Long Island Architect Pleads Guilty in Gilgo Beach Murders

0:00It's April 8th, you're listening to U.S. News Today, AI-powered coverage from across America. I'm Cory with the story. Rex Hyermann, the 62-year-old Long Island architect charged with seven murders in the Gilgo Beach killings, is set to plead guilty this Wednesday. That wraps up a case spanning 17 years with victims mostly sex workers whose bodies turned up along remote beaches. A guilty plea means life behind bars for him, no question. The nightmare started back in 2010 when cops found multiple sets of remains near Gilgo Beach on Long Island South Shore. It sparked a massive serial killer hunt that grabbed worldwide attention, even inspiring movies and docks. Investigators linked seven women to the crimes, using DNA and old clues from sites scattered across the island. Families of the victims have waited over a decade for closure, enduring false hopes and media frenzy. The public stayed hooked, too, thanks to true crime podcasts and films like Lost Girls.

1:00Suffolk County leaders formed a special task force in 2022 to finally crack it. That team zeroed in on Hyermann through truck records, burner phone data, and his dark web searches on torture and the case itself. They nab his DNA from a discarded pizza crust in Manhattan, matching it to evidence on a victim. Raids on his home uncovered weapons and planning notes for the kills, he got arrested in July 2023. This Wednesday's court hearing comes first. Then District Attorney Ray Tierney holds a news conference with victims, families, and task force members. Sentencing follows later, bringing some justice after all these years of shadows on that shoreline.