Gilgo Beach Courtroom Chaos Erupts: Murder Victims' Families Shout at Rex Heuermann After He's Sentenced to Life Behind Bars — 'I Hope They Rape and Kill You!'
Family members of the Gilgo Beach killer's victims lashed out at his sentencing hearing.
June 17 2026, Published 2:50 p.m. ET
Family members of the Gilgo Beach killer's victims erupted in cheers and brutal taunts as Rex Heuermann was led away in handcuffs and sent to prison for the rest of his life, RadarOnline.com can report.
The serial killer was sentenced to life without parole on Wednesday, June 17, after previously confessing to strangling and dismembering his victims.
A Killer's Last Words
Rex Heuermann was sentenced to life in prison on June 17.
As Judge Timothy Mazzei prepared to deliver his sentence, he angrily ordered the admitted killer to stand up, and gave him the chance to speak.
The 62-year-old stood and simply said, "I am responsible for all that was said in this room. The words I say will have no meaning," before sitting back down.
Then Mazzei had his chance to speak.
"I assume that you're sorry for what you did to your wife and children," he lashed out. "Are you a little bit sorry for what you did to these poor innocent women – eight women you strangled to death, at least eight women that we know of. Are you at least a little bit sorry about that?"
The Judge Admonished Him
Heuermann stood as the judge admonished him in court.
Heuermann stood silent and emotionless as the judge continued with his most scathing criticisms.
"You’ve been described as a very big man, but you’re a disgusting and despicable small man if you're a man at all. And you're a coward," Mazzei told Heuermann before delivering the sentence and barking at officers, "Get him out of here."
As Heuermann was being led away in handcuffs, cheers of "ogre!" could be heard, while one woman shouted, "I hope they r--- you in the a-- and kill you."
Family Members Get Their Chance to Speak
Heuermann pled guilty to murdering eight women.
Before the sentencing, more than a dozen relatives of the women he slaughtered had their chance to come face to face with Heuermann for victim impact statements.
The adoptive mother of one of his victims, Valerie Mack, said what the killer has done to her and her family is beyond words.
"You took away every chance she ever had these past 26 years to attain any of the goals that she had set for herself," the mother said. "She had hopes, and she had dreams, and you took it all away from her. You can never give it back, no matter how much remorse or regret or (saying) you're sorry."
Two Decades of Death
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His rampage lasted nearly 20 years.
Heuermann was said to have sought out the same type of victims – petite women who often had ties to s-x work.
His victims include Amber Lynn Costello, Megan Waterman, Melissa Barthelemy and Maureen Brainard-Barnes, who were nicknamed the "Gilgo Four," along with Jessica Taylor, Karen Vergata, Sandra Costilla and Mack.
The bodies of the Gilgo Four were found wrapped in burlap in late 2010 while authorities were on the hunt for a different missing woman.
Nearly 13 years later, Heuermann – also known as the Long Island Serial Killer – was arrested and charged with the murders of Costello, Waterman, and Barthelemy. He was charged with second-degree murder in connection with the death of Brainard-Barnes in January 2024.
