Accused Gilgo Beach serial killer still a ‘hero' in wife's eyes
The wife of accused Gilgo Beach serial killer Rex Heuermann is still calling her husband her 'hero,' and has fallen in love with him all over again after her first jail visit.
Asa Ellerup, 61, is convinced police have the wrong man and her 'wonderful' husband isn't the person who murdered and mutilated seven sex workers in Long Island, N.Y., over nearly three decades.
'I know what bad men are capable of doing,' she said during an interview on upcoming Peacock docuseries The Gilgo Beach Killer: House of Secrets.
'I've seen it, and I've heard it from other men. Not my husband. You have the wrong man,' Ellerup continued, according to the New York Post.
'I want him to come back home to me,' she said.
'They're trying to sit there and tell me that, but I have no knowledge of what they keep talking about,' she maintained.
''Oh, you must have known.' Know what? My husband was home here. He's a family man, period.'
Heuermann was arrested in July 2023 at his NYC office and charged with the murders of three young sex workers.
He was later charged by Suffolk County prosecutors with the murder and mutilation of four other victims, all also sex workers whose bodies were dumped along Ocean Parkway that spanned nearly 30 years.
Despite evidence — including DNA matches to all the victims, hairs from Ellerup and the couple's daughter Victoria — Heuermann's wife insists her husband is innocent.
Ellerup met 'tall, dark, handsome' Heuermann when she was 18 and working at a Long Island 7-Eleven and the two shared a platonic bond.
'He's my hero,' the devoted woman said. 'There were times where he was working, but I'd call him, and he would come by and pick me up.'
They remained friends, despite both marrying others, but eventually found each other again, a romance blossomed and they wed in Sweden in 1995, and they their daughter was born the following year.
Ellerup filed for divorce shortly after her husband's arrest, but their daughter maintained in the documentary that the move was 'to protect the assets,' according to the Post.
Despite the filing, Ellerup said she regularly speaks to her husband behind bars.
'I haven't seen him in all this time, and when I went down there, I was excited, and like I was, I don't know, I guess on a first date. You're nervous, you're scared. You don't know how the date is gonna go,' she said.
Remains of mom, child found near Gilgo Beach ID'd, though deaths may be unrelated to serial killings
Suspect in Gilgo Beach serial killings charged in death of seventh woman
New charges for alleged Gilgo Beach serial killer cast scrutiny on man's murder conviction
But Ellerup said she hasn't gone to see him in several months and is paranoid about their conversations being recorded behind bars — which makes her afraid to be open with him.
'Telling him that I love him, that will hurt him,' Ellerup said. 'What I want to say to him is, 'I love you, no matter what.'
'But I don't even want to say 'no matter what' because I don't believe he did this.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New York Post
7 hours ago
- New York Post
Post photographer shot in the head with rubber bullet in LA anti-ICE riots — and he caught the terrifying moment on camera
Harrowing footage captured the moment California police shot a New York Post photographer in the head with a rubber bullet during Los Angeles' violent protest Sunday evening. Toby Canham, who was on assignment for The Post and standing just off the 101 Freeway at an elevated level, was filming video of the chaos between cops and rioters when a California Highway Patrol (CHP) officer suddenly turned his weapon toward him and fired from about 100 yards away. Veteran photographer Toby Canham caught the moment he was struck by a rubber bullet while covering the Los Angeles riots Sunday evening. Toby Canham for NY Post Advertisement Canham, 59, who was wearing his press pass, was struck in the forehead and quickly fell to the ground, according to the disturbing footage he captured. 'F–k, f–k, I just got shot in the head!' the dad of two can be heard screaming from behind the camera. The veteran photographer, who served in the British Army and is based out of LA, spent Monday at the hospital for whiplash and neck pain. He was left with a giant bruise on his forehead. Advertisement 'When I got whacked, to my best recollection it was just me filming with my cameras on and then I got shot,' said Canham. 'Where I was hit, I was the only person overlooking the freeway. I wasn't surrounded so I was an easy target.' Before he was hit with the rubber bullet, a flashbang initially exploded a few feet from him, causing shrapnel to kick up and leave two holes in his pants. He then saw someone to his left throw a water bottle filled with a liquid at authorities and then retreat, which led him to start recording with his camera 20 seconds before he was struck. Advertisement Canham was injured by authorities the same day an Australian news reporter was also shot with a rubber bullet while reporting live from the scene. Law enforcement has clashed with violent protesters over the last few days of unrest in response to actions taken by Immigration and Customs Enforcement against illegal migrants in the city. Thousands of anti-ICE protesters took over the major highway in downtown Los Angeles as rioters lit self-driving cars on fire Sunday in a surreal scene. While traffic was blocked on both lanes of the freeway, the crowd was eventually forced onto an exit ramp by CHP. Advertisement Canham, a dad of two, suffered a massive bruise on his forehead and whiplash. Toby Canham for NY Post While Canham was taking photos, protesters could be seen standing on the sides of the elevated platform next to the freeway while law enforcement was still on the highway and sheltered under an overpass. Rioters have thrown various items, including water bottles and rocks at law enforcement, since the violence erupted. 