Current:Home > BackWife of accused Long Island serial killer battling cancer; could sue investigators who searched home-LoTradeCoin
Wife of accused Long Island serial killer battling cancer; could sue investigators who searched home
View Date:2024-12-24 08:04:14
NEW YORK (AP) — The wife of Rex Heuermann, the man charged with killing at least three women and burying their bodies on a remote coastal highway, is living in a “waking surreal nightmare,” her attorney said Friday, struggling to pay for cancer treatment while living in a house trashed by investigators.
At a press conference on Long Island, attorneys for Heuermann’s estranged wife, Asa Ellerup, and his two adult children, announced the family planned to follow a notice of claim, a move that would allow them to eventually sue police for “leaving their home in shambles” while searching for possible evidence.
“Their valuables were shattered, their places were destroyed, the places they laid their heads no longer exists,” said Vess Mitev, an attorney who is also representing Heuermann’s 26-year-old daughter, Victoria, and 34-year-old stepson, Christopher Sheridan. “They’re going through a horrific emotional time that none of us can imagine.”
Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney has said police followed standard procedure during their 12-day search of the house.
Attorneys also said Ellerup is currently scrambling to find a way to pay for her skin and breast cancer treatment once her current medical insurance, which is tied to her husband’s employment, runs out later this year. Ellerup filed for divorce last month.
The family has raised more than $40,000 through a GoFundMe started by Melissa Moore, the daughter of serial killer Keith Hunter Jesperson, known as the “Happy Face Killer.”
That crowd-funding campaign has generated some controversy. John Ray, an attorney for Shannon Gilbert, a woman found dead on a coastal marsh near Heuermann’s alleged victims, urged the public against donating to the family, describing them as suspects in the case, rather than victims.
Suffolk Police have concluded that Gilbert drowned accidentally — a finding her family has not accepted, believing she was also killed.
Heuermann, 59, was charged last month in the deaths of Melissa Barthelemy, Amber Costello and Megan Waterman. He is the prime suspect in the death of a fourth woman, Maureen Brainard-Barnes. All four of the women were believed to be engaged in sex work prior to their disappearance. Heuermann has pleaded not guilty the charges.
Bob Macedonio, an attorney for Ellerup, said Heuermann was living a “complete double life,” with his wife and children totally in the dark about his alleged crimes. The attorneys shared a photo of the Heuermann household on Christmas in 2011, a little over a year after his final victim went missing, showing wrapped gifts sitting under an adorned tree in the family’s living room.
Authorities have not reached out to any family members, the lawyers said. Ellerup has spoken to her husband by phone, but has not visited him.
Heuermann is due back in court on September 27th.
veryGood! (928)
Related
- Man killed in Tuskegee University shooting in Alabama is identified. 16 others were hurt
- One of the Egyptian activists behind the 2011 uprising freed from prison after presidential pardon
- Those without homes 'most at risk of dying' from Hurricane Hilary in SoCal, advocates warn
- WWE star Edge addresses questions about retirement after SmackDown win in hometown
- Jason Kelce Jokes He Got “Mixed Reviews” From Kylie Kelce Over NSFW Commentary
- Russia’s Luna-25 spacecraft suffers technical glitch in pre-landing maneuver
- Ron Cephas-Jones, ‘This Is Us’ actor who won 2 Emmys, dies at 66
- Biden strengthens ties with Japan and South Korea at Camp David summit
- Kennesaw State football coach Brian Bohannon steps down after 10 seasons amid first year in FBS
- Former Minnesota governor, congressman Al Quie dies at 99
Ranking
- Princess Kate makes rare public appearance after completing cancer chemo
- 1 dead, 185 structures destroyed in eastern Washington wildfire
- Kelly Clarkson's Kids River and Remy Makes Surprise Appearance Onstage at Las Vegas Show
- Official says wildfire on Spain’s popular tourist island of Tenerife was started deliberately
- 'Serial swatter': 18-year-old pleads guilty to making nearly 400 bomb threats, mass shooting calls
- '1 in 30 million': Rare orange lobster discovered at restaurant in New York
- Philadelphia mall evacuated after smash-and-grab jewelry store robbery by 4 using pepper spray
- Ecuadorians are choosing a new president amid increasing violence that may scare away voters
Recommendation
-
Off the Grid: Sally breaks down USA TODAY's daily crossword puzzle, Mixed Use
-
Biden strengthens ties with Japan and South Korea at Camp David summit
-
Trump says he will skip GOP presidential primary debates
-
Proud Boys member and Jan. 6 defendant is now FBI fugitive after missing sentencing
-
Louisville officials mourn victims of 'unthinkable' plant explosion amid investigation
-
Block Island, Rhode Island, welcomed back vacationers Sunday, a day after a fire tore through hotel
-
The Russian space agency says its Luna-25 spacecraft has crashed into the moon
-
Ohio State wrestler Sammy Sasso shot near campus, recovering in hospital