Podcast appearances and mentions of valerie mack

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Best podcasts about valerie mack

Latest podcast episodes about valerie mack

Profiling Evil Podcast with Mike King
Rex Heuermann Sentenced, Why Gilgo Beach Investigation Can't Stop Here | Profiling Evil

Profiling Evil Podcast with Mike King

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 20, 2026 37:53


Rex Heuermann has now been sentenced to spend the rest of his life in prison for the Gilgo Beach serial killings. After pleading guilty to seven murders and admitting responsibility for an eighth, the former Long Island architect stood in court as victims' families finally had the chance to speak directly about the pain, the waiting, and the years stolen from them. In this episode we'll look at Heuermann's sentencing from a victimology and criminal behavior perspective. This is not about giving the killer more attention. It's about remembering Melissa Barthelemy, Megan Waterman, Amber Lynn Costello, Maureen Brainard-Barnes, Jessica Taylor, Sandra Costilla, Valerie Mack, and Karen Vergata. It's also about Shannan Gilbert, whose disappearance helped expose what had been hidden along Ocean Parkway, and Asian Doe, who still deserves a name.We'll talk about the judge's words, Heuermann's brief statement, the importance of victim impact statements, and why the District Attorney's office must continue looking at other possible victim cases. Not because Heuermann needs more prison time. He's already going away forever. But because victims and families deserve the truth, even when the investigation is expensive, difficult, and unlikely to change the sentence.#RexHeuermann #GilgoBeach #LongIslandSerialKiller #MelissaBarthelemy #MeganWaterman #AmberLynnCostello #MaureenBrainardBarnes #JessicaTaylor #SandraCostilla #ValerieMack #KarenVergata #ShannanGilbert #AsianDoe #GilgoFour #TrueCrime #TrueCrimeCommunity #ProfilingEvil #MikeKing #Victimology #CriminalBehavior #SerialKiller #BehavioralAnalysis #FBI #ColdCase #MissingPersons #UnidentifiedVictims #JusticeForVictims #CrimeScene #LongIslandCrime #PersonalSafety #GIS #Esri #ArcGIS========================================Get Aipas eBike at a discount: https://aipasbike.com/?ref=PROFILINGEVIL========================================20% OFF Newspapers.comhttps://www.newspapers.com/go/podcast/?ref=profilingevil?xid=8877&utm_source=ProfilingEvilPodcast&utm_medium=podcst&utm_campaign=ProfilingEvil26========================================Discounts on eBikes: https://aipasbike.com/?ref=PROFILINGEVILReferral Coupon Code: PROFILINGEVIL========================================Email your questions to: ProfilingEvil@gmail.com========================================

Dark Side of Wikipedia | True Crime & Dark History
Did Asa Ellerup Profit From Rex Heuermann's Murders?

Dark Side of Wikipedia | True Crime & Dark History

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 19, 2026 17:42


The number is reportedly over a million dollars. That is what Asa Ellerup earned from a Peacock documentary about the Gilgo Beach case — her ex-husband's case. The case where he pleaded guilty to killing eight women.Now the families want the money back. And more.Valerie Mack's son has filed a wrongful death lawsuit alleging civil conspiracy. The suit names Asa Ellerup, her daughter Victoria, and Rex Heuermann. The accusation is not that Asa was oblivious. It is that she knew or deliberately avoided knowing what was happening and helped conceal it.Suffolk County prosecutors already cleared Asa criminally. They said she was not home during the killings. They called the hair found on victims household transference. They moved on. But the civil case does not require the same level of proof, and the evidence prosecutors set aside gets a second examination under a lower standard.Asa's own words are part of the case now. She told a documentary crew she did what she had to do to protect herself and her children. She renovated the basement where investigators believe seven women were killed. She lives there. Thirteen hundred square feet, twenty-seven years, and she says she never knew.Defense attorney and former prosecutor Eric Faddis explains what the civil conspiracy allegation requires, whether the documentary money qualifies as unjust enrichment, and what happens if this lawsuit forces Asa Ellerup to sit for a deposition. Twenty-seven years of questions. Under oath. For the first time.The families got their sentencing. This lawsuit is about something else.END LINKS:Join Our SubStack For AD-FREE ADVANCE EPISODES & EXTRAS!: https://hiddenkillers.substack.com/ Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8-vxmbhTxxG10sO1izODJg?sub_confirmation=1 Instagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/ Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/ Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspod X Twitter https://x.com/TrueCrimePodDisclaimer:This publication contains commentary and opinion based on publicly available information. All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Nothing published here should be taken as a statement of fact, health or legal advice.#GilgoBeach #AsaEllerup #TrueCrimeToday #RexHeuermann #GilgoBeachMurders #TrueCrime #EricFaddis #ValerieMack #CivilLawsuit #SerialKiller

Hidden Killers With Tony Brueski | True Crime News & Commentary
How Much Did Asa Ellerup Make From the Rex Heuermann Story?

Hidden Killers With Tony Brueski | True Crime News & Commentary

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 19, 2026 17:42


Over a million dollars. That is what Asa Ellerup reportedly earned from a Peacock documentary about her ex-husband — the man who pleaded guilty to killing eight women, seven of them inside the house they shared for twenty-seven years.The families of those women are suing her. Valerie Mack's son filed a wrongful death lawsuit naming Asa, her daughter Victoria, and Rex Heuermann. The claim is civil conspiracy — not that Asa failed to notice what was happening, but that she actively concealed it. The Suffolk County DA's office cleared her in the criminal investigation. The civil case does not care.Asa's hair was found on victims. Prosecutors called it household transference and moved on. In a civil courtroom, where the standard is preponderance of evidence instead of beyond a reasonable doubt, that dismissal gets reexamined. Her own words on camera — “I did what I had to do to protect myself and my children” — become exhibits. Protect herself from what?She renovated the basement where the murders allegedly occurred. She sleeps in that basement. She did a documentary about her nightmares while the families were preparing a lawsuit.Defense attorney and former prosecutor Eric Faddis examines whether the lawsuit survives a motion to dismiss, what the lower civil standard means for the evidence the DA already rejected, and whether the real goal of this case is not a verdict — it is getting Asa Ellerup under oath for the first time.The criminal case is closed. The civil case is just beginning.END LINKS:Join Our SubStack For AD-FREE ADVANCE EPISODES & EXTRAS!: https://hiddenkillers.substack.com/ Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8-vxmbhTxxG10sO1izODJg?sub_confirmation=1 Instagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/ Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/ Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspod X Twitter https://x.com/TrueCrimePodDisclaimer:This publication contains commentary and opinion based on publicly available information. All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Nothing published here should be taken as a statement of fact, health or legal advice.#GilgoBeach #AsaEllerup #HiddenKillers #RexHeuermann #GilgoBeachMurders #TrueCrime #EricFaddis #ValerieMack #CivilLawsuit #SerialKiller

My Crazy Family | A Podcast of Crazy Family Stories
Asa Ellerup Cashed In While the Families Sued Her

My Crazy Family | A Podcast of Crazy Family Stories

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 19, 2026 17:42


She made the documentary. She collected the check. And the families filed the lawsuit.Asa Ellerup reportedly earned over a million dollars from a Peacock documentary about Rex Heuermann — her ex-husband, the man who pleaded guilty to murdering eight women. While she was filming, Valerie Mack's son was preparing a wrongful death suit that names Asa as a co-conspirator.The lawsuit does not accuse Asa of missing clues. It accuses her of actively concealing what Rex Heuermann was doing inside their thirteen-hundred-square-foot home for twenty-seven years. Civil conspiracy. That is a different allegation than negligence, and it carries different consequences.The Suffolk County DA's office cleared Asa during the criminal investigation. Her hair on the victims was called household transference. Her presence in the home was explained by proximity, not participation. But a civil courtroom operates on a lower burden of proof, and the same evidence the DA dismissed gets weighed on a different scale.Asa said on camera that she did what she had to do to protect herself and her children. She renovated the basement. She sleeps where investigators say seven of the eight murders occurred. She told a documentary crew about her nightmares in the same rooms the families say their loved ones were killed.Defense attorney and former prosecutor Eric Faddis breaks down whether the civil conspiracy claim can survive its first legal test, what the documentary earnings mean for unjust enrichment claims, and what changes if Asa Ellerup is forced to answer questions under oath for the first time in her life.The sentencing closed the criminal case. The civil case asks a different question entirely.END LINKS:Join Our SubStack For AD-FREE ADVANCE EPISODES & EXTRAS!: https://hiddenkillers.substack.com/ Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8-vxmbhTxxG10sO1izODJg?sub_confirmation=1 Instagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/ Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/ Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspod X Twitter https://x.com/TrueCrimePodDisclaimer:This publication contains commentary and opinion based on publicly available information. All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Nothing published here should be taken as a statement of fact, health or legal advice.#GilgoBeach #AsaEllerup #HiddenKillersLive #RexHeuermann #GilgoBeachMurders #TrueCrime #EricFaddis #ValerieMack #CivilLawsuit #SerialKiller

Catching the Long Island Serial Killer
What Rex Heuermann's Ex-Wife Did While Families Sued Her

Catching the Long Island Serial Killer

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 19, 2026 17:42


She did a documentary. She reportedly collected over a million dollars for it. And while she was talking to cameras about nightmares in the basement, the families of Rex Heuermann's victims were preparing a lawsuit that calls her a co-conspirator.Asa Ellerup is named in a wrongful death lawsuit filed by Valerie Mack's son. So is her daughter Victoria. So is Rex Heuermann. The allegation is civil conspiracy — that Asa knew or deliberately avoided knowing what was happening inside the house she shared with a serial killer for twenty-seven years, and that she helped conceal it.This is not a criminal charge. The DA's office already cleared her. But a civil case does not need proof beyond a reasonable doubt. It needs a preponderance of evidence — more likely than not. And in that framework, the evidence prosecutors dismissed takes on different weight.Her hair was on the victims. Prosecutors said transference. She said on camera she did what she had to do to protect herself and her children. She renovated the basement where investigators say seven murders occurred and sleeps there. The lawsuit calls the documentary money unjust enrichment — profiting from the murders that destroyed the plaintiffs' families.Defense attorney and former prosecutor Eric Faddis breaks down whether civil conspiracy sticks when the criminal investigation already cleared her, what the documentary payout means legally, and whether the endgame is not a verdict but a deposition — Asa Ellerup, under oath, answering twenty-seven years of questions for the first time.The criminal case is finished. The civil case is asking the questions the criminal case never did.END LINKS:Join Our SubStack For AD-FREE ADVANCE EPISODES & EXTRAS!: https://hiddenkillers.substack.com/ Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8-vxmbhTxxG10sO1izODJg?sub_confirmation=1 Instagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/ Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/ Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspod X Twitter https://x.com/TrueCrimePodDisclaimer:This publication contains commentary and opinion based on publicly available information. All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Nothing published here should be taken as a statement of fact, health or legal advice.#GilgoBeach #AsaEllerup #RexHeuermanChannel #RexHeuermann #GilgoBeachMurders #TrueCrime #EricFaddis #ValerieMack #CivilLawsuit #SerialKiller

Dark Side of Wikipedia | True Crime & Dark History
Valerie Mack's Son Was Six When Heuermann Killed Her — Now He's Suing the Family

Dark Side of Wikipedia | True Crime & Dark History

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 18, 2026 17:36


Benjamin Torres was six years old when his mother Valerie Mack disappeared. Her partial remains were found the same year in Manorville. It took two decades to identify them. Rex Heuermann has now pleaded guilty to her murder.Torres has filed a wrongful death lawsuit naming Heuermann, his ex-wife Asa Ellerup, and their daughter Victoria. The complaint alleges Asa and Victoria knew of or deliberately avoided learning about the killings, had access to a secured area in the basement of the Massapequa Park home, and collected over a million dollars from a Peacock documentary. Asa's attorney has denied any knowledge or involvement. Prosecutors have said the killings occurred when the family was not home.Asa has gutted and rebuilt the basement where Heuermann confessed to killing seven women. She moved into it. She told a documentary crew the nightmares come every night. She chose not to attend sentencing. Psychotherapist Shavaun Scott joins Tony Brueski to discuss what it means when the families of those harmed are forced to share a legal stage with the family of the killer — and whether a brain can truly choose not to see something happening under the same roof.Join Our SubStack For AD-FREE ADVANCE EPISODES & EXTRAS!: https://hiddenkillers.substack.com/ Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8-vxmbhTxxG10sO1izODJg?sub_confirmation=1 Instagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/ Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/ Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspod X Twitter https://x.com/TrueCrimePodThis publication contains commentary and opinion based on publicly available information. All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Nothing published here should be taken as a statement of fact, health or legal advice.#RexHeuermann #ValerieMack #TrueCrimeToday #BenjaminTorres #GilgoBeach #AsaEllerup #GilgoBeachKiller #ShavaunScott #TrueCrime #WrongfulDeath

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Hidden Killers With Tony Brueski | True Crime News & Commentary
Did Asa Ellerup Really Renovate Rex Heuermann's Basement and Move In?

