Asa Ellerup – the wife of Rex Heuermann – is filing for divorce after nearly 27 years of marriage. The divorce papers were filed on Wednesday (July 19), just one week after her husband was arrested as the primary suspect in the killing of three (potentially four) women more than a decade ago near Gilgo Beach.
Her attorney, Robert Macedonio, filed a summons and a complaint in Suffolk County Supreme Court on Ellerup’s behalf, but declined to comment any further as the investigation into Heuermann’s ‘double life’ continues. For now, she’s doing the one thing she knows she can do – end her marriage to Heuermann.
#RexHeuermann #gilgobeach4 #truecrimecommunity #truecrime
— Rabbi Rob (@RBR1213) July 20, 2023
Asa Ellerup, the wife of suspected Long Island serial killer Rex Heuermann, was pictured for the first time Wednesday, the same day she filed for divorce and less than a week after New York police arrested her husband pic.twitter.com/PMlljCouho
According to Suffolk County police commissioner Rodney Harrison, authorities are under the impression that Asa Ellerup was unaware of her husband’s double life and are counting her out as a suspect (at least for now) because she was out of town when the murders happened. Of course, things could change.
“If you ask me, I don’t believe, that they knew about this double life that Mr. Heuermann was living,” Harrison said in an interview with CNN’s Erica Hill on Monday (July 17) – though investigators are still collecting information ‘to see if the family might have known exactly what Mr. Heuermann was up to.’
Woke up this morning to learn that the Gilgo Beach serial killer suspect was my high school classmate Rex Heuermann.
— Billy Baldwin (@BillyBaldwin) July 14, 2023
Berner High School
Massapequa, New York
Class of 1981
Married, two kids, architect.
“Average guy… quiet, family man.”
Mind-boggling… Massapequa is in shock.… pic.twitter.com/Tms0IWVazN
While they don’t believe she had anything to do with the murders, she did – unbeknownst to her – play an integral role in his arrest on July 13. At the crime scene where the bodies were found, investigators found strands of Ellerup’s hair – which were presumably carried to the crime scene by way of Rex’s clothing.
Authorities have had the DNA for quite some time, but DNA testing wasn’t advanced enough to provide answers – that is, until recently. Once Rex Heuermann was identified as a suspect in early 2022, they matched the DNA to DNA found on items near the family’s home. That’s when things started to add up.
According to Suffolk DA bail application, detectives had been eyeing Rex Heuermann as #Gilgo Beach killer and used pizza that Heuermann had thrown out for
— Pei-Sze Cheng (@PeiSzeCheng4NY) July 14, 2023
DNA evidence linking him to the crime #NBC4NY pic.twitter.com/BjUY9MiTIP
Since Asa and her daughter were out of town when the murders occurred, investigators turned to her husband. As the investigation continued, his hair was found on a burlap sack that contained human remains. Rex is now facing three counts of first-degree and three counts of second-degree murder.
Family of Gilgo Beach Suspect ‘Shocked’ and ‘Disgusted’
According to police commissioner Rodney Harrison, authorities described Asa Ellerup and her daughter as ‘shocked,’ ‘disgusted,’ and ‘embarrassed’ when they found out their husband/father was the primary suspect in the Giligo Beach murders. Their attorneys described this as a ‘devastating time’ for the family.
Several shocking new details about the alleged crimes of Rex Heuermann. ????????Source: NY Post #RexHeuermann #GilgoBeach #gilgobeachmurders #longislandserialkiller pic.twitter.com/FENdCpBIdB
— Annie Elise x 10 to LIFE (@_10toLIFE) July 14, 2023
“The sensitive nature of her husband’s arrest is taking an emotional toll on the immediate and extended family, especially their elderly family members,” their attorneys wrote in a statement. “Ms. Ellerup does not wish to comment further and has requested the public and press to please respect the family’s privacy.”
As for Rex Heuermann, he was remanded without bail – which means he’ll be spending the next few weeks at the Suffolk County correctional facility. His next hearing is August 1, but he has already entered a not guilty plea and is denying any involvement in the three Gilgo Beach murders. It appears he’s going to fight this.
YOU MAY ALSO LIKE: Kara Robinson On Escaping From A Serial Killer: ‘I Did Not Want Him To Get The Better Of Me’
In addition to being charged with three murders, he’s also the primary suspect in a fourth murder. The four victims have been identified as Melissa Barthelemy, 24, Megan Waterman, 22, Amber Lynn Costello, 27, and Maureen Brainard-Barnes, 25 – their bodies were found roughly 500 feet from one another.
Mamas Uncut is THE online place for moms. We cover the latest about motherhood, parenting, and entertainment as well – all with a mom-focused twist. So if you're looking for parenting advice from real parents, we have plenty of it, all for moms from moms, and also experts. Because, at the end of the day, our mission is focused solely on empowering moms and moms-to-be with the knowledge and answers they’re looking for in one safe space.