For a prolonged period, Long Island faced the grim mystery of disappearing women. This unsettling narrative took a more sinister turn in 2010 when a search commenced for a missing woman near Gilgo Beach, revealing ten sets of human remains. Detectives immediately suspected the involvement of a serial killer. The majority of these victims were later identified as sex workers, thanks to DNA profiling and investigative efforts that also connected some cases to remains found years prior at different locations on the island. The investigation also led to the reopening of cold cases of unsolved murders of women in the area.
In recent developments, Rex Heuermann, an architect from Manhattan, faces charges for seven of these killings. Here is the chronology of the investigation’s key points:
On November 20, 1993, the body of 28-year-old Sandra Costilla was discovered by hunters in a wooded location of North Sea, an area in the Hamptons. Costilla resided in New York City. Then, on April 20, 1996, partial remains identified years later in 2022 through DNA as Karen Vergata were found on Fire Island. Vergata, last contacted her family on February 14, 1996, and was involved in sex work.
Fast forward to June 28, 1997, officers found remains of an unidentified woman they dubbed “Peaches” due to a tattoo. Her identity remained elusive until 2025 when she was determined to be Tanya Jackson, an estranged U.S. Army veteran living in Brooklyn. Meanwhile, in September 2000, partial skeletal remains of escort Valerie Mack were retrieved in Manorville, New York. Mack had last been seen in New Jersey earlier that year.
The narrative continued on July 26, 2003, with the discovery of Jessica Taylor’s remains in Manorville. Taylor, aged 20, vanished after her work as an escort in New York City. Fast forward to July 9, 2007, the disappearance of Maureen Brainard-Barnes became public when she traveled to New York for sex work and was last heard leaving her hotel to meet a client. Her phone last pinged locations on Long Island.
Another grim chapter unfolded on July 10, 2009, when sex worker Melissa Barthelemy disappeared from her Bronx apartment. Her phone location data led to Long Island and soon after, her relatives received taunting calls from her device.
On May 1, 2010, anxiety mounted as Shannan Gilbert, another sex worker, mysteriously disappeared. Her last known activity was erratic behavior at a client’s home and a chilling 911 call describing unnamed pursuers, followed by vanishing into the night.
In the months that followed, similar tragedies unfolded with Megan Waterman’s disappearance on June 6, 2010, and Amber Lynn Costello’s on September 2, 2010. Both women were last seen amid circumstances involving their work, leading up to the fateful discoveries along Ocean Parkway.
On December 11, 2010, police stumbled upon Barthelemy’s remains, which precipitated the discovery of additional bodies of Costello, Brainard-Barnes, and Waterman shortly thereafter. These grim findings led authorities to suspect a serial killer was at work.
As the investigation unfolded, more remains, such as those of Taylor and Mack, were identified along Ocean Parkway, alongside an Asian male who remains unidentified. Later, an expanded investigation led to reexaminations and DNA verifications, such as identifying Tanya Jackson and her daughter in 2025.
In a remarkable turning point, a new task force established in January 2022 advanced the investigation significantly, arresting Rex Heuermann in July 2023 based on mobile phone data and DNA traces. Additional charges followed, linking Heuermann to more murders, including that of Brainard-Barnes.
The complex investigation continued with further searches and charges brought against Heuermann, covering multiple victims over time. Despite his plea of not guilty, the evidence amassed against him continues to paint a disturbing picture of the Long Island trail of murders.