Asa Ellerup, the estranged wife of suspected Gilgo Beach serial killer Rex Heuermann, attended his Nov. 15 court appearance at Suffolk County court in Riverhead.
In the courtroom, she remained stoic throughout most of Heuermann’s pre-trial hearing, but she appeared to smile at him as he was escorted back to his jail cell, handcuffed behind his back.
Ellerup declined to speak to reporters, shaking her head at the plethora of questions thrown her way as she left the courthouse. Her attorney declined to answer if she was working with documentary filmmakers on the case. Speaking to reporters following the hearing, Heuermann’s attorney Michael Brown indicated that Ellerup believes Heuermann is innocent.
“My understanding is that she doesn’t believe that he was capable of or committed these acts,” Brown said. “I don’t know if he actually saw her but but he’s appreciative that she’s here. They werre married for so many years, and they raised the family together.”
Despite Brown’s claim, Ellerup filed for divorce shortly after Heuermann was arrested in July.
Brown reiterated his view that the DNA matched to Heuermann belongs to somebody else, and that Heuermann is just a “donor” for that DNA. He also claimed that previous investigators had wanted to arrest another suspect in the case, but declined to name that individual.
“Read Gus Garcia’s article in The Washington Post,” Brown said. “You can see about that they had another suspect very close to Mr. Heuermann’s home in Massapequa Park. They were focused and ready to arrest that individual.”
No new charges were brought against Heuermann, and he remains charged with the murders of Melissa Barthelemy, Amber Lynn Costello, and Megan Waterman. He is a prime suspect in the murder of Maureen Brainard-Barnes, and Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney told reporters he expected the grand jury investigation to wrap up soon.
Tierney did not discuss the possible connection between Heuermann and Karen Vergata, which was recently brought up at a press conference held by Suffolk County Police Commissioner Rodney Harrison and attorney John Ray.
“We look at a great many things, and we don’t disclose what we look at,” Tierney said. “We’re going to maintain that policy.”
Heuermann is due back in court Feb. 6.
