Confessed Killer /// L.I.S.K /// 924

Summary

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True Crime Garage Episode 924: Confessed Killer /// L.I.S.K /// – Summary

Overview

In Episode 924, hosts Nic and the Captain delve into one of the most chilling updates in the true crime world: a major confession and arrest tied to the Long Island Serial Killer (LISK) case, culminating in a guilty plea from Rex Heuermann – a case that has haunted families and investigators for nearly three decades. The episode also covers the bombshell December 2025 arrest of Andrew Dykes for a related but separate murder, reigniting the theory that more than one killer may have operated in the area. Woven with thoughtful commentary and characteristic True Crime Garage banter, this episode offers extensive analysis, emotional testimonies, and a look at the investigative twists that finally brought some justice to the victims’ families.

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Key Discussion Points

1. Rex Heuermann’s Guilty Plea and Courtroom Bombshells

• Context: After years of denying involvement, Rex Heuermann, the so-called “Ogre of Long Island,” pleads guilty to the murders of eight women (previously only charged for seven).

• Courtroom Scene:

  • “With the families of his victims in the courtroom and his ex wife of 27 years and daughter watching, Rex Heuermann leaving no doubt he is the Gilgo Beach serial killer...” (04:11, Aaron Gutierski)
  • Families and Heuermann’s ex-wife confront the reality of his crimes during the proceedings.

• Investigative Breakthroughs: DNA from pizza crust and a vehicle description (Chevrolet Avalanche) were crucial in arresting Heuermann in 2023 (49:29).

• Heuermann’s Own Words:

  • Pleading guilty, expressing an understanding of the gravity of his statements (22:22 onward).
  • Clinical, emotionless confession to details of strangulation, use of burner phones, and body disposal (34:27–35:15).

2. The Arrest of Andrew Dykes ("Peaches" Murder)

• Major Development:

  • December 2025, Army veteran Andrew Dykes arrested, accused of killing Tanya Jackson (“Peaches”) in 1997 (06:50–10:03).

• Impact:

  • Disrupts the prevailing assumption that all victims were the work of Heuermann, pointing back to the possibility of multiple killers (20:08–20:22).

• Evidence and Motive:

  • Authorities cite DNA evidence (though details remain unclear).
  • Initial theory: Dykes killed to conceal an affair—a motive his family refutes, noting the affair and the child were known to family and Army.
  • "The counter narrative significantly weakens the primary motive proposed by law enforcement. But like you said, Captain, they don’t have to prove motive." (12:24)
  • Episode scrutinizes the strength of the evidence and highlights the complexities of dismemberment as a method (15:58–17:48).

3. Patterns, Connections, and Contrasts Between the Murders

• Dismemberment Discussion:

  • Typically a method to hide the victim’s identity; noted differences and similarities between how Peaches and other LISK victims were handled (17:03–18:44).
  • The “Peaches tattoo” left visible—perhaps a “learning moment” for the killer (18:45–19:25).

• Heuermann’s Confession Details:

  • Admitted to using burner phones to communicate with victims.
  • Disposal and dismemberment methods described as clinical and emotionless (34:55–35:15).
  • Confession included the murder of Karen Vergata, previously known only as Jane Doe until a 2022 genealogy identification (39:39–41:28).

4. Victim Impact and Family Perspectives

• Courtroom Emotion:

  • Families openly wept as the details of their loved ones’ fates were read (35:15).
  • “Their loss is immeasurable, and the focus should be on them at this time and moment.” (05:32, Asa Heuermann statement)
  • District Attorney Ray Turney’s personal apology and acknowledgment of families' suffering (42:00–42:38).

• Asa Heuermann’s Insight:

  • Ex-wife Asa describes trauma:
    “I now sleep in the basement of our [home]... the room where he killed and dismembered victims.” (52:30)
  • Recounts confronting Rex in jail, where he confessed to eight murders.

5. Law Enforcement Reflections and Investigative Obstacles

• Police Commissioner’s Condemnation:

  • “Expose them in front of their families, in front of the cameras. It’s good to point your finger at the ogre and say, there he is, the abomination.” (44:06, Nick)
  • Commissioner Kevin Catalina’s fierce, emotional statements, calling Heuermann “sadistic, soulless and murderous.” (45:38)

• The Challenge of Investigating LISK:

  • Case plagued by scandal, leadership turmoil, and complexity.
  • The pattern of initial hope, repeated setbacks, and finally, closure.

• Serial Killer Psychology:

  • Comparison to BTK and other killers: public personas vs. true sadism (23:05–23:54).
  • Potential for further FBI “Mindhunter” interviews to uncover more about Heuermann’s crimes (25:08).

6. Ongoing Questions and Theories

• Possibility of Multiple Killers:
  • Dykes arrest breathes new life into the multi-killer theory suppressed after Heuermann’s capture (20:06).
• Other Possible Victims:
  • Hosts speculate whether Heuermann could be involved in cases beyond New York, noting he is unlikely to admit to murders in death penalty states or cases with lesser evidence (25:21–26:20; 46:37–47:59).
• Unsolved Cases and the Unknown:
  • Shannon Gilbert’s still-contested death highlighted as a persistent mystery (47:59).