Hidden Killers With Tony Brueski | True Crime News & Commentary

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 18, 2026 17:36


She did. Asa Ellerup gutted the basement where Rex Heuermann confessed to killing seven women — new floor, new walls, new doors — and moved into it. She sleeps where investigators believe the killings happened. She told a documentary crew the nightmares are constant and permanent.She chose not to attend sentencing. Valerie Mack's son, who was six when his mother was killed, has filed a lawsuit alleging Asa and her daughter Victoria either knew about the crimes or deliberately avoided knowing — and profited from a Peacock documentary to the tune of over a million dollars. The neighborhood wants the house torn down. Strangers drive by and photograph it. Asa will not go.Psychotherapist Shavaun Scott returns to Hidden Killers to talk with Tony Brueski about the psychological reality of choosing the crime scene as your home. What renovation and reclamation look like through a clinical lens. And what recovery means for someone whose house, marriage, and memories were all turned into evidence.Join Our SubStack For AD-FREE ADVANCE EPISODES & EXTRAS!: https://hiddenkillers.substack.com/ Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8-vxmbhTxxG10sO1izODJg?sub_confirmation=1 Instagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/ Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/ Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspod X Twitter https://x.com/TrueCrimePodThis publication contains commentary and opinion based on publicly available information. All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Nothing published here should be taken as a statement of fact, health or legal advice.#RexHeuermann #AsaEllerup #HiddenKillers #GilgoBeach #GilgoBeachKiller #ShavaunScott #TrueCrime #MassapequaPark #Sentencing #PeacockDocumentary

My Crazy Family | A Podcast of Crazy Family Stories
Asa Ellerup Says the Nightmares Will Follow Her for the Rest of Her Life

My Crazy Family | A Podcast of Crazy Family Stories

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 18, 2026 17:36


That is what she told the Peacock documentary crew. Every night. For the rest of her life. And she is saying this from inside the house where Rex Heuermann confessed to killing seven women in the basement — a basement she gutted, rebuilt, and moved into.Asa chose not to attend sentencing. Her attorney said the day belongs to the families. Valerie Mack's son has filed a lawsuit alleging Asa and her daughter Victoria knew about or avoided knowing about the killings and profited from a documentary deal reportedly worth over a million dollars. The neighborhood wants the house torn down. Strangers drive by with cameras.This is a live conversation. Psychotherapist Shavaun Scott and Tony Brueski are talking through what it looks like when someone chooses to live inside the aftermath rather than walk away from it — and whether the repetition of telling and retelling the story to documentary crews is processing or something else entirely. Bring your questions.Join Our SubStack For AD-FREE ADVANCE EPISODES & EXTRAS!: https://hiddenkillers.substack.com/ Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8-vxmbhTxxG10sO1izODJg?sub_confirmation=1 Instagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/ Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/ Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspod X Twitter https://x.com/TrueCrimePodThis publication contains commentary and opinion based on publicly available information. All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Nothing published here should be taken as a statement of fact, health or legal advice.#RexHeuermann #AsaEllerup #HiddenKillers #GilgoBeach #GilgoBeachKiller #ShavaunScott #TrueCrime #LiveDiscussion #Sentencing #PeacockDocumentary

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My Crazy Family | A Podcast of Crazy Family Stories
Did Asa Ellerup Know What Rex Heuermann Was Doing in Their Basement for Seventeen Years?

My Crazy Family | A Podcast of Crazy Family Stories

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 18, 2026 50:19


That is the question that sits underneath everything in this case. Prosecutors say the murders happened when the family was away. The wrongful death lawsuit from Valerie Mack's son says the family knew or deliberately avoided knowing. Asa's attorney says she had no knowledge or involvement. Victoria says she believes her father most likely did it. Asa may never get there.This is a live airing of the full three-part conversation between psychotherapist Shavaun Scott and Tony Brueski. The first chapter covers the jailhouse confession — Asa calling him Mr. Heuermann, the number eight delivered without hesitation, and the mother-daughter split that followed. The second chapter addresses how someone maintains a double life for seventeen years and what Heuermann's courtroom behavior tells a clinician. The third chapter goes into the basement — what it means that Asa rebuilt it and sleeps there, why she chose not to attend sentencing, and whether the mind can truly choose not to see what is happening inside your own house.Bring your questions. This one is going to land.Join Our SubStack For AD-FREE ADVANCE EPISODES & EXTRAS!: https://hiddenkillers.substack.com/ Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8-vxmbhTxxG10sO1izODJg?sub_confirmation=1 Instagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/ Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/ Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspod X Twitter https://x.com/TrueCrimePodThis publication contains commentary and opinion based on publicly available information. All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Nothing published here should be taken as a statement of fact, health or legal advice.#RexHeuermann #AsaEllerup #HiddenKillers #GilgoBeach #GilgoBeachKiller #VictoriaHeuermann #ShavaunScott #TrueCrime #LiveDiscussion #PeacockDocumentary

Catching the Long Island Serial Killer
Rex Heuermann's Family Made a Million Dollars Telling His Story to Peacock

Catching the Long Island Serial Killer

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 18, 2026 17:36


Asa Ellerup and her daughter Victoria reportedly received over a million dollars for their participation in the Peacock documentary The Gilgo Beach Killer: House of Secrets. They gave the cameras access to the Massapequa Park house. They walked through the basement. They talked about their memories and their doubts and their grief on a platform watched by millions of people — while Valerie Mack's son was preparing a lawsuit that would name them as defendants.Benjamin Torres was six when his mother was killed. His lawsuit alleges Asa and Victoria knew or deliberately avoided knowing what was happening inside that house. Asa's attorney has denied any involvement. Prosecutors have said the murders happened when the family was away.Psychotherapist Shavaun Scott joins Tony Brueski to address the question that has followed the Ellerup family since the documentary aired — why a family in the worst crisis imaginable would invite cameras into their home. Whether that decision was about money, narrative control, processing, or some combination nobody on the outside can untangle. And what the clinical difference is between someone who genuinely did not know and someone whose mind chose not to look.Join Our SubStack For AD-FREE ADVANCE EPISODES & EXTRAS!: https://hiddenkillers.substack.com/ Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8-vxmbhTxxG10sO1izODJg?sub_confirmation=1 Instagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/ Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/ Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspod X Twitter https://x.com/TrueCrimePodThis publication contains commentary and opinion based on publicly available information. All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Nothing published here should be taken as a statement of fact, health or legal advice.#RexHeuermann #AsaEllerup #HiddenKillers #VictoriaHeuermann #GilgoBeach #GilgoBeachKiller #PeacockDocumentary #ShavaunScott #TrueCrime #ValerieMack

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Murder Sheet
The Long Island Serial Killer: The Sentencing of Rex Heuermann

Murder Sheet

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 17, 2026 33:32


On April 8, 2026, serial killer Rex Heuermann pled guilty. He murdered Melissa Barthelemy, Maureen Brainard‑Barnes, Megan Waterman, Amber Lynn Costello, Sandra Costilla, Valerie Mack, and Jessica Taylor. He also admitted to murdering Karen Vergata.Today, he received his sentence.Check out our upcoming book events and get links to buy tickets here: https://murdersheetpodcast.com/eventsPre-order our book on Delphi here: https://bookshop.org/p/books/shadow-of-the-bridge-the-delphi-murders-and-the-dark-side-of-the-american-heartland-aine-cain/21866881?ean=9781639369232Or here: https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Shadow-of-the-Bridge/Aine-Cain/9781639369232Or here: https://www.amazon.com/Shadow-Bridge-Murders-American-Heartland/dp/1639369236Join our Patreon here! https://www.patreon.com/c/murdersheetSupport The Murder Sheet by buying a t-shirt here: https://www.murdersheetshop.com/Check out more inclusive sizing and t-shirt and merchandising options here: https://themurdersheet.dashery.com/Send tips to murdersheet@gmail.com.The Murder Sheet is a production of Mystery Sheet LLC.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Profiling Evil Podcast with Mike King
Rex Heuermann Sentencing, Why Serial Killers Want Us to Remember Their Names | Profiling Evil

Profiling Evil Podcast with Mike King

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 16, 2026 35:26


Rex Heuermann is scheduled to be sentenced in Long Island, New York on June 17, 2026, after pleading guilty to the murders of seven women and admitting responsibility for an eighth. In this episode, Profiling Evil looks at the Gilgo Beach case from a criminal behavior perspective, not by glorifying the killer, but by asking a practical question: why do serial killers do what they do? We'll talk about four things that often show up in serial murder cases: fantasy, the thrill of the hunt, the gap between fantasy and reality, and the offender's desire for legacy. Most importantly, we'll remember the victims: Melissa Barthelemy, Megan Waterman, Amber Lynn Costello, Maureen Brainard-Barnes, Jessica Taylor, Sandra Costilla, Valerie Mack, and Karen Vergata. We'll also talk about Shannan Gilbert, whose disappearance helped expose the terrible reality hidden along Ocean Parkway, and why we need to keep pushing for answers in cases involving unidentified and overlooked victims.#RexHeuermann #GilgoBeach #LongIslandSerialKiller #MelissaBarthelemy #MeganWaterman #AmberLynnCostello #MaureenBrainardBarnes #JessicaTaylor #SandraCostilla #ValerieMack #KarenVergata #ShannanGilbert #AsianDoe #TrueCrime #TrueCrimeCommunity #ProfilingEvil #MikeKing #CriminalBehavior #Victimology #BehavioralAnalysis #SerialKiller #ColdCase #CrimeScene #JusticeForVictims #PersonalSafety #CrimePrevention #FBI #GilgoFour #LongIslandCrime #MissingPersons #UnidentifiedVictims #GIS #storymaps #Esri========================================20% OFF Newspapers.comhttps://www.newspapers.com/go/podcast/?ref=profilingevil?xid=8877&utm_source=ProfilingEvilPodcast&utm_medium=podcst&utm_campaign=ProfilingEvil26========================================Discounts on eBikes: https://aipasbike.com/?ref=PROFILINGEVILReferral Coupon Code: PROFILINGEVIL========================================Email your questions to: ProfilingEvil@gmail.com========================================

Australian True Crime
Shortcut: The Long Island Serial Killer - ATC International

Australian True Crime

Play Episode Listen Later May 13, 2026 16:09


This is a "Shortcut" episode. It’s a shortened version of this week’s more detailed full episode, which is also available on our feed. Rex Heuermann was arrested in 2023 after investigators linked him to the Long Island Serial Killer case through DNA evidence, burner phones and a renewed task force investigation. He pled guilty in April 2026. The victims linked to Heuermann include Melissa Barthelemy, Megan Waterman, Amber Costello, Maureen Brainard-Barnes, Jessica Taylor, Valerie Mack, Sandra Costilla and Karen Vergata. In this episode of Australian True Crime International, we’re joined by Shannon McGarvey, host of the LISK podcast and contributor to Peacock’s Gilgo Beach Killer: House of Secrets. You can watch our episodes by visiting our Youtube Channel here. Join our Facebook Group here. Do you have information regarding any of the cases discussed on this podcast? Please report it on the Crime Stoppers website or by calling 1800 333 000. Wanting to hear about certain kinds of crime? Check out our Spotify playlists for a curated list of our episodes.For Support: Lifeline on 13 11 1413 YARN on 13 92 76 (24/7 crisis support phone line for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples)1800RESPECT: 1800 737 732Blue Knot Helpline: 1300 657 380CREDITS:Host: Meshel Laurie Guest: Shannon McGarvey Producer: Ruby Bartzis Executive Producer/Editor: Matthew Tankard GET IN TOUCH:https://www.australiantruecrimethepodcast.com/Follow the show on Instagram @australiantruecrimepodcast and Facebook Email the show at AusTrueCrimePodcast@gmail.com

Australian True Crime
The Long Island Serial Killer - ATC International

Australian True Crime

Play Episode Listen Later May 13, 2026 65:43


Rex Heuermann was arrested in 2023 after investigators linked him to the Long Island Serial Killer case through DNA evidence, burner phones and a renewed task force investigation. He pled guilty in April 2026. The victims linked to Heuermann include Melissa Barthelemy, Megan Waterman, Amber Costello, Maureen Brainard-Barnes, Jessica Taylor, Valerie Mack, Sandra Costilla and Karen Vergata. In this episode of Australian True Crime International, we’re joined by Shannon McGarvey, host of the LISK podcast and contributor to Peacock’s Gilgo Beach Killer: House of Secrets. You can watch our episodes by visiting our Youtube Channel here. Join our Facebook Group here. Do you have information regarding any of the cases discussed on this podcast? Please report it on the Crime Stoppers website or by calling 1800 333 000. Wanting to hear about certain kinds of crime? Check out our Spotify playlists for a curated list of our episodes.For Support: Lifeline on 13 11 1413 YARN on 13 92 76 (24/7 crisis support phone line for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples)1800RESPECT: 1800 737 732Blue Knot Helpline: 1300 657 380CREDITS:Host: Meshel Laurie Guest: Shannon McGarvey Producer: Ruby Bartzis Executive Producer/Editor: Matthew Tankard GET IN TOUCH:https://www.australiantruecrimethepodcast.com/Follow the show on Instagram @australiantruecrimepodcast and Facebook Email the show at AusTrueCrimePodcast@gmail.com

The Moscow Murders and More
The Long Island Serial Killer Archives: Dave Schaller And The Tip That Led Authorities To Heuermann

The Moscow Murders and More

Play Episode Listen Later May 8, 2026 14:54 Transcription Available


The Long Island Serial Killings, also known as the Gilgo Beach Murders or the Craigslist Ripper case, is an unsolved serial murder investigation centered around the discovery of numerous human remains on Long Island, New York. The case has been ongoing since 2010 and remains unsolved as of my knowledge cutoff in September 2021.The initial discovery took place on December 11, 2010, when police were searching for a missing woman named Shannan Gilbert, a sex worker who had gone to meet a client in Oak Beach, Suffolk County. During the search, police found the remains of four women in the vicinity of Gilgo Beach. These victims were later identified as Megan Waterman, Maureen Brainard-Barnes, Melissa Barthelemy, and Amber Lynn Costello, all of whom were also involved in sex work.As the investigation progressed, additional remains were discovered in the same area. In March and April 2011, six more sets of remains were found, along with the remains of an unidentified toddler, who came to be known as "Baby Doe" or "Jane Doe #6." The additional victims were identified as Jessica Taylor, Valerie Mack, Jane Doe #6 (the toddler), and an Asian male dressed in women's clothing.The police discovered that many of the victims had connections to the sex trade and had advertised their services on websites like Craigslist.This led investigators to suspect that a serial killer, dubbed the "Long Island Serial Killer" or "Craigslist Ripper," was specifically targeting sex workers in the area.The case gained significant media attention and sparked a large-scale investigation involving local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies. The search for additional evidence continued over the years, including the use of cadaver dogs, aerial searches, and the excavation of specific areas.Despite these efforts, no further bodies were found.The investigation faced various challenges and controversies. Shannan Gilbert's disappearance and death were initially treated as unrelated to the serial killings. However, her death was later attributed to accidental drowning. The mishandling of the case and the delayed response to her initial 911 call raised questions about the police's handling of the investigation.Then on July 13th, 2023 an arrest in the case was finally made. The man arrested? Rex Heuermann. In this episode, we hear from Dave Schaller, the man who gave the police the tip about who Heuermann was over a decade ago and even gave them a description of the vehicle the alleged serial killer was driving.(commercial at 9:42)to contact me:bobbycapucci@protonmail.comsource:He came face to face with an alleged serial killer. 12 years later, his tip helped crack the case | AP NewsBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-moscow-murders-and-more--5852883/support.

