Inside the Sentencing of the GIlgo Beach Serial Killer

Summary

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48 Hours Podcast Summary – "Inside the Sentencing of the Gilgo Beach Serial Killer"

Original Air Date: June 19, 2026
Host: Erin Moriarty (CBS News)
Featured Guest: Caroline Polisi (CBS News Legal Analyst, Criminal Defense Attorney)

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Episode Overview

This episode delivers a detailed, emotionally charged account of the sentencing of Rex Heuerman, the Gilgo Beach serial killer. Correspondent Erin Moriarty and legal analyst Caroline Polisi walk listeners through the final chapter of a decades-long investigation that devastated families and gripped national attention. The episode gives voice to the victims’ loved ones in court, discusses the complexity of the investigation, reflects on the killer’s double life, and analyzes the legal and psychological significance of the sentencing.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Emotional Courtroom Sentencing

[00:54–03:05]

• Families of the seven victims spoke directly to Rex Heuerman at sentencing, expressing grief, rage, and a longing for justice.
• Notable for the unusual display of emotion from the presiding judge, as well as the lack of emotion shown by Heuerman himself.

Memorable Quotes:

• Victim’s Family Member:

  “A million years isn’t enough because you won’t suffer for that long...This kind of grief stays.” [00:54]

• Erin Moriarty:

  "It was an incredibly emotional day in court for the families of the victims of the Long Island serial killer Rex Heuerman." [01:10]

2. Case Background & Investigation Breakthroughs

[03:05–10:26]

• The case began with the 2010 disappearance of Shannon Gilbert, whose search led to the discovery of the “Gilgo Four.”
• The victims: Melissa Barthelemy, Megan Waterman, Amber Costello, Maureen Brainerd Barnes, Jessica Taylor, Sandra Costilla, and Valerie Mack.
• Breakthrough came in 2022 with a dedicated task force led by Rodney Harrison, revived after years of stagnation.
• Key evidence: witness description (“ogre” figure with a Chevy Avalanche), burner phones traced to Massapequa Park, DNA match from discarded pizza crust.

Notable Insight:

• Caroline Polisi:

  "It turns out that in the original case files there were a number of critical clues that this new task force was finally able to connect. Like the pieces of a puzzle." [07:04]

3. The Double Life of Rex Heuerman

[11:26–13:29]

• Heuerman was seen as a family man, running an architectural firm, with no criminal record.
• Neighbors described odd, unnerving behavior (e.g., swinging an axe in his yard), but nothing that raised alarm.
• His wife (Asa Ellerup) filed for divorce post-arrest, reportedly blindsided by the allegations.

Striking Quote:

• Erin Moriarty:

  "He really is proof of how someone would change his M.O. because, yeah, he really, it really seemed like he was honing his craft." [17:33]

4. Legal and Behavioral Dealings

[13:30–16:18]

• Heuerman’s unexpected guilty plea in April 2026 avoided a lengthy trial.
• Caroline Polisi noted the plea was logical due to overwhelming evidence and failed pretrial motions.
• Uniquely, as part of the plea deal, Heuerman agreed to cooperate with the FBI’s Behavioral Unit.

Legal Perspective:

• Caroline Polisi:

  “I've never, ever come across this. I find this to be one of the most fascinating aspects of this plea agreement. ...I do believe that this sort of excites Heuerman and makes him feel important.” [15:37]

5. The Killer’s “Blueprint” and Jail Behavior

[16:18–18:43]

• Police found a chilling “blueprint” used by Heuerman to plan murders, listing problems like DNA, tire marks, and blood stains alongside targets and dump sites.
• In jail, Heuerman read violent crime novels; other infamous serial killers (e.g., the Happy Face Killer) reached out to him by mail.

6. Victims’ Families: Compelling Impact Statements

[21:30–29:56]

• Multiple family members gave powerful, wrenching statements during sentencing.
• Statements were direct, emotional, and varied between expressions of pain, blame, guilt, and anger.