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Memorable Quotes & Timestamps

• “This defendant walked among us play acting as a normal suburban dad. When in reality, all along, he was obsessively targeting innocent women for death.” (04:49, Nick quoting summary statements)
• “If your evidence is flimsy, you better have a good motive that you can sell to that jury that they’re willing to buy.” (12:55, Nick)
• “Dismemberment would point to an offender who had a close relationship to your victim... The Peaches tattoo also contrasts with the idea that it’s Andrew Dykes.” (17:04–18:05, Nick)
• “He dumps the body, remains are discovered, and then she’s identified as Peaches for so long because of the tattoo. And it was the tattoo... It was in the newspaper… He read this and said, ‘Oh, going forward, this is a mistake that I can't make again.’” (18:45, Nick)
• “He admitted to killing eight young women. For years, the case had loomed over Long Island in the greater New York area like an open wound.” (22:39, Nick)
• “Well, he was writing a textbook on murder.” (35:11, Captain)
• “Rex Heuermann, we know, lived in Massapequa Park, Long Island. Maintaining what appeared from the outside to be an ordinary life...” (46:37, Nick)
• “What I do love, though, is that in the end, it was a vehicle description and pizza crust DNA, Captain, that was the big break needed to finally get an arrest.” (49:29, Nick)
• “Now the abomination’s ex-wife is sleeping in the ogre’s kill room, which is bizarre… she says she still feels haunted by dreams every night.” (52:30, Nick)
• “It’s crazy to think how far back this case goes... But we can sit here today, Captain, and be thankful that law enforcement kept working, that technology kept changing, and then names that once had been placeholders became people again.” (54:07, Nick)

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Important Segment Timestamps

• 04:11–06:11: Heuermann’s confession in court, family and DA reactions.
• 06:50–20:22: The Andrew Dykes arrest, implications for the LISK case, multiple killer theory revival.
• 22:22–25:00: Details of Heuermann’s courtroom confession and deal with FBI.
• 34:27–36:43: Mechanics of Heuermann’s crimes, emotional response in court.
• 39:39–43:10: The identification and story of Karen Vergata.
• 44:06–45:38: Police Commissioner’s impassioned statements.
• 46:37–47:59: Heuermann’s arrest, background, and investigative breakthroughs.
• 52:30–54:07: Asa Heuermann’s experiences post-arrest, confessions.
• 54:07–55:24: Closing reflections on the meaning of the case resolution.

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Tone & Style

• Language/Tone: The episode oscillates between measured analysis, dark humor, and empathy for the victims’ families. Nic and the Captain employ their signature blend of conversational storytelling and critical thinking.
• Quotes: Hosts frequently pause for reflection, alternately expressing outrage at the crimes and careful skepticism about evolving theories.
• Listener Engagement: The hosts highlight ongoing developments, encourage personal reflection, and recommend past episodes for deeper context (“Blueprint for Murder”, “Peaches” episode).

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Recommended Related Content

• Blueprint for Murder – Episodes 810 and 811 (Dec 31, 2024 / Jan 1, 2025)
• Peaches Episode – Episode 877 (October 2025)
• Peacock Documentary – "House of Secrets," Final episode (April 23, 2026)

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Conclusion

Episode 924 masterfully ties together the latest bombshell revelations and confessions in the LISK case, providing thorough insight for both longtime followers and new listeners. Nic and the Captain examine the legal, psychological, and emotional consequences of the long-running investigation and closure, never forgetting the humanity of the victims and their families.

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Transcript

[Nick]

Picture this. It's the end of a long week. You're unwinding in the tub, listening to your favorite true crime podcast and then chronic hives come back again in the middle of the episode. What a wet blanket looks like another spell of itchy, swollen, red or skin colored hives. If you have chronic spontaneous urticaria or csu, there may be a different treatment option. Worried about your chronic hives interrupting our next episode? Learn [e-mail] Garage from Sauce to dust

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[Nick]

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[Captain]

Foreign.

[Nick]

Welcome to True Crime Garage. Wherever you are, whatever you're doing. Thanks for listening. I'm your host, Nick and with me as always, is a man who was drafted, Mr. Irrelevant.

[Captain]

Here is the Captain and I'm still irrelevant. It's good to be seen and good to see you. Thanks for listening. Thanks for telling a friend

[Nick]

this week we are excited to be drinking, hazed and blazed by the Firemaker Brewing Company. I got to experience something that I am lucky enough to experience. But a few times a year I found my new favorite beer. Hazed and blazed is an amazing hazy India Pale Alex. This is a gold medal winning Hazy IPA and it is super juicy with a hint of mosaic, lemon drop and El Dorado hops. Today we sound the trumpets both in victory and in celebration my friends. 7.2% ABV 5 out of 5 bottle caps. And here are some of my favorite garage friends. First up, a cheers to Brandy Noel from Buckingham, Virginia.

[Captain]

And a big we like jib goes out to Christie Chess from Fresno, California.

[Nick]

And here's a cheers to Marianne Sunderman in Lapeer, Michigan.

[Captain]

And a big talk hands in the air to Chelsea White and New York City.

[Nick]

And last but certainly not least, I would like to give a big Ron Swanson please and thank you to Holly in Corvallis, Oregon. Everyone we just mentioned went to true crimegarage.com and helped us fill up the old garage fridge for today's show and for that we thank you.

[Captain]

Yeah BWR Beer run. Check out the new merch in the merch store@TrueCrime Garage.com and Colonel that's enough of the business.

[Nick]

All right, everybody, gather round. Grab a chair, grab a beer. Let's talk some true crime.

