Lawyers for the families of two Gilgo Beach victims, whose cases remain unsolved, are investigating the death of one of their clients and the murder suspect’s wife being out during the murders, as investigators claim. This casts doubt on the prosecutor’s conclusion as to whether or not the incident occurred.
If lawyers for the families of some of Gilgo’s victims are correct that Rex Heuerman’s wife played a role in helping her suspected serial killer husband, then the entire case against him is beyond a “reasonable doubt.” It will collapse, Asa Elalup’s lawyer insisted, even though he denied the allegations.
Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney has repeatedly said Ellerup was out of town at the time of each of the murders her husband is accused of committing, but attorney John Ray said Tuesday night: He questioned that conclusion at a symposium he hosted at St. John’s University in Queens.
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Asa Ellerup and attorney Bob Macedonio arrive at the Suffolk County Courthouse on January 16, 2024 in Riverhead, New York. (Robert Miller, Fox News Digital)
If Tierney is wrong about Ellarap, the entire case could fall apart, Tierney’s attorney Bob Macedonio told Fox News Digital.
“When do you do that in advance of a bail application in the course of a criminal investigation?” he said. “It’s very, very rare. … If he’s wrong, it casts reasonable doubt on his entire case.”
However, Ray said he spoke with the hotel manager and learned that Elerup and the children arrived in Atlantic City later than investigators believe, and that at least one murder was committed. They were told that they would have been in town for a while.
The families of Shanann Gilbert and Jessica Taylor speak at a press conference after Rex Heuerman was arrested as a suspect in the Gilgo Beach serial murders in Massapequa Park, Long Island, New York, on July 14, 2023. Attorney John Ray, who represents the company, will give a speech. . (Kyle Mazza/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
Mr. Macedonio completely denies the allegations and has written to the hotels identified by Ray, asking them to disclose the employees involved in the “breach” of confidential customer information or to comment on their records if the allegations are untrue. demanded.
Ray also said he had a witness who met the murder suspect and his wife at a “swinger party” in 1996, something Macedonio vehemently denies.
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“It would be a potential problem if the DA’s statement were incorrect.” Neema Rahmani, a former federal prosecutor based in Los Angeles, has no connection to the case. “But why would prosecutors assert something they are not sure about?”
Ray represents the family of Shanann Gilbert, a 25-year-old woman who disappeared on May 1, 2010, telling a 911 dispatcher: someone after meGilbert’s disappearance sparked a manhunt that ultimately led to the discovery of 11 bodies along Ocean Parkway, about 45 miles east of New York City.
The bodies included the “Gilgo Four”: Maureen Brainard Burns (25), Melissa Barthelemy (24), Megan Waterman (22) and Amber Costello (27). The families were represented by another prominent lawyer, Gloria Allred, who made a surprise appearance. At Heuerman’s most recent court appearance in January, the Suffolk County Prosecutor’s Office announced charges in Brainard Burns’ death.
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The “Gilgo Four” are, clockwise from top left, Maureen Brainard Burns, Melissa Barthelemy, Megan Waterman, and Amber Costello. In the background, a wooden cross is shown in a swamp adjacent to Gilgo Beach, New York, where their bodies were discovered in the brush just a few meters from Ocean Parkway. (Suffolk County Police Department I Mega for Fox News Digital)
Their bodies were disposed of in similar conditions, close to each other. Heuerman is charged with murder in each death.
“The FBI, Suffolk detectives, deputy sheriffs, and the Law Enforcement Commission all had jurisdiction over Asa and Victoria[Heuerman]as suspects, as well as in any of the four murders. ,” Macedonio said.
Shanann Gilbert’s body was discovered on December 13, 2011 near Oak Beach, New York. (Shanann Gilbert’s family)
Further along the highway, police discovered seven more sets of bodies, including Gilbert’s.
Police said in 2022 that they believed Gilbert died in an accident while running through a swamp after making a erratic 911 call, at which time he was extremely intoxicated and calling for help. He sounded confused.
The Gilgo Beach Murder Task Force is still investigating the remaining deaths, Tierney said.
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Rex Heuerman’s estranged wife Asa Ererup (center) and daughter Victoria Heuerman (left) leave the Suffolk County Courthouse on January 16, 2024 in Riverhead, New York. (Robert Miller, Fox News Digital)
“Shanann was from the house party and had nothing to do with Rex’s claim that she was at the house party there,” Macedonio said. “Look at serial killers. Serial killers act alone. They don’t act in teams.”
Ray said there are witnesses linking Heuerman to Gilbert’s death and the disappearance of Karen Vergata, who was last seen alive on Valentine’s Day in 1996.
Vergata’s hands and feet were recovered in 1996 on Fire Island, east of Gilgo Beach.
However, she was not identified until then At the beginning of this year.
Crime scene investigators use metal detectors to search for Shanann Gilbert’s body in a wetland on Dec. 12, 2011 in Oak Beach, New York. (James Carbone/Newsday, via AP, Pool, File)
If Ellerup is involved in any way in the crime, money could be paid to the victim’s family. She is divorced from her husband, an architect, and recently signed a streaming documentary deal with 50 Cent as a producer.
“Many believe that Ellerup knew what Heuerman was up to, even if he did not actually participate in the murder as an accomplice or abettor,” Rahmani said. “At a minimum, there is an allegation that Mr. Ellerup attended the sex party and lied about being out of town at the time of the murder.”
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Rex Heuerman appears with his attorney Michael Brown in Judge Timothy P. Mazzei’s courtroom on January 16, 2024, at the Suffolk County Courthouse in Riverhead. (James Carbone/Newsday Via Pool)
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These allegations were raised in an affidavit last year by an anonymous witness who appeared in person at Mr. Wray’s symposium on Tuesday and elaborated on the allegations.
“That’s why I’m surprised that Mr. Elalup is participating in the Peacock documentary,” Rahmani added. She said, “She may need the money, but she could also be exposed to crime.”
Former Suffolk County Police Chief Rodney Harrison, who once stood next to Ray during a press conference about the alleged explosion, said Tierney’s office responded in a press release that a private facility was set up for the family. He pointed out that lawyers are not part of the law enforcement committee.
“Any member of the public who believes they have relevant evidence regarding the Gilgo Beach investigation should report it to the investigative agencies that make up the task force,” he said at the time. “Those agencies are the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office, the Suffolk County Sheriff’s Office Homicide Bureau, the Suffolk County Sheriff’s Office, the New York State Police, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.”
