
Accused Gilgo Beach Killer's Ex-Wife Breaks Silence in New Doc: Watch Clip
Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content.
Asa Ellerup, the ex-wife of Rex Heuermann, the man accused of killing several women whose remains were found near Gilgo Beach on Long Island, New York, has spoken out in a new Peacock documentary series about the case.
Ellerup, who has attended several of Heuermann's court appearances, filed for divorce from him following his arrest. Her attorney, Robert Macedonio, announced that the divorce was finalized in March.
"The investigator says to me, 'Have you heard about the murders on Gilgo Beach?' I've heard of them," Ellerup said in a trailer for The Gilgo Beach Killer: House of Secrets. "Does everybody really believe everything they hear?"
Asa Ellerup and her daughter Victoria Heuermann attend the FRYE hearing for Rex Heuermann on March 28, 2025 at the Suffolk County Criminal Court in Riverhead, New York.
Asa Ellerup and her daughter Victoria Heuermann attend the FRYE hearing for Rex Heuermann on March 28, 2025 at the Suffolk County Criminal Court in Riverhead, New York.
hoo-me.com/MediaPunch/MediaPunch/IPx
Who Is Rex Heuermann?
Heuermann, 61, is facing murder charges in connection with the deaths of seven women between 1993 and 2010. He has pleaded not guilty to all charges. He was arrested in 2023 in connection with remains found over a decade prior near Gilgo Beach.
A police dog found the remains of Melissa Barthelemy while searching for missing woman Shