Estranged wife of accused Gilgo Beach serial killer says he's 'not capable' of crimes: lawyer

WABC logo
Thursday, March 14, 2024
Estranged wife defends accused Gilgo Beach serial killer
Josh Einiger has more on the latest developments in the Gilgo Beach murder case.

The wife of accused Gilgo Beach serial killer is speaking out months after he was arrested in connection to the deaths of the so-called "Gilgo Four."



Asa Ellerup, who filed to divorce Rex Heuermann just days after his July 2023 arrest, released a statement Wednesday through her attorney saying she "still maintains that Rex is not capable of the crime he is accused of."



"I will listen to all of the evidence and withhold judgment until the end of the trial," the statement continued. "I have given him the benefit of the doubt, as we all deserve."



Heuermann has been charged in the deaths of four sex workers, whose remains were covered in burlap along the desolate Ocean Parkway near Gilgo Beach.



RELATED: Gilgo Beach murders: Complete timeline of events leading up to Rex Heuermann's arrest




Prosecutors laid out how Heuermann, an architect, would use burner phones to arrange meeting with sex workers he found online.



Ultimately, they matched familial DNA to a pizza crust he'd thrown in a trash can near his Midtown Manhattan office.



Ellerup, who was married to Heuermann for 27 years, expressed sympathy for the victims and their families, stating "nobody deserves to die in that manner."



After the discoveries of the four victims linked to Heuermann, search teams ultimately found the remains of six other people.



Heuermann is charged only with four killings.



An investigative taskforce is still trying to solve those other six cases.



Earlier this year, prosecutors released a slew of new evidence related to Heuermann's case, including travel records showing Heuermann's family leaving town during the alleged murders, the suspect's illicit online searches and investigators' attempts to secure DNA evidence from his daughter.



Watch our series 'Eyewitness to Gilgo Beach'



Sign up and listen to the new Eyewitness to Gilgo Beach podcast, below:




Discover more podcasts from abc7NY here





----------


* Get Eyewitness News Delivered


* Follow us on YouTube


* More local news


* Send us a news tip


* Download the abc7NY app for breaking news alerts

Submit a tip or story idea to Eyewitness News

Have a breaking news tip or an idea for a story we should cover? Send it to Eyewitness News using the form below. If attaching a video or photo, terms of use apply.

Copyright © 2024 WABC-TV. All Rights Reserved.