Wife of suspect in Long Island serial killings living ‘nightmare,’ battling cancer, her lawyer says

The lawyer of the wife of Rex Heuermann, who has been accused of murdering at least three women and hiding their bodies along a secluded coastal highway, stated on Friday that she is trapped in a “continuous, unreal nightmare.” She is facing the challenge of funding her treatment for skin and breast cancer, all while residing in a residence that was left in disarray by investigators.

During a news conference on Long Island, the legal representatives for Heuermann’s estranged spouse, Asa Ellerup, and his two grown children expressed their grievances about how the police left the home in chaos as they searched for potential evidence.

Vess Mitev, one of the family’s lawyers, lamented, “Everything precious was broken, their spaces were wrecked, the places where they used to rest no longer exist,” He represents Heuermann’s 26-year-old daughter, Victoria, and 34-year-old stepson, Christopher Sheridan, and added, “They are enduring an emotional trauma beyond our comprehension.”

According to Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney, the police were merely following normal protocol during the 12-day search of the property.

Ellerup is frantically trying to find the means to pay for her cancer treatments after her medical insurance, which is connected to her husband’s job, expires later this year, as her lawyers reported. She initiated divorce proceedings last month.

A GoFundMe campaign started by Melissa Moore, daughter of another infamous serial killer, Keith Hunter Jesperson, has raised over $40,000 for the family. However, this fundraising effort has attracted criticism from John Ray, the lawyer for Shannan Gilbert, a woman found dead on the same island as Heuermann’s alleged victims.

Suffolk Police concluded Gilbert’s death was accidental, though her family disputes this, believing she was murdered.

Heuermann, aged 59, was charged last month with the murders of Melissa Barthelemy, Amber Costello, and Megan Waterman, and he remains the main suspect in the death of a fourth woman, Maureen Brainard-Barnes. Prosecutors stated that all four women were involved in sex work before they vanished. Heuermann has entered a plea of not guilty.

Bob Macedonio, another attorney for Ellerup, explained that Heuermann led a “complete double life,” keeping his family oblivious to his alleged criminal activities. The lawyers provided a picture of a Christmas celebration at the Heuermann residence in 2011, slightly over a year after the disappearance of his last victim.

The authorities have yet to communicate with any family members, according to the lawyers. While Ellerup has had phone conversations with her husband, she has not gone to see him.

Heuermann’s next court appearance is scheduled for September 27. His estranged wife’s attorneys have announced their intention to sue law enforcement agencies over the destruction caused to the residence.

A correction to the story was made to clarify the correct spelling of Shannan Gilbert’s first name, previously misspelled as Shannon.

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