Hidden Killers With Tony Brueski | True Crime News & Commentary
Rex Heuermann and Karen Vergata: Gilgo Beach's Uncharged Confession

Hidden Killers With Tony Brueski | True Crime News & Commentary

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 21, 2026 19:56


He pleaded guilty to seven. Then he admitted to an eighth he was never charged with. Karen Vergata — 34, mother of two, living in Hell's Kitchen, working as an escort, struggling with addiction. Her family last heard from her on Valentine's Day 1996. According to the DA, Heuermann strangled and dismembered her in April of that year — the same month he married his second wife. Her legs were found on Fire Island weeks later. Her skull was found near Gilgo Beach in 2011. She was Jane Doe Number Seven for 27 years.The final episode of “The Seven.” Karen's case fills the gap between Sandra Costilla in 1993 and Valerie Mack in 2000 — confirming Heuermann was active in the mid-1990s. It also adds a new dump site to the map: Fire Island, expanding the geography beyond Manorville, Ocean Parkway, and Southampton.Her father Dominic spent decades searching. Hired a PI. Was turned away when he tried to file a missing persons report. Petitioned courts to have Karen declared dead. He was told in October 2022 that his daughter had been identified — and died two months later at 87. Her sons, adopted in 1992, found out their biological mother was a serial killer's victim from a press conference nobody warned them about.Karen's confession came not from an indictment but from a plea deal — spoken without emotion by a man whose own attorney described his decision as a “sense of relief.” Her life, the evidence, and what it means to be the eighth name in a seven-count indictment — all covered here.Join Our SubStack For AD-FREE ADVANCE EPISODES & EXTRAS!: https://hiddenkillers.substack.com/Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8-vxmbhTxxG10sO1izODJg?sub_confirmation=1Instagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspodX Twitter https://x.com/TrueCrimePodThis publication contains commentary and opinion based on publicly available information. All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Nothing published here should be taken as a statement of fact, health or legal advice.#KarenVergata #RexHeuermann #GilgoBeach #LISK #JaneDoe #FireIsland #HiddenKillers #TheSeven #TrueCrime #GilgoBeachKiller

Dark Side of Wikipedia | True Crime & Dark History
Heuermann Plea Mechanics, Family Liability, and the Psychology of Proximity

Dark Side of Wikipedia | True Crime & Dark History

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 20, 2026 84:29


Rex Heuermann pleaded guilty in Suffolk County Court to seven counts of murder and admitted to intentionally causing the death of Karen Vergata, an eighth victim incorporated into the plea agreement without separate prosecution. The plea followed the denial of every significant defense motion — including challenges to the admissibility of whole genome sequencing evidence, a motion to sever the charges into separate trials, and a 178-page omnibus motion. Whole genome sequencing was admitted in a New York courtroom for the first time. A deleted planning document was recovered from Heuermann's hard drive. The sentence — life without parole — was reportedly identical regardless of whether the case proceeded to trial or resolved by plea.A wrongful death lawsuit filed by Benjamin Torres — the son of victim Valerie Mack, who was six when his mother disappeared in 2000 — names Heuermann, his ex-wife Asa Ellerup, and their daughter Victoria Heuermann as defendants. The complaint alleges the two women had knowledge of or concealed the crimes, maintained access to a secured vault-like room in the basement of the approximately 1,300-square-foot Massapequa Park residence, and collected over one million dollars from a Peacock documentary production. The plaintiff's attorney, John Ray, has argued publicly that proximity and the physical dimensions of the residence make unawareness implausible. The complaint includes claims of willful blindness, unjust enrichment related to documentary compensation, and civil conspiracy.Defense counsel for Ellerup has characterized the lawsuit as reckless and unsupported. Victoria Heuermann was approximately three years old at the time of Mack's death. Prosecutors who built the criminal case against Heuermann have consistently maintained he acted alone and timed the killings for periods when his family was out of state. Neither Ellerup nor Victoria has been criminally charged. Hair evidence linked to both women was recovered from victims' remains. The prosecution has attributed this to household transference consistent with shared living space.Psychotherapist Shavaun Scott provides analysis on the psychological mechanisms that enable prolonged unawareness within intimate partnerships involving offenders — specifically how identity structures built around a partner can create cognitive barriers to processing contradictory evidence. Criminal defense attorney Bob Motta examines the defense calculation behind the plea, the implications for open cases along the Gilgo corridor, and the practical enforceability of the FBI Behavioral Analysis Unit cooperation agreement.Join Our SubStack For AD-FREE ADVANCE EPISODES & EXTRAS!: https://hiddenkillers.substack.com/Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8-vxmbhTxxG10sO1izODJg?sub_confirmation=1Instagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspodX Twitter https://x.com/TrueCrimePodThis publication contains commentary and opinion based on publicly available information. All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Nothing published here should be taken as a statement of fact, health or legal advice.#RexHeuermann #GilgoBeach #ValerieMack #AsaEllerup #VictoriaHeuermann #TrueCrimeToday #LISK #GuiltyPlea #WrongfulDeath #BobMotta

Hidden Killers With Tony Brueski | True Crime News & Commentary
Valerie Mack's Son Was Six When She Vanished — He's Not Done Fighting

Hidden Killers With Tony Brueski | True Crime News & Commentary

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 20, 2026 84:29


Benjamin Torres lost his mother when he was six years old. Valerie Mack disappeared in 2000. Her dismembered remains were found in Manorville that same year and went unidentified for two decades. Rex Heuermann has now pleaded guilty to her murder. But for Torres, the admission that ended the criminal case opened something else entirely — a wrongful death lawsuit naming Heuermann, his ex-wife Asa Ellerup, and their daughter Victoria as defendants.The complaint alleges the two women knew about or concealed the crimes, lived with access to a secured vault-like room in the basement of the Massapequa Park home, and collected over a million dollars from a Peacock documentary. Plaintiff's attorney John Ray has argued publicly that the family could not have been unaware in a house of roughly 1,300 square feet. Hair evidence linked to both Ellerup and Victoria was recovered from victims' remains. Prosecutors have attributed that to ordinary household transference. Ray frames it as evidence of proximity.The defense response has been aggressive. Ellerup's attorney called the suit reckless and completely unsupported by the facts. Victoria was approximately three when Mack was killed. Prosecutors have maintained consistently that Heuermann acted alone and timed his crimes for when the family was away. Neither woman has been charged.Asa called Heuermann her savior. She maintained she would have known if something was wrong. Victoria sat in the courtroom during the plea and has publicly said she believes her father most likely committed the killings. Psychotherapist Shavaun Scott examines the psychology behind that split — how denial functions inside a family where one person's identity is built entirely around the other, and what happens when a guilty plea collapses the framework that held "not knowing" in place.Criminal defense attorney Bob Motta breaks down the legal mechanics of the plea itself. Every pre-trial motion failed — the DNA challenge, the motion to sever the cases, the 178-page omnibus motion. Whole genome sequencing was admitted in a New York courtroom for the first time. A deleted planning document was recovered from Heuermann's hard drive. The sentence — life without parole — was reportedly identical whether he went to trial or pled. So what did the plea actually accomplish? Motta examines what the defense calculated, what the families lost when the plea replaced testimony, and what open cases along the Gilgo corridor still need answers. Heuermann has agreed to cooperate with the FBI.Join Our SubStack For AD-FREE ADVANCE EPISODES & EXTRAS!: https://hiddenkillers.substack.com/Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8-vxmbhTxxG10sO1izODJg?sub_confirmation=1Instagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspodX Twitter https://x.com/TrueCrimePodThis publication contains commentary and opinion based on publicly available information. All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Nothing published here should be taken as a statement of fact, health or legal advice.#RexHeuermann #GilgoBeach #ValerieMack #AsaEllerup #VictoriaHeuermann #LISK #WrongfulDeath #ShavaunScott #BobMotta #HiddenKillers

My Crazy Family | A Podcast of Crazy Family Stories
Heuermann's Plea, the Family Lawsuit, and the Psychology of Not Knowing

My Crazy Family | A Podcast of Crazy Family Stories

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 20, 2026 84:29


Asa Ellerup called Rex Heuermann her savior. Their daughter Victoria sat in a packed Suffolk County courtroom and watched him plead guilty to killing eight women. Asa has maintained she would have known if something was wrong. Victoria has publicly said she believes her father most likely committed the killings. A mother and daughter inside the same house, the same marriage, the same nightmare — arriving at opposite conclusions. That split is the story.Benjamin Torres — the son of victim Valerie Mack, who was six when his mother vanished in 2000 — has filed a wrongful death lawsuit naming both women alongside Heuermann. The complaint alleges they knew about or concealed the crimes, had access to a secured vault-like room in the basement of the Massapequa Park home, and collected over a million dollars from a Peacock documentary. Plaintiff's attorney John Ray has argued the family could not have been unaware in a house of roughly 1,300 square feet. Hair evidence linked to both Ellerup and Victoria was recovered from victims' remains. The defense has called the suit reckless. Victoria was approximately three when Mack was killed. Prosecutors maintain Heuermann acted alone. Neither woman has been charged.Psychotherapist and author Shavaun Scott breaks down the psychology of "not knowing" — how the mind constructs barriers to protect an identity that's built around another person, why someone whose entire framework depends on the marriage being real may be neurologically incapable of processing contradictory evidence, and what a guilty plea does to the psychological architecture that held denial in place for decades.Criminal defense attorney Bob Motta examines the plea mechanics. Every pre-trial motion had failed. Whole genome sequencing was admitted for the first time in a New York courtroom. A deleted planning document was recovered from Heuermann's devices. The sentence — life without parole — was reportedly the same whether he went to trial or pled. Motta walks through what the defense calculated, what Karen Vergata's uncharged murder being folded into the deal means for accountability, and what the FBI cooperation agreement actually requires. Open cases along the Gilgo corridor remain unresolved. The criminal chapter is closed. The civil and psychological ones are just beginning.Join Our SubStack For AD-FREE ADVANCE EPISODES & EXTRAS!: https://hiddenkillers.substack.com/Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8-vxmbhTxxG10sO1izODJg?sub_confirmation=1Instagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspodX Twitter https://x.com/TrueCrimePodThis publication contains commentary and opinion based on publicly available information. All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Nothing published here should be taken as a statement of fact, health or legal advice.#RexHeuermann #GilgoBeach #AsaEllerup #VictoriaHeuermann #ValerieMack #HiddenKillersLive #ShavaunScott #BobMotta #LISK #WrongfulDeath

Dark Side of Wikipedia | True Crime & Dark History
Heuermann Plea Mechanics and the Civil Liability Case Against His Family

Dark Side of Wikipedia | True Crime & Dark History

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 19, 2026 36:57


Rex Heuermann pleaded guilty in Suffolk County Court to seven counts of murder — three first-degree and four second-degree — and admitted to intentionally causing the death of Karen Vergata, an eighth victim who had not been separately charged. The plea agreement was reached after the defense lost every significant pre-trial motion. The court ruled whole genome sequencing evidence admissible and consolidated all charges into a single proceeding. Trial was imminent.The plea structure reflects deliberate calculation. During a confidential proffer session, Heuermann raised Karen Vergata's killing unprompted. Her death was incorporated into the agreement without a separate prosecution or public presentation of the evidence against him in her case. The deal bars any further criminal charges related to all eight named victims. It also includes an FBI Behavioral Analysis Unit cooperation agreement requiring Heuermann to be "truthful, accurate, and complete" — though the agreement reportedly carries no enforcement mechanism if he refuses or provides misleading information. The Suffolk County District Attorney's office has stated it is reviewing hundreds of cold cases across the county. Defense counsel maintains there are no additional victims. Sentencing is scheduled for June, with the prosecution seeking consecutive life sentences without parole plus a consecutive term of one hundred years to life.A wrongful death lawsuit filed by Benjamin Torres — the son of victim Valerie Mack, who was six years old when his mother disappeared — names Heuermann, his ex-wife Asa Ellerup, and their daughter Victoria Heuermann as defendants. The complaint alleges the family had knowledge of the killings, actively concealed information, and profited from the case by collecting over a million dollars from a Peacock documentary production. The legal theory includes claims of unjust enrichment and civil conspiracy.Defense counsel has characterized the claims as reckless. Victoria Heuermann was approximately three years old at the time of Mack's death. Prosecutors who built the criminal case against Rex Heuermann have publicly stated the family was out of state during the killings. Neither Ellerup nor Victoria has been criminally charged. However, the complaint cites hair evidence linked to both women recovered from victims' remains. The prosecution attributes this to ordinary household transference consistent with shared living space. The plaintiff's counsel characterizes it as evidence of closer proximity to the crimes. The lawsuit raises significant legal questions regarding the application of wrongful death statutes of limitation, the viability of unjust enrichment claims against documentary earnings, and the boundaries of civil liability for knowledge or constructive knowledge of criminal conduct.Join Our SubStack For AD-FREE ADVANCE EPISODES & EXTRAS!: https://hiddenkillers.substack.com/Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8-vxmbhTxxG10sO1izODJg?sub_confirmation=1Instagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspodX Twitter https://x.com/TrueCrimePodThis publication contains commentary and opinion based on publicly available information. All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Nothing published here should be taken as a statement of fact, health or legal advice.#RexHeuermann #GilgoBeach #ValerieMack #AsaEllerup #VictoriaHeuermann #GuiltyPlea #WrongfulDeath #TrueCrimeToday #KarenVergata #CivilLawsuit

