Closing a chapter in one of Long Island’s most horrific criminal cases, family members of seven Gilgo Beach murder victims are expected to address the court Wednesday during the sentencing of convicted serial killer Rex Heuermann in Suffolk County Supreme Court.
According to a letter submitted by the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office to Supreme Court Justice Timothy P. Mazzei, relatives of seven victims are expected to provide victim impact statements during the sentencing hearing.
Family members scheduled to speak include relatives of Valerie Mack, Jessica Taylor, Maureen Brainard-Barnes, Melissa Barthelemy, Megan Waterman, Amber Costello, and Sandra Costilla.
Among those expected to address the court are Valerie Mack’s adoptive parents, Ed and JoAnn Mack, her adoptive sister Danielle Mack, and her son Benjamin “Aaron” Torres. Jessica Taylor’s cousins Jasmine Robinson and Violet Swager are also listed to speak, along with Maureen Brainard-Barnes’ sister Melissa “Missy” Cann and daughter Nicolette Brainard-Barnes.
Melissa Barthelemy’s sister Amanda Funderburg is scheduled to deliver remarks, while Megan Waterman’s aunt Elizabeth Meserve and daughter Liliana Waterman are also expected to address the court.
The District Attorney’s Office indicated that several statements may be read on behalf of family members, including those connected to Amber Costello and Sandra Costilla.
The sentencing hearing marks one of the final chapters in a case that has drawn national attention and devastated the families of the women whose remains were discovered along Ocean Parkway and elsewhere on Long Island.
Additional updates from the sentencing hearing will be provided as they become available.
