Rex Heuermann’s ex-wife has gotten some relief as officials returned items seized during raids at her Long Island home.
Asa Ellerup, 59, who has remained by the accused serial killer’s side amid the ongoing Gilgo Beach murder case, had his life turned upside down after police raided his residence and storage units in recent months.
Heuerman, 61, was arrested in 2023 and charged with the murder of six women, at least four of whom were sex workers before they died.
While he denied any involvement in their deaths and pleaded not guilty, detectives broke into his family’s Massapequa Park home and rented storage units to confiscate the items.
“The family is grateful and relieved that they are beginning to recover some of their personal assets,” said Bob Macedonio, Ellerup’s attorney. news day, adding that the returned items will not be used as evidence in the case of the accused murderer.
“We have been in constant contact with the district attorney’s office and last month began receiving the return of personal items that prosecutors determined had no evidentiary value in the prosecution of Rex Heuermann.”
Asa Ellerup, 59, who filed for divorce from Heuermann, remained by his side during the ongoing Gilgo Beach murder investigation.
Heuerrman (pictured in court), 61, was arrested in 2023 and charged with the murder of six women, at least four of whom were sex workers before their deaths.
Macedonio told the outlet that the family received “more than 50 manila envelopes” and “personal electronic devices.”
“We were told by the district attorney’s office that we would continue to receive personal assets from Asa (Ellerup), Victoria (Heuermann) and Christopher (Sheridan) on an ongoing basis as they are processed,” he said.
Victoria is the daughter of Heuermann and Ellerup, while Christopher is Ellrup’s son from a previous relationship.
Ellerup filed for divorce six days after Heuermann was charged with the first three murders.
Other items that have been returned, according to Macedonio, include greeting cards from a family member, multiple gift cards sent to the family after Heuermann’s arrest and personal documents.
The attorney revealed that the gift cards amounted to approximately $1,000, along with a personal check from someone in Iceland. The amount of the check is unclear.
Vess Mitev, the lawyer representing Victoria and Christopher, said that while some of his client’s personal items were returned last month, many more remain in police custody.
Bob Macedonio, Ellerup’s attorney, said the returned items will not be used as evidence in the accused killer’s case.
Mitev told the outlet that authorities took art materials, antiques, books, clothing, writing instruments and even personal documentation, including social security cards, passports and birth certificates.
“Disgust and bewilderment is the best way to describe my clients and my opinion that these items are still in the possession of the authorities,” Mitev said.
In May, Mitev told DailyMail.com that Heuermann’s children and ex-wife were just getting their lives back together when police launched a second raid in a week.
The lawyer said that just before officials swooped in for clues to lock up Huerrman, Ellerup and her children were putting the “finishing touches” on their new living room in an attempt to make their home more comfortable.
Mitev could not reveal whether Ellerup and the children knew about the search beforehand.
He said, “It’s understandable that they are in some degree of turmoil because that’s just the byproduct of what’s happening.”
“My clients feel a very deep visceral disgust at any police presence in their home, in their home, and especially where we are almost a year later,” he said.
The piles of boxes stacked outside grew larger and larger as more evidence was seized in May.
“Their lives are once again turned upside down, although by all accounts this time, it is a much more controlled chaos, but chaos nonetheless.”
During the search, a medical examiner also arrived at the home, which retired NYPD Sergeant Joseph Giacalone said could mean investigators are looking into deaths beyond the Gilgo Beach murders.
“Since they already did this 10 months ago, they had to be able to prove to a judge that they had probable cause to go in there,” he said.
‘The appearance of the medical examiner is really interesting.
“If we see the forensic anthropologist show up, it would be even more interesting and a little bit revealing because it’s the doctors who come out and determine what is a human bone or what is an animal bone.”
The new search for Heuermann’s home came after police searched a shocking new case location in woods near Manorville, about 40 miles away, in April.
Days later, Gilgo Beach murder investigators used K-9 units to search an area in North Sea, Long Island, where a woman’s body was found in 1993.
Their search was carried out in the area where the body of Sandra Costilla was found three decades ago in a murder case that remains unsolved.
Heuermann has since been accused of killing Costilla, Jessica Taylor, Melissa Barthelemy, Amber Lynn Costello, Megan Waterman, Maureen Brainard-Barnes and Valerie Mack.
According to prosecutors, they have linked Heuermann to the murders through data from cell phone sites and DNA.
They also say that an alleged manifesto detailing how he carried out the murders was discovered on a hard drive in his basement.
Last month, police released new information about the Gilgo Beach murders and one of the unidentified bodies, known as ‘Asian Doe.’
Heuermann has pleaded not guilty to all charges and currently remains in prison awaiting trial.
Map shows where bodies were found in Gilgo Beach
Gilgo Beach became a dumping ground for murderers (or killers) during the 1990s and early 2000s. In total, 11 bodies were found in the region.
New renderings provide a picture of what this victim was like before his death.
Police say he was probably from southern China, was between 17 and 23 years old and that his death occurred at least five years before his body was found in April 2011.
The biological man was wearing women’s clothing when he was discovered: a bra, a blue ribbed crew neck and a shirt branded ‘Rafaella’, leading researchers to consider that he may have been living as a woman.
‘We believe Asian Doe may have been working as a sex worker. “We believe they spent some time in New York prior to his death,” said Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond Tierney.
Tierney said that “the task force does not forget the victims and we will not stop in our pursuit of justice.”
“This person remains nameless… to us… Does anyone know who this individual is?”
A $2,500 reward has been offered for information leading to the identification of the victim.
Heuermann is expected to appear in court on October 16.