The sister-in-law of an alleged serial killer claimed she was “stunned” and that “this disbelief alone is profound and altering” following Rex Heuermann’s arrest.
Heuermann, a 59-year-old married father of two architects working in Manhattan, is accused of killing three of the “Giglo Beach 4” victims. He is the key suspect in the death of the last woman.
Heuermann’s sister-in-law, Dr. Johanna Ellerup, appeared to blame herself in an interview with NBC News as she struggled with reality.
“My ego has great difficulty processing the idea that I looked Rex in the eye and was unable to discern any murderous intentions,” Ellerup said.
“I vacillate between desperately wanting my niece and nephew’s life returned to its previous state, intact, without a father accused of being a serial killer, to being pleased and secure in knowing that someone is in custody.”
Asa Ellerup, Heuermann’s wife, announced her intent to divorce him less than a week after his detention on July 14.
When Dennis Rader, the BTK serial killer, was apprehended on February 25, 2005, Kerri Rawson and her family were in Asa and Johanna’s position.
According to Rawson, who went through a similar grief cycle and is still going through it nearly 20 years later, Johanna’s statements are a reflection of the range of feelings Heuermann’s sister-in-law experienced. Rawson said this in an interview with Fox News Digital.
Rawson observed that “she’s still trying to process this reality.” “It perfectly captures what my family experienced. You scrutinize everything and ask yourself, “What did I miss?“
However, you won’t be able to see a green monster head at the dinner table across from you.
The tweet below verified the news:
Gilgo Beach suspect's sister-in-law shares upsetting internal struggle: Report https://t.co/kMBZqRzdjr
— Fox News (@FoxNews) July 23, 2023
Is Heuermann the Serial Killer We’ve Been Looking For?
Law enforcement agencies nationwide, including those in South Carolina, Las Vegas, and Atlantic City, are investigating cold cases and unresolved missing persons cases to see if Heuermann is connected.
Heuermann is currently charged with the murders of Melissa Barthelemy, 24, Megan Waterman, 22, and Amber Lynn Costello, 27, and is also the main suspect in the death of Maureen Brainard-Barnes.
The mysterious deaths of the four ladies, who became known as the “Gilgo Beach 4,” were a piece of this confusing cold case.
In December 2010, while looking for a missing escort called Shannan Gilbert, law authorities discovered their remains, still whole and wrapped in burlap.
Heuermann entered a not-guilty plea to six counts of murder (one count each of first- and second-degree homicide). As of July 22, he has not been put on trial for the murder of Brainard-Barnes.
Law enforcement officials discovered the dismembered remains of at least six other victims in the vicinity between December 2010 and April 2011.
Years previously, several of the victims’ limbs were discovered in different parts of Long Island.
Between June 2007 and September 2010, the “Gilgo 4” were killed, but it took more than ten years and a change of leadership in the Suffolk County, New York, District Attorney’s Office before anyone was put behind bars.
In 2022, Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney established a task group including members from his office’s investigative division and law enforcement agencies ranging from the local level to the FBI.
Here is a small selection of the news from the past several weeks; each of these items is worthy of further research:
- A Tuck Shop Owner Was Detained for R@ping a 13-Year-Old Girl in His Store
- Democratic Governor John Bel Edwards Blocks Conservative Legislation in Louisiana
Gilgo Beach Suspect Arrested After 15 Years
Heuermann was named a suspect by the task team in March 2022, primarily based on already-gathered evidence like his Chevy Avalanche and phone records.
He is accused of mocking Barthelemy’s family, especially her sister, via a burner phone. According to court documents, the calls were received in Midtown Manhattan, close to the Long Island Railroad, and on Long Island.
He was apprehended on July 14 after investigators followed his every step for more than a year and collected his DNA from leftover pizza crust.
Heuermann is scheduled to return to court on August 1 and, if found guilty, could be sentenced to life in jail without the chance of release.
If you’re looking for crime news from across the state or the country, go no farther than The California Examiner.
