Was Rex Heuermann Framed? Asa Ellerup Thinks It’s Possible After Watching Gone Girls So the ex-wife of the alleged Gilgo Beach serial killer just watched a Netflix docuseries and now she’s wondering if her former husband is the fall guy in one of the most disturbing serial killer cases in recent history. Asa Ellerup, who was married to Rex Heuermann for nearly three decades, isn’t exactly screaming conspiracy theory from the rooftops—but after finishing Gone Girls: The Long Island Serial Killer, she’s raising an eyebrow, maybe two. And honestly, when you dig into the history of corruption inside Suffolk County law enforcement, she might not be completely out of line to ask, “Wait… what if?” Let’s start with the dirty laundry, because Suffolk County has more than a few skeletons in its own closet. James Burke, the former police chief, is now best remembered not for solving cases, but for going full WWE on a suspect who had the audacity to steal a duffel bag filled with porn and sex toys from his police-issued vehicle. Burke beat the guy, tried to cover it up, and got slapped with a 46-month prison sentence. Meanwhile, then–District Attorney Thomas Spota, instead of investigating Burke, allegedly helped sweep it all under the rug. He was eventually indicted for obstruction, corruption, and witness tampering. All of this—the beatdown, the porn bag, the cover-up—would be hilarious if it weren’t so grotesquely real. Ellerup’s legal team is now asking a very real question: if this is how Suffolk County handled its own mess, how can we trust anything in the case against Heuermann? Ellerup, who divorced Heuermann not long after his arrest, is reportedly keeping a close eye on his court proceedings, including the ongoing Frye hearing, which could determine whether the DNA evidence against him even makes it to trial. At the heart of the debate is a forensic method called “whole genome sequencing,” which sounds like something out of CSI: Space Edition. The defense calls it “magic,” prosecutors call it science. Dr. Kelley Harris, a highly respected geneticist from the University of Washington, spent an entire day testifying about how the process works and why it’s legit. In layman’s terms, it’s a super-detailed way of matching DNA, and in this case, hairs found on the victims reportedly tie back to Heuermann or people close to him—like Ellerup and her children. Prosecutors claim these hairs were recovered from the remains or crime scenes of six of the seven victims. That’s not small stuff. It could be the linchpin of the entire case. But again, the defense is arguing that this method has never been tested in a New York courtroom and shouldn’t be trusted until it’s vetted through the proper legal channels. Now, a brief rewind on the horror show that is the Gilgo Beach murders. From 1993 to 2011, a string of women—most of them sex workers—vanished after meeting clients. Their bodies were eventually found dumped in remote spots along Ocean Parkway. Some were bound. Some were dismembered. Many were discovered in pieces, scattered between different sites. It was like Long Island’s own version of a true crime nightmare. Heuermann, a 61-year-old architect who looked more like a guy you’d call to fix your kitchen backsplash than a suspected serial killer, was arrested in July 2023. He’s been charged with the murders of seven women so far: Amber Costello, Melissa Barthelemy, Megan Waterman, Maureen Brainard-Barnes, Sandra Costilla, Jessica Taylor, and Valerie Mack. He’s pleaded not guilty to every single one. And in a move that feels more like legal strategy than desperation, his defense is now asking the court to split the case into five separate trials. The Suffolk County DA’s office insists there’s no evidence the Heuermann family was involved. They were reportedly out of town during the alleged murders. But proximity and DNA are still in the spotlight. And then there’s Netflix, adding fuel to the fire with Gone Girls. Directed by Liz Garbus, who also made Lost Girls based on the 2013 book by Robert Kolker, the series shifts focus from the killer to the victims—their families, their stories, and how the system repeatedly failed them. It doesn’t exactly paint Suffolk County in a golden glow. Quite the opposite. And for Ellerup, it was enough to make her question whether her ex-husband was being thrown under the bus by a system with a very shaky track record. She’s not denying the tragedy of the crimes. Her attorneys made it clear she extends her sympathies to the victims’ families. But she also wants justice to be rooted in truth—not corruption, not cover-ups, and not convenience. For someone who shared a home, children, and a life with the accused, it’s personal. Whether Heuermann is a monster hiding behind a suburban life or just a man caught in a very dark chapter of county corruption remains to be seen. But the courtroom drama ...
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