LONG ISLAND, NEW YORK: Rex Heuermann, an architect based in Manhattan, has been charged with first-degree murder in connection with the sensational Gilgo Beach serial murders. The father-of-two was arrested on Thursday late night, July 13. A source claims that the investigators have been trailing him for almost a year. The arrest ultimately took place after the four victims’ cell phones were matched with the burner phones from which the calls were made. The bodies were found in December 2010 near Gilgo Beach in burlap sacks. They were all prostitutes in their early 20s.
Barry Auslander, 72, a neighbor expressed shock over the architect’s arrest. "He grew up here. I never thought he was anything but a businessman. An average guy who had a family and went to work," he said. "You don’t expect something like this to happen in a town like Massapequa. This is as suburban as it gets," reacted a second neighbor.
Who is Asa Ellerup?
Rex Heuermann is currently married to Asa Ellerup, 59, who has an Icelandic heritage. The New York City architect has two children, one of them is Victoria, 26, who works with him at his Manhattan firm. However, her name was taken down from the listed employees of RH Architects after Rex was arrested and charged with first-degree murder. The 59-year-old has pleaded not guilty as per court records on Friday, July 14.
According to neighbors, Heuermann also has a son, who is likely to be in his early 30s. "We spoke frequently, every day. And his kid is nice, a special needs kid," said neighbor Etienne DeVilliers to CBS News of Heuermann’s son. His name is not revealed. On Rex, she said, "The guy's been quiet. Never really bothers anybody. We are kind of shocked."
Ellerup has not been seen publicly since his arrest. The 59-year-old’s DNA was found on three of the four victims who were murdered between 2007 and 2010. However, the investigators believe the hair were in the couple’s home or transferred from Heuermann’s clothing since Ellerup and her two children were out of the state at the time of the killing.
Heuermann was first married to Elizabeth Ryan in 1990, according to a wedding announcement.
'Our team has been on bringing justice to these victims'
"This is my 12th year as county executive. I've lived with the Gilgo Beach investigation for my entire tenure as county executive, and I can tell you that during that time the focus for me and members of our team has been on bringing justice to these victims and closure to these families who have suffered," said Suffolk County Executive Stephen Bellone on Heuermann’s arrest on Friday morning, July 14, as per New York Post.
He further congratulated the investigative team for solving the decade-old case, "The work is not done here, but this is a major step forward in achieving a goal we've had from the beginning to bring closure to the families in this case."
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