[David]

A chilling turn in court today involving serial killer Rex Heuermann. The husband and father who worked in New York City, now pleading guilty, admitting he killed eight women the moment he spoke in court today. And you will hear from the woman who was married to him for 27 years. Here's our chief investigative correspondent, Aaron Gutierski,

[Aaron Gutierski]

coming out judge tonight with the families of his victims in the courtroom and his ex wife of 27 years and daughter watching. Rex Heuermann leaving no doubt he is the Gilgo beach serial killer who died terrorized neighborhoods outside New York City.

[Nick]

You feel it's in your best interest to plead guilty rather than go to trial?

[Sponsor Voice]

Yes, you, Honor.

[Aaron Gutierski]

The suburban dad who worked as an architect on fifth Avenue in Manhattan. I'm an architectural consultant admitting he lived a double life. Pleading guilty to murdering eight women and burying their bodies on Long Island. Some found dismembered and wrapped in burlap near the beach. Heuerman strangled his victims, who he hired as escorts. In a nearly two decade killing spree starting in 1993, this defendant walked among

[Nick]

us play acting as a normal suburban dad, when in reality, all along he was obsessively targeting innocent women for death.

[Aaron Gutierski]

Heuermann was finally tracked down and arrested in 2023 after his DNA was retrieved from pizza crust in the trash outside his office and linked to hair samples found on the victims. Detectives scouring Heuerman's home in a storage unit, amassing a mountain of evidence, including a chilling collection of news articles about the murders and what prosecutors called his blueprint, with locations of dump sites and reminders to dispose of tools and devices and burn gloves. Today outside court, the woman married to him for nearly three decades, she says she never wanted to believe it was true.

[Nick]

My thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their families. Their loss is immeasurable, and the focus should be on them at this time and moment.

[Aaron Gutierski]

The families of victims never gave up hope the killer would be caught. Missy Khan, whose sister Maureen was killed in 2007, with this message to her today.

[Captain]

I would never stop searching for justice for you. Through every year, every setback, every okay, every unanswered question, I carried you with me and I kept that promise. And today it has been done.

[Aaron Gutierski]

I was in the hush courtroom today, David, as Heuerman repeatedly uttered guilty with what appeared to be a slight smirk on his face. The DA told me here a moment ago, David, he thinks Heuerman just Got tired of fighting. He's never going to leave prison. And he must cooperate with the FBI to give investigators a window into the mind of a monstrous serial killer killer. David?

[David]

Yeah. What a horrific case that affected this community for decades. Aaron, thank you.

[Nick]

The updates started in December of last year when Andrew Dykes, a 20 year old army veteran, was arrested at his home in Florida on December 3, linking him to the killing of the victim that everyone has been calling Peaches. In a stunning turn of events for a case marked by decades of mystery, Andrew Dykes was arrested in Florida charged with the 1997 murder of Tanya Jackson, also known as Peaches. This development set shock waves through the ongoing investigation into the Long island serial killer, a case that has been in the public eye for 28 years, since Jackson's torso was first discovered in Hempstead Lake State Park. For years, the case was largely centered on Rex Herman, who was taken into custody two and a half years ago as the main suspect for the murders of at least six of the possibly 10 victims whose remains were found along Ocean Parkway between late 2010 and early 2011. We say possible 10 victims. There were absolutely 10 victims, possibly 10 victims, all connected to the Long island serial killer case. The connection between Tanya Jackson and the Gilgo beach case was strong. Yet Rex Herman was never charged with Jackson's murder. In 2011, the body of her two year old daughter Tatiana was found near the other gilgo beach victims. Four years later in 2015, DNA evidence confirmed that limbs found along Ocean Parkway belonged to the toddler's MOT, linking them back to the 1997 torso, which was found in a Rubbermaid container. Due to a distinctive tattoo, the victim was dubbed Peaches. She was unknown, her true identity unknown for many years. The common assumption was that Rex Herman was responsible for all 10 victims, a theory bolstered by a planning document allegedly found on his computer. The arrest of Dykes shattered this assumption. On December 3rd, Andrew Dykes was apprehended in Hillsborough County, Florida on a fugitive warrant from Nassau County, New York for murder in the second degree. At his extradition hearing, he voluntarily agreed to return to New York stating, quote, unquote, I'd like to go into New York and defend myself, end quote. The news was described as a bombshell that turned everything upside down, leaving experts and reporters stunned and a little bit confused too, as it revived the long debated theory of multiple killers. In the 10 victim case, and also

[Captain]

at this time, Rex Herman is saying that he's innocent of all crimes.

[Nick]

That's exactly right. Andrew Dykes, identified by police as the father of Tanya Jackson's daughter Tatiana, presents a complex profile. He's a 21 year veteran of the US army, so he is working with a career in the U.S. army from 1980 to 2021. And he achieved the rank of medical sergeant, this giving him knowledge of human anatomy. He and Jackson served together at the same military base. This is Fort Sam Houston in Texas, where they had an affair. Jackson entered the military in 1993 and left two years later and gave birth to Tatiana one month after her discharge. Now, at that time, Captain Dykes, Andrew Dykes, was married to a woman named Joyce, with whom he had two sons, and was living on base at Fort Hamilton in Brooklyn, working as a recruiter. So they have this affair in Texas, and now once she leaves the military, he's up at Fort Hamilton in Brooklyn, putting him near her. We know that she made her way to New York at some point. Investigators initially floated a motive out there for the murder, connecting him to it, obviously saying that Andrew Dykes allegedly killed Tanya Jackson to prevent her from revealing their affair and the child, which would have thrown his life and military career into chaos. Now, there's a bit of a problem here with the theory, and there's a little bit of an issue too, with the evidence, because this narrative is strongly contested by Dykes's son Andre, who goes by Dre.

