Rex Heuermann's Wife Breaks Silence After Gilgo Beach Murder Charges
Asa Ellerup broke her silence Friday after husband Rex Heuermann was charged over a series of killings in New York.
Heuermann was arrested earlier this month when a combination of DNA evidence, cell tower data and witness descriptions made him the prime suspect in at least three of the many Long Island killings known as the Gilgo Beach murders.
In a press release, Ellerup said she was speaking out on “behalf of my family and especially my elderly neighbors, who have also had their lives turned upside down by the enormous police presence, in addition to the spectators, and news crews.”
“They deserve to live peacefully; they should be able to walk their dogs and go to the grocery stores without cameras shoved in their faces,” she continued. “I am pleading with you all to give us space so that we may regain some normalcy in our neighborhood.”
Ellerup was spotted outside her home Friday following a weeklong search by authorities, who suspected that her husband kept “trophies” of his alleged crimes. Heuermann, 59, worked as an architect in Manhattan — until mounting evidence led to his arrest.
The father of two is accused of killing Megan Waterman, 22, Melissa Barthelemy, 24, and Amber Costello, 27. He is also a suspect in the death of 25-year-old Maureen Brainard-Barnes but has yet to be charged in her killing, according to police. All four were found buried on Gilgo Beach over a decade ago.
The remains of the young victims, who were identified as online sex workers, were among those of at least 10 people unearthed from the sandy stretch of Ocean Parkway. The string of unsolved killings eventually spawned a bestselling book and 2020 Netflix film.
Rex Heuermann's Massapequa Park home became an active crime scene after his arrest.
Ellerup filed for divorce less than a week after Heuermann was charged with three counts of first-degree murder and three counts of second-degree murder. Bob Macedonio, her lawyer, said Friday that the family is “enduring a profound and indescribable catastrophe.”
Macedonio previously told Fox News that everything was “all still a whirlwind” for the family following the shocking allegations.
“They were home and the cops came in, and they were completely blindsided, and they told them what was going on,” he said. “Her and her children’s lives have been completely turned upside-down.”
Investigators say that Heuermann used “burner” cellphones to contact his victims and lured them to their death under the guise of prospective sex work. Authorities also allege that Heuermann made hundreds of online searches related to rape, torture and child sexual abuse material.
Heuermann has pleaded not guilty to all charges and is on suicide watch at the Suffolk County Correctional Facility. Errol Toulon, the county sheriff, told WABC in New York that when he visited Heuermann behind bars, he showed “no emotion.”
Heuermann is next scheduled to appear in court in August.
Need help? Visit RAINN’s National Sexual Assault Online Hotline or the National Sexual Violence Resource Center’s website.