Hidden Killers With Tony Brueski | True Crime News & Commentary
Heuermann's Plea Was Strategy — The Wrongful Death Suit Tests What Comes Next

Hidden Killers With Tony Brueski | True Crime News & Commentary

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 19, 2026 36:57


Every pre-trial motion denied. Whole genome sequencing ruled admissible. All charges consolidated into a single trial. Rex Heuermann's legal team had nothing left. So on day one thousand after his arrest, the man who spent decades planning how to avoid getting caught planned his exit from the justice system the same way.During a confidential proffer session, Heuermann raised Karen Vergata — a woman he had never been charged with killing. Her death was folded into the plea. No separate prosecution. No public presentation of the evidence. The deal bars further charges related to all eight named victims and includes an FBI Behavioral Analysis Unit cooperation agreement that reportedly carries no consequences if Heuermann refuses to participate or lies. His defense attorney called it a calculated pivot. The families packed the courtroom and wept as Heuermann described how he met, strangled, and disposed of each victim. The Suffolk County DA's office has acknowledged it is reviewing hundreds of cold cases. Heuermann's attorney insists there are no additional victims. Sentencing is set for June.But for Benjamin Torres — the son of victim Valerie Mack, who was six years old when his mother vanished — the guilty plea opened a new front. Torres has filed a wrongful death lawsuit naming not only Heuermann but his ex-wife Asa Ellerup and their daughter Victoria. The complaint alleges they knew about the murders, concealed what was happening in their home, and then profited by collecting over a million dollars from a Peacock documentary.The defense calls the claims reckless. Victoria was approximately three when Mack was killed. Prosecutors have publicly stated the family was out of town during the killings. Neither woman has been charged. But hair evidence linked to both Ellerup and Victoria was recovered from victims' remains. Prosecutors attribute that to ordinary household transference. The plaintiff's attorney frames it as evidence of proximity to the crimes. Ellerup publicly called Heuermann her hero and said he wasn't capable of violence. Victoria later said she believes her father most likely committed the killings. The complaint alleges the family's public positioning and documentary earnings constitute unjust enrichment and an effort to mislead. Whether a wrongful death claim can survive expired statutes of limitation, and whether documentary money can be clawed back — those are the legal questions this case is built to test.Join Our SubStack For AD-FREE ADVANCE EPISODES & EXTRAS!: https://hiddenkillers.substack.com/Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8-vxmbhTxxG10sO1izODJg?sub_confirmation=1Instagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspodX Twitter https://x.com/TrueCrimePodThis publication contains commentary and opinion based on publicly available information. All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Nothing published here should be taken as a statement of fact, health or legal advice.#RexHeuermann #GilgoBeach #ValerieMack #AsaEllerup #VictoriaHeuermann #GuiltyPlea #WrongfulDeath #KarenVergata #TrueCrime #HiddenKillers

Dark Side of Wikipedia | True Crime & Dark History
Gilgo Heuermann Case: Phone Evidence, Civil Liability, and Family Exposure

Dark Side of Wikipedia | True Crime & Dark History

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 18, 2026 27:05


The prosecution's phone evidence in the Melissa Barthelemy case maps a precise geographic timeline. On July 12, 2009, a prepaid burner phone Barthelemy had communicated with traveled from Massapequa Park to Midtown Manhattan — the documented route between Rex Heuermann's residence and office. Hours later, Barthelemy's personal phone traveled that same corridor in reverse. Over the following five weeks, an individual using Barthelemy's phone placed calls to her 15-year-old sister Amanda, providing details of the killing. Each call originated from high-traffic Manhattan locations. Each lasted under three minutes. Each was directed at the minor sister, not at the victim's mother.Barthelemy, 24, held a cosmetology license from Buffalo and had relocated to New York. Prosecutors allege Heuermann also conducted internet searches for images of the victims' family members — including minors — following the killings.The civil aftermath of Heuermann's guilty plea is now unfolding alongside the criminal case. A wrongful death lawsuit filed by the son of victim Valerie Mack names Heuermann's ex-wife Asa Ellerup and their daughter Victoria as defendants. The complaint alleges the family derived financial benefit from a documentary production and demonstrated disregard for the victims. Ellerup's counsel has characterized the claims as reckless. Victoria Heuermann has made public statements indicating she believes her father most likely committed the charged killings — a position that creates its own legal implications in the civil proceeding. The guilty plea significantly alters the civil litigation landscape, as the admission of criminal liability eliminates the need for the plaintiff to independently establish the underlying acts.This week's coverage examines the phone trail evidence and its role in the prosecution's timeline, the wrongful death suit's legal theory and the family's civil exposure, and analysis from Robin Dreeke and Eric Faddis on the behavioral and legal dimensions of the case.Join Our SubStack For AD-FREE ADVANCE EPISODES & EXTRAS!: https://hiddenkillers.substack.com/Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8-vxmbhTxxG10sO1izODJg?sub_confirmation=1Instagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspodX Twitter https://x.com/TrueCrimePodThis publication contains commentary and opinion based on publicly available information. All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Nothing published here should be taken as a statement of fact, health or legal advice.#RexHeuermann #GilgoBeach #MelissaBarthelemy #AsaEllerup #WrongfulDeath #LISK #TrueCrime #TrueCrimeToday #CivilLiability #GilgoFour

Dark Side of Wikipedia | True Crime & Dark History
Heuermann's Plea Deal: Eight Victims, FBI Cooperation, and What Comes Next

Dark Side of Wikipedia | True Crime & Dark History

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 18, 2026 34:47


Rex Heuermann pleaded guilty in Suffolk County Court to seven counts of murder — three first-degree and four second-degree — in connection with the Gilgo Beach serial killings spanning 1993 to 2010. He also admitted under the plea agreement to intentionally causing the death of Karen Vergata, an eighth victim whose killing was not separately charged. Prosecutors dismissed three doubled-up murder charges in exchange for the plea. Heuermann faces consecutive sentences of life without parole for the first-degree murder convictions, plus a consecutive term of one hundred years to life for the second-degree convictions. Sentencing is scheduled in Suffolk County Court.The case against Heuermann was built on DNA evidence recovered from a legally obtained abandonment sample — a discarded pizza crust collected from a Manhattan sidewalk after months of surveillance. That sample matched a male hair found in the burlap wrapping around the remains of Megan Waterman, one of the four victims originally discovered along Ocean Parkway in 2010. The DNA match provided the probable cause for warrants that led to Heuermann's residence and electronic devices, which prosecutors allege contained checklists, planning documents, and instructions related to evidence destruction.Heuermann admitted to killing Melissa Barthelemy, Maureen Brainard-Barnes, Amber Lynn Costello, Sandra Costilla, Valerie Mack, Jessica Taylor, Megan Waterman, and Karen Vergata. He confirmed in his allocution that all eight women were killed by strangulation. As part of the plea agreement, Heuermann is required to cooperate with the FBI's Behavioral Analysis Unit — a condition his defense attorney described as an obligation to be "truthful, accurate, and complete." This week's coverage examines the full evidentiary chain from DNA recovery through prosecution, the plea mechanics, the FBI cooperation framework, and expert analysis from Robin Dreeke and Eric Faddis on what the documented methodology reveals about the case.Join Our SubStack For AD-FREE ADVANCE EPISODES & EXTRAS!: https://hiddenkillers.substack.com/Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8-vxmbhTxxG10sO1izODJg?sub_confirmation=1Instagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspodX Twitter https://x.com/TrueCrimePodThis publication contains commentary and opinion based on publicly available information. All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Nothing published here should be taken as a statement of fact, health or legal advice.#RexHeuermann #GilgoBeach #GuiltyPlea #LISK #DNAEvidence #MeganWaterman #TrueCrime #TrueCrimeToday #SerialKiller #GilgoFour

Hidden Killers With Tony Brueski | True Crime News & Commentary
Heuermann's Guilty Plea and the DNA That Made It Inevitable

Hidden Killers With Tony Brueski | True Crime News & Commentary

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 18, 2026 34:47


Investigators followed Rex Heuermann for months through Manhattan before a discarded pizza crust gave them everything. That abandoned sample — recovered legally from public garbage — produced a DNA match to a male hair found wrapped in burlap around Megan Waterman's remains on Ocean Parkway. One connection. That match generated the warrants for Heuermann's home, his devices, and the digital trove prosecutors say reveals the most meticulously documented serial killing case investigators have encountered.Megan was 22, a mother from Scarborough, Maine, who called her three-year-old daughter every day without exception. When those calls stopped in June 2010, her family filed a missing persons report within two days. Surveillance footage from a Holiday Inn Express in Hauppauge shows her walking out the door at 1:15 a.m. She was found six months later alongside the rest of the Gilgo Four.Heuermann stood in a Suffolk County courtroom and pleaded guilty to seven murders — Melissa Barthelemy, Maureen Brainard-Barnes, Amber Lynn Costello, Sandra Costilla, Valerie Mack, Jessica Taylor, and Megan Waterman — spanning seventeen years from 1993 to 2010. He admitted to intentionally causing the death of an eighth victim, Karen Vergata, whose case was folded into the plea agreement. Prosecutors allege every killing occurred when Heuermann's wife and children were out of state, and that his devices contained checklists, methodology notes, and instructions for destroying evidence.His defense attorney framed the plea as "relief." The FBI cooperation agreement — requiring Heuermann to sit for behavioral analysis interviews — is built directly into the deal. Retired FBI behavioral expert Robin Dreeke and defense attorney Eric Faddis break down what the documented methodology reveals, what the defense traded in the plea, and why the courtroom moment matters far less than what investigators found on those devices.Join Our SubStack For AD-FREE ADVANCE EPISODES & EXTRAS!: https://hiddenkillers.substack.com/Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8-vxmbhTxxG10sO1izODJg?sub_confirmation=1Instagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspodX Twitter https://x.com/TrueCrimePodThis publication contains commentary and opinion based on publicly available information. All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Nothing published here should be taken as a statement of fact, health or legal advice.#RexHeuermann #GilgoBeach #MeganWaterman #GuiltyPlea #DNAEvidence #GilgoFour #LISK #TrueCrime #HiddenKillers #BehavioralAnalysis

Hidden Killers With Tony Brueski | True Crime News & Commentary
Heuermann's Phone Trail, Taunting Calls, and a Family in Freefall

Hidden Killers With Tony Brueski | True Crime News & Commentary

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 18, 2026 27:05


A burner phone traveled from Massapequa Park to Midtown Manhattan on July 12, 2009 — the exact route between Rex Heuermann's home and his office. Hours later, Melissa Barthelemy's phone traveled that same route in reverse. Melissa had told a friend she was meeting a man. She never came back. For the next five weeks, someone used her phone to call her 15-year-old sister Amanda — describing the killing in graphic detail. Always under three minutes. Always from crowded Manhattan locations. Always targeting the teenager, never the mother.Melissa was 24. She'd graduated cosmetology school in Buffalo, earned her license, and moved to New York to build a career. The salon job was slow. The city was expensive. She ended up working escort ads on Craigslist from a basement apartment in the Bronx — a temporary solution that became permanent. Prosecutors allege Heuermann also searched online for images of the victims' families after their deaths — their sisters, their children.While those calls were being made to a teenager, Heuermann was going home to his own family. Asa Ellerup, his now ex-wife, sat in the last row of a Suffolk County courtroom as he admitted to eight killings. She once called him her hero. She walked out into a wrongful death lawsuit filed by the son of victim Valerie Mack, alleging the family profited from a documentary and demonstrated disregard for the victims. Their daughter Victoria has publicly stated she believes her father most likely committed the killings. Asa's attorney has called the lawsuit's claims reckless.This week's coverage examines Melissa's story and the phone evidence that anchors the prosecution's timeline, the wrongful death suit and its legal theory, and what the family fracture reveals. Robin Dreeke and Eric Faddis provide behavioral and legal analysis on the taunting calls, the civil exposure facing the Heuermann family, and how compartmentalization functions at this scale.Join Our SubStack For AD-FREE ADVANCE EPISODES & EXTRAS!: https://hiddenkillers.substack.com/Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8-vxmbhTxxG10sO1izODJg?sub_confirmation=1Instagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspodX Twitter https://x.com/TrueCrimePodThis publication contains commentary and opinion based on publicly available information. All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Nothing published here should be taken as a statement of fact, health or legal advice.#RexHeuermann #GilgoBeach #MelissaBarthelemy #AsaEllerup #LISK #TauntingCalls #GilgoFour #TrueCrime #HiddenKillers #BehavioralAnalysis