[Captain]

Right.

[Nick]

So according to Dre, he says our family, including his mother Joyce, were fully aware of both Tanya and Tatiana.

[Captain]

Right. But they don't have to prove motive.

[Nick]

But so he says that he, he remembers times where his mother would point out Tatiana, saying, that's your sister.

[Captain]

Right.

[Nick]

Furthermore, he claims that the US army was also aware of Tatiana as she was listed on insurance and medical paperwork. The counter narrative. This counter narrative significantly weakens the primary motive proposed by law enforcement. But like you said, Captain, they don't have to prove motive.

[Captain]

Right. They don't have to prove motive, but they stated a motive. And so if you can say, well, their motive is completely wrong, what else are they wrong about?

[Nick]

Well, and the thing is, I'm with you. You don't have to prove motive. But at a jury trial, if your evidence is flimsy, you better have a good motive that you can sell to that jury that they're willing to buy. The path to identifying Andrew Dykes as a suspect is also a point of discussion. While his son believes authorities used his DNA that he submitted to Ancestry.com to, you know, he just wanted to learn about their background, there's a Source close to the FBI. The FBI says otherwise. They say that genealogical research in Alabama was what first identified Tanya Jackson. And it was Tatiana's birth certificate that ultimately led them to Andrew Dykes. Now, regardless what is suspicious and police are saying this, and I agree. Andrew Dykes never reported Tanya missing.

[Captain]

Right.

[Nick]

And we know that she was. I have a red flag. Decades ago. The strength of the evidence against Andrew Dykes is we have to have some skepticism here. Right. We have to have some skepticism. We know that there they have physical evidence linking him to the murder. That's what they're saying the arrest was based off of. However, they're not. They've not been open about what that physical evidence was. It sounds like it's something DNA related, but here becomes the problem for the case.

[Captain]

Yeah.

[Nick]

And I couldn't find a court date which is. Which is good for the prosecution if he is the guy. Remember, Peaches was found in a Rubbermaid container. This is. Look for the killer. That. That's bad business because it preserves. This would preserve physical evidence. But what exactly was the evidence? Right. Because there could be innocent explanations for his DNA being at the scene where her torso was found.

[Captain]

Right.

[Nick]

Given their relationship, if the relationship is, as the son says, that he didn't need to cover it up. It's reasonable to think that there may have been ongoing interaction between the two. So could this be some. Just a simple DNA transfer from something like a blanket, clothing or other items. Maybe that container was his at one time and he stored things in there. So I'm not pointing and saying that the guy's innocent. I'm just saying this one. While we have an arrest. And thank goodness that we do. I mean, it took so long to identify this woman who served our country and her daughter and so long to wait for an arrest. And if you review stuff that I've put out there in the past regarding the Peaches murder, I absolutely did think that it was Rex Heuerman.

[Captain]

Well, because we have so many victims and the same relative dump site because of this tub. Right. That's different than the other victims.

[Nick]

The tub is. But remember when we did our Blueprint for murder episode and when we. We covered Peaches as a completely separate episode as well. We've. We've talked Long island serial killer since 2016 in multiple episodes. We've had guests on for the shows. We've. We talked about the time when the police chief was. Was coming under fire. Rightfully so, because he was up to no good at the time. I mean, this case is complex. And it's. It's been long, it's lengthy, and it's. It's taken years and decades to get to where it sits today. Normally in a case. Captain, you've heard me say it so many times, you're probably sick in the head about it. I.

[Captain]

Saying a lot of things.

[Nick]

I've said it dozens of times. That dismemberment would be typically. Would be an attempt to hide one's identity. Hide the identity of the victim.

[Captain]

Absolutely.

[Nick]

And we know in the Peaches case, identifying marks like distinctive tattoos, like a Peaches tattoo and jewelry that was left behind on. On the remains, those are identifiers. This is. You're right. It is in it contrast with some of the other victims that are linked to Rex Hurman. But. But here's the problem. Dismemberment would point that the. To an offender who had a close relationship that would be easily connected to your victim. So you want your victim to remain unidentified. That makes sense. If you look at Andrew Dykes, however, the flip of that coin is Rex Huraman typically dismembered his victims.

[Captain]

Yeah.

[Nick]

The Peaches tattoo also contrasts with the idea that it's Andrew Dykes, because wouldn't he want to remove that if he took the time and effort to dismember the body? He would have spent some time to remove the Peaches tattoo. One would think.

[Captain]

Yes. And I think you can go further with that, because let's just say, hypothetically, it was Rex. Rex might not know about the tattoo, maybe would discover it during the dismemberment. So you'd think he would get read of that item. But who would definitely know about that? Her ex. Well, but then what we see in the blueprint of murder is he talks about tattoos. Rex Herman does.

[Nick]

Exactly. And what we talked about it in Blueprint for Murder, we also talked about it on the Peaches episode, where maybe this was part of the learning process for Herman. Right. That he.

[Captain]

Right.

[Nick]

He dumps the body, the remains are discovered, and then she's identified as Peaches for so long because of the tattoo. And it was the tattoo. Remember we had said it. It was in the newspaper. They put a picture of it in the newspaper and circulated, asking for people to come forward to identify the woman. And he read this. The theory I had at the time was he read this and said, oh, going forward, this is a mistake that I can't make again. And we do know that in other cases, he did make deliberate efforts to obliterate tattoos. Yes.

[Captain]

Yeah.

