Karen Vergata was a 34-year-old from Manhattan who disappeared in 1996 and was believed to be working as an escort.
Suspected Gilgo Beach serial killer Rex Heuermann is expected to plead guilty on Wednesday in the death of an eighth woman, according to multiple sources. Karen Vergata was a 34-year-old from Manhattan who disappeared in 1996 and was believed to be working as an escort.
Heuermann is expected to plead guilty to the murders of seven women, but Vergata's murder will now be included, making for a total of eight women. Vergata for many years was referred to as "Fire Island Jane Doe" because her legs and feet were found on the Bay Side of Fire Island in April of 1996 . Fifteen years later additional remains of hers were found at Tobay Beach, according to investigators. Heuermann's alleged killing spree spans from 1993 through 2010 and he has maintained his innocence since his arrest in July of 2023. District Attorney Ray Tierney posted on social media on Tuesday, saying there would be a "Major Development in the Gilgo Beach Homicide investigation." Ahead of Wednesday's pivotal court appearance, Benjamin Torres, the son of victim Valerie Mack, filed a wrongful death lawsuit in the case.Heuermann, a New York City architect, was arrested in 2023. He had pleaded not guilty to killing the seven women, some of whom were sex workers. The first victim was Sandra Costilla, killed in 1993. Mack was killed in 2000 and Jessica Taylor was killed in 2003. Partial remains of Taylor and Mack were found near Gilgo Beach and in Manorville on Long Island, while Costilla was found in North Sea on Long Island. Maureen Brainard-Barnes was killed in 2007 and found near Gilgo Beach. Megan Waterman, Melissa Barthelemy and Amber Lynn Costello were killed between 2009 and 2010 and also recovered near Gilgo Beach. Have a breaking news tip or an idea for a story we should cover? Send it to Eyewitness News using the form below. If attaching a video or photo,Police identify woman fatally struck by ambulance in Midwood
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