Gilgo Beach serial killer Rex Heuermann was found with contraband drugs in his prison cell weeks after being sentenced to life without parole for the murders of seven women. Heuermann, 62, was discovered with synthetic marijuana hidden under his bed during a search on July 14 at the Clinton Correctional Facility.
Heuermann is currently serving a life sentence after pleading guilty on April 8 to three counts of first-degree murder and four counts of second-degree murder. He was sentenced on June 17 without the possibility of parole. He confessed to strangling Sandra Costilla, Valerie Mack, Jessica Taylor, Maureen Brainard-Barnes, Melissa Barthelemy, Megan Waterman, and Amber Costello. He also admitted to the 1996 murder of an eighth victim, Karen Vergata, though he has not been charged for that crime.
Corrections officers found a small, soaked piece of paper wrapped in plastic, which tested positive for synthetic marijuana, just three weeks after Heuermann arrived at the prison. As a consequence, he was confined to an isolated cellblock and had his mail temporarily suspended. Following a hearing that concluded on August 18, it was determined that he would lose his commissary privileges for 75 days if he commits further infractions.
Heuermann was arrested in 2023 after years of living as a family man in Massapequa Park with his wife and children. He worked as an architect in Midtown Manhattan. Prosecutors believe he lured women working as sex workers to his home while his family was away, strangled them, and dumped their bodies in remote areas of Long Island. With the exception of his first victim, Costilla, Heuermann killed the women inside his home's basement. He also dismembered Vergata, Mack, and Taylor within the house.
Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond Tierney stated that Heuermann meticulously planned each murder, meeting victims in advance, selecting his target, and using a designated 'kill phone' for communication. His killing spree was discovered in 2010 when victims' remains were found along Ocean Parkway near Gilgo Beach. It took another 13 years for Heuermann to be identified and arrested.
The discovery of the remains began with the search for Shannan Gilbert, who disappeared in May 2010 after a visit to a client's house. By December of that year, the remains of Barthelemy, Brainard-Barnes, Waterman, and Costello—known as the Gilgo Four—were found. These victims were bound and wrapped in burlap. By the spring of 2011, ten victims had been found in the area, including Gilbert, whom investigators believe died accidentally and is not linked to the serial killer case.
Heuermann used multiple burner phones to contact some victims, with location data placing the phones near his home and Manhattan office. Crucial DNA evidence, including a hair found on Waterman's body, was matched to Heuermann through a discarded pizza crust. Hairs belonging to his wife, daughter, and another close individual were also found on six of the seven victims for whom he was charged.
A 'planning document' found on a hard drive during a search of his home detailed his methods for selecting, killing, and disposing of victims, including sections on 'body prep.' Investigators also found disturbing internet search history related to his crimes.
Heuermann remains in custody in a section of the prison known as 'Little Siberia,' alongside fellow serial killers Joel Rifkin and Heriberto Seda. While he is serving a life sentence, he could potentially face further prosecution if linked to other unsolved murders across New York state and beyond. The remains of three other victims found near Heuermann's victims are not believed to be connected to him; a separate suspect has been charged in two of those cases.