[Nick]

So here we have this Arrest that we're thankful to have. But we have a combination of questionable motive and potentially circumstantial forensic evidence. So we have to kind of wait and see where this goes, because this arrest with this evidence that's been presented to the public anyway, we don't know what else they may have, is significantly weaker than the extensive evidence that we have, which includes things like burner phones, credit card receipts, and DNA that was compiled against A1 Rex Herman in these other murders.

[Captain]

The Ogre from Long Island.

[Nick]

This arrest, however, again circling back before we move on, does resurrect the multiple killers theory. Something that's. It's an idea that's not new. It's been publicly debated for a long

[Captain]

time since the beginning.

[Nick]

That debate was hushed and quieted to a great degree once they arrested the ogre from Long Island.

[Captain]

Yeah, real piece of.

[Nick]

And as said, we strongly suspected Rex Herman in this case, this specific case, the murder of Tanya and her daughter Tatiana. So that was December. And we will wait for updates on that case, on the case against Andrew Dykes. Now, Captain.

[Captain]

Yes, sir.

[Nick]

We go to something with much more certainty. A conclusion finally came this month in the Gilgo Beach, Long island serial killer case.

[Captain]

I actually thought this was going to happen, but I didn't think it was going to take this long. It'd be interesting to know what happened behind closed doors and why it took so long.

[Nick]

Yeah, it will be. And I think there's a chance we might learn some more about this.

[Captain]

Oh, I think we're going to learn a ton more.

[Nick]

It was a packed house at the Arthur Cromartie Criminal Court Complex in Long Island, New York. But once the proceedings got started, the courtroom went silent. My friends, the folks there sitting on pins and needles, waiting to see the monster, some for the first time and some hoping maybe for the last time. The Ogre, as we have been calling him since the early days after his arrest. Rex Herman, now 62 years old, was dressed in a dark suit with a white shirt and a blue tie. He was all dressed up with nowhere to go there, Captain.

[Captain]

Yeah, but you're not going to state the obvious. Did he see his haircut change? It doesn't help you.

[Nick]

You doesn't help that haircut for a while. The hair's getting a little longer.

[Captain]

It's. But the haircut's getting worse. No good barbers in prison.

[Nick]

That's right. He, Rex Hereman, the Abomination. The abomination stood before State Supreme Court Justice Timothy Mazzy and did what he had refused to Do. Since his arrest, he admitted to killing eight.

[Captain]

Yes.

[Nick]

Remember, he was only charged with seven. He admitted to killing eight young women. For years, the case had loomed over Long island in the greater New York area like an open wound. Names missing posters, partial remains, unanswered questions. And as you said earlier, Captain Rex Herman had insisted that he was not responsible.

[Captain]

And the reason why I thought this would happen sooner is I think

[Nick]

he's

[Captain]

very similar to btk And BTK has made statements about the ogre saying that he's basically a copy of him. And so I thought there's probably a sense of cubism going on with Rex Heuerman. So I thought he would confess earlier because, look, he's a giant pile of shit. But with the cubism, I think he has shown that he cares about his wife and cares about his children. So I thought maybe he would confess earlier to spare them some pain. But he didn't. They have got, in my opinion, a very raw deal.

[Nick]

The judge, when he pled guilty, was asking him a series of questions of, you know, does he understand what he's admitting to? Does he understand that it's a guilty plea is the same as having a trial and getting convicted? That in that manner.

[Captain]

Right.

[Nick]

And to which all of these questions, Rex followed up with a sequence of yes answers. And yes, your honor, I understand his admission carried a clear consequence. Life in prison without the possibility of parole is what we are thinking is going to happen here. There's no death penalty in this case. The court set sentencing for June 17th. Seems like bit of a formality, but necessary because we'll hear victim impact statements. I hope victims families will have the opportunity to speak and address the court and address the state of New York and address the monster, the abomination himself. Hopefully Rex will have something to say as well.

[Captain]

Well, isn't he agreeing also to talk with FBI as far as like the mindhunter experience?

[Nick]

Yes. And how forthcoming he will be is yet to be seen. I think you and I share the same suspicion that we think that once he gets to talking, it will be hard to shut him up.

[Captain]

Well, we have evidence that he already admitted to a crime that he wasn't being charged with. So my question to you is, do you believe that there's other victims? Because, yes, we have these victims in Long island, but he spent time in other locations. Is it possible that there's victims there?

[Nick]

Well, there could be. What will be? The difference is if those locations are a state that has the death penalty, I don't think he's going to admit to anything like that.

[Captain]

Yes, but if he's working with the FBI, he might be able to make a deal before he starts disclosing this information.

[Nick]

True. I still don't think that he'll admit to it. A bird in the hand is right. I mean, why. Why would you do that?

[Captain]

I hate that saying. Because I don't. I don't know what it means.

[Nick]

It.

[Captain]

It means worth two in the bush.

[Nick]

If your situation's not terrible, don't. Don't try to. Don't try to push your luck.

