Tag: serial killers

Serial killer Rex Heuermann sentenced to life in prison for murdering 8 women in Gilgo Beach killings

After pleading guilty to discreetly murdering eight women over 17 years in Long Island, Rex Heuermann has been sentenced to life in prison, marking the end of one of the largest serial homicide cases in New York history.

The lengthy investigation first began in 2010 during the search for Shannan Gilbert, who vanished from her home in Oak Beach. During the search, authorities discovered the remains of four other women along Ocean Parkway. In 2011, remains from more women were found, expanding the investigation into the closely watched and long-awaited criminal case.

The serial murders, which became the subject of numerous true-crime documentaries, books and podcasts, captivated public attention for years before the 62-year-old confessed in April to carrying out the nearly two-decade killing spree.

“Eight young women were aimlessly and brutually murdered,” Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney said before the sentences were given. “The defendant has earned a maximum sentence in this case.”

After years of dead ends and investigative setbacks, the case remained unsolved until July 2023, when Heuermann was arrested in Manhattan and charged in the killings of Melissa Barthelemy, Megan Waterman and Amber Lynn Costello. Prosecutors later broadened the case to include additional victims, Valerie Mack, Jessica Taylor, Maureen Brainard-Barnes and Sandra Costilla.

“There are no words I can say, but I am responsible for what was said in this room today,” Heuermann said on Wednesday, adding that, “The words I would say have no meaning and I’m going to leave it there at this time.”

Heuermann pleaded guilty in April to charges that he murdered seven women.

Under a plea deal, he also admitted responsibility for the killing of Karen Vergata in 1996, though he was not formally charged with her murder and did not receive a sentence for it.

After decades of waiting for justice, relatives of the women murdered by Heuermann faced the killer on Wednesday, berating him for his horrific crimes.

“You fill me with so much repugnance, I can’t stand it,” Jasmine Robinson, a cousin of Taylor’s, told Heuermann. “A million years isn’t enough. Nothing will ever make this right.”

JoAnn Mack, the mother of victim Valerie Mack told the killer, “Justice has been done, but it can’t replace what has been taken. She had dreams, and you took them all away from her.”

Heuermann had previously pleaded not guilty to all charges. However, extensive DNA evidence, cell phone records and other forensic findings led investigators to link him to all the victims.

Judge Timothy Mazzei did not attempt to conceal his disgust as he faced the killer in court.

“Mr. Hueurmann, as Mr. Tierney said, I know that you’re sorry that you got caught,” he said, referencing a comment from Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond A Tierney. “I assume that you’re sorry for what you’ve done to your wife and children. Are you a little bit sorry for what you did to these poor innocent women? Eight women that you strangled to death, at least that we know of — are you at least a little bit sorry for that? Yes?”

When Hueurmann answered in the affirmative, Mazzei continued, “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!”

After delivering multiple life sentences, Mazzei told court officers to “get him out of here.”

Keep reading

Elderly Transgender Serial Killer Harvey Marcelin Sentenced to Life Without Parole for Third Brutal Murder and Dismemberment, ‘He Would Kill Again’ 

An 88-year-old New York man who identifies as a woman and has now been convicted of killing three women over six decades was sentenced this week to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

Harvey Marcelin, who has also gone by Marceline Harvey, was handed the maximum sentence on Wednesday for the 2022 murder and dismemberment of 68-year-old Susan Leyden.

Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice Danny Chun sentenced Marcelin after concluding he would “kill again” if ever released.

The sentencing was for Marcelin’s May conviction on charges of first-degree murder, tampering with physical evidence, and concealment of a human corpse.

A Brooklyn jury deliberated for less than one hour before finding him guilty.

Prosecutors said Marcelin killed Leyden in his East New York apartment on February 27, 2022.

The gender-bending lunatic used a reciprocating saw to dismember her body.

Leyden’s headless torso was later found in a plastic bag inside a shopping cart.

Additional body parts, including her head, were recovered from his apartment along with bloody sheets, a hammer, and a saw.

Surveillance video captured Marcelin purchasing the saw and cleaning supplies at a Home Depot.