My Crazy Family | A Podcast of Crazy Family Stories
Heuermann Pleads Guilty — What the Evidence and the Plea Deal Reveal

My Crazy Family | A Podcast of Crazy Family Stories

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 18, 2026 34:47


Rex Heuermann admitted to killing eight women. His defense attorney called it "relief." Not remorse. Not accountability. Relief. That single word tells you more about Heuermann's internal framework than the plea itself — and this week's panel digs into exactly why.A discarded pizza crust recovered from a Manhattan garbage can gave investigators the DNA match that broke this case open. That sample connected Heuermann to a male hair found in the burlap wrapping around Megan Waterman's remains. Megan was 22 years old, a mother from Maine who called her three-year-old daughter every single day. When those calls stopped in June 2010, her family knew immediately something was wrong. She was found six months later on Ocean Parkway alongside the rest of the Gilgo Four.Heuermann pleaded guilty to seven counts of murder — Melissa Barthelemy, Maureen Brainard-Barnes, Amber Lynn Costello, Sandra Costilla, Valerie Mack, Jessica Taylor, and Megan Waterman — and admitted to intentionally causing the death of Karen Vergata. Prosecutors allege his devices contained checklists, methodology notes, and evidence destruction instructions. Every killing allegedly occurred when his family was out of state.Retired FBI Counterintelligence Behavioral Analysis Program Chief Robin Dreeke and defense attorney and former prosecutor Eric Faddis join the discussion to break down the behavioral significance of Heuermann's courtroom demeanor, what the documented methodology tells us about his psychological architecture, the legal mechanics behind the plea deal, and what the FBI behavioral cooperation agreement actually requires. The questions that matter most aren't about the sentence — life without parole — they're about the person behind the planning.Join Our SubStack For AD-FREE ADVANCE EPISODES & EXTRAS!: https://hiddenkillers.substack.com/Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8-vxmbhTxxG10sO1izODJg?sub_confirmation=1Instagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspodX Twitter https://x.com/TrueCrimePodThis publication contains commentary and opinion based on publicly available information. All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Nothing published here should be taken as a statement of fact, health or legal advice.#RexHeuermann #GilgoBeach #GuiltyPlea #RobinDreeke #EricFaddis #LISK #BehavioralAnalysis #TrueCrime #HiddenKillersLive #GilgoFour

My Crazy Family | A Podcast of Crazy Family Stories
Heuermann's Family Fallout and the Calls That Haunted a Teenager

My Crazy Family | A Podcast of Crazy Family Stories

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 18, 2026 27:05


Someone used Melissa Barthelemy's phone to call her 15-year-old sister for five straight weeks after Melissa vanished. Always under three minutes. Always from crowded Manhattan streets. Always targeting the teenager — never the mother. The calls described what had been done to Melissa in detail no stranger should have known. The burner phone Melissa had connected with on the day she disappeared traveled the exact route between Rex Heuermann's Massapequa Park home and his Midtown office. Hours later, Melissa's own phone followed that route back.Melissa was a licensed cosmetologist from Buffalo who came to New York chasing a dream of owning her own salon. She was 24. Prosecutors allege Heuermann searched for images of the victims' families online after the killings — their children, their sisters.Meanwhile, the family Heuermann came home to is fracturing in public. Asa Ellerup watched from the last row of the courtroom as her ex-husband admitted to killing eight women. She walked out into a wrongful death lawsuit naming her and their daughter Victoria as defendants. The suit, filed by the son of victim Valerie Mack, alleges the family profited from a documentary. Victoria has publicly stated she believes her father most likely committed the killings. Asa's attorney has called the allegations reckless.Retired FBI Counterintelligence Behavioral Analysis Program Chief Robin Dreeke and defense attorney and former prosecutor Eric Faddis join the panel to break down the psychology behind the taunting phone calls — what targeting a teenager reveals about the caller's need for control — the legal mechanics of the wrongful death suit and the family's civil exposure after the guilty plea, and the behavioral research on how families of serial offenders process the unthinkable when the evidence becomes undeniable.Join Our SubStack For AD-FREE ADVANCE EPISODES & EXTRAS!: https://hiddenkillers.substack.com/Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8-vxmbhTxxG10sO1izODJg?sub_confirmation=1Instagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspodX Twitter https://x.com/TrueCrimePodThis publication contains commentary and opinion based on publicly available information. All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Nothing published here should be taken as a statement of fact, health or legal advice.#RexHeuermann #GilgoBeach #MelissaBarthelemy #AsaEllerup #RobinDreeke #EricFaddis #LISK #HiddenKillersLive #TrueCrime #WrongfulDeath

Dark Side of Wikipedia | True Crime & Dark History
Ellerup Civil Liability: The Willful Blindness Standard Under Scrutiny

Dark Side of Wikipedia | True Crime & Dark History

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 17, 2026 16:18


The wrongful death complaint filed in Suffolk County Supreme Court by Benjamin Torres, acting on behalf of the estate of Valerie Mack, presents claims of wrongful death, assault, battery, false imprisonment, and unjust enrichment against Rex Heuermann, Asa Ellerup, and Victoria Heuermann. The central theory of liability against Ellerup rests on the doctrine of willful blindness — alleging that she knew of, concealed, or consciously avoided learning material facts concerning the murders.Heuermann pleaded guilty on April 8, 2026, to seven counts of murder and admitted to the intentional killing of an eighth victim, Karen Vergata. He agreed to serve consecutive life sentences without possibility of parole. Sentencing is scheduled for June 17, 2026. The guilty plea eliminates the question of liability for Heuermann in any subsequent civil proceeding.The unjust enrichment claim targets proceeds reportedly exceeding one million dollars that Ellerup and Victoria Heuermann received for participation in a Peacock documentary. The plaintiff has sought judicial intervention to prevent the dissipation of those assets. Ellerup's attorney, Robert Macedonio, has characterized the lawsuit as reckless and maintained that both women cooperated fully with law enforcement throughout the investigation. Defense attorney and former prosecutor Eric Faddis provides analysis of the willful blindness standard as applied to a spouse who prosecutors confirmed was absent during each alleged offense, the evidentiary weight of pre-plea public statements, and the legal viability of the unjust enrichment theory.Join Our SubStack For AD-FREE ADVANCE EPISODES & EXTRAS!: https://hiddenkillers.substack.com/Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8-vxmbhTxxG10sO1izODJg?sub_confirmation=1Instagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspodX Twitter https://x.com/TrueCrimePodThis publication contains commentary and opinion based on publicly available information. All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Nothing published here should be taken as a statement of fact, health or legal advice.#AsaEllerup #RexHeuermann #GilgoBeach #WillfulBlindness #TrueCrimeToday #EricFaddis #CivilLiability #WrongfulDeath #UnjustEnrichment #ValerieMack

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Hidden Killers With Tony Brueski | True Crime News & Commentary
Cruise Ship Murder And Gilgo Beach: The Evidence Examined

Hidden Killers With Tony Brueski | True Crime News & Commentary

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 17, 2026 49:02


Two active federal-adjacent cases are moving through courtrooms on opposite coasts, and in both, the evidentiary record is reshaping what accountability looks like for the people standing closest to the accused.In the Anna Kepner case, unsealed federal records reveal that the accused — her sixteen-year-old stepbrother — signed a written waiver requesting adult prosecution on charges of first-degree murder and aggravated sexual abuse. His defense counsel co-signed. Ship surveillance reportedly shows no one else entering or exiting the stateroom. The Miami-Dade Medical Examiner determined the cause of death to be mechanical asphyxiation. The accused's mother has confirmed in a separate custody proceeding that he missed his insomnia medication for two consecutive nights aboard the Carnival Horizon. Federal prosecutors are seeking to revoke his release.In the Heuermann civil case, the evidentiary landscape shifted the moment Rex Heuermann pleaded guilty to eight murders on April 8. Benjamin Torres, the son of victim Valerie Mack, has filed a wrongful death suit naming Heuermann, his ex-wife Asa Ellerup, and their daughter Victoria. The willful blindness claim against Ellerup rests on decades of proximity inside a roughly 1,300-square-foot home, hair evidence on multiple victims, and public statements she made before the confession that dismissed the prosecution's theory. The unjust enrichment claim targets the reported million-dollar documentary payment.Defense attorney and former prosecutor Eric Faddis examines the physical evidence, the defense strategy in both cases, and the legal questions that will determine how each of these stories ends.Join Our SubStack For AD-FREE ADVANCE EPISODES & EXTRAS!: https://hiddenkillers.substack.com/Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8-vxmbhTxxG10sO1izODJg?sub_confirmation=1Instagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspodX Twitter https://x.com/TrueCrimePodThis publication contains commentary and opinion based on publicly available information. All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Nothing published here should be taken as a statement of fact, health or legal advice.#AnnaKepner #AsaEllerup #RexHeuermann #GilgoBeach #CarnivalHorizon #EricFaddis #HiddenKillers #TrueCrime #FederalIndictment #WrongfulDeath

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Hidden Killers With Tony Brueski | True Crime News & Commentary
Asa Ellerup: Willful Blindness and the Heuermann Confession

Hidden Killers With Tony Brueski | True Crime News & Commentary

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 17, 2026 16:18


The civil lawsuit filed against Asa Ellerup does not accuse her of murder. It accuses her of something a jury may find just as difficult to forgive: choosing not to know.Benjamin Torres — who was six years old when his mother Valerie Mack was allegedly killed and dismembered by Rex Heuermann in 2000 — has filed a wrongful death complaint naming Heuermann, Ellerup, and their daughter Victoria. The suit alleges that one or both women knew of, concealed, or deliberately avoided learning material facts about the murders. It further alleges unjust enrichment from a Peacock documentary for which the family reportedly received over a million dollars.The evidentiary foundation of the willful blindness claim rests on specific details. Ellerup shared a home of roughly 1,300 square feet with a secured basement room that featured a metal door. Prosecutors have said the killings occurred while she was away. Her hair was found on multiple victims. Before the guilty plea, she publicly dismissed the prosecution's evidence and called Heuermann her savior. After the plea, she told reporters her thoughts and prayers were with the victims.Defense attorney and former prosecutor Eric Faddis examines the strength of the willful blindness argument against a spouse who prosecutors themselves say was absent during the crimes, the legal weight of statements she made before the confession, and whether the Peacock documentary money transforms a sympathetic figure into one a jury cannot forgive.Join Our SubStack For AD-FREE ADVANCE EPISODES & EXTRAS!: https://hiddenkillers.substack.com/Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8-vxmbhTxxG10sO1izODJg?sub_confirmation=1Instagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspodX Twitter https://x.com/TrueCrimePodThis publication contains commentary and opinion based on publicly available information. All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Nothing published here should be taken as a statement of fact, health or legal advice.#AsaEllerup #RexHeuermann #GilgoBeach #WillfulBlindness #CivilLawsuit #HiddenKillers #TrueCrime #ValerieMack #BenjaminTorres #EricFaddis

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My Crazy Family | A Podcast of Crazy Family Stories
Asa Ellerup's Civil Defense After the Guilty Plea

My Crazy Family | A Podcast of Crazy Family Stories

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 17, 2026 16:18


When Rex Heuermann pleaded guilty to eight murders in Suffolk County Court, the criminal case reached its conclusion. But for his ex-wife Asa Ellerup, a different legal fight is just beginning.A wrongful death lawsuit filed by the son of victim Valerie Mack alleges that Ellerup and her daughter Victoria either knew about, concealed, or deliberately avoided learning of the murders. The complaint also alleges unjust enrichment from a Peacock documentary that reportedly paid the family over a million dollars. Ellerup's attorney has called the suit reckless and maintained that neither woman had any knowledge of or connection to the crimes.Defense attorney and former prosecutor Eric Faddis breaks down the legal architecture of this civil case. He examines whether the willful blindness standard can survive when prosecutors themselves have confirmed Ellerup was away during each killing. He evaluates the precedent of serial offender spouses — cases where wives lived with killers for decades without knowledge — and whether a civil defense can use those cases to reframe Ellerup from an alleged co-conspirator to a victim. Faddis also addresses the documentary money directly: a jury may forgive a woman for not knowing, but the question of whether they will forgive her for profiting is the piece of this case that may prove hardest to defend.Join Our SubStack For AD-FREE ADVANCE EPISODES & EXTRAS!: https://hiddenkillers.substack.com/Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8-vxmbhTxxG10sO1izODJg?sub_confirmation=1Instagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspodX Twitter https://x.com/TrueCrimePodThis publication contains commentary and opinion based on publicly available information. All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Nothing published here should be taken as a statement of fact, health or legal advice.#AsaEllerup #RexHeuermann #GilgoBeach #CivilDefense #HiddenKillersLive #TrueCrime #EricFaddis #WrongfulDeath #WillfulBlindness #ValerieMack

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Dark Side of Wikipedia | True Crime & Dark History
Valerie Mack Lawsuit: Rex Heuermann's Wife Faces Gilgo Beach Reckoning