[Captain]

Yeah, but here's the thing that the two birds in the bush can't in my hand. So I don't want a bird in

[Nick]

the hand or gash you to death or inject you to your. To your death. I don't think he'll admit to anything outside of the state of New York. And I also don't if he's responsible for killing the Asian doe. I don't think he'll admit to killing that big them as well. This show is sponsored by Better Help. You know, some nights I lie awake in bed worrying. Worrying about the show, about the podcast. Did I get the details right? Did I mispronounce something? This keeps me awake at night. But I have to remind myself that I was not made to be perfect. So why do I hold myself to such a high standard and scrutinize everything that I say or do? None of us were made to be perfect. If you've been feeling overwhelmed, stuck, anxious, or unsure, that's okay. Those feelings are more common than we think. May is Mental Health Awareness Month. A good reminder you don't have to go through those feelings alone. Having someone with you to listen, to understand, and to support you can make all the difference. Whatever is keeping you up at night, therapy with BetterHelp can help you check in with yourself and gain support from experienced professionals. BetterHelp is the world's largest online therapy platform. Just take a short questionnaire to identify your needs and Preferences, and BetterHelp will handle the initial therapist matching work for you. Feel confident knowing betterhelp therapists work according to a strict code of conduct and are fully licensed in the US you don't have to be on this journey alone. Find support and have someone with you in therapy. Sign up and get 10% [e-mail] garage that's better. H E L P.com garage as routines

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[Captain]

Foreign. We are back. Talk hands in the air. Thanks for telling your mother. Thanks for telling your brother. What's the beer called again?

[Nick]

It is Hazed and Blazed.

[Captain]

Hell yeah. Hazed and Blazed.

[Nick]

Well, it sounded like a. You know, this is a case that we've covered for a very, very long time. We've looked at it many different ways over the years and, and when we first started looking at it, nobody had any idea about Rex Hurman or who he was, the architect of murder. It really feels like today is a bit of a cause for celebration. It's a bittersweet moment. Right. But it's. It is cause for celebration. And Hazed and Blaze sound like a great beer name to have for the celebration. Man, when I cracked this baby open, even so, I didn't know it was going to be that I had found my new favorite beer.

[Captain]

Yeah, five out of five.

[Nick]

So cheers to everybody out there. Power to the people. Now under questioning from Suffolk County District Attorney Heuerman admitted the pattern and the mechanics of his crimes. He said he strangled all eight victims. He acknowledged using burner phones to contact them. He described how he wrapped bodies in burlap and disposed of the bodies. Yeah, he admitted to Dismembering some of the victims. I thought his words.

[Sponsor Voice]

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[Nick]

No. And I thought his words sounded clinical. I mean, that's how these. That's how these guys are when they do finally talk. They. It sounds like they're reading from a textbook. There's very little emotion if there's oftentimes no emotion.

[Captain]

Well, he was writing a textbook on murder.

[Nick]

Of course, these details landed hard in the courtroom. We did see some of the. The family members were there present, sitting, crying in tears, because each detail. Look, as much as we want to learn and hear some of the details, we got to remember these are. These were done to a person with a family, with a history, a person with a life that ended violently. And then, of course, we know that he. These victims, he discarded them like garbage.

[Captain]

Well, these are tougher cases because if you have a crime of passion or something, somebody pulls out a gun, the killing's instant or almost instant. And then even if somebody. Again, a crime of passion, somebody grabs a knife, and you can sit there, and if you're reading the autopsy, you can go, well, this individual stabbed 40 sometimes. And that's horrific. But in a lot of those cases, and I'm. I'm not trying to be funny about this, but in a lot of those cases, the person passed away. So the suffering is less part of the serial killers. These are torturous deaths. The pain, the suffering, the watching the victim be scared, watching the victim be tortured. That's part of their sick fantasies.

[Nick]

Well, they're sadist. Not all of them, but most of them are sadist.

[Captain]

Right.

[Nick]

And that's absolutely true. And I don't know to what degree. I know that's a weird statement, but some of these guys that. That strangle and suffocate their victims, they will resuscitate them and do it again.

[Captain]

A true crime docudrama that people don't talk a lot about. Woman of the Hour. It shows the Dating Game serial killer, and they show in. In the film, that same scenario where he would choke his victim and then resuscitate her, essentially, and then do it again. And oftentimes they would do this over and over, as many times as they could.

[Nick]

After the hearing, Rex Heuerman's attorney, Michael Brown, told reporters that the decision to plead guilty was Rex Heuerman's alone. Brown said there came a point when Heuerman told the defense team, I want to plead guilty. Brown added that one of Heuerman's concerns was sparing both emphasis on the word both here for a second Sparing both his own family and the victim's families from the ordeal of a trial. I say bullshit. This guy's a monster. He only cares about himself. He only wanted to spare his family. He doesn't care about the victim's families. If he cared about them at all, he would never have murdered their loved one to begin with. When asked if Heuerman felt remorse, his attorney Brown did not offer a direct confirmation. He said only that he would hope so, and he expected Rex Herman would have something to say at sentencing. Now, as you were talking about here, Captain, part of this plea deal. As part of the plea deal, Rex Hereman also agreed to cooperate fully with the FBI's Behavioral Analysis Unit, a commitment that suggested investigators believe the story might still have edges to trace, patterns to map, or maybe even questions to close out. Rex's family was in the courtroom. His ex wife, Asa, and their daughter Victoria were present. After the plea, Asa issued a brief statement centered on the victims and their families. Where he has no remorse, his wife certainly seems to his ex wife. She said that her thoughts and prayers were with the victims and their families and called the family's loss immeasurable and and asked for privacy for her own family as they navigated what she described as a very difficult time. Her attorney spoke as well with reporters, speaking about a wider trauma. The murders had inflicted pain that, in his words, nothing said in court could lessen. He also said that Asa never wanted to believe that the man that she had been married to for 27 years, the father of her child, was capable of such horrific acts. So let's get into this confession or confessions a bit here because among the eight killings Rex Heuerman admitted to was a murder that expanded really what the public understood about the case. Rex Heuerman acknowledged killing Karen Vergata, a 34 year old mother of two. And her story stretched across decades. Her remains were initially found on Fire island in April of 1996. Additional remains were found near Gilgo beach in April of 2011. She was believed to have been working as an escort in Manhattan when she disappeared on February 14, 1996. For years, investigators knew her only as Fire Island Jane Dean Doe. It wasn't until 2022, through genetic through genetic genealogy, that authorities could finally attach a name to the remains. After that identification, her stepsister Brenda described the long uncertainty that surrounded Vergata's disappearance. She said, you never know when it's going to be the last time you see someone. She explained that the family had wondered what happened, but added that Vergata sometimes went long periods of time without contacting the family. She says over time, what started as fear hardened into resignation. They just assumed she was dead because no one had heard from her.