Marcelin was also recorded at a 99 Cent store riding his electric wheelchair while sitting on one of Leyden’s severed legs as he disposed of evidence.

Marcelin and Leyden had previously lived in the same Bronx homeless shelter.

This was Marcelin’s third conviction for murdering a woman.

In 1963, he was convicted of first-degree murder for shooting his girlfriend, Jacqueline Bonds, in Manhattan. He was paroled in 1984.

Over two decades later, in 1985, Marcelin stabbed another girlfriend, Ana-Laura Sierra, to death. Her body was found in a garbage bag.

Marcelin pleaded guilty to manslaughter and was paroled again in 2019 after promising to stay out of trouble.

Despite serving more than 50 years in prison across two prior terms, Marcelin killed Leyden while still under parole supervision.

At sentencing, Justice Danny Chun stated he had “no hope for rehabilitation” and feared Marcelin would kill again if freed.

“The cold fact is that every time you were released, you killed someone else, which leads this court to believe that, regardless of your age, if you are ever paroled again, I have no doubt that you would kill again,” Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice Danny Chun said, according to a report from the New York Daily News.

Keep reading

Paradise loved by Americans is rocked by serial killer investigation as three women are murdered weeks apart

A travel hotspot loved by American tourists has been plagued by fears of a possible serial killer after three women were found dead within 11 days. 

Police in the resort town of Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, are probing possible links between the killings after the latest victim’s body was discovered Thursday morning, Mexico News Daily reported.

On May 10, the first female victim was found near Rancho El Pirulí in Chimborazo. A second woman’s body was discovered five days later, at a roadside stop along the highway to Mismaloya. 

The latest victim’s body was uncovered in a dirt road in the Parque Las Palmas neighborhood.

All three women are believed to have been between 30 and 35 years old and were found partially undressed in isolated areas, according to preliminary information. 

Each victim had tattoos and has not yet been identified. 

The similarities in the cases have prompted investigators to explore whether the killings follow a pattern and whether a single suspect may be responsible. 

The most recent victim had identifiable tattoos that police believe may help with identification. 

The marks were located on her neck, hand, and arm, and consisted of a skull, a woman with horns, and a name. Her body also reportedly showed signs of violence, the outlet reported.

Unconfirmed reports of the recent victim’s identity emerged on social media, suggesting 22-year-old Elizabeth Martinez may be her identity.

Martinez is from the State of Mexico and was reported missing in April, and according to the State of Mexico’s Missing Persons Search Commission, her tattoos matched some of those found on the victim.

Police have not officially confirmed the latest victim’s identity, but reports suggest relatives of a missing woman may travel to Puerto Vallarta on Friday to determine if she is their family member.

Keep reading

Pair of Woke Bills in NY Could Free Notorious Killers Including ‘Son of Sam’

In the mid-1970’s, New York was gripped with fear as an unknown murderer roamed the streets.

During his murder spree, David Berkowitz often approached victims sitting in cars and fired through the windshield or window.

He left taunting letters to police and columnist Jimmy Breslin, signing them “Son of Sam” (he claimed a demon-possessed dog named Sam told him to kill).

He was arrested in August of 1977, confessed to murdering six victims and wounding seven others.

Now, thanks to two woke bills being pushed in Albany, cell doors could swing open for Berkowitz and other notorious killers.

The Elder Parole bill would allow people convicted of certain crimes (including some violent felonies and murders) to apply for parole once they reach age 55 and have served at least 15 years of their sentence. It expands early parole eligibility for older inmates.

The Fair and Timely Parole bill would require the parole board to presume release for most inmates who have served their minimum sentence, unless the board can prove they still pose a clear public safety risk, and also reduces the weight given to the “nature of the original crime, especially for older convictions.

Further, it shortens the time between parole hearings.

The bill emphasizes factors like age, rehabilitation efforts, and time served over the severity of the original offense, placing more weight on behaviors during incarceration rather than the actual violent crimes that put someone behind bars in the first place.