Notable Quotes:

• Valerie Mack’s adoptive mother, Joanne Mack:

  “Even though justice is done, it cannot replace what you have taken from us...You were never able to touch her soul.” [23:16]

• Jasmine Robinson, cousin of Jessica Taylor:

  “Sick, twisted, heartless. There aren’t enough words for these murders.” [24:05]

• Missy Cann (Maureen Brainerd Barnes’s sister):

  “He took my sense of safety...In many ways, I became one of his victims too.” [24:46]

• Nicolette Brainerd Barnes (Maureen’s daughter):

  "You are a pathetic man who thinks you're better than women....You make me sick, and I don't forgive you." [25:48]

• Liliana Waterman (Megan Waterman’s daughter):

  “There is a difference between remembering who she was and profiting off of the tragedy that she’s been through.” [27:06]

• Amanda Fundenberg (Melissa Barthelemy’s sister):

  “It’s been about 17 years since we spoke. Don’t forget.” [29:10] “Send me a spot in hell…Cause I’ll see you there.” [29:48]

7. The Judge’s Scathing Sentencing

[30:26–32:48]

• Judge Timothy Mazzy directly confronted Heuerman, calling him "a disgusting and despicable small man, if you're a man at all. And you're a coward." [31:25]

• Heuerman, prodded by the judge, gave only a faint, emotionless affirmation of remorse:

  Judge: “Are you at least a little bit sorry for that?”
  Heuerman: “Yes, I am.” [30:56]

• Sentencing: Three consecutive life terms without parole for first-degree murders; four sentences of 25 years to life (consecutive) for second-degree murders—ensuring lifelong imprisonment.

8. Context & Comparison: Serial Killers and Closure

[33:16–36:42]

• Caroline Polisi compares Heuerman to BTK (Dennis Rader) and the Golden State Killer, noting chilling similarities in how ordinary they seemed.
• Erin Moriarty remarks on the lack of closure for families, since no further details of the crimes were provided in court.
• Concern lingers over possible additional victims.

Final Notes from a Victim’s Family:

• Liliana Waterman:

  “From this day forward, stop saying his name, stop putting his face everywhere, put the girl's face, put their names and make it known that we are the ones who live on for them.” [36:04]

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Key Timestamps

• [00:54] – Emotional statements from victims’ families begin
• [01:52] – Erin Moriarty recaps the case, announces Heuerman’s sentencing
• [02:49] – Rex Heuerman speaks, little emotion shown
• [04:06] – Caroline Polisi discusses unique emotional court scene
• [07:04] – Task force connects clues to identify Heuerman, the breakthrough
• [08:05] – Discovery of suspect in Massapequa Park
• [09:11] – Discussion of Heuerman’s profile and apprehension
• [13:30] – Heuerman’s surprise guilty plea discussed
• [16:18] – The killer’s “blueprint” and methodical planning reviewed
• [18:10] – Jail behavior, serial killers correspondence
• [21:30–29:56] – Victims’ families deliver powerful statements in court
• [30:26] – Judge Mazzy’s devastating rebuke and sentence
• [33:48] – Comparisons to other cases, closure reflections
• [36:04] – Lily Waterman’s hope for focus on victims, not perpetrators

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Tone and Notable Moments

• The episode’s tone is reverent, emotional, and empathetic, especially around the testimonials of the victims’ families.
• The rare emotional display by the judge and the opportunity for extended statements from families offer catharsis but also underline the irreparable loss.
• Both Erin Moriarty and Caroline Polisi treat the subject matter with gravitas, balancing legal analysis with human impact.
• Several family member quotes directly confront Heuerman, breaking court decorum in the service of closure.

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Conclusion

This episode thoughtfully encapsulates the weight of the Gilgo Beach serial killings’ resolution while emphasizing the dignity and humanity of the victims and their families. Listeners receive both a procedural breakdown and profound, firsthand perspectives on justice, grief, and the human aftermath of heinous crimes.

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For anyone seeking a compelling, humane, and detailed account of the Gilgo Beach serial killer case and its impact, this episode of 48 Hours is an essential listen.

Transcript

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[Victim's Family Member (Emotional Statement)]

A million years isn't enough because you won't suffer for that long. You will spend the rest of your forever in prison and it doesn't feel satisfying. Nothing will ever make this right. This kind of grief stays.

[Erin Moriarty]

It was an incredibly emotional day in court for the families of the victims of the Long island serial killer Rex Heuermann, who had pleaded guilty to the murders of seven women spanning from 1993 to 2011.

[Victim's Family Member (Personal Statement)]

My mother was not a headline, a statistic, or illegal.

[Caroline Polisi]

You thought you'd took her voice, but you didn't know that she had people who loved her.