[Captain]

Yeah.

[Nick]

In 20 years.

[Captain]

No, we see that in the Brian Schaefer case. Detectives that thought maybe he started a new life somewhere else, or maybe just hopeful of that. Twenty years has passed now you see their viewpoints on the case change. And so that. That'd be a devastating thing where you go, well, maybe they'll turn back up, or maybe somebody said something that made them want to not have contact for a while, but maybe they'll turn up. And every year that passes, you're lose hope.

[Nick]

Following the court appearance, District Attorney Ray Turney spoke publicly, and he chose to name and address the families directly. He thanked the victim's relatives one by one for their help and said he was sorry. An apology delivered not as a formality, in my opinion, but as recognition of what years of uncertainty and incomplete answers had cost them. Ray Turney described how at the beginning, the victims had been nothing but names on investigative reports. Then investigators met the families, met with the families. The families turned paperwork into people.

[Captain]

Well, we've experienced that, too. I mean, we. Somebody suggests a case, and you look into it, and you don't know what's there, or maybe there's not much there on the Internet. You discuss the case with somebody close, maybe a. A friend, and then they contact you with a family member. And then all of a sudden, the amount of details that are just not shared online, and it, like you said, it turns a case into a person.

[Nick]

Exactly. And, you know, getting to, to know the victims. And in this case, it's, it's more complex because some of the victims went without the, their. Their birth names for very long and big parts of this investigation. And so learning about the victims, knowing who the victims were, some of them mothers, some sisters, friends, all of them daughters, knowing who the victims were, this is going to push the good investigators to work harder to close out this case. This is three decades. This is a three decades case.

[Captain]

Yeah, but I think it goes even further like that you're turning the case into people. But once you turn the case into people, then a lot of these detectives, then it becomes personable. Right. It becomes a life mission to solve these crimes.

[Nick]

I want to talk about the police commissioner here for a bit, Captain, because I enjoyed this part, because it is good to call balls and strikes. Right. Call it as you see it and stand up there and say, needs to be done. Because that is, that is one of the things that these guys, these serial killers hate the most. This is when they get to and they have to feel the shame, the shame for not just what they have done, but truly it is the shame for who, who they are. Expose them in front of their families, in front of the cameras. Expose them. It's good to point your finger at the ogre and say, there, there he is, the abomination. So South Suffolk County Police Commissioner Kevin Catalina. Cheers to you, Kevin. He spoke to reporters with visible anger at the image of Rex Herman and the image that Rex Heuerman had projected since the arrest. You know, acting calm, serene, almost grandfatherly in his demeanor, Catalina called that image a lie and an insult to law enforcement, but more importantly, to the families who had to endure it. At each court appearance for the last two and a half years, he said that in court, Rex Heuerman was finally exposed for what he was using words meant to strip away any remaining pretense. He called Hereman sadistic, soulless and murderous.

[Captain]

Yeah, I call that Dawson's Creek douche canoe. It's, it's still a douche canoe, still piece of shit, but you're trying to be a more wholesome version of that. And again, I thought eventually he would admit to the crimes, but that was based on the idea that they're stacking piles of evidence and at some point he then has to wrestle in his mind. And as much as I want the FBI to study this individual and learn as much as they can to possibly prevent or capture other serial killers, there is a little bit of a problem I have with this because this piece of shit wants to control the narrative. And by having this investigation or this studying of him, he's going to try to do that. I don't know if he's going to be successful in that. I mean, this, this guy should feel the shame. I just don't know if he's capable of feeling the shame.

[Nick]

Well, Rex Heerman, we know, lived in Mesopequa Park, Long Island. Maintaining what appeared from the outside to be an ordinary life, he commuted to Manhattan and worked as an architect. But on July 13, 2023, he was arrested in midtown Manhattan in connection with the deaths of Melissa Bartholomew, Megan Waterman and Amber Costello. These three women were connected to the grim landmark that we all know about in this investigation, the discovery of bodies along Ocean Parkway. So it was, you know, the gilgo, the Gilgo 4, that started it all, kicking off this mega sized investigation back in December of 2010 when investigators found four bodies wrapped in burlap within a quarter mile of one another along Ocean Parkway. Those four victims became known as the Gilgo Four. And their discovery is prompted by. Prompted investigators to publicly acknowledge that a serial killer might be responsible. And the search that led that discovery was initially focused on another missing young woman, Shannon Gilbert. Who that one we still have no answers in. And of course, as longtime listeners of this show know that her death remains contested and cause of much debate over the years.

[Captain]

The only thing I'm hopeful in these conversations that the FBI will have with him is, is like you said, maybe once he starts talking, he won't stop. And then maybe other families will get answers to what happened to their loved ones.