'It's a real shame. I completely understand being in the position where you could get injured but at the same time there was no justification for even aiming the rifle at me and pulling the trigger so I'm a bit pissed off about that to be honest,' Canham said, noting he could have lost an eye or some teeth. CHP did not immediately return an email seeking comment. LAPD said, 'There is no comment, the incident needs to be investigated.' Gov. Gavin Newsom's office also declined comment on the violence against a journalist and referred The Post to law enforcement on the ground. The Los Angeles mayor's office did not immediately return an email seeking comment. The turmoil has become so volatile that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth ordered 700 Marines to Los Angeles to back up the 300 National Guard troops on the ground already and local authorities.
Yahoo
7 hours ago
- Yahoo
Gilgo Beach Murders Suspect Rex Heuermann's Wife Makes Bizarre Admission About Her First Jail Visit
The alleged Gilgo Beach serial killer, Rex Heuermann, has received praise from his wife, Asa Ellerup. In an interview for an upcoming Peacock series, which focuses on the crimes her husband is accused of, Ellerup described him as her "hero." She also claimed that the police got the "wrong man," seemingly suggesting that Rex Heuermann isn't guilty of murdering seven sex workers on Long Island over nearly three decades. Nearly two years have passed since Rex Heuermann was first arrested in connection with the cold-case murders of three young sex workers and later charged in the deaths of four additional victims, who were also sex workers. As part of the police investigation, several pieces of evidence were found linking the Manhattan architect to the crimes, including DNA matches to the victims and newspaper clippings about the murders. However, what many now view as an open-and-shut case is believed by the accused's wife, Asa Ellerup, to be a case of mistaken identity. Speaking during a bombshell interview in the upcoming Peacock docu-series "The Gilgo Beach Killer: House of Secrets," the 61-year-old boldly claimed that her "wonderful" husband isn't capable of the crimes he is being accused of. "I know what bad men are capable of doing," she said in a clip from the show (via the New York Post). "I've seen it, and I've heard it from other men. Not my husband. You have the wrong man." In the interview, Ellerup also spoke lovingly about her husband and reflected on some of the moments they spent together before his arrest. "He's my hero," she said about Heuermann. "There were times where he was working, but I'd call him, and he would come by and pick me up." The 61-year-old also recalled visiting him in prison and how her first jail visit came with mixed feelings of excitement and nervousness. "I haven't seen him in all this time, and when I went down there, I was excited, and like I was, I don't know, I guess on a first date. You're nervous, you're scared. You don't know how the date is gonna go," Ellerup said. Since then, those visits reportedly became more frequent, about once a week. However, according to the mother of two, she has been afraid to be truly open with him due to her paranoia that their conversations might be recorded. Elsewhere in the interview, Ellerup described her husband as a devoted family man, contrary to the narrative that paints him as a serial killer. "I don't believe he did this. I don't see what everybody else is saying. I don't see phone calls to sex workers," she said. "I picked him up from the train station every single day. He was home here on the weekends. He smoked a cigar in the garage." Elleruo continued, "If he told me that he went out to Lowe's to pick something up and he was gone for an hour, no freaking way is this man going out soliciting sex from a sex worker, killing them and dumping them on Gilgo Beach." Even though Heuermann could face a life sentence if convicted, Ellerup remains hopeful that everything will ultimately work out. "I want him to come back home to me," the mother of two stated. "They're trying to sit there and tell me that, but I have no knowledge of what they keep talking about. 'Oh, you must have known.' Know what? My husband was home here." She added, "He's a family man, period." The murders Heuermann is being accused of occurred between 1993 and 2010, with their bodies found along Ocean Parkway in December 2010. He was initially charged with the murders of Amber Costello, Melissa Barthelemy, and Megan Waterman, and later with the deaths of four more victims: Maureen Brainard-Barnes, Sandra Costilla, Jessica Taylor, and Valerie Mack. Heuermann has pleaded not guilty to all the charges, a move that suggests he is determined to fight for his innocence. For now, a trial date is yet to be set, and Heuermann remains in detention at the Riverhead Correctional Facility in Suffolk County, New York.
