Wife of Gilgo Beach suspect Rex Heuermann accused by victims’ lawyers of being suspect in murders
NEW YORK — An attorney for the families of two Gilgo Beach murder victims accused the wife of alleged serial killer Rex Heuermann of involvement in the newly uncovered Long Island murders — but her lawyers denied any link to the heinous killings.
“It’s part of one large criminal enterprise,” said the families’ lawyer John Ray on a day of dueling news conferences outside the Central Islip federal courthouse. “She should be considered a suspect and not just a bystander or someone who’s been victimized by her husband.”
Robert Macedonio, attorney for Heuermann spouse Asa Ellerup, dismissed the allegations out of hand at his own media appearance.
“Let me reiterate: Asa or the children are not suspects,” said Macedonio. “I think the DA’s office made that clear. They stated on numerous occasions they were out of the jurisdiction when these alleged crimes took place.”
But Ray said he had a credible witness who could confirm Ellerup was inside the Massapequa Park residence when her husband brought sex workers to their home, although the witness, a woman, has refused to speak publicly.
Ellerup “was there,” he insisted. “And she therefore is part of the conspiracy, and that conspiracy of bringing sex workers into the home led to the deaths.”
Long Island officials have not identified Ellerup, her son or her daughter as suspects in the serial killings. The wife had previously said she was suffering from depression and trauma after her spouse’s arrest.
Earlier Friday, attorneys for the spouse said she was battling cancer and added the family had filed a notice of claim over damages to their home caused by investigators as they scoured the residence for evidence over 12 days. A notice of claim is a prelude to filing a lawsuit against a government agency.
Macedonio said Ellerup has not visited Heuermann since his July 13 arrest. The suspect is being held without bail in three of the killings occurring from 2009 to 2010. According to her attorney, Ellerup suffers from breast cancer and skin cancer and is currently under treatment expected to last 12 to 18 months.
On Wednesday, a Suffolk County judge ordered Heuermann to turn over a DNA sample as the prosecutors gathered evidence in the case.
Relatives of victims Jessica Taylor and Shannon Gilbert expressed their dismay with efforts to raise funds for Ellerup and her family via a GoFundMe page set up by Melissa Moore, the daughter of the man dubbed the Happy Face Killer, who is serving life in prison and is believed to have killed at least eight women across the U.S. in the 1990s.
Shannon Gilbert’s sister Sherre Gilbert said she “and a lot of the victims’ families feel it’s disgusting, because we were never given that much support when our loved ones went missing.”
“I don’t know about you guys, but I’ve never heard of a murder victim’s family getting $45,000 (in donations),” Gilbert said via speakerphone.
Ray read a statement from a relative of Taylor, who said she was disturbed to see “how this family has remained in the spotlight since the arrest.”
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