Gilgo Beach murders: DNA from Rex Heuermann's estranged wife matches sample from victims’ remains
MASSAPEQUA PARK, Long Island - A DNA sample taken from Asa Ellerup, the estranged wife of suspected Gilgo Beach serial killer Rex Heuermann, matches the DNA found on the remains of victims, a source tells FOX 5 NY's Jodi Goldberg.
No charges have been filed against Ellerup, the source said.
Heuermann is charged with the murders of Melissa Barthelemy, Megan Waterman and Amber Costello. He's also the prime suspect in the murder of Maureen Brainard-Barnes.
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Gilgo Beach murders: Rex Heuermann's estranged wife attends his court appearance
Asa Ellerup, the estranged wife of suspected Gilgo Beach serial killer Rex Heuermann, attended his court appearance for the first time. Heuermann is charged with the murders of Melissa Barthelemy, Megan Waterman and Amber Costello. He's also the prime suspect in the murder of Maureen Brainard-Barnes.
The four women were found dead in Gilbo Beach back in 2010. Heuermann has pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Earlier this month, Ellerup attended the court appearance of Heuermann for the first time. She was met by a circus of cameras, which marked the first time she came to court since his arrest back in July.
Ellerup, who was being followed by a film crew, said nothing as she walked in. The conference finished in a matter of minutes. Heuermann glanced at her in the gallery as he was escorted out, and she slightly smiled.
What are the Gilgo Beach murders?
The Gilgo Beach murders – the deaths of 11 people whose remains were found in 2010 and 2011 – have long stumped investigators.
Most of the victims were young women who had been sex workers. Several of the bodies were found near the remote town of Gilgo Beach on the southern shore of Long Island.
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What are the Gilgo Beach murders?
Most of the victims were young women who had been sex workers. Several of the bodies were found near the town of Gilgo Beach.
Determining who killed them, and why, has vexed a slew of seasoned homicide detectives through several changes in police leadership. Last year, an interagency task force was formed with investigators from the FBI, as well as state and local police departments, aimed at solving the case.
The formation of the Gilgo Beach task force represented a renewed commitment to investigating the unsolved killings, Suffolk County Police Commissioner Rodney Harrison said at the time.
The 'Gilgo Four'
The bodies of the "Gilgo Four" were located within a quarter-mile of one another near Gilgo Beach in December 2010.
In 2022, Suffolk County Police released new information on victims – Brainard-Barnes, Barthelemy, Waterman and Costello, including personal information and their last known whereabouts.
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Who were the Gilgo Beach murder victims?
Most of the victims were young women who had been sex workers. Several of the bodies were found near the town of Gilgo Beach.
Shannan Gilbert, a 24-year-old sex worker, vanished on May 1, 2010. A police officer and his cadaver dog were looking for her body in the thicket along nearby Ocean Parkway when they happened upon the remains of a different woman. Within days, three other bodies were found, all within a short walk of one another.
Gilbert's disappearance and search is what ultimately led to the discovery of several remains in the area.
Associated Press wire services helped contribute to this report.