"The suburban dad next door who was also a serial killer"

A serial killer admits to his crimes, but is justice served?

We tackle that question and others in a wide-ranging conversation with investigative journalist Alexis Linkletter, who has covered this case for more than a decade and has poured several years into developing a podcast series on the mystery called, "Unraveled."

Alexis recounts being in court as Rex Heuermann entered a guilty plea, admitting to being the Long Island serial killer.

She describes the intense scene, the victims’ families present, and Heuermann’s apathetic demeanor as he admitted to strangling eight victims.

The discussion traces the case’s history from the 2010 discovery of remains and the impact of Suffolk County corruption, to the revived multi-agency task force under District Attorney Ray Tierney.

Linkletter explains how an early tip about a green Chevy Avalanche, phone-location links, surveillance, and DNA from discarded items helped lead to Heuermann’s 2023 arrest.

She highlights cutting-edge nuclear DNA testing of rootless hairs that passed an initial hearing, potentially opening doors for other cold cases not only in New York but other states as well.

The episode previews the June sentencing, FBI Behavioral Science Unit interviews, possible additional victims, and CODIS (Combined DNA Index System) implications.

Is justice done? We report. You decide.

00:00 Guilty Plea Shocker

01:13 Inside the Courthouse

02:28 What He Admitted To

03:41 Origins of the Case

04:04 Corruption and Coverups

06:36 Coincidence at Court

09:26 Centering the Victims

12:47 Cold Case Breakthrough

13:51 Task Force and DNA Trail

14:51 The Tip That Cracked It

18:01 Double Life Questions

19:26 Hearing the Confession

22:07 Why Plead Guilty

23:28 Family in the Fallout

24:02 Basement Crime Timeline

26:02 More Victims Questions

27:17 Asian Doe Clues

29:38 Rootless Hair Breakthrough

32:17 Admissibility Frye Hearing

34:14 Courtroom Demeanor

34:45 Why He Killed

38:00 Sentencing Stakes

38:30 FBI Behavioral Study

41:41 Justice And Victims

44:10 CODIS And Future Cases

46:22 Book Project Wrap

Alexis Linkletter
Podcast: Unraveled

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Serial Killer Caught: The Backstory of A Surprise Guilty Plea