In a chilling revelation, Gilgo Beach serial killer Rex Heuermann confessed to his ex-wife weeks ago that he murdered seven women in their family home, according to a new documentary. The architectural consultant, who recently pleaded guilty to killing eight women, made the admission to Asa Ellerup in a tense conversation just before his court appearance.
Nervous Confession Before Guilty Plea
In teaser footage from the Peacock series The Gilgo Beach Killer: House of Secrets, Ellerup recounts how her "very nervous" ex-husband admitted to the murders. "I said to him, 'So Mr. Heuermann, I understand that you are confessing to me on those murders,'" she recalls in the clip. "'Can you tell me how many of these women did you kill?' He said, 'eight.'"
Ellerup, who was married to Heuermann for 27 years during the killing spree, described using formalities to create emotional distance during their conversation. "I put a wall up," she explains, referring to him as "Mr. Heuermann" rather than her husband. "When he started talking, it started feeling like 'that's the Rex I know,' but I didn't want to see that one, I wanted to see the one I needed to see."
Seven Murders in the Family Home
Most disturbingly, Heuermann revealed that seven of the eight killings occurred in the basement of their Massapequa Park home on Long Island. "He said yes, they were killed in his room downstairs, all except one," Ellerup states. "He said I wasn't home during all of them." The murders took place just feet away from the family's kitchen while Ellerup and their children were away.
Heuermann's attorney, Bob Macedonio, questions Ellerup about the discrepancy in numbers during the documentary clip, noting "he's charged with seven." Ellerup responds that she didn't inquire about the eighth victim, though Heuermann insisted these eight women were his only victims.
Guilty Plea and Victim Details
Heuermann, 62, pleaded guilty on April 8 to murdering seven women: Melissa Barthelemy, Megan Waterman, Amber Lynn Costello, Maureen Brainard-Barnes, Jessica Taylor, Sandra Costilla, and Valerie Mack. These victims, discovered along Ocean Parkway near Gilgo Beach, had baffled investigators for over a decade.
Additionally, Heuermann admitted in court to causing the death of Karen Vergata, a Manhattan mother of two who disappeared in 1996. Her skull was found in 2011 but not identified until 2023. Though never formally charged in Vergata's death, Heuermann confessed to her murder as part of his plea agreement. He admitted to strangling all victims and dismembering some.
Investigation and Arrest
Authorities arrested Heuermann in July 2023 after linking him to the killings through DNA evidence recovered from a discarded pizza crust outside his Manhattan office. The murders spanned from 1993 to 2010, with bodies discovered during a search for missing woman Shannan Gilbert.
Prosecutors stated Heuermann strangled his victims and disposed of their remains across Suffolk County. He is expected to receive multiple life sentences at his sentencing scheduled for June 17.
Documentary Controversy
The documentary's final episode, set for release, includes interviews with victims' family members, a psychotherapist who treated Heuermann, and a former FBI profiler. However, the project has drawn criticism following reports that the family received over $1 million for participation.
In a statement, Ellerup's attorney emphasized: "This has been an extremely emotional and painful process for the family to endure and come to terms with the allegations that Rex Heuermann was the Gilgo Beach serial killer. Ms. Ellerup would like the focus to remain where it belongs – on the victims and their families, who have suffered immeasurable and lasting losses."
