On July 13, 2023, the tranquility of a family home in Masacekua Park was shattered. The lives of Rex Heuermann’s family changed dramatically when he was arrested outside his Manhattan office, linked to the chilling cold case murders of three women.
For them, their father is a monster.
In her first public interview for the Peacock documentary series, “Gilgo Beach Killer: House of Secret,” Victoria Heuermann described the terrifying moment the FBI raided their home. “You could hear the banging, ‘FBI, Open Up!’,” she recalled. It was surreal, almost unbelievable.
She spoke of her shock upon hearing that the FBI had implicated her father in these murders and declared their home a crime scene, saying, “I never imagined I’d hear that.” Rex Heuermann, 61, faces charges for the murders and dismemberment of seven sex workers whose remains have been found on Long Island over the past three decades.
Prosecutors allege that Heuermann kept detailed notes on his computer about how to commit these crimes and may have killed some of the victims in the family’s basement. There was even a suggestion that evidence might have been hidden in a concrete gun safe there.
The swift unraveling of their lives was overwhelming for his wife, Asa Ellerup, who described waiting for Rex to return home that day. “I was just waiting, when suddenly I saw them at the front door,” she recounted. The FBI agents pushed inside and asked if she was aware of why they were there.
When the female investigator mentioned the murders at Gilgo Beach, Asa said she couldn’t believe it. “I heard of them, but I don’t know anything.” The news was too much to digest, leaving her in disbelief.
Asa, along with Victoria and her brother Christopher, was forced out of their home and sent to a hotel. “They started asking if my dad ever did anything inappropriate with me,” Victoria shared. She found it hard to recall specifics, leading to an unsettling feeling of confusion.
Now, the thought of not waking up for work or facing a normal day caused a deep sense of anxiety. It was just the beginning, as authorities conducted extensive searches for evidence throughout their home.
According to Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney, DNA evidence from the victims linked back to Heuermann, including samples found in his office and even a discarded soda can. Heuermann has been accused of killing seven sex workers since 1993, with some remains discovered along the Ocean Parkway between 2010 and 2011.
The case had long been cold until his arrest in 2023 for the murders of Amberlin Costello, Megan Waterman, and Melissa Barthelemy. Then in early 2024, he was charged with killing Maureen Brainard Burns, all of whom became known locally as the “Gilgo Four.”
Eventually, additional charges linked Heuermann to three earlier victims, Valerie Mack, Jessica Taylor, and Sandra Costilla. He has pleaded not guilty to all charges. His attorney, Michael Brown, has even requested that some of the charges be tried separately, raising doubts about the DNA evidence collected.
