Gilgo Beach Latest: NJ Ties Probed, Wife Files For Divorce

MASSAPEQUA PARK, NY — Investigators believe accused Gilgo Beach serial killer Rex Heuermann to have killed at least one victim in this Massapequa Park home, reports say.

New Jersey law enforcement are reportedly looking into whether Heuermann could be linked to the killings of four Atlantic City sex workers, found strangled to death in a drainage ditch behind a motel in 2006.

The news comes as the wife of Heuermann, charged with murdering three sex workers in the Gilgo Beach serial killings, filed for divorce just days after his arrest.

The identity of the New Jersey killer, known as the Eastbound Strangler, has been unknown for years. Now, authorities are exploring whether these slayings and the Gilgo Beach killings are related.

“Investigators are looking into him in connection with cases around the nation including Atlantic City,” a Suffolk County Police Department spokesperson told Newsday on Thursday.

Additionally, a spokesperson for the prosecutor's office in the Atlantic City area told the newspaper its office "continues to investigate the 2006 Black Horse Pike homicides as we do all unresolved matters, and we follow all leads."

That news came a day after Asa Ellerup filed for divorce, according to online court documents reviewed by Patch. She is listed as an “uncontested” in the matrimonial, with a complaint, summons and “notice concerning continuation of health care coverage” filed and processed — although they are not made public.

Suffolk County Police Commissioner Rodney Harrison said on CNN’s “Erin Burnett Out Front” Monday night that Heuermann's family members were shocked to learned about the crimes he is accused of committing.

“They were disgusted. They were embarrassed,” Harrison said. “So, if you ask me, I don’t believe they knew about this double life that Heuermann was living.”

Heuermann was charged with six counts of murder in the deaths of Amber Costello, Melissa Barthelemy, and Megan Waterman, whose remains were found in 2010 along Ocean Parkway.

Since 2010, at least 11 sets of remains have been found, believed to be related to the Gilgo Beach killings. Police have searched for a serial killer ever since. At least four of the killings included strangulation, and two showed signs of blunt-force trauma. The cause of death remains inconclusive for some victims.

Law enforcement officers last week swarmed a small red house in the suburb about 40 miles east of midtown Manhattan. Dozens of neighbors watched, along with police and media, as investigators in protective suits gathered outside the front porch, which The Associated Press described as being in disrepair, with its roof propped up by 2-by-4s.

So far, officials obtained a menagerie of items from the house including: a trove of more than 200 guns; a painting of a fair-skinned blonde woman with large, deep-set, dark eyes, a gash on her right cheek; and a childlike doll enclosed in a display case.

Law enforcement also raided an Amityville storage unit this week, in attempts to obtain evidence. It has not been confirmed who the storage unit belongs to.

John Ray, an attorney who represents the families of Shannan Gilbert and Jessica Taylor — two sex workers whose remains were also found — told Patch on Thursday his clients were glad to hear of Heuremann's arrest, but are "worn out."

"They're happy, but still so worn out emotionally," he said.

Sherre Gilbert, Shannan Gilbert's sister, did make a statement on Facebook last week after Heuremann was charged, expressing her "deepest sympathy" to the families of Waterman, Brainard-Barnes, Barthelemy and Costello.

"Their lives were cut short by this cruel heinous act of violence and no amount of justice, will ever bring them back," she wrote. "The pain, hurt & anger these families have had to deal with since these women first went missing is immense."

Sherre also thanked the media for keeping their stories alive, and law enforcement for their continued efforts, and her supporters.

"I couldn’t have done it without any of you. It’s sad how many of us have similar tragic stories & experiences with law enforcement with limited resources & opportunities to seek justice," she said. Every victim deserves justice. And every case — big or small deserves recognition. I wished, hoped & prayed for this day."

Gilbert's remains were found in 2011 in Oak Beach. She was a New Jersey escort who disappeared on May 1, 2010, after meeting a client for sex on Oak Beach.

Police ruled her death as a “a tragic accident”.

The search for Gilbert first led to the bodies of four other sex workers, known as the "Gilgo Four": Maureen Brainard Barnes, 25 ; Melissa Barthelemy, 24; Megan Waterman, 22; and Amber Lynn Costello, 27 — all of whom were strangled and stuffed in burlap bags.

In 2003, the remains of Taylor, an escort working in New York City, were located in a wooded area in Manorville. Additional remains of Taylor were discovered March 29, 2011, along Ocean Parkway, during the search for Gilbert.

Here are the latest updates in the Gilgo Serial Killings case:

'No Warrant, No Entry:' Retirement Plans In South Carolina

Before his arrest, accused Gilgo Beach murderer Rex Heuermann had plans to retire at one of the three properties he owns in his $800K portfolio – South Carolina where he owns a 5-plus-acre property near his brother, according to published reports.

A neighbor, who lives down the street, told Fox Craig Heuermann said his brother owns a lot across the road and he will retire "down there," adding, when he does, "everybody's leaving."

Another neighbor told the outlet Heuermann planned to "buy everybody out."

Just beyond a simple plastic mailbox on a wooden post, there is a large wooden gate with two signs.

The first sign, which is white says, "Keep Out, No trespassing," in black lettering, while the second wooden underneath, features a black skull and crossbones, with the words, "No Warrant, No Entry," in black lettering.

See also: New Details Of Gilgo Suspect Who Planned Carolina Retirement: Report

Law enforcement apprehended Heuermann's Chevy Avalanche in Chester County, South Carolina on Tuesday, Fox News reported.

A representative of the Chester County Sheriff's Office told Patch they could only confirm that a vehicle was apprehended, but could not confirm it belonged to Heuermann.

They also emphasized that the Chester County Sheriff's Office is assisting Suffolk County law enforcement, who are leading the case.

The architect became a suspect of interest in March 2022 when a special task force linked his car to a witness' testimony.

The witness told law enforcement they saw Costello trick Heuermann out of money in a scam, and that he got into a Chevrolet Avalanche. Investigators believe Heuermann picked up Costello the second and final time in the Avalanche.

The task force traced the car to Heuermann using its car registration.

Former Escort 'Needed To Get Away' From Accused Gilgo Killer: Report

Nicole Brass, 34, of Port Jefferson, said she met Heuermann eight years ago when she went on "dates" with wealthy men to support an opioid addiction, and was scared off by him after he began to talk about the murders, The Daily News reported.

She told the outlet she narrowly escaped the encounter, and seemed to take pleasure out of raising the subject of the Gilgo Beach murders.

“When he spoke about it, it was almost like he was visualizing it in his head and getting off to what he was saying,” Brass, who is now a stylist, told the outlet.