Rex Heuermann’s Family: An Update on His Wife and Children’s Lives Today
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Rex Heuermann, a suspected serial killer, has left his family grappling with the aftermath of his alleged crimes. In July 2023, Heuermann was implicated in the notorious Gilgo Beach serial killings and subsequently charged with the murder of seven women. The investigation has now been brought to the forefront in Netflix’s three-part docuseries ‘Gone Girls: The Long Island Serial Killer’, which was released on March 31. Heuermann, a father and architect, has pleaded not guilty to all charges and has been detained without bail at the Riverhead Correctional Facility in Suffolk County since his arrest.
His wife, Asa Ellerup, filed for divorce the same month Heuermann was apprehended after 27 years of marriage. The couple has two adult children, daughter Victoria and son Christopher. The family lawyer, Vess Mitev, stated to Newsweek in 2024 that the adult children are innocent bystanders caught up in a distressing situation that they have no part in. Law enforcement also believes that the family was unaware of Heuermann’s alleged criminal activities. Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney remarked to PEOPLE in 2023 that Heuermann led a double life and employed technology to conceal his actions from society.
Rex Heuermann, the prime suspect in the Gilgo Beach murders, has been accused of seven women’s killings. He graduated from Berner High School in Massapequa, N.Y., in 1981, and had an architecture consulting business in New York City. He and Ellerup raised their children in Heuermann’s childhood home in Massapequa Park, N.Y. Although they maintained a low profile, the Long Island Press reported in 2023 that Heuermann was not well-known in his community. Initially charged with the murders of four women, additional charges were brought in 2024 related to other victims’ deaths.
Asa Ellerup married Rex Heuermann in April 1996, with New York authorities confirming that the family was out of state during certain murder incidents. Ellerup’s attorney clarified that her proximity to her husband explained the hair samples found at the crime scenes, not her involvement in the crimes. Dr. Johanna Ellerup, Heuermann’s sister-in-law, expressed disbelief and shock over the events, stating she vacillated between longing for her niece and nephew’s pre-arrest life and finding solace in the capture of a suspect. Ellerup filed for divorce shortly after Heuermann’s arrest, which was reported to be uncontested.
Victoria and Christopher, Heuermann’s children, continue to reside in their family home with Ellerup. The upheaval following their father’s arrest has taken a toll on the family, with Ellerup sharing the emotional distress experienced by her children. A GoFundMe campaign was initiated in 2023 by Melissa G. Moore, daughter of a convicted murderer, to assist Heuermann’s family in rebuilding their lives. The family continues to navigate the repercussions of the situation, with Heuermann’s children facing public scrutiny and challenges in resuming a normal life.
Despite the turmoil, Asa Ellerup and her children have made strides in moving forward. In March 2025, a settlement in the divorce proceedings between Ellerup and Heuermann was reached as she participates in a documentary series and maintains communication with her incarcerated ex-husband. Renovating their lives amid public attention and judgment, Ellerup and her children are planning to relocate from New York to South Carolina, seeking solace away from the reminders of their past life. As the legal process unfolds, they strive to uphold resilience and await closure through the courtroom proceedings.