He fought for nearly three years. His defense challenged the DNA evidence, filed motion after motion, and lost every single one. Then Rex Heuermann stood up in a Riverhead courtroom and pleaded guilty to murdering seven women — and admitted to killing an eighth. After nearly three years of insisting he was innocent, including through tears at his first court appearance, the fight was over. This look back, with retired FBI Special Agent Jennifer Coffindaffer, examines what a sudden plea reversal from a defendant who fought this hard actually signals. Prosecutors recovered files from Heuermann's computer described as a planning document — reportedly referencing preparation, cleanup, and evidence destruction. DNA evidence connected hair found on the remains of multiple victims not only to Heuermann but to members of his family. His own daughter publicly said she believes her father is guilty. Coffindaffer breaks down what the evidence looked like from the inside and why the two pre-trial rulings — admitting the DNA and denying separate trials — changed the calculus entirely. The segment also examines what families gain and lose when a case this massive ends without a trial. Some waited decades. They got a plea hearing where Heuermann answered the prosecutor's questions without emotion and described the cause of death in a single word. He's expected to be sentenced to three consecutive life terms plus an additional hundred years, and has agreed to cooperate with the FBI's Behavioral Analysis Unit. We revisit where the case stood at the time of our reporting. 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/TrueCrimePod 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. #RexHeuermann #GilgoBeachKiller #LISK #GuiltyPlea #JenniferCoffindaffer #LongIslandSerialKiller #TrueCrime #DNA #GilgoBeach #HiddenKillers