New York Post
9 hours ago
- New York Post
AOC, Grace Meng tapped to do more as open-air prostitution, rampant criminality returns to NYC's ‘Market of Sweethearts'
QUEENS, N.Y. – The red lights are back flashing along a notorious prostitution strip in New York City represented by progressive Democratic Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Grace Meng. Along the crammed, grimy sidewalks of Roosevelt Avenue in Queens, sex workers are once again openly soliciting clients while vendors grill meats and hawk suspected stolen or counterfeit goods – despite police waging a months-long crackdown to stop the chaos. Advertisement It's become a way of life – and a years-long blight – for residents in the migrant-dense neighborhood who say they have grown tired of calling on Ocasio-Cortez and Meng to act and liken conditions to a 'Red Light district' or a third-world flea market. Others have nicknamed the strip the 'Avenue of the Sweethearts,' given its reputation for women purportedly turning tricks 8 Alexandria Ocasio Cortez and Zohran Mamdani take part in the annual Puerto Rican day parade on Sunday afternoon. LP Media 'All the criminal activity has reverted to the way it was last year,' Ramses Frias, a local activist and Republican City Council candidate, told Fox News Digital. 'Our residents feel like prisoners in their own homes while criminals walk freely, preying on helpless victims.' Advertisement He said gangs like the 18th Street gang and Tren de Aragua are suspected of operating in the area since various spots are graffiti – tagged with their insignia. Fox News Digital visited Roosevelt Avenue after Ocasio-Cortez's town hall last month and witnessed as many as 30 women on one block appearing to offer sex for money to Friday night revelers while parents and children walked by. 8 New York Post cover from July 30th, 2023. Advertisement The women were jostling men and enticing them for sex despite a visible police presence nearby. Most women operate on Meng's side of the strip; the majority of vendors are on Ocasio-Cortez's side, with their district border running through the center of the street. Hours before the town hall, other sidewalks were jammed with vendors flogging counterfeit Apple headphones and watches and tools. Food vendors sizzled meats at vendor stalls and kept juices in massive, unlabeled canisters under the gritty subway underpass – devoid of any labels or apparent sanitation or health and safety standards. Fruit and ice-cream stalls also permeated the busy strip. Fox News Digital returned to the neighborhood on Friday and witnessed much of the same rampant prostitution and illegal vending. Additionally, several women were threading eyebrows along a sidewalk on a commercial street just off Roosevelt Avenue, while men were selling sneakers from cars and other food vendors were seen dumping wastewater down drains. 8 Women believed to be sex workers or prostitutes, standing in front of storefronts on Roosevelt Avenue in Queens, NY. For the New York Post Advertisement Residents have warned for months that Operation Restore Roosevelt – a 90-day enhanced police crime crackdown on the area which started in October – needed to be made permanent and that the warming weather would likely see more scantily-clad women appear on the streets. NYPD Deputy Commissioner of Operations Kaz Daughtry told Fox News Digital that the boots-on-the-ground operation, which consisted of more than 200 additional police officers, reduced crime by 29% in the area so far this year and significantly reduced criminal activity. 'There has been a notable difference,' Daughtry said. 'Robberies are down 23%, felony assaults are down 33%, burglaries are down 47%, and grand larceny is down 30%.' 8 15 brothels out of 30 court filings have been raided. For the New York Post Daughtry said he wants the work to have 'a real, lasting difference,' while saying that a lot still needs to be done. He said 15 brothels were raided out of 30 court filings made by the police. For instance, days after Ocasio-Cortez's town hall, authorities shut down a notorious brothel, dubbed the 'bodega brothel' by locals, which was operating above a corner store near two schools in Ocasio-Cortez's district. Video from inside the cat house obtained by Fox News Digital shows squalid conditions, with five cramped, makeshift rooms sectioned off by wooden panels and shower curtains with just enough room to fit a bed in every one of them. On Tuesday, two brothels were raided by police on Meng's side of Roosevelt Avenue, the same block where Fox News Digital observed 30 alleged prostitutes. Frias said a large crowd gathered to watch the sweep, some heckling the alleged johns as they were cuffed and taken into custody while suspected prostitutes were led out with their heads covered in shower curtains to shield their identities. 