Keep reading

Zodiac Killer may be tied to Black Dahlia case after ‘code cracked,’ new suspect emerges

The Zodiac Killer’s cryptic messages weren’t just taunts to police — they were a twisted throwback to his first victim, according to an independent investigator who says he’s cracked the code and uncovered new evidence suggesting the infamous serial killer began his career 23 years earlier with the California murder of Elizabeth Short, also known as the Black Dahlia.

Alex Baber, co-founder of Cold Case Consultants of America, said that after nine months of work, he cracked a double-layered encryption that involved transposition and substitution in a 2 by 7 grid.

“Currently, for the first time in history, LAPD detectives approached the family of a suspect to obtain DNA,” he told Fox News Digital in an interview on the sidelines of the Hamptons Whodunit event in East Hampton over the weekend. “That’s never happened for the Black Dahlia case… we got a pretty good feeling that we’re sitting in the right seat.”

The Los Angeles Police Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment. An FBI spokesperson declined to weigh in.

Baber’s finding, that the Zodiac’s “Z13” cipher depicts the name of a prime suspect in the 1947 Black Dahlia murder, was first revealed in the Daily Mail, and he presented them publicly Saturday at the East Hampton Library.

With help from a proprietary artificial intelligence software and self-taught knowledge of cryptography, he said the 13-character message is decoded to read “Marvin Merrill.” After further digging into social security records, he said he discovered that’s an alias for Marvin Margolis, who he said dated Short in the 1940s and had been on the LAPD’s suspect list after her murder and dismemberment. His AI software flagged the connection between the two cases, he added.

Keep reading

SPAIN: Prolific Serial Killer Transitions While Serving 127-Year Sentence, Is Now Being Held In A Women’s Unit

One of Spain’s most prolific serial killers is now being held in a women’s correctional unit after beginning to identify as transgender while behind bars. Joan Vila Dilmé, also known as the Olot nursing home killer, is reportedly now going by the name “Aida.”

Vila, 60, was sentenced to 127 years in prison in 2013 for the murders of 11 elderly residents at the care home he worked at.

Dubbed “the angel of death” by Spanish media, Vila was arrested following the death of an 85-year-old resident at the La Caritat nursing home in the northeastern Catalan town of Olot. Medical staff determined that the woman had died after ingesting a corrosive substance, prompting authorities to classify the case as suspicious.

Police soon identified Vila, a caregiver at the facility, as a person of interest after establishing that he had been present at the time of the woman’s death. During questioning, he confessed to the killing, admitting that he had forced her to drink a corrosive substance.

Although Vila initially confessed to just three murders, a subsequent investigation revealed a far more extensive pattern of abuse. Authorities ultimately linked him to at least 11 deaths at the nursing home—nine women and two men. The victims, all of whom were between 80 and 90 years of age, were identified as:

  • Rosa Barbures Pujol
  • Francisca Matilde Fiol
  • Teresa Puig Boixadera
  • Isidra García Aseijas
  • Carme Vilanova Viñolas
  • Lluís Salleras Claret
  • Joan Canal Julià
  • Montserrat Canalias Muntada
  • Sabina Masllorens i Sala
  • Montserrat Guillamet Bartolich
  • Paquita Gironès i Quintana

The murders were carried out between August of 2009 and October of 2010.

Investigators determined that Vila had evaded detection for an extended period by initially employing methods that were difficult to trace. In early cases, he administered cocktails of barbiturates and other drugs mixed with water, or delivered high doses of insulin intravenously to diabetic patients. These methods often led to the deaths being mistakenly classified as natural or medical.

By September of 2010, colleagues began noticing a marked shift in Vila behavior. He reportedly became increasingly aggressive and expressed frustration with caring for elderly residents, stating that he wanted to leave his job. Following one of his later killings, he allegedly compelled a co-worker to remain in the victim’s room and watch over the body.

The final series of murders occurred within a five-day span between October 12 and 17, 2010. During this period, Vila killed Sabina Masllorens i Sala, Montserrat Guillamet Bartolich and Paquita Gironès i Quintana. In these cases, he abandoned earlier methods and instead forced victims to ingest bleach or injected corrosive substances directly into their mouths.

