Serial Killer Caught: The Backstory of A Surprise Guilty Plea
SmartHERNews
Jenna Lee
4.9 • 660 Ratings
🗓️ 15 April 2026
⏱️ 49 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
"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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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Hey guys, thank you so much for your support of quick and science, nonpartisan, smarter news. |
| 0:03.5 | I'm so proud of what we're building together, and I really appreciate you being here. |
| 0:07.5 | One of my missions is to make news accessible for the entire family, quick and easy, |
| 0:13.0 | and non-aggraving, and accessible for everybody. |
| 0:15.8 | And so even when we're covering tough topics, I want to make sure we're using appropriate |
| 0:19.1 | language and we're being responsible with the material. In this case of our next conversation, we're covering a really |
| 0:25.0 | difficult story. And although we don't get super graphic into the details of this case, |
| 0:30.2 | it is sensitive material. So I just wanted to give you a heads up. Hope you enjoy it. |
| 0:34.7 | Coming out, Judge. On the record of the number eight, correct you a minute. |
| 0:38.2 | One of the most notorious serial killer cases in America, |
| 0:41.6 | the Long Island serial killer case, |
| 0:44.4 | took a turn last week that was unexpected for many of us. |
| 0:48.9 | And that is that the man at the center of this case, |
| 0:51.8 | the one charged with the murders, pled guilty to the crimes, |
| 0:57.3 | including an additional one, which again, will explain. This case is important because not only of |
| 1:02.9 | the victims, not only because it's such a notorious case and it was such a mystery for so long, |
| 1:08.2 | but because of some new technology that was used as part of the |
| 1:11.4 | investigation that may change the way that investigations and prosecutions are done in the future. |
| 1:16.6 | So there's a lot to talk about here. And I've been watching and covering this case for about 15 years, |
| 1:22.2 | this mystery for 15 years on and off. But when I'm looking for more in-depth coverage, more in-depth |
| 1:29.5 | research, someone with knowledge and context and perspective, I turn to our guest, Alexis |
| 1:36.8 | Linkletter, who is an investigative journalist, a storyteller in so many different |
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