The wife of the suspected Long Island serial killer has broken her silence about the ordeal her family has been facing following her husband’s arrest on charges of murder.
Asa Ellerup, the second spouse of Rex Heuermann, accompanied by their daughter Victoria, was spotted in public for the first time since his arrest.
Heuermann was taken into custody in Manhattan last Thursday and accused of being the Long Island Serial Killer responsible for the deaths of three women found dead in Gilgo Beach in late 2010. He is also considered a prime suspect in another murder.
According to her attorney, Bob Macedonio, Ms Ellerup filed for divorce in Suffolk County Supreme Court on Wednesday, six days after her husband’s arrest.
Mr Macedonio confirmed that he was hired by Ms Ellerup over the weekend before officially filing the documents with the court.
The lawyer refrained from delving into the specifics of the filing but confirmed that the divorce proceedings were underway, and the case was listed as “uncontested.”
He also revealed that the family was going through an immensely challenging time, stating: “Obviously this has been a shocking time for them and a pretty difficult time to comprehend. As with any family, it’s extremely upsetting and they’re totally shocked and caught off guard.”
Ms Ellerup and Heuermann share two children and had been residing together in the quiet enclave of Massapequa Park, in Oyster Bay, Long Island, until the recent events unfolded.
Meanwhile, authorities spent another day at the Massapequa Park home where the couple had lived, continuing their search of the premises. Police searching his home in recent days have been seen taking out boxes of material, including more than 200 firearms, a filing cabinet and a computer, as well as a large doll in a glass case and other household items.
Heuermann lived in the house, across a bay from where the remains were discovered, for decades.
On the night of July 13, Heuermann was arrested by a large number of officers shortly after leaving his midtown Manhattan office at around 8:30 pm. The following morning, he was charged with three counts of first and second-degree murder in connection to the deaths of Melissa Barthelemy, Megan Waterman, and Amber Costello.
The four women, who all worked as escorts, were found within one-quarter mile of each other, bound by belts or tape and some wrapped in burlap.
As part of the ongoing investigation, police linked Heuermann to a burner phone that was used to contact Melissa Barthelemy’s family seven times after she disappeared in mid-July 2009. In addition to the burner phones, authorities found a slew of additional incriminating evidence, including gruesome searches for child porn and rape and a bizarre fake Tinder profile.
He pleaded not guilty as he appeared in court on 14 July where he was ordered to be held without bond.