Keep reading

Ted Bundy named as killer of teen girl who left a Halloween party and never returned after DNA breakthrough

Notorious serial killer Ted Bundy has been identified as the murderer of a teenage girl who vanished on Halloween night more than half a century ago.

Laura Ann Aime, 17, was last seen alive at a party in Utah County on October 31, 1974, when she told friends she was heading out to buy cigarettes. She never returned.

Around a month later on November 27, 1974, her naked body was found in an embankment up in the mountains near American Fork Canyon Road. The teen had been raped and strangled.

For decades, her murder has been linked to Bundy, with the serial killer giving a deathbed confession to killing Aime and at least 29 other victims before he was sent to the electric chair in January 1989.

But, her case remained unsolved for the next 37 years, with investigators needing more evidence to close the investigation once and for all.

That evidence finally arrived in the way of a breakthrough in DNA evidence last month.

In a press conference on Wednesday, Utah County Sheriff Mike Smith announced that advanced DNA testing of bodily fluids found on the victim had proven Bundy to be the killer once and for all.  

‘Although Bundy did claim that he committed the murder of Laura, the confession he gave was deemed to be not enough evidence to close the case and rule out any other party having had committed this crime, as had been speculated at the time,’ Smith said.

Keep reading

Fresh fears Texas serial killer could be on the loose as three more bodies pulled from bayous

Fears of a Texas serial killer resurfaced in Houston after three more bodies were recovered from the city’s bayous this week.

The latest discoveries bring the number of bodies found in the waterways in 2025 to at least 34, according to KTRK, just one less than last year’s total.

Authorities have repeatedly denied that the high figure is the work of a mystery murderer, as terrified locals have demanded answers.

On Monday, a body was found in the Buffalo Bayou near the 100 block of Crawford Street, per Houston Public Media.

The deceased was recovered after someone spotted a body in the water and called 911, bringing a response from the Houston Police Department’s dive team.

That same day, another body was found near the Brays Bayou at the intersection of Texas Spur 5 and Old Spanish Trail.

The person was found on Christmas Eve in the Buffalo Bayou around 3500 Memorial Parkway, Houston police said on X.

Since 2017, at least 198 dead bodies have been found in Houston’s bayous, per Harris County Medical Examiner’s Office records obtained by KPRC 2.

Keep reading

Female serial killer admits to fatally drugging, robbing men she met for sex

A female serial killer and mom has pleaded guilty to drugging four men with fentanyl and robbing them after meeting them at hotels for sex.

Rebecca Auborn, 36, of Columbus, Ohio, admitted to the grisly string of fatal drug overdoses at a hearing on Friday.

Her murderous rampage was only brought to an end after one of her victims survived the overdose and went to the police, according to court records seen by the Columbus Dispatch.

Auborn killed her four victims — Joseph Crumpler, 30; Robert Snoke, 54; Wayne Akin, 64; and Guy Renda, 42 — by dosing them with narcotics, including the extremely potent synthetic opioid fentanyl, after luring them to hotels for sex.

She told detectives in one case she mixed fentanyl in a man’s crack pipe during their encounter, court records show.

Keep reading

Fears New York handyman is a serial killer as he’s charged with third murder… and cops warn there could be more victims

An upstate New York handyman who has already pleaded guilty to murdering two women is now feared to be a serial killer, as he was charged with a third homicide.

Richard Fox, 62, has been charged with second-degree murder for the death of 32-year-old Crystal Curthoys after her decomposed body was found in a home he once owned in Niagara Falls, WBKW reports.

The former handyman is already behind bars for the murders of 40-year-old Cassandra Watson in 2003 and 50-year-old Marquita Mull in 2021.

He had pleaded guilty to killing the two women and dumping their bodies off the path of Chautauqua Rails to Trails, near where he grew up.

Chautauqua County Sheriff James Quattrone said he now considers Fox to be a ‘serial killer,’ noting that there are still about two or three homicides in the New York county that remain unsolved.

‘I do believe that there [are] other victims,’ he said in September, when Fox was sentenced to 40 years to life in prison, according to WIVB.

‘We’re hopeful that Richard Fox will hopefully try to ease his conscience a little bit and give us some more information.’ 

Keep reading