[Victim's Family Member (Emotional Statement)]

You hunted her and I hunted you. His actions changed the course of my life forever. They devastated my family. But they also shattered the lives of his own family, who now must live with the knowledge that they shared a home with a serial killer.

[Erin Moriarty]

We have reached the final chapter of this high profile case that has cast a shadow over the shores of Gilgo beach on Long island and over so many families for years. I'm 48 Hours correspondent Erin Moriarty and this is case by case. On Wednesday, June 17, 2026, Heuerman was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole for three counts of first degree murder and then 25 years to life for each of the four counts of second degree murder, all to run consecutively for the murders of Melissa Barthelemy, Megan Waterman, Amber Costello, Maureen Brainerd Barnes, Jessica Taylor, Sandra Costilla and Valerie Mack. Rex Human spoke in court, didn't say a lot, and he showed very little emotion.

[Rex Heuerman]

There are no words I can say. I am responsible for what was said in this room today. The words I would say have no meaning, and I'm going to leave it there at this time.

[Erin Moriarty]

Heuerman has also admitted to killing an eighth woman, Karen Vergada. However, as part of the plea deal, he was not actually charged with Vergada's murder. Rex Heuerman, though, will never hurt another woman. I've been reporting on this case since 2011. Over the years, we've interviewed the family members and friends of the murder victims. I've come to know many of them personally. And from the beginning, beginning, our goal was to make sure these women weren't seen simply as escorts, as they were often portrayed in the media, but as mothers, sisters, daughters and friends, people whose lives mattered and whose loved ones never stopped searching for answers. Joining me today to discuss the dramatic sentencing is CBS News legal analyst and criminal defense attorney Caroline Polisi, who has been following this case since Heuerman was arrested in 2023. Thanks for joining us, Caroline.

[Caroline Polisi]

Thanks for having me, Erin. I've been watching your coverage of this case for many years now, and it's a real honor to be here today. I mean, you could feel that emotion in the courtroom. I found it so interesting. I mean, you could literally hear the judge's voice quivering as he delivered this colloquy which was escalating to the end. He was yelling. He even wiped away tears at one point. I mean, I've never seen a judge really get so worked up at sentencing.

[Erin Moriarty]

I mean, in fact, the only person who didn't show emotion was the person who should have, the one who brought everybody together, Rex Heuerman. Let's start about, let's just start where this whole case started. And it's interesting, it began as a search for a missing woman, 23 year old Shannon Gilbert. I want to be clear, Shannon was not one of the murder victims. Shannon had been working as an escort and had been at a client's house on Long island when she called police in a panic. And then she suddenly vanished.

[Caroline Polisi]

State POLICE yeah, there's somebody after me.

[Erin Moriarty]

Police did an exhaustive search for Shannon. And while searching in an area near Gilgo beach, police found human remains of four other women who became known as the Gilgo Four. Maureen Brainard Barnes, Amber Costello, Megan Waterman and Melissa Barthelemy.

[Caroline Polisi]

Shannon's remains were eventually found about a year and a half after her disappearance. The police believe her death was not a murder and not connected to the other victims, that Shannon had instead died from an accidental drowning. But given that police described the Gilgo 4 as all petite, in their 20s and working as online Escorts. Investigators believed that they were dealing with a serial killer who soon became known as the Long Island Serial Killer. They got a description of him and the car he drove from a roommate of Amber Costello. The roommate had told police about the client she'd left with the night she disappeared, describing him as looking like a, quote, ogre and having a first generation Chevrolet Avalanche.

[Erin Moriarty]

You know, it's funny, I, I met David Schaller and he did use that term, ogre. Investigators didn't have much else to go on though. I mean, that could fit any large man. And the investigation stalled for over 10 years. That lack of movement was so tough on the families of the four women. I talked to Missy Kahn, Maureen Brainerd Barnes sister, frequently over the years. She tried so hard to keep a spotlight on the case. But it finally took a new Suffolk county police commissioner by the name of Rodney Harrison, who happened to be a retired high ranking New York City police detective, to make real progress. He set up a task Force in 2022 devoted to cracking the case. And it worked.

