Tag: serial

Excavator Seen Digging in Backyard of Man Charged in Gilgo Beach Killings

MASSAPEQUA PARK, N.Y.—Investigators have been digging in the yard at the Long Island home of Rex Heuermann, who was charged earlier this month with killing at least three women and burying their remains on a remote stretch of beach highway. A yellow excavator that had been seen scooping dirt in the backyard Sunday was still…


He Came Face to Face With an Alleged Serial Killer; 12 Years Later, His Tip Helped Crack the Case

NEW YORK—In the winter of 2010, shortly after police discovered the remains of his roommate and three other women buried on a remote stretch of Long Island shoreline, Dave Schaller provided detectives with a description of the person he believed to be the killer. More crucially, Mr. Schaller told them about his truck. The man…


Police Investigating the Gilgo Beach Killings Have Searched a Long Island Storage Facility

AMITYVILLE, N.Y.—Detectives investigating the long-unsolved murders known as the Gilgo Beach killings searched a storage facility in the Long Island community of Amityville over the weekend, police said. Suffolk County police confirmed Monday that detectives executed a search warrant at Omega Self Storage on Sunrise Highway related to the investigation that led to last week’s…


Long Island Serial Killer Probe Not Over After Architect Is Charged in 3 of 11 Deaths

RIVERHEAD, N.Y.—Authorities on Long Island are vowing to continue investigating a string of killings known as the Gilgo Beach murders after charging an architect in the deaths of three of the 11 victims. Rex Heuermann, 59, is accused of killing Melissa Barthelemy, Megan Waterman, and Amber Costello over a decade ago. He is also considered…


A New Look at an Old Clue Helps Investigators Arrest the Man Accused of Gilgo Beach Murders

MASSAPEQUA PARK, N.Y.—The first find was startling: a woman’s skeletal remains cast into the dunes along a remote Long Island highway. Then came the shock. Days after that discovery in December 2010, police discovered parts of three more women nearby on a spit of sand known as Gilgo Beach. The remains of six other people…


Expert Finds California Serial Stabbing Suspect Mentally Unfit, Jury to Decide Competency

WOODLAND, Calif.—A California jury will determine the mental competency of a former university student charged in the stabbing deaths of two people and attempted murder of a third, all violent attacks that rocked the usually placid college town of Davis. A medical expert ordered by the court to review the mental state of Carlos Dominguez,…


Remains of Georgia Woman Identified, Confirmed as Serial Killer’s 1977 Victim

MACON, Ga.—The remains of a Georgia woman killed 46 years ago were identified and confirmed as a victim of Samuel Little, known as the most prolific serial killer in U.S. history, authorities said Thursday. Yvonne Pless was about 20 when Little killed her in 1977, according to a news release from the Bibb County Sheriff’s…


Florida Man Guilty in 2017 Serial Killings of 4 People

A Florida man pleaded guilty Monday to randomly shooting four people in a 2017 killing rampage. Howell Donaldson III entered the guilty pleas to four counts of first-degree murder and was sentenced to four consecutive life sentences without parole, according to court records. The surprise plea deal means that Donaldson will avoid the death penalty,…


Convicted Serial Rapist Sentenced to More Than 150 Years

INDIANAPOLIS—An Indiana judge has sentenced a convicted serial rapist to more than 150 years in prison, authorities said Monday. Darrell Goodlow was charged in 2021 with 57 counts, including rape, burglary, and criminal confinement. He pleaded guilty in March to nine counts, including eight felony counts of rape and one felony count of killing a…


Maryland Court Reinstates Adnan Syed’s Murder Conviction

ANNAPOLIS, Md.—A Maryland appellate court on Tuesday reinstated Adnan Syed’s murder conviction and ordered a new hearing in the case, marking the latest development in the protracted legal odyssey chronicled in the hit podcast “Serial.” Though Syed’s conviction has been reinstated, he will not immediately be taken back into custody. In a 2–1 decision released…