[Nick]

Well, don't hold your breath. I go back to the whole statement of, I look, I don't know what he told his attorney. I know what the attorney told the reporters that Rex Herman said, I want to plead guilty. I want to change my. My plea to guilty because I want to spare my family and the victim's family the trauma of a trial. Again, bullshit. Remember this guy? He killed these women, dismembered them, place their remains alongside the road.

[Captain]

Yeah.

[Nick]

And then in some cases called use the victim's cell phone. And I'm glad that he did. I'm glad that he did, because that's part of the thing that got him caught.

[Captain]

Right.

[Nick]

But he would. He called the victims using the victim's cell phone, called the victim's family and taunted them with cruel, explicit language that not only upset them and saddened them, but also caused them fear as well. Could this guy come after me? Could this guy come after us?

[Captain]

Yeah, the. The call was. Calls were twofold right there. It was taunting but threatening at the same time. I mean, it shows you how. How giant. I mean, as big as he is, he is as equally as big of a piece of shit.

[Nick]

What I do love, though, is that in the end, it was a vehicle description and pizza crust. DNA, Captain, that was the big break needed to finally get an arrest. Investigators said that DNA one by everybody knows the rules, Investigators said that DNA evidence helped steer them toward Rex Heuerman. They cited a DNA link involving a pizza crust recovered from a Manhattan trash can near Rex Herman's work office and hair evidence connected to one of the victims. Police also referenced a vehicle description provided by someone that knew one of the victims. This was a green Chevrolet Avalanche described during a meeting with investigators in the spring of 2022. And so that. That also was a big part of this case. This led them to not many people had that type of vehicle at that time when that meeting took place. And when they started working that angle in 2022, that was something that really helped build the breadcrumb trail to get them to Rex Hereman.

[Captain]

Yeah, that was a game changer. And I think there's some positive things about this plea deal. One, they don't have to spend more time and resources to convict him. And yes, they had this mountain of evidence, but how long would this ca. Because there was so many cases, and I know that they were trying to lump them all together, but again, this was going to take a lot of time and effort, and he continued to lie to his family, putting them through more crap. I think that's. Again, I thought there was more maybe cubism here, and maybe. And that's, I think, maybe a weird thing to say that. I think some of these serial killers care more about their families than other ones. And I think him delaying admitting to these crimes and putting his family through what they went through, and I guess you can make an argument because these documentaries now pay. So how. How much did the family make off his crimes? And. And. And is that something that we should allow because they're victims as well? But then you. Then there's the whole debate of how much did they know or. Or how much did they suspect? But Peacock put out that great series last year called House of Secrets, and they just put out a final episode April 23rd. So if you haven't seen that or if you saw the original episodes, they did do a. A final episode. And it's fascinating to see the. To see his wife or ex wife at this point, but to see her explain how he confessed to the crimes. And I can't imagine what she's going through or the family's going through.

[Nick]

Yeah, well, yeah. And now the abomination's ex wife is sleeping in the ogre's kill room, which is bizarre. Oh, is it? You don't sleep in your ex spouse's kill room. ASA Rex Herman's ex wife, now ex wife, says that she now sleeps in the basement of their Massapequa Park, Long island home, an area she describes as the room where he killed and dismembered victims. This from what you referenced there, Captain. The fourth episode of Peacock's documentary, the Gilgo Beach Killer House of Secrets. She says the space has been gutted, but she still feels haunted by dreams every night and believes the trauma will follow her for life. Asa, who finalized her divorce from Rex in March of 2025, says she visited Rex Heuerman in jail last summer and asked him how many women he killed. She recalls him confessing to eight murders, one more than the seven that he had been charged with, and telling her all but one were killed in the that basement. So according to her, she's known that he's guilty of eight murders since last summer.

[Captain]

My favorite part of her talking about the confessions is how she called him Mr. Herman. She wasn't going to call him Rex anymore. And I think that was a symbolic of I don't really know who you are. I didn't think you were capable of these crimes. And now I know that you committed these crimes.

[Nick]

Yeah, it's crazy to think how far back this case goes. It's for decades, the Gilgo beach investigation was a tangle of partial remains, silence, and families forced to live with unanswered questions. But we can sit here today, Captain, and be thankful that law enforcement kept working, that technology kept changing, and then names that once had been placeholders became people again. And what we saw this month in that Riverhead courtroom, Rex Heuerman confirmed what investigators had built the case to prove, that he had targeted these women, killed them and tried to make them disappear. But he did not succeed. The victims did not remain only names on blotter. Their families brought them back into full view, into memory, into testimony, into the narrative of what happened, and at last, into a measure of legal finality that had been withheld for far too long.

[Captain]

Foreign. Thank everybody for joining us here in the garage each and every week. Thanks for telling your mother, thanks for telling your brother, thanks for telling your sister, thanks for telling your nieces and nephews. Colonel, do we have any recommended reading for the beautiful listeners?

[Nick]

Let's do some recommended listening here today. Captain, we're going to recommend True Crime Garage, of course, for your earballs.

[Sponsor Voice]

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[Nick]

Go back. If you if you want to continue into this case, we have no shortage of episodes. We've covered it, as the captain has said, for 10 years. But the, the two, the ones that I would really point to that go well with Today's episode are one from December 31, 2024, and then the following day. So New Year's Eve and the New Year's Day, we had a two parter blueprint for murder. Those are episodes 810 and 8 11. And then from October of 2025, our Peaches episode. That is episode 877 on your true Crime Garage radio dial.

[Captain]

And until next week, be good, be kind and don't live. Sam.

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