[Caroline Polisi]

Yeah, and kudos to them and that task force. It was so gut wrenching for those families when this case had turned cold for so many. But they turned it around and really once that task force was formed, they figured it out pretty quickly. It turns out that in the original case files there were a number of critical clues that this new task force was finally able to connect. Like the pieces of a puzzle. It was all really there. Like that information we just talked about from the roommate of Amber Costello, who told police about this big ogre like man who drove a Chevy Avalanche. Police back then also knew that a client used a burner phone to contact Amber Costell on the night she disappeared. Also that Maureen, Melissa and Megan had also been in contact with Berner numbers right before they disappeared. So in 2012, with the help of the FBI, the task force determined that most of those calls were connected to cell towers inside a small area of Massapequa Park, Long Island. They called it the Box.

[Erin Moriarty]

Yeah, we had known that for a long time that it was. They believed it was someone who lived on Long Island. They didn't know Massapequa park right away. And someone who worked downtown. We always knew that. So the task force knew now that they were looking for a large built man who also lived in that small area, the Box, and owned a Chevy Avalanche. And he owned it. At the time of the disappearances in March 2022, they had what we call that aha moment. A female state trooper linked a man by the name of Rex Heuerman, who lived in Massapequa park, to a first generation Chevrolet Avalanche pickup truck that was registered to him at the time of the murders. So after years, and we are talking years of uncertainty, suddenly six weeks sounds so fast to identify a suspect. I have to be honest, I remember hearing the news. Rex Huehuerman. I mean, that name wasn't even on the radar same.

[Caroline Polisi]

I mean, I was shocked. I was really initially just stunned by the profile of this guy. I mean, essentially, he's the monster living among us, Right? He went undetected for years. They finally were able to put all of those pieces together. Investigators say Heuerman's personal cell phone records show that his phone was in the same area as those burner phones when they were used to contact victims. They also say that when burner phones contacted victims, they were often in Massapequa park, where Heuerman lived, or midtown Manhattan, where his architectural firm was located. But there was also DNA evidence. Police tailed Heuerman and recovered his DNA from a discarded pizza crust in midtown Manhattan. Which was consistent with the DNA profile found on a male hair discovered with Megan Waterman's body. And from a legal perspective, when you think about investigative techniques, you know, a discarded pizza crust is fair game for law and enforcement to use to test for DNA. Remember, Heuermann had never been arrested before, so obviously, none of his forensic information was in any database like codis, which is the centralized system that combines local, state, and national crime labs information. So they had to get a new sample for this guy.

[Erin Moriarty]

And that's what made it so difficult to track him down for so long. Was usually a killer is connected to a victim, and he was picking strangers. So this DNA became so crucial. Huberman was arrested in. In 2023, and he was charged with multiple counts of murder in the deaths of Melissa Barthelemy, Megan Waterman and Amber Costello. He pleaded not guilty. And then in 2024, he was also charged with more murders. Maureen Brainerd Barnes, Sandra Costilla, Jessica Taylor and Valerie Mack. And again, also pleaded not guess.

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[Erin Moriarty]

So let's talk a little bit, Caroline, what the investigators learned about this man after his arrest.

[Caroline Polisi]

Well, that's right, Aaron. I mean, it's Just so chilling. This is where we start to get this picture of a serial killer essentially hidden in plain sight. By all accounts, he was this family man who led a normal sort of boring suburban existence. He commuted to the city every day to do his job and provide for his family. He ran an architectural consulting firm in midtown Manhattan. He has a stepson and a daughter with his now ex wife, Asa Ellerup, who was born in Iceland. And she would take the children to see her family there in the summers. And it was during those trips and some others that police believed that Heuerman killed the women.

[Erin Moriarty]

Heuerman's wife filed for divorce shortly after the arrest. Her attorney said she was as stunned as anyone, any of us by the accusations. And I know there were real questions by the public. How could she not know? But I have seen this happen over and over again when wives of serial killers didn't know, but others would see personality traits that seem odd or stood out. And that was true with Heuerman as well. Including some of Heuerman's neighbors. Right?

[Caroline Polisi]

Yeah. Heuerman's neighbors obviously were shocked when police made the arrest at the house. One neighbor described him as very quiet, dark, keeping to himself, extremely intelligent, very smart. You know, I remember reading a New York Times article that reported that he used to swing an axe in his front yard while he was glaring at neighbors, and that parents told their children not to go to his house on Halloween. I think we all have that one weird neighbor, you know, that we all tell our kids not to go to on Halloween, but none of us, obviously expect them to be a serial killer.

[Erin Moriarty]

I also remember the neighbors being shocked by how many firearms that he owned and were found in his house. Because he was a hunter.

[Caroline Polisi]

He had an arsenal.

