was first taken into custody outside his Manhattan office in July 2023, initially charged with the murders of three sex workers: 24-year-old Melissa Barthelemy, 22-year-old Megan Waterman, and 27-year-old Amber Costello. Over the subsequent 18 months, prosecutors added four more murder charges to his indictment, covering the deaths of Maureen Brainard-Barnes, 25, Jessica Taylor, 20, Valerie Mack, 24, and Sandra Costilla, 28. All seven victims were confirmed to be sex workers, and most of their remains were found within a short distance of Heuermann’s Long Island residence.
Heuermann has previously pleaded not guilty to all seven existing murder charges, but court sources indicate he is expected to change his plea to guilty during a scheduled court appearance on Wednesday. The Suffolk County District Attorney’s office announced via social media on Tuesday that it would host a press conference immediately after Wednesday’s court proceeding to share details of a “major development” in the long-running homicide investigation.
The sprawling investigation into the Gilgo Beach killings first launched in 2010, when police stumbled upon the remains of 18 people while searching for a missing woman along the coastal stretch of Long Island. Prosecutors have laid out extensive evidence collected during their probe, including a handwritten planning document found in Heuermann’s possession that detailed pre-crime preparation. The document was split into columns labeled “problems” and “supplies,” with DNA evidence, tire tracks, and blood stains listed as potential risks to mitigate. It also documented killing methods Heuermann had researched and takeaways from his previous alleged murders. Investigators also seized more than 300 firearms and hundreds of electronic devices from Heuermann’s home as part of evidence gathering.