8 Meng described the situation as 'concerning' and claims to be working with local law enforcement. Getty Images Advertisement Frias said the crowd reaction proved the neighborhood is fully aware of the illicit activity and is fed up, but that three to four other brothels are operating on that same block. Frias added that residents are terrified to walk the streets and would rather stay home than step outside. 'Our laws need to become stricter, and it's time to elect representatives who have the best interests of the community and its safety as a priority,' said Frias, who's looking to oust City Council member Shekar Krishnan in District 25. He blasted Ocasio-Cortez in particular, saying she has never used her massive social media presence to address the dire situation. Daughtry, too, called on Ocasio-Cortez and Meng to do more. He and the mayor's office said the pair did not collaborate with them in the police crackdown. 'Never seen her,' Daughtry said about Ocasio-Cortez. 'She's never reached out to us. We would really love her assistance to help us, but at the end of the day, we have to do what's right and restore some law and order back to Roosevelt. I would like AOC to partner with us… use her platform to help us get funding or connect women to services.' Advertisement 8 Activist Ramses Frias called Ocasio-Cortez out for not using her massive social media presence to address this issue. Kevin C Downs forThe New York Post Daughtry said issues like prostitution have permeated the area for decades, and he remembers it being a hot spot for prostitution in the '90s. He said the migrant crisis exacerbated the situation as many migrants were drawn to the area, given that it already has a large Latin American population. Mayor Eric Adams spearheaded Operation Restore Roosevelt in collaboration with the NYPD and City Council member Francisco Moya, a moderate Democrat who has often been at odds with his party's progressive wing. Daughtry said Moya was a 'huge partner' who physically walked Roosevelt Avenue with him and participated in raids, as did Adams. Adams' office said the operation underscored the administration's commitment to 'making sure these crime and quality-of-life issues continue to improve.' Advertisement 8 Operation Restore Roosevelt has continues to try and restore the community. For the New York Post Meng, meanwhile, told Fox News Digital she is working with local law enforcement and Moya on the matter and described the situation as 'concerning.' Ocasio-Cortez's office told Fox News Digital that she has engaged with local stakeholders in the area and helped fix lights in the neighborhood. The situation on Roosevelt Avenue was not raised by Ocasio-Cortez at her town hall, nor by constituents who spoke in a question-and-answer portion. Advertisement Residents Andrew Sokolof Diaz and John Szewczuk told Fox News Digital outside the event that the Roosevelt Avenue problem is a long-standing issue and that local lawmakers must do more to address it. 8 The situation on Roosevelt Avenue was not raised by Ocasio-Cortez at her town hall, nor by constituents who spoke in a question-and-answer portion. For the New York Post Resident Mark LaVergne pinned much of the blame on Ocasio-Cortez for not doing more and said he felt many of the women were likely trafficked into that murky underground world. 'I feel very sad… There's a Dunkin' Donuts I frequent on Roosevelt and 82nd Street and I noticed that above that there is some sort of thing going on, and I see the look in the eyes of these sex workers,' LaVergne said. 'I really feel sorry for them. Some of them are here, probably under difficult situations. Maybe they were forced here, maybe they're forced to do this kind of work. You've got to take care of the people that'll get you elected. I mean, that just seems like the most just thing. That's justice. Taking care of the people who got you elected.'
