Asa Ellerup Seeks Distance After Rex’s Guilty Plea

As Rex Heuermann, convicted in the Gilgo Beach serial killings, serves multiple life sentences after pleading guilty, his ex-wife Asa Ellerup has been living with the shock since his July 2023 arrest—claiming she knew nothing of his alleged crimes and moving o

When Rex Heuermann’s case turned from allegation to conviction, Asa Ellerup’s life splintered in real time. He was arrested in July 2023, and just days later Ellerup filed for divorce—an abrupt break that became final on March 27, 2025, according to Suffolk County Supreme Court records.

Heuermann. the Long Island architect convicted in the Gilgo Beach serial killings. is now serving multiple life sentences without the possibility of parole. In June 2026 sentencing, he pleaded guilty to murdering seven women and admitted responsibility for an eighth victim. Judge Timothy Mazzei questioned whether Heuermann was truly remorseful. telling him he assumed he was sorry for what he had done to “his wife and children” before condemning him for the murders of eight women.

For Ellerup and her family, the case wasn’t abstract. Police linked Heuermann to the killings through DNA evidence, cellphone records, and years of forensic investigation. He had initially pleaded not guilty to charges connected to the deaths of Megan Waterman. Melissa Barthelemy. Amber Costello. and Maureen Brainard-Barnes. along with Jessica Taylor. Sandra Costilla. and Valerie Mack.

Ellerup has maintained a stark boundary between herself and what prosecutors alleged. After Heuermann’s arrest. she released a statement saying she would “listen to all of the evidence and withhold judgment until the end of trial. ” adding. “I have given Rex the benefit of the doubt. as we all deserve.” Her attorney. Robert Macedonio. also insisted she knew nothing about the crimes.

“After 27 years with Mr. Heuermann, Ms. Ellerup maintains the belief that her estranged husband is not capable of committing these heinous acts,” Macedonio said.

Macedonio made a similar point after authorities investigated Heuermann’s alleged killing of Taylor. when they concluded Ellerup was not living with him at the time. “Today’s indictment further illustrates that Asa Ellerup has no involvement in any of the alleged crimes that her estranged husband. Rex Heuermann. has been charged with. ” Macedonio said in a statement obtained by Newsweek.

The divorce also formalized a legal status that had already changed in practice. Heuermann is no longer legally married. Ellerup and Heuermann were together for nearly three decades after marrying in 1996, and they share two adult children.

Before the upheaval of the case fully took hold, Heuermann had been living in his Massapequa Park, New York, home with Ellerup and their children. But in November 2024, Ellerup decided to move out. Multiple outlets reported their Long Island home has not been sold yet.

Macedonio said Ellerup was relocating to South Carolina because she “lost her attachment to her house of 30 years,” according to NBC New York. The move came after the home had been raided by police multiple times.

The facts line up with a timeline that feels punishingly fast: Heuermann’s arrest in July 2023, Ellerup’s divorce filing days later, the legal finalization on March 27, 2025, and then the sentencing in June 2026—while she continues to insist she had no involvement or knowledge of the alleged crimes.

Now. with Heuermann serving multiple life sentences without parole. Ellerup’s public stance has remained consistent: listen. withhold judgment during the trial. and reject the idea that she was connected to what prosecutors say he did. In the background. the household that lasted nearly 30 years has already been fractured—one move at a time—until the marriage became something the court could close. and the case could no longer reopen.

Asa Ellerup Rex Heuermann ex-wife Gilgo Beach serial killings Timothy Mazzei Massapequa Park Suffolk County Supreme Court July 2023 arrest divorce finalized March 27 2025