Is Rex Heuermann the Long Island Serial Killer? Here's What We Know

Nearly 30 years after a woman known only as Fire Island Jane Doe was killed, an arrest may have been made in connection to her death. Since 1996, nearly a dozen women have been murdered in and around Gilgo Beach on Long Island, N.Y. Most of them were sex workers, some of whom have yet to be identified. In July 2023, an architect named Rex Heuermann was arrested and charged with murder in the deaths of four of these victims, per ABC 7 NY.

By December 2024, that number increased to seven women. CNN reported that at a plea hearing for the seventh victim, Valerie Mack, Heuermann said, "Your honor, I am not guilty of any of these charges." He has also pled not guilty to the six other murder charges brought against him. Forensic evidence that links the seven victims to Heuermann was found at the crime scenes.. Where is he now? Here's what we know.

According to CBS News, a lengthy pre-trial process began on March 28, 2025, to determine whether or not the cutting-edge DNA evidence would be admissible. The Frye hearing is expected to last a few months and will both sides calling a total of eight witnesses, most of which are doctors or experts in this field. Genome scientist Dr. Kelly Harris testified that DNA testing is highly advanced and is a widely-accepted science.

Nuclear DNA was used to match Heuermann to hairs found on "belts, tape and burlap found with the seven victims he is charged with murdering." Defense attorney Michael Brown claimed this is not reliable, scientific, and shouldn't be used in court. Michael Marciano, director of research for Syracuse University's Forensic and National Security Sciences Institute, said this type of testing looks for the differences in DNA sequencing in order to find matches.

While he's awaiting trial, Heuermann is incarcerated at Riverhead Correctional Facility in Suffolk County. "For the most part, it just seems like this is a new way of life for him," said Suffolk County Sheriff Dr. Errol D. Toulon Jr. to People. "He receives visits, he makes phone calls, and he doesn't congregate with the rest of the population because of the crimes he's accused of." Heuermann spends much of his time reading books, researching his case, and watching television in his cell.

The person responsible for these crimes was given the moniker The Long Island Serial Killer. Between 1993 and 2011, it is believed they killed at least a dozen women. When a sex worker named Shannan Gilbert disappeared in 2010, her mother put pressure on police to find her daughter. This led to the discovery of four bodies, who would later be called The Gilgo Four. Gilbert wasn't one of them. Her remains were discovered 19 months later. Police ruled her death an accident.

In March 2025, Liz Garbus (I'll Be Gone in the Dark) spoke with Variety about her documentary Gone Girls: The Long Island Serial Killer, which focused on the victims of the Long Island Serial Killer. Garbus told the outlet that she felt a responsibility to the victims and didn't want to focus on another damaged killer. In particular, she was interested in the support system that sprang up around the victims. "They became really skillful media activists for their daughters and mothers," she said.