Dark Side of Wikipedia | True Crime & Dark History

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 16, 2026 42:30


A six-year-old boy loses his mother. Her remains are found dismembered in Manorville the same year she disappears — unidentified, unnamed, forgotten by a system that failed her. Twenty years pass before anyone can put a name to the remains. Rex Heuermann has now pleaded guilty to killing Valerie Mack and six other women. And now that boy, Benjamin Torres, grown into a man still carrying the weight of what was taken from him, has filed a lawsuit that asks a question the legal system has rarely had to answer.The civil complaint targets Heuermann, his ex-wife Asa Ellerup, and their daughter Victoria Heuermann. It alleges concealment, willful blindness, and unjust enrichment — claiming the two women profited from the notoriety of the Gilgo Beach murders through over a million dollars in documentary payments while the families of the victims received nothing. It points to hair evidence recovered from victims' remains, a secured vault-like room in the basement, and public statements the complaint characterizes as efforts to mislead.The defense calls the lawsuit reckless. Prosecutors have maintained the family was out of town during the killings. The daughter was approximately three years old when Valerie Mack was killed. Neither woman has been charged with a crime. And the plaintiff's attorney has a history of making inflammatory public allegations against this family that have generated headlines but not indictments.I walk through the full legal landscape of this case — the emotional core driving the plaintiff, the evidentiary problems the defense will exploit, the statute of limitations hurdle, and the human question underneath all of it: when a serial killer hides in plain sight for decades, who else bears responsibility for the damage he caused?Join Our SubStack For AD-FREE ADVANCE EPISODES & EXTRAS!: https://hiddenkillers.substack.com/Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8-vxmbhTxxG10sO1izODJg?sub_confirmation=1Instagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspodX Twitter https://x.com/TrueCrimePodThis publication contains commentary and opinion based on publicly available information. All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Nothing published here should be taken as a statement of fact, health or legal advice.#TrueCrimeToday #GilgoBeach #AsaEllerup #RexHeuermann #ValerieMack #LISK #TrueCrime #VictoriaHeuermann #GilgoBeachKiller #WrongfulDeath

Hidden Killers With Tony Brueski | True Crime News & Commentary
Rex Heuermann's Family Sued Over Valerie Mack — Gilgo Beach

Hidden Killers With Tony Brueski | True Crime News & Commentary

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 16, 2026 42:30


Rex Heuermann pleaded guilty to murdering seven women and admitted to killing an eighth. That should have been the end of the legal battle. It wasn't. The son of Valerie Mack — one of the victims Heuermann admitted to killing — has filed a sweeping civil lawsuit that goes after the people who were closest to the convicted killer: his ex-wife Asa Ellerup and their daughter Victoria Heuermann.The allegations in this complaint are staggering in their scope. Wrongful death. Aiding and abetting. Civil conspiracy. Unjust enrichment. Fraud. The lawsuit accuses both women of knowing about the murders or deliberately choosing not to know — what the legal system calls willful blindness. It alleges they had access to a secured room with a large metal door in the basement of the Massapequa Park home and that they profited from the crimes through over a million dollars in media payments for a Peacock documentary.But the defense has significant ground to stand on. Prosecutors have said the family was out of town during the killings. Victoria was approximately three years old when Valerie Mack was killed in 2000 — yet the complaint names her as a defendant in concealing that murder. Law enforcement searched the Heuermann home, recovered evidence, and never charged either woman. And the plaintiff's attorney has a documented history of making extreme public accusations against this family that have not resulted in criminal action.I break down every angle of this case — the emotional weight behind the filing, the legal reality the plaintiff has to overcome, and the moral complexity that no verdict can resolve. This is a lawsuit where everybody involved might be a victim of Rex Heuermann in one way or another.Join Our SubStack For AD-FREE ADVANCE EPISODES & EXTRAS!: https://hiddenkillers.substack.com/Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8-vxmbhTxxG10sO1izODJg?sub_confirmation=1Instagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspodX Twitter https://x.com/TrueCrimePodThis publication contains commentary and opinion based on publicly available information. All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Nothing published here should be taken as a statement of fact, health or legal advice.#HiddenKillers #GilgoBeach #AsaEllerup #RexHeuermann #ValerieMack #LISK #VictoriaHeuermann #TrueCrime #GilgoBeachKiller #WrongfulDeath

Dark Side of Wikipedia | True Crime & Dark History
Gilgo Beach: Asa Ellerup Lawsuit Faces Legal Hurdles

Dark Side of Wikipedia | True Crime & Dark History

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 15, 2026 19:07


The wrongful death complaint filed by Benjamin Torres against Rex Heuermann, Asa Ellerup, and Victoria Heuermann in Suffolk County Supreme Court raises significant legal questions about civil liability, evidentiary sufficiency, and the boundaries of the statute of limitations in New York. Torres, the adult son of Gilgo Beach victim Valerie Mack, alleges wrongful death, civil conspiracy, concealment, and unjust enrichment stemming from the family's participation in a Peacock documentary that reportedly generated over a million dollars in compensation.Under New York law, a wrongful death action must generally be filed within two years. Valerie Mack was killed in 2000. The complaint argues the statute should be tolled based on Torres's minority at the time of the killing and the fact that his mother's remains were not publicly identified until 2020. Whether the court accepts that tolling argument will likely be the first dispositive issue in the case.The evidentiary allegations present additional challenges. Hair evidence recovered from victims' remains has been statistically linked to both Ellerup and Victoria Heuermann, but prosecutors in the criminal proceeding attributed that evidence to ordinary household transference — not direct involvement in the crimes. The complaint alleges the family knew of, concealed, or deliberately avoided learning about the murders. But the prosecution's own theory in the criminal case placed the family members outside the home during the killings. District Attorney Ray Tierney has repeatedly stated that neither Ellerup nor Victoria Heuermann has been charged and that both were away when the crimes were committed.Attorney Robert Macedonio, representing Ellerup and Victoria, has called the complaint reckless and expressed confidence it will be dismissed. The filing was brought by attorney John Ray, who previously represented Shannan Gilbert's family and who has made prior public accusations against the Heuermann family that did not result in criminal charges. The defense strategy, the viability of the unjust enrichment claim, and the prospects for dismissal are examined in full.Join Our SubStack For AD-FREE ADVANCE EPISODES & EXTRAS!: https://hiddenkillers.substack.com/Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8-vxmbhTxxG10sO1izODJg?sub_confirmation=1Instagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspodX Twitter https://x.com/TrueCrimePodThis publication contains commentary and opinion based on publicly available information. All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Nothing published here should be taken as a statement of fact, health or legal advice.#GilgoBeach #RexHeuermann #AsaEllerup #VictoriaHeuermann #ValerieMack #WrongfulDeath #StatuteOfLimitations #CivilLaw #TrueCrime #HiddenKillers

Hidden Killers With Tony Brueski | True Crime News & Commentary
Gilgo Lawsuit Targets Ellerup and Daughter's Profits

Hidden Killers With Tony Brueski | True Crime News & Commentary

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 15, 2026 19:07


The first civil lawsuit filed by a Gilgo Beach victim's family member doesn't just target Rex Heuermann. It goes after the people who lived with him. Benjamin Torres — the son of Valerie Mack, whose dismembered remains were found in Manorville and along Ocean Parkway — has named Asa Ellerup and Victoria Heuermann as co-defendants in a sweeping wrongful death action filed in Suffolk County Supreme Court.The evidentiary foundation of this complaint rests on several pillars, and each one has cracks. Hair evidence recovered from victims' remains was statistically linked to Victoria Heuermann and Asa Ellerup — but prosecutors attributed that to ordinary household transference, not direct involvement. The complaint alleges the family knew about or deliberately ignored the murders occurring inside their 1,343-square-foot home — but the prosecution's own criminal case theory placed the family out of town during the killings. The suit targets over a million dollars paid to Ellerup and Victoria for their participation in a Peacock documentary — but the legal pathway to clawing back media compensation as unjust enrichment is narrow and largely untested in this context.Then there's the statute of limitations. New York's wrongful death window is two years. Valerie Mack was killed in 2000. The plaintiff argues the timeline should be extended because Torres was a child when his mother was killed and her remains weren't publicly identified until 2020. Whether that argument survives a motion to dismiss will likely determine whether any of the other allegations ever see a courtroom.The complaint was filed by attorney John Ray, who previously represented Shannan Gilbert's family and has made public accusations against the Heuermann family at press conferences — none of which resulted in charges. The defense attorney representing Ellerup and Victoria called the filing reckless and said he is confident it will be dismissed.Join Our SubStack For AD-FREE ADVANCE EPISODES & EXTRAS!: https://hiddenkillers.substack.com/Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8-vxmbhTxxG10sO1izODJg?sub_confirmation=1Instagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspodX Twitter https://x.com/TrueCrimePodThis publication contains commentary and opinion based on publicly available information. All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Nothing published here should be taken as a statement of fact, health or legal advice.#GilgoBeach #RexHeuermann #AsaEllerup #VictoriaHeuermann #ValerieMack #WrongfulDeath #JohnRay #GilgoBeachKiller #CivilLawsuit #HiddenKillers

My Crazy Family | A Podcast of Crazy Family Stories
Gilgo Beach: Asa Ellerup Lawsuit Defense Breakdown

My Crazy Family | A Podcast of Crazy Family Stories

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 15, 2026 19:07


A defense attorney examines the civil lawsuit filed against Rex Heuermann's ex-wife and daughter — and explains why the complaint may not survive its first legal challenge. Benjamin Torres, the adult son of Gilgo Beach victim Valerie Mack, has sued Asa Ellerup and Victoria Heuermann alongside the now-convicted killer, alleging they knew about the murders, concealed evidence, and collected over a million dollars from a documentary while showing callous disregard for the victims' families.The legal analysis reveals significant vulnerabilities in the complaint. The statute of limitations for wrongful death in New York is two years — and Valerie Mack was killed over two decades before this suit was filed. The plaintiff argues for an extension based on Torres's age at the time and the delayed identification of his mother's remains, but that argument faces serious resistance in motion practice. The hair evidence central to the complaint has been attributed by prosecutors to household transference, not criminal involvement. And the complaint accuses Victoria Heuermann of participating in the concealment of a murder that occurred when she was approximately three years old — a detail the defense has already highlighted publicly.Attorney John Ray, who filed the complaint, has a documented history of making public accusations against the Heuermann family that have not resulted in criminal charges. The defense attorney representing Ellerup and Victoria has called the lawsuit an attempt to remain relevant in a case where Ray's original client had no connection to the Gilgo Beach homicides. The conversation explores how a defense team dismantles inflammatory framing in court, whether documentary profits can legally be characterized as unjust enrichment, and what a motion to dismiss strategy looks like when the prosecution's own case theory contradicts the plaintiff's core allegations.Join Our SubStack For AD-FREE ADVANCE EPISODES & EXTRAS!: https://hiddenkillers.substack.com/Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8-vxmbhTxxG10sO1izODJg?sub_confirmation=1Instagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspodX Twitter https://x.com/TrueCrimePodThis publication contains commentary and opinion based on publicly available information. All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Nothing published here should be taken as a statement of fact, health or legal advice.#GilgoBeach #RexHeuermann #AsaEllerup #VictoriaHeuermann #ValerieMack #WrongfulDeath #DefenseAnalysis #GilgoBeachKiller #CivilLawsuit #HiddenKillers

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Hidden Killers With Tony Brueski | True Crime News & Commentary
Heuermann's Guilty Plea — The Wife and the Defense That Failed

Hidden Killers With Tony Brueski | True Crime News & Commentary

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 12, 2026 41:50


Rex Heuermann pled guilty to seven murders and admitted to killing an eighth victim — Karen Vergata — in Suffolk County Court. Life without parole. Three consecutive life sentences followed by four sentences of 25 years to life. He has agreed to cooperate with the FBI. There will be no trial.For the families, the guilty plea provides certainty and a sentence. But it takes away the public accounting — the testimony, the cross-examination, the moment where every piece of evidence is laid bare in open court. Criminal defense attorney Bob Motta examines what actually drove this plea. Every pre-trial motion was denied — the DNA exclusion challenge, the push for separate trials, the 178-page omnibus motion. Whole genome sequencing linking Heuermann's DNA to hairs found on victims was admitted for the first time in a New York courtroom. A deleted planning document recovered from his hard drive allegedly detailed methodologies for the killings. When every legal door closes and the sentence is the same either way, Motta explains what a defendant actually gains from pleading — and what the families of Melissa Barthelemy, Maureen Brainard-Barnes, Amber Costello, Sandra Costilla, Valerie Mack, Jessica Taylor, and Megan Waterman lose.Then the focus shifts to the people inside that house. Asa Ellerup called Heuermann her savior. She maintained she would have known if something was wrong. Outside the courthouse after the plea, she asked for privacy and expressed sympathy for the victims' families. Their daughter Victoria was seated in the courtroom. She has publicly said she believes her father most likely committed the killings. Same family. Same evidence. Opposite conclusions.Psychotherapist Shavaun Scott examines the psychology of "not knowing." Prosecutors allege Heuermann operated around his family's schedule — acting when Asa and the children were away. Investigators recovered violent content and checklists from his devices. Asa's own hair was reportedly found on victims. Scott breaks down how the mind constructs walls that allow a person to live beside evidence they cannot process, why identity anchoring to a partner can override observable reality, and what a guilty plea does to the psychological architecture that sustained decades of reported unawareness.Join Our SubStack For AD-FREE ADVANCE EPISODES & EXTRAS!: https://hiddenkillers.substack.com/Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8-vxmbhTxxG10sO1izODJg?sub_confirmation=1Instagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspodX Twitter https://x.com/TrueCrimePodThis publication contains commentary and opinion based on publicly available information. All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Nothing published here should be taken as a statement of fact, health or legal advice.#RexHeuermann #GilgoBeachKiller #LISK #AsaEllerup #GuiltyPlea #BobMotta #ShavaunScott #LongIslandSerialKiller #TrueCrime #HiddenKillers

