REX HEUERMANN'S SECRET COMMUNICATIONS
Crime Stories with Nancy Grace
iHeartPodcasts and CrimeOnline
4.2 • 8.1K Ratings
🗓️ 9 May 2026
⏱️ 55 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Just weeks after a judge said says Rex Heuerman "will go to trial come hell or high water," the accused serial killer pleads guilty to all seven murders for which he's charged, and an additional murder. Now we are learning details of what police found on Heuermann's phones. Yes, multiple phones. Rex Heuermann used a series of burner phones to lure sex workers, contacting them hundreds of times over two years, according to court documents. These "untraceable" phones, along with his personal phone, traced to a "tight cluster" of cell towers near his Massapequa Park home, linking him to the victims and taunting calls made to family members.
Police arrested the prominent New York architect in connection with murders of Melissa Barthelemy, Megan Waterman, and Amber Costello, Sandra Costilla, Valerie Mack, Jessica Taylor, and Maureen Brainard-Barnes. The 8th victim, 34-year-old Karen Vergata, was last heard from on Valentine's Day 1996. Her legs and feet were found the same year on Fire Island. Her skull was found fifteen years later near Tobay Beach in Nassau County.
The women's remains were found along Gilgo Beach in Long Island within 500 feet of each other. The first four victims, dubbed the Gilgo Four, were found wrapped in burlap. Heuermann, originally claimed his innocent.
Asa Ellerup, his estranged wife, filed for divorce six days after his arrest and then signed a deal worth at least 1 million dollars to take part in a documentary series.
Joining Nancy Grace today:
- Caryn Stark - Forensic Psychologist, renowned TV and Radio trauma expert and consultant, www.carynstark.com, Instagram: carynpsych, FB: Caryn Stark Private Practice
- Mike Gould - Former Nassau County (NY) lieutenant and Founding member of the New York Police Department (NYPD) K-9 unit. He's led several investigations into serial killers, including the Gilgo Beach killer on Long Island. Former National Guardsman and has worked on secret service detail for two presidents
- Joseph Scott Morgan - Professor of Forensics: Jacksonville State University, Author, "Blood Beneath My Feet", Host: "Body Bags with Joseph Scott Morgan", Instagram @JoScottForensic
- Josh Zeman - Investigative Journalist and Documentary Film Director. Director of "The Killing Season," Host of the podcast: "Sinister with Josh Zeman," Website: Sinisterpod.com Insta: @Joshzeman, X: @Siniterpod, TikTik: @Sinisterwithjoshzeman FB: @Sinisterpodcast YT@Sinisterpodcastjz
- Dave Mack - Investigative Reporter, 'Crime Stories'
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | This is an I-Heart podcast. |
| 0:03.2 | Guaranteed human. |
| 0:06.1 | Crime Stories with Nancy Grace. |
| 0:12.0 | Disturbing sick searches on the Gilgo Beach |
| 0:18.0 | serial killers phone. |
| 0:20.5 | 500 chilling texts emerge. |
| 0:25.3 | Will it never end with the Long Island serial killer? |
| 0:29.7 | Rex Heerman? |
| 0:31.8 | I'm Nancy Grace. |
| 0:33.0 | This is crime stories. |
| 0:34.2 | I want to thank you for being with us. |
| 0:36.6 | The Long Island serial killer was a, quote, |
| 0:39.7 | sexual sadist who allegedly used fake names and burner phones to reach sex workers over 500 times, |
| 0:49.5 | according to prosecutors. Rex Hiram, in age 63, reportedly created a tender account and used fake names |
| 0:59.1 | to incessantly contact sex workers before he was finally taken into custody, 2023. |
| 1:08.2 | He used aliases like Andrew Roberts, Thomas Hawk. Also, searches emerge on his |
| 1:16.5 | phone, including, why hasn't the Long Island serial killer been caught, or map of all known |
| 1:22.7 | serial killers, or cops launch Gilgo Beach Homicide Investigation Task Force. |
| 1:31.3 | Chilling internet searches and over 500 damning texts. |
| 1:37.5 | He was reaching out to at least 56 sex workers and to massage parlors. |
| 1:45.3 | Massage parlors are to a total of over 300 times, plus all the text to sex workers. |
| 1:51.3 | What do we know about the case? |
... |
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