[Erin Moriarty]

Yes, he did. This case was expected to go to trial in September of 2026, with prosecutors planning to call more than 100 witnesses. That would have been a very long trial. But then, In April of 2026, almost three years after Heuerman's arrest, he suddenly changed his plea. He pleaded guilty to killing seven women between 1993 and 2011 and admitted to killing an eighth victim, Karen Vergada. So can you tell me. Can you give me an idea of how unusual this is from a legal perspective? Why do you think he decided to take a plea?

[Caroline Polisi]

Yeah, I mean, to tell you the truth, I wasn't totally surprised. I think the timing was more surprising than the guilty plea itself.

[Victim's Family Member (Emotional Statement)]

Look, we'll.

[Caroline Polisi]

We'll never know for sure why he did it, but when the evidence in A case is just so strong like this one, and, you know, when you lose constantly those pretrial motions, like Heuerman did in this case, of course, the logical thing to do would be to plead guilty. And the prosecution really saves so many resources when you get a guilty plea. Also, he gives up his right to appeal, so saving you so much time and money and really the angst for those victims families. And so that gives you a sense of sort of the benefit that both sides get here. The defense really essentially saves him from having to sit through all the gory details of what he actually did. And he may have wanted to spare his own family from hearing that.

[Erin Moriarty]

Well, that's what Michael Brown, Hewerman's defense attorney, told me, that he did want to spare his family. But he also told me something that I found so interesting that as part of the plea agreement, Heuerman agreed to cooperate with the FBI Behavioral Unit. It's the department that analyzes offenders motivations. It also is the department that creates profiles and it assists in solving cases. So are you at all surprised that this would actually be part of a plea agreement? Have you run into that?

[Caroline Polisi]

I am so surprised. I've never, ever come across this. I find this to be one of the most fascinating aspects of this plea agreement. I've never seen it before, and honestly, I do believe that this sort of excites Heuerman and makes him feel important. We know other serial killers often love that attention because they're narcissists, and this likely feeds into that feeling of importance for Heuerman. Nonetheless, it is obviously so rare to be able to get inside the mind of someone like Heuerman that there may be some benefit to law enforcement in terms of what the psychological profile is of this specific kind of serial killer.

[Erin Moriarty]

In court documents, prosecutors released an image of what they called a blueprint that Heuerman allegedly used to. I mean, it's detailed to plan out his kills with these excruciating details. What all do we know about that blueprint? And how unusual is that, really, to keep track of all these things for a killer?

[Caroline Polisi]

Yeah, well, and he would have to, given how many victims there were over the course of how many years? I mean, 17 years we're talking about. The details are, as you would expect, just absolutely chilling. The document has four columns labeled problems, supplies, DS and trg, which police believe stood for dump site and targets. Among the problems that he listed down there, DNA, tire marks, blood stains, and more. I mean, it's just. It's just chilling.

[Erin Moriarty]

Well, also he was really keeping track of the investigation itself. I mean, I did not initially believe that so many bodies would be connected with the Long island serial killer, but he is really proof of how someone would change his M.O. because, yeah, he really, it really seemed

[Caroline Polisi]

like he was essentially honing his craft, as it were, and, you know, these meticulous notes that he would have when his family were away on vacation. I mean, he had to plan it out day by day, minute by minute, in order to stay undetected and under the radar for that period.

[Erin Moriarty]

And there were also some interesting reports of how Heuerman has spent the last three years in jail, specifically what he reads, who he's been talking to. That also give a sense of his character and mindset.

[Caroline Polisi]

Yeah, absolutely. Suffolk County Sheriff Errol Tulin told the Associated Press that Heuerman has been a really voracious reader in jail with a preference for violent crime and mystery novels, some involving serial killers. Tulin also said that Keith Hunter Jesperson, the infamous Happy Face killer who's currently serving multiple sentences in Oregon, reached out to Heuerman by letter. Heuerman did write back, but he hasn't responded to several follow up letters from Jesperson.

[Erin Moriarty]

Sorry. I think it's very creepy that this case has brought out response from other serial killers.

[Caroline Polisi]

Gives you a sort of a look inside the mind of, you know, some of these guys want to feel important and this is how they do it, Right?