Profiling Evil Podcast with Mike King
Rex Heuermann Pleads Guilty, What Long Island Serial Killer Admission Really Means | Profiling Evil

Profiling Evil Podcast with Mike King

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 11, 2026 62:10


Rex Heuermann has now pleaded guilty, and that changes the conversation in a big way. In this episode, I sit down with documentary filmmaker Josh Zeman to break down what happened inside the courtroom, what this plea may reveal, and what questions still hang over the Long Island Serial Killer investigation. We talk about the victims, the plea, the behavioral significance of a confession like this, and the possibility that investigators may still be working toward answers in cases that remain unresolved. We also dig into the geography of the case, why location matters, how dump-site patterns can tell a story, and what mapping can reveal when you start looking at victim recovery sites, travel routes, hunting areas, and offender comfort zones.Most important, we keep the focus where it belongs, on the victims and the families who have waited years for answers: Maureen Brainard-Barnes, Melissa Barthelemy, Megan Waterman, Amber Lynn Costello, Jessica Taylor, Sandra Costilla, Valerie Mack, and Karen Vergata. This case has never just been about one arrest. It's been about behavior, victim selection, concealment, geography, and whether this plea closes the door, or opens new ones. If you're following the Gilgo Beach investigation, the Rex Heuermann case, or the role crime mapping can play in understanding offender movement and body recovery patterns, this is a discussion you won't want to miss.#RexHeuermann #LISK #GilgoBeach #LongIslandSerialKiller #MaureenBrainardBarnes #MelissaBarthelemy #MeganWaterman #AmberLynnCostello #JessicaTaylor #SandraCostilla #ValerieMack #KarenVergata #AsianDoe #TrueCrime #CrimeNews #CriminalBehavior #BehavioralAnalysis #Victimology #ColdCase #SerialKiller #GIS #Esri #mapping #crimemap========================================CrimeCon Discount Code: https://crimecon.regfox.com/cctw3ntys1x (In Voucher/Coupon area, enter: PROFILINGEVIL========================================https://gamutpodcasts.com/show/gardensofevilinsidethezionsocietycult/========================================20% OFF Newspapers.comhttps://www.newspapers.com/go/podcast/?ref=profilingevil?xid=8877&utm_source=ProfilingEvilPodcast&utm_medium=podcst&utm_campaign=ProfilingEvil26========================================Email your questions to: ProfilingEvil@gmail.com========================================

Dark Side of Wikipedia | True Crime & Dark History
Rex Heuermann's Plea and the Duggar Charges: Legal and Behavioral Dimensions

Dark Side of Wikipedia | True Crime & Dark History

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 10, 2026 55:48


Two cases with distinct legal landscapes, both producing significant procedural questions.Rex Heuermann, 62, has pleaded guilty in Suffolk County Court to three counts of first-degree murder and four counts of intentional murder in the Gilgo Beach serial killing case. He admitted to intentionally causing the death of Karen Vergata under the plea agreement. Sentencing is set for June — life without parole. He has agreed to cooperate with the FBI's behavioral analysis unit. A wrongful death civil suit has been filed by the son of victim Valerie Mack, naming Heuermann, his ex-wife, and their daughter. No trial means no cross-examination, no public presentation of the full evidentiary record, and no jury verdict. The cooperation agreement introduces a separate investigative track whose scope and findings remain to be seen.Joseph Duggar, 31, faces two felony charges in Bay County, Florida — lewd and lascivious molestation of a victim under twelve and lewd and lascivious conduct. He has pleaded not guilty. Bond was set at six hundred thousand dollars. His Florida arraignment is pending. He and his wife Kendra face separate Arkansas misdemeanor charges — four counts each of second-degree endangering the welfare of a minor and four counts each of second-degree false imprisonment. Both have pending court dates in Elm Springs District Court. The evidentiary record includes what investigators describe as two pre-counsel admissions.On Hidden Killers Live With Tony Brueski & Robin Dreeke, defense attorney and former prosecutor Eric Faddis provides legal analysis of both cases — plea mechanics, civil liability, admissibility challenges, and multi-jurisdiction exposure. Robin Dreeke examines the behavioral dimensions that connect both cases through the lens of his FBI career.Join Our SubStack For AD-FREE ADVANCE EPISODES & EXTRAS!: https://hiddenkillers.substack.com/Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8-vxmbhTxxG10sO1izODJg?sub_confirmation=1Instagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspodX Twitter https://x.com/TrueCrimePodThis publication contains commentary and opinion based on publicly available information. All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Nothing published here should be taken as a statement of fact, health or legal advice.#RexHeuermann #JosephDuggar #GilgoBeach #GuiltyPlea #FloridaFelony #EricFaddis #DuggarFamily #FBICooperation #TrueCrimeToday #LegalAnalysis

Dark Side of Wikipedia | True Crime & Dark History
After Heuermann's Plea: Wrongful Death Lawsuit, FBI Cooperation, and Unresolved Questions

Dark Side of Wikipedia | True Crime & Dark History

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 10, 2026 12:47


Rex Heuermann's guilty plea resolves the criminal charges. It does not resolve everything else.A wrongful death lawsuit filed by the son of victim Valerie Mack names Heuermann, his ex-wife Asa Ellerup, and their daughter Victoria as defendants. The suit alleges the family profited from a Peacock documentary about the case and showed callous disregard for victims' families. Ellerup's attorney, Robert Macedonio, has called the lawsuit reckless and stated that the individual responsible acted alone. Legal observers note that the guilty plea could help establish liability quickly and accelerate proceedings toward damages.The cooperation agreement between Heuermann and the FBI's behavioral analysis unit introduces a separate investigative track. The terms of that cooperation — what Heuermann has agreed to provide and what the Bureau is pursuing — extend beyond the scope of the charges that have been resolved. Whether additional cases, additional victims, or additional behavioral data emerge from that cooperation remains to be seen.Sentencing is scheduled for June. A pre-sentence report will be prepared, and both sides will have the opportunity to make arguments before the judge. Victims' families will have the opportunity to provide impact statements.On Hidden Killers Live With Tony Brueski & Robin Dreeke, defense attorney and former prosecutor Eric Faddis examines the civil litigation track and its intersection with the criminal resolution. Robin Dreeke assesses the behavioral cooperation agreement and its investigative implications.Join Our SubStack For AD-FREE ADVANCE EPISODES & EXTRAS!: https://hiddenkillers.substack.com/Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8-vxmbhTxxG10sO1izODJg?sub_confirmation=1Instagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspodX Twitter https://x.com/TrueCrimePodThis publication contains commentary and opinion based on publicly available information. All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Nothing published here should be taken as a statement of fact, health or legal advice.#RexHeuermann #GilgoBeach #WrongfulDeath #FBICooperation #GuiltyPlea #Sentencing #EricFaddis #ValerieMack #TrueCrimeToday #LegalAnalysis

Dark Side of Wikipedia | True Crime & Dark History
Rex Heuermann Pleads Guilty: Three First-Degree Counts and FBI Cooperation

Dark Side of Wikipedia | True Crime & Dark History

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 10, 2026 20:24


Rex Heuermann, 62, has pleaded guilty in Suffolk County Court to three counts of first-degree murder and four counts of intentional murder in the Gilgo Beach serial killing case. He also admitted under the terms of the plea agreement to intentionally causing the death of Karen Vergata, whose case will not result in a separate charge. In exchange for the guilty plea and full cooperation with the FBI's behavioral analysis unit, Heuermann will be sentenced to life without parole — three consecutive life sentences followed by four sentences of twenty-five years to life. Sentencing is scheduled for June.The plea resolves charges connected to the deaths of Melissa Barthelemy, Maureen Brainard-Barnes, Amber Lynn Costello, Sandra Costilla, Valerie Mack, Jessica Taylor, and Megan Waterman — all killed between 1993 and 2011. The investigation that identified Heuermann began in 2022 when detectives connected him to a Chevrolet Avalanche pickup truck witnessed during one victim's disappearance. A grand jury subsequently authorized over three hundred subpoenas and search warrants.The procedural implications of this plea are significant. No trial means no cross-examination of witnesses, no public presentation of the full evidentiary record, and no jury weighing the evidence. The cooperation agreement with the FBI's behavioral analysis unit suggests federal investigators believe Heuermann may have information relevant beyond the scope of the current charges. A wrongful death lawsuit has also been filed by the son of victim Valerie Mack, naming Heuermann, his ex-wife Asa Ellerup, and their daughter Victoria.On Hidden Killers Live With Tony Brueski & Robin Dreeke, defense attorney and former prosecutor Eric Faddis provides legal analysis of the plea structure, the cooperation terms, and the civil litigation implications. Robin Dreeke examines the behavioral dimensions — what the FBI's pursuit of cooperation signals about the broader investigative picture.Join Our SubStack For AD-FREE ADVANCE EPISODES & EXTRAS!: https://hiddenkillers.substack.com/Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8-vxmbhTxxG10sO1izODJg?sub_confirmation=1Instagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspodX Twitter https://x.com/TrueCrimePodThis publication contains commentary and opinion based on publicly available information. All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Nothing published here should be taken as a statement of fact, health or legal advice.#RexHeuermann #GilgoBeach #GuiltyPlea #FirstDegreeMurder #SuffolkCounty #FBICooperation #EricFaddis #TrueCrimeToday #LongIslandSerialKiller #CriminalJustice

Hidden Killers With Tony Brueski | True Crime News & Commentary
Gilgo Beach Guilty Plea and Duggar Charges: The Evidence Examined

Hidden Killers With Tony Brueski | True Crime News & Commentary

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 10, 2026 55:48


The evidentiary record in both of these cases is extensive — and it keeps expanding.Rex Heuermann has pleaded guilty to seven counts of murder in the Gilgo Beach serial killing case and admitted to killing an eighth victim, Karen Vergata. The investigation that built this case used DNA analysis, burner phone billing records, vehicle identification databases, and a digital blueprint recovered from Heuermann's computer that prosecutors described as a methodology document for killing. Investigators found a basement vault with hundreds of weapons. Heuermann's ex-wife's hair was recovered from victims through what prosecutors describe as household transfer. Heuermann has agreed to cooperate with the FBI's behavioral analysis unit. A wrongful death lawsuit has been filed by the family of victim Valerie Mack.Joseph Duggar faces Florida felony charges — lewd and lascivious molestation of a victim under twelve and lewd and lascivious conduct — after allegedly admitting to the abuse in two separate documented instances before retaining counsel. He and his wife Kendra also face Arkansas misdemeanor charges for child endangerment and false imprisonment. Josh Duggar is serving a federal sentence. Jim Bob Duggar's decision to handle Josh's earlier conduct internally is documented in the public record.On Hidden Killers Live With Tony Brueski & Robin Dreeke, the panel discussion with defense attorney Eric Faddis and Robin Dreeke examines the evidence, the legal landscape, and the behavioral patterns connecting both cases.Join Our SubStack For AD-FREE ADVANCE EPISODES & EXTRAS!: https://hiddenkillers.substack.com/Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8-vxmbhTxxG10sO1izODJg?sub_confirmation=1Instagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspodX Twitter https://x.com/TrueCrimePodThis publication contains commentary and opinion based on publicly available information. All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Nothing published here should be taken as a statement of fact, health or legal advice.#RexHeuermann #GilgoBeach #JosephDuggar #DuggarFamily #GuiltyPlea #Evidence #RobinDreeke #EricFaddis #HiddenKillers #CriminalJustice

Hidden Killers With Tony Brueski | True Crime News & Commentary
Inside the Heuermann Family's Courtroom Moment — and the Lawsuit That Followed

Hidden Killers With Tony Brueski | True Crime News & Commentary

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 10, 2026 12:47


When Rex Heuermann pleaded guilty in Suffolk County Court, his ex-wife Asa Ellerup and their daughter Victoria were seated in the last row of a packed courtroom. The victims' families occupied reserved seats closer to the front. Some wept as Heuermann described his crimes.The dynamic inside that room deserves examination. Ellerup, who was married to Heuermann for nearly three decades, has maintained that she had no knowledge of his alleged crimes. Prosecutors say her own hair was recovered from victims' remains — transferred through ordinary household contact, not through direct involvement. Victoria has publicly said she believes her father most likely committed the killings. The mother maintained doubt. The daughter arrived at belief. And both were present in the room when the question was settled by Heuermann's own admission.A wrongful death lawsuit filed by the son of Valerie Mack — one of the seven victims named in the guilty plea — now names Heuermann, Ellerup, and Victoria as defendants. The suit alleges the family profited from a Peacock documentary and showed disregard for the victims' families. Ellerup's attorney called the suit reckless and said the individual responsible acted alone.On Hidden Killers Live With Tony Brueski & Robin Dreeke, the panel discussion continues with Eric Faddis providing legal analysis of the civil litigation and Robin Dreeke examining the behavioral dimensions of the family aftermath — including what the FBI's behavioral analysis cooperation may still expand.Join Our SubStack For AD-FREE ADVANCE EPISODES & EXTRAS!: https://hiddenkillers.substack.com/Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8-vxmbhTxxG10sO1izODJg?sub_confirmation=1Instagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspodX Twitter https://x.com/TrueCrimePodThis publication contains commentary and opinion based on publicly available information. All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Nothing published here should be taken as a statement of fact, health or legal advice.#RexHeuermann #GilgoBeach #AsaEllerup #VictoriaHeuermann #WrongfulDeath #GilgoBeachKiller #HiddenKillers #ValerieMack #EricFaddis #SerialKiller

Dark Side of Wikipedia | True Crime & Dark History
Heuermann's Expected Gilgo Beach Plea Analyzed

