An attorney representing several Long Island serial killer victims is pushing for investigations beyond New York, asserting that accused killer Rex Heuermann likely had more victims.
“It is clear that the [Gilgo Beach] Task Force is not big enough, strong enough, organized enough to handle all these cases that are multi-state,” attorney John Ray said at a symposium he held at St. John’s University earlier this week, according to Long Island Press.
“We have to get a much bigger look from the federal end. We need the FBI and the United States Attorney’s Office to step in, which is why I asked why I started this case back in 2011.”
As CrimeOnline previously reported, Heuremann is already facing charges for the murders of four other victims, including Maureen Brainard-Barnes; Melissa Barthelemy, 24; Megan Waterman, 22; and Amber Lynn Costello, 27.
He’s also been a potential person of interest in murder cases that occurred outside of New York, including South Carolina woman Julia Bean’s 2017 death and Nevada woman Jordan Brewer’s 2007 death.
News 12 reports that in August 2023, Las Vegas investigators said they would compare Heuremann’s DNA in connection with Victoria Camara, 17, who was found dead in Boulder City.
Inquiries about out-of-state murders potentially linked to Heuermann have been directed at Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney. He declined to comment, citing that they fall outside his jurisdiction.
Meanwhile, Ray is also pushing for an investigation into Heuremann’s estranged wife, Asa Ellerup, as a possible suspect, suggesting that Ellerup and her children might have checked into an Atlantic City hotel later than reported.
Investigators previously cleared Heuermann’s family as suspects after determining they were out of state “on or about July 6, 2007, through on or about July 20, 2007,” when some of the victims disappeared.
Ray argued that the family stayed in timeshare hotels, meaning they could come and go “more easily,” and that a hotel manager told him Eserup had checked into the hotel on July 17, 2017.
“The manager, who I spoke to over the phone, looked up the stay of Mrs. Ellerup and her time that was there and she looked it up and read it to us twice to make sure of what she was reading,” he explained.
“And not only was she able to tell us their names, she was able to tell us the amount of the charge – which was $37.45 and she said, ‘Yes, they stayed here from July 17, 2007, until July 23.’ She had no reason to lie. If those records are correct, then the District Attorney is not right, and Asa Ellerup was not away on July 7, July 8, July 9, July 10.”
Heuremann remains behind bars at Suffolk County jail. His next court appearance is scheduled for February 6.
For the latest true crime and justice news, subscribe to the ‘Crime Stories with Nancy Grace’ podcast.
[Feature Photo: Rex Heuermann/Suffolk County Sheriff’s Office via AP]