[Erin Moriarty]

But on this sentencing hearing, this was not about the killer. Now. This now was something that was specifically for the families of the victims, something they had been waiting for for years. And in the case of one family since 1993,

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[Erin Moriarty]

On June 17, 2026, Rex Heuerman showed up in court. He sat at the defense table without much reaction. There were times I thought he looked red, but he didn't seem to be reacting. He remained still with, like, one hand over the other.

[Caroline Polisi]

Yeah, you know, noticeably. His ex wife, Asa Ellerup, was not at the sentencing hearing. Her attorney did release a on her behalf that read, quote, Ms. Ellerup believes this day should be centered on the victims, their families, and the profound impact these crimes have had on their lives. Out of respect for those who have endured unimaginable loss and suffering, she does not wish her presence to distract from the purpose of these proceedings. Her thoughts remain with the victims and their loved ones as they continue their pursuit of justice, healing, and closure.

[Erin Moriarty]

In hindsight, I think it was wise that she did not go to this hearing. During this sentencing, we heard from several of the victim's families and friends. These families have been through a terrible time. They are angry. They want answers. And they were allowed to address him directly, which actually surprised me. Do you believe that they were limited in what they could actually say to him?

[Caroline Polisi]

Well, look, this was really meant to be a catharsis for those families letting out all that anger. And, yeah, they were basically allowed to say anything that they wanted, obviously within these usual boundaries of courtroom decorum. So generally, no swear words, no yelling, et cetera. Every judge has different rules about what they allow, but they were very powerful in those statements and just very gut wrenching.

[Erin Moriarty]

I thought it was kind of odd that they were facing the judge and he was to their left, so they had to keep, like, looking over. So I thought that's pretty typical.

[Caroline Polisi]

That's pretty typical. But, you know, if you listen to the statements, they are directed at Heuerman. I thought, you know, while he was emotionless, you could see sort of something on his face that wasn't, you know, he wasn't. It wasn't penetrating. He wasn't feeling the emotion that was on display by the victims families.

[Erin Moriarty]

Well, it could be also because he was, like, looking down most of the time. We first heard from Valerie Mack's family. She disappeared in 2000. And this is what her adoptive mother, Joanne Mack, said to the court, even

[Victim's Family Member (Court Statement)]

though justice is done, it cannot replace what you have taken him from us. Or can it give our beloved Valerie back her life here on Earth. I do, however, want you to understand that even though you were able to commit these horrendous atrocities against our daughter, and no matter what sense of power or control you felt over Valerie's body, you were never able to touch her soul.

[Erin Moriarty]

We then heard from Jasmine Robinson, a cousin of Jessica Taylor who was killed in 2003. And she was the one that was just so emotional. And I think it really was because they were marking Jessica Taylor's 43rd birthday.

[Victim's Family Member (Emotional Statement)]

I can't even put into words the viscerating loathing I have for you. My heart broke even more that there were more victims. Sick, twisted, heartless. There aren't enough words for these murders.

[Erin Moriarty]

Missy Cann is the sister of Maureen Brainerd Barnes. And I have spoken to her, actually many times before. She always carried so much guilt. The last time she talked to her sister, her sister had called her from Penn Station right before she disappeared, asking for a ride home. But Missy was living in Connecticut. It was late at night. So this is what. What Missy said at the hearing. And this just broke my heart.

[Victim's Family Member (Personal Statement)]

When Rex chose to take Martin's life, he didn't just take her from us. He took my sense of safety. He took my peace of mind. He took the way I used to move through the world without fear. In many ways, I became one of his victims, too.

[Erin Moriarty]

Well, I do have a. I could say that just. What I had forgotten until I heard her speak is that they also had a brother, William. And, I mean, she just vanished, and then he died. So Missy lost two siblings and then had all of this guilt.

[Caroline Polisi]

Yeah, it's absolutely gut wrenching. Also in attendance there was Maureen's son, Dylan Haggett, who was just one year old at the time of her murder. He spoke about how he never had her when he needed her, and she never got to see who he had become. And there was Nicolette Brainerd Barnes, Maureen's daughter. She spoke really lovingly about her mother, but then really turned her anger on Heuerman.

[Victim's Family Member (Personal Statement)]

You are a pathetic man who thinks you're better than women. You need to believe that sex workers are subhuman because you're a coward who takes out your own shortcomings on others. I feel bad for you because your capacity for hate means that you can't possibly understand love, the purity of it, the kind of love I had and still have for my mother. Seeing your last appearance and the way you smirked as you finally confessed to what you did to my mother proves that you need to be locked away for the safety of the community. There are no words extreme enough to communicate the level of depravity within you. You make me sick, and I don't forgive you.