Dark Side of Wikipedia | True Crime & Dark History

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 8, 2026 18:25


Rex Heuermann, 62, the former Massapequa Park architect charged with seven counts of murder in connection with the Gilgo Beach serial killings, is reportedly expected to change his plea from not guilty at his next scheduled court appearance. Sources familiar with the case indicate victims' families and Heuermann's own family have been notified. The expected sentence is life without the possibility of parole.Criminal defense attorney Bob Motta provides legal analysis of the plea's strategic mechanics. The defense's pre-trial motions — challenges to whole genome sequencing DNA evidence, a request to try the cases separately, and a 178-page omnibus motion — were all denied by Judge Timothy Mazzei. Motta examines how that systematic closure of legal options typically drives plea negotiations, what Heuermann's calculus looks like when the sentence is reportedly identical whether he pleads or is convicted at trial, and the evidentiary weight of the prosecution's case, including cellphone records, internet search history, and an alleged planning document recovered from the defendant's computer.Motta also addresses the procedural consequences for the seven victims' families — Melissa Barthelemy, Maureen Brainard-Barnes, Amber Lynn Costello, Sandra Costilla, Valerie Mack, Jessica Taylor, and Megan Waterman — who lose the public trial process, and for the additional uncharged victims along the Long Island corridor whose cases may receive no courtroom resolution.The plea has not been formally entered and must be accepted by the presiding judge. Heuermann had been scheduled for trial in September.Join Our SubStack For AD-FREE ADVANCE EPISODES & EXTRAS!: https://hiddenkillers.substack.com/Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8-vxmbhTxxG10sO1izODJg?sub_confirmation=1Instagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspodX Twitter https://x.com/TrueCrimePodThis publication contains commentary and opinion based on publicly available information. All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Nothing published here should be taken as a statement of fact, health or legal advice.#RexHeuermann #GilgoBeach #LISK #GuiltyPlea #SuffolkCounty #TrueCrime #HiddenKillers #LegalAnalysis #TrueCrimeToday #SerialKiller

Hidden Killers With Tony Brueski | True Crime News & Commentary
Rex Heuermann Reportedly Ready to Admit Seven Murders

Hidden Killers With Tony Brueski | True Crime News & Commentary

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 8, 2026 18:25


Every legal door closed before the expected plea. The DNA challenges were rejected. The motion to split cases was denied. The 178-page omnibus filing was dismissed. And according to multiple sources, Rex Heuermann — charged with seven murders spanning from 1993 to 2010 along Long Island's Gilgo Beach corridor — is reportedly prepared to change his plea from not guilty.Criminal defense attorney Bob Motta examines what it takes to get a defendant who maintained his innocence for nearly three years to this point. The prosecution's case includes DNA evidence obtained through whole genome sequencing — a technology never before admitted in a New York courtroom — cellphone data linking Heuermann to victims before their disappearances, and an alleged document recovered from his computer described as a blueprint for the killings. Motta breaks down how that evidence landscape systematically eliminated the defense's options, what Heuermann gains or loses from a plea carrying the same life-without-parole sentence he'd face at trial, and what this means for the families who were preparing for a public reckoning.The seven women Heuermann is charged with killing — Melissa Barthelemy, Maureen Brainard-Barnes, Amber Lynn Costello, Sandra Costilla, Valerie Mack, Jessica Taylor, and Megan Waterman — and the additional uncharged victims along the corridor are at the center of what a guilty plea closes and what it leaves unresolved.Join Our SubStack For AD-FREE ADVANCE EPISODES & EXTRAS!: https://hiddenkillers.substack.com/Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8-vxmbhTxxG10sO1izODJg?sub_confirmation=1Instagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspodX Twitter https://x.com/TrueCrimePodThis publication contains commentary and opinion based on publicly available information. All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Nothing published here should be taken as a statement of fact, health or legal advice.#RexHeuermann #GilgoBeach #GilgoBeachKiller #LISK #GuiltyPlea #TrueCrime #HiddenKillers #SerialKiller #SuffolkCounty #LongIsland

Hidden Killers With Tony Brueski | True Crime News & Commentary
Rex Heuermann and Jessica Taylor: Two Gilgo Beach Dump Sites

Hidden Killers With Tony Brueski | True Crime News & Commentary

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 8, 2026 16:38


Her remains were split across Manorville and Gilgo Beach. Eight years apart. Forty miles between them. Jessica Taylor was 20 years old and working near Port Authority when she vanished in 2003. Prosecutors say the man who allegedly killed her worked in the same Midtown neighborhood — and brought surgical drapes and hand-powered saws with him.Episode 3 of "The Seven." This one breaks down the case that reveals the most about the alleged methodology. The planning document prosecutors recovered from Heuermann's basement laptop. The forensic links between Jessica's dismemberment and Valerie Mack's. The DNA on the surgical drape. The violent online content that prosecutors say mirrored what was done to Jessica's body.Jessica was the youngest victim. She was working in the margins of a city that didn't notice her absence. According to prosecutors, the man who allegedly encountered her had been doing this for a decade by 2003 and had evolved his process to the point of bringing medical-grade materials and maintaining written protocols. Her life, the forensic evidence, and the full weight of the prosecution's case — all covered here.Join Our SubStack For AD-FREE ADVANCE EPISODES & EXTRAS!: https://hiddenkillers.substack.com/Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8-vxmbhTxxG10sO1izODJg?sub_confirmation=1Instagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspodX Twitter https://x.com/TrueCrimePodThis publication contains commentary and opinion based on publicly available information. All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Nothing published here should be taken as a statement of fact, health or legal advice.#JessicaTaylor #RexHeuermann #GilgoBeach #Manorville #LISK #HiddenKillers #TheSeven #TrueCrime #ColdCase #GilgoBeachKiller

Dark Side of Wikipedia | True Crime & Dark History
Valerie Mack: Rex Heuermann Charged in LISK Jane Doe Murder

Dark Side of Wikipedia | True Crime & Dark History

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 7, 2026 16:55


She was 24 years old when she was killed. She sat unidentified for twenty years. And when genetic genealogy finally gave her back her name in 2020, her own son — now an adult — was the one whose DNA confirmed it. Valerie Mack's story is one of the most devastating in the Gilgo Beach case.Episode 2 of "The Seven." Valerie was born in Atlantic City, placed in foster care, adopted by the Mack family, estranged from her son by her early twenties. She was working as an escort in Philadelphia when she vanished. Nobody reported her missing. Her torso was found in Manorville in 2000. More remains surfaced along Ocean Parkway in 2011. For all of that time — Jane Doe Number Six.The evidence prosecutors allege ties Rex Heuermann to Valerie's death includes DNA from his household on her remains, matching tool marks linking her dismemberment to another victim in this series, and newspaper clippings about her case found in his home. The planning document prosecutors recovered from his laptop includes a "body prep" note to "remove head and hands" — matching exactly what was done to Valerie. Her life, the forensic trail, and every piece of the prosecution's case — covered here.Join Our SubStack For AD-FREE ADVANCE EPISODES & EXTRAS!: https://hiddenkillers.substack.com/Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8-vxmbhTxxG10sO1izODJg?sub_confirmation=1Instagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspodX Twitter https://x.com/TrueCrimePodThis publication contains commentary and opinion based on publicly available information. All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Nothing published here should be taken as a statement of fact, health or legal advice.#ValerieMack #RexHeuermann #GilgoBeach #JaneDoe #LISK #TrueCrime #ColdCase #TrueCrimeToday #GilgoBeachKiller #TheSeven

Hidden Killers With Tony Brueski | True Crime News & Commentary
Rex Heuermann and Valerie Mack: Gilgo's Twenty-Year Silence

Hidden Killers With Tony Brueski | True Crime News & Commentary

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 7, 2026 16:55


Nobody reported Valerie Mack missing. She was 24, a mother, adopted into a family that chose her — and when she disappeared from Port Republic, New Jersey, in 2000, not a single person filed a report. Her dismembered remains were found in Manorville by a hunter's dog. She sat unidentified for two decades. Jane Doe Number Six. A case file with no name.Episode 2 of "The Seven." Valerie's story goes from Atlantic City to foster care to Philadelphia to the woods of Long Island. The evidence prosecutors say connects Heuermann to her death includes DNA from his own household found on her remains, newspaper clippings about her case allegedly kept as souvenirs in his home, and a planning document with a "body prep" note matching the condition of her body.Her son Benjamin grew up without her. His DNA ultimately confirmed her identity in 2020. His attorney has said publicly that if the full facts don't come out, they intend to pursue this further. Valerie's life, the twenty years of silence, the genetic genealogy breakthrough, and every piece of evidence prosecutors have laid out — all covered here.Join Our SubStack For AD-FREE ADVANCE EPISODES & EXTRAS!: https://hiddenkillers.substack.com/Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8-vxmbhTxxG10sO1izODJg?sub_confirmation=1Instagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspodX Twitter https://x.com/TrueCrimePodThis publication contains commentary and opinion based on publicly available information. All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Nothing published here should be taken as a statement of fact, health or legal advice.#ValerieMack #RexHeuermann #GilgoBeach #JaneDoe #LISK #ColdCase #HiddenKillers #TheSeven #TrueCrime #GilgoBeachKiller

Dark Side of Wikipedia | True Crime & Dark History
Heuermann Expected to Plead Guilty in Gilgo Murders

Dark Side of Wikipedia | True Crime & Dark History

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 6, 2026 14:30


After nearly three years of maintaining his innocence, Rex Heuermann is expected to change his plea to guilty at an April 8th court appearance, according to sources familiar with his decision. If a judge accepts the plea, the case would end without a trial. Heuermann reportedly faces life without the possibility of parole.Heuermann, 62, a former architect from Massapequa Park, New York, has been held without bail at Suffolk County jail since his July 2023 arrest. He is charged with the first-degree murders of seven women: Melissa Barthelemy, Megan Waterman, Amber Lynn Costello, Maureen Brainard-Barnes, Jessica Taylor, Sandra Costilla, and Valerie Mack. The victims were allegedly killed between 1993 and 2010. Their remains were discovered in isolated areas along Ocean Parkway near Gilgo Beach and elsewhere on Long Island.Prosecutors have said the evidence includes DNA analysis connecting hair found on the remains of multiple victims to Heuermann and reportedly to his ex-wife and daughter. Cellphone data allegedly placed Heuermann in contact with victims shortly before their disappearances. Investigators also recovered files from his computer described as a planning document containing checklists that reportedly referenced limiting noise, cleaning bodies, and destroying evidence.Heuermann's defense had sought to exclude the DNA evidence and to split the case into separate trials. Both motions were denied. A trial had been scheduled for September 2026.Retired FBI Special Agent Jennifer Coffindaffer examines the legal and investigative implications — what a plea reversal from a defendant who has fought this aggressively typically signals, what the families gain and lose when a serial murder case resolves without a public trial, and what happens to the additional unresolved cases connected to the Gilgo Beach investigation.Join Our SubStack For AD-FREE ADVANCE EPISODES & EXTRAS!: https://hiddenkillers.substack.com/Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8-vxmbhTxxG10sO1izODJg?sub_confirmation=1Instagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspodX Twitter https://x.com/TrueCrimePodThis publication contains commentary and opinion based on publicly available information. All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Nothing published here should be taken as a statement of fact, health or legal advice.#RexHeuermann #GilgoBeach #GuiltyPlea #LongIsland #SuffolkCounty #TrueCrimeToday #DNA #SerialKiller #HiddenKillers #TrueCrime

Hidden Killers With Tony Brueski | True Crime News & Commentary
Gilgo Beach: The Blueprint, the DNA, and the Plea

Hidden Killers With Tony Brueski | True Crime News & Commentary

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 6, 2026 14:30


Investigators found what prosecutors described as a planning document on Rex Heuermann's computer — checklists reportedly referencing how to limit noise, clean bodies, and destroy evidence. They recovered DNA connecting hair found on the remains of multiple victims not only to Heuermann but reportedly to his ex-wife and daughter. They linked his cellphone data to contact with victims before their disappearances. His defense fought to exclude the DNA. Fought to split the trials. Lost every motion filed.And now, according to sources familiar with his decision, Heuermann is expected to plead guilty at his next court appearance on April 8th.Rex Heuermann, 62, has been held without bail at Suffolk County jail since his July 2023 arrest. He's charged with the murders of seven women — Melissa Barthelemy, Megan Waterman, Amber Lynn Costello, Maureen Brainard-Barnes, Jessica Taylor, Sandra Costilla, and Valerie Mack — allegedly killed across nearly two decades. Their remains were found along Ocean Parkway near Gilgo Beach and in other isolated areas on Long Island.If a judge accepts the plea, there will be no trial. No public testimony. No cross-examination. Heuermann reportedly faces life without parole.Retired FBI Special Agent Jennifer Coffindaffer examines what this plea means for the investigation — what it reveals about a defendant who fought this hard suddenly reversing course, whether the groundbreaking DNA technology at the center of this case becomes a legal footnote, and what happens to the families whose loved ones' cases remain unresolved beyond Heuermann's charges.Join Our SubStack For AD-FREE ADVANCE EPISODES & EXTRAS!: https://hiddenkillers.substack.com/Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8-vxmbhTxxG10sO1izODJg?sub_confirmation=1Instagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspodX Twitter https://x.com/TrueCrimePodThis publication contains commentary and opinion based on publicly available information. All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Nothing published here should be taken as a statement of fact, health or legal advice.#RexHeuermann #GilgoBeach #LongIsland #DNA #GuiltyPlea #SerialKiller #HiddenKillers #TrueCrime #SuffolkCounty #Coffindaffer