[Erin Moriarty]

Well, I think it's the toughest for the kids. The kids of these women, they never really got to know their parents. Megan Waterman's daughter, Liliana, I know her as Lily Waterman, who's so grown up now, started her statement, and she was so caught up in emotion, and she was sniffling as she was trying to speak. And I hadn't even thought about this. She was noting that she is now the same age as her mother was when she was pregnant with her. And Liliana expressed how difficult it had been living out this tragedy so publicly for years.

[Victim's Family Member (Emotional Statement)]

My mother's murder has been discussed in articles, television specials, podcasts, and across social media. There are weeks when I cannot bring myself to open any social apps because I am constantly confronted with reminders of the worst thing that's ever happened to me. I am grateful that people want to say her name and seek justice for her, but there is a difference between remembering who she was and profiting off of the tragedy that she's been through.

[Erin Moriarty]

Then there was a statement from Kimberly Overstreet that was the sister of Amberlynn Costello that was read aloud in court. In it, she spoke of finding religion and direction in the wake of her sister's murder. And she actually credited her sister's death as leading to a crack in the case for Karen Vergada, another victim. Her two sons were present in court for support. They chose not to speak. A statement was read from Sandra Costilla's sister, Ruth Ramos. She spoke of Sandra as a mother. I was actually a little surprised to see Amanda Fundenberg. There she was, the little sister, Melissa Barthelemy. And when she was 15 years old, right after her sister disappeared in 2009, she gets a call, and it looks like it's from her sister's phone. But when she answered, it wasn't Melissa at all. It was a man. It was her killer. We now know that was Rex Heuerman, which means that he has such an evil, sadistic streak because he threatened to do to Amanda what he had done to Melissa. What was interesting was as Amanda is talking, as we've mentioned, Caroline, all the way through this, you know, he's looking down and. And she's looking over him and you could tell it was really upsetting her. And so she tells him, you know, stop looking down, look at me.

[Caroline Polisi]

You can look at me while I'm talking. It's been about 17 years since we spoke, don't forget. Yeah, I mean, talk about taking the bull by the horns. I mean, this is her one shot, her one chance to finally get that closure. And she was not going to throw it away.

[Erin Moriarty]

Amanda also specifically referenced Heuerman's call during that sentencing hearing and then said something that I don't know about you, Caroline, but it really took me aback and showed how angry she really is.

[Caroline Polisi]

You murdered my sister.

[Erin Moriarty]

The things I do to you are far worse than anything you've ever done

[Victim's Family Member (Emotional Statement)]

to anyone or even thought of.

[Caroline Polisi]

And just because you have a few fans, remember, you are hated by so many. I know everyone spoke on Heaven, but do me a favor, send me a spot in hell.

[Victim's Family Member (Emotional Statement)]

Cause I'll see you there.

[Erin Moriarty]

I mean, I really was. I was so sad at her. I think her statements the most.

[Caroline Polisi]

You'll see a range of emotions from each victim. Some just extreme sadness, obviously at the loss. But then others really did have this angry side because there's obviously so much anger here. And it was almost like, you know, an emotional release for these victims to have their day in court, to have this justice, to have this closure.

[Erin Moriarty]

After hearing from many of the victims families, the judge Timothy Mazzy himself addressed Rex Uerman. Let's take a listen to that.

[Judge Timothy Mazzy]

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. Are you a little bit sorry for what you did to these poor innocent women? Eight women that you strangled. At least eight that we know of. Are you at least a little bit sorry for that? Yes.

[Rex Heuerman]

Yes, I am.

[Caroline Polisi]

Yeah. And Aaron, if you listen closely, you can faintly hear him in the background saying, yes, I am.

[Erin Moriarty]

The judge, though, didn't mince words at all. I mean, he seemed to be getting angrier, didn't you think?

[Victim's Family Member (Emotional Statement)]

Yeah.

[Caroline Polisi]

I mean, honestly, you don't see that that often at a sentencing. This judge, again, you could hear the quiver in. He was audibly yelling by the end.

[Judge Timothy Mazzy]

You know what? 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.

[Caroline Polisi]

You know, when we're. When we watch sentencings on television, typically it is for heinous crimes. So judge. Judges do get a little more worked up and Emotional. But typically, at your average sentencing, a judge is much more tempered, much more, you know, really a little bit more toned down, and follows the sort of courtroom etiquette which is not to raise your voice, be controlled. Here he just threw all caution to the wind and really let loose on Heuermann. So the judge sentenced Heuermann to three consecutive sentences of life imprisonment without the possibility of parole for the deaths of Bartholomew, Waterman and Costello, and four consecutive sentences of 25 years to life for each of the murders of Brainerd, Barnes, Taylor, Castilla and Mack.

[Erin Moriarty]

I mean, just for those four, that 25 to life, that's 100 years. When he's dead, he'll still be serving.

[Caroline Polisi]

Yeah, absolutely. I mean, this obviously is somewhat symbolic. The point being that this man is never gonna see the light of day outside of a jail cell.

[Erin Moriarty]

And with that, but the judge concluded the hearing.

[Judge Timothy Mazzy]

Anything else, gentlemen?

[Caroline Polisi]

Nothing from the people I want Mr. Brown.

[Victim's Family Member (Emotional Statement)]

Nothing further.

[Judge Timothy Mazzy]

Get him out of here.

[Caroline Polisi]

I mean, you can hear the cheers and jeers in the courtroom, almost like this physical release for the victims families who've just been waiting so long for justice.

[Erin Moriarty]

But even though you hear cheers, what I always hear after these kind of cases is no one really wins. You know, they get to face him. They don't get their loved ones back. None of those women are coming back. So that it's gotta be frustrating, too, that he just sat there. How does someone like Heuerman compare to other infamous killers and serial killers and the sentences that. That they've gotten in the past?

[Caroline Polisi]

Yeah, I mean, look, he really flew under the radar. This reminds me so much of the BTK Killer. In fact, Aaron, the similarities are quite striking. Dennis Raider, better known as the BTK Killer for bind, torture, kill, even called Heuerman a clone of himself in a letter to a News outlet in 2023. Raider was also married with two kids, lived in his community undetected for years. I mean, they were both even 59 years old at the time of their arrests. Also, I'm reminded of Joseph James DeAngelo, better known as the Golden State Killer. He comes to mind.

[Erin Moriarty]

And believe it or not, I actually met Dennis Rader. I was trying to get an interview with him, so I went into the Wichita jail and spoke with him. And another comparison I could add to that is that lack of emotion we saw in Rex Uerman. I really saw it with Dennis Rader. He spoke so casually about what he did, and the only time he cried was when he told me that his daughter would no longer speak. To him. So it was all about him. He was only crying about his loss, nothing about what he did. And I think also now in that case, Dennis Raider gave more details about what he did to his victims. But in this case, the victims families did not get to get the details that they always wanted to hear.

[Caroline Polisi]

The fact is, you know, we may never know those answers. I was somewhat surprised that part of his plea agreement wasn't a more fulsome description potentially of what he had done. And that sometimes is why victims families actually want a trial. They want to know specifically what happened. But I think in this instance, you know, just having this be done and over with for the victims families was sort of more at top of mind was going to be more preferential than going through the just arduous and gut wrenching nature of a trial.

[Erin Moriarty]

Here's what Lilly Waterman had to say afterwards at a press conference.

[Victim's Family Member (Emotional Statement)]

This has been a long day coming and from this day forward, stop saying his name, stop putting his face everywhere, put the girl's face, put their names and make it known that we are the ones who live on for them.

[Caroline Polisi]

So I mean, I'm so happy for these families finally getting closure. Obviously, Erin, like you said, there will never truly be closure. They will never get their loved ones back. But I do have to admit I'm not sure this is the last we're gonna hear about Rex Heuermann. Aaron, I personally feel that there may be more victims out there whose families are looking for accountability.

[Erin Moriarty]

He insists, according to his defense attorney, that it was just these eight women. But we'll find out. I really appreciate you being here talking about this very, very tough and emotional hearing. But thanks for being with us today.

[Caroline Polisi]

Thank you so much for having me.

[Erin Moriarty]

And I want to thank all of you for listening. Be sure to rate and review wherever you get. Your podcasts.

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[Erin Moriarty]

This life here is gonna work, isn't it?

[Caroline Polisi]

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[Caroline Polisi]

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I can't make this a lot harder for all y'.

[Victim's Family Member (Court Statement)]

All.

[Caroline Polisi]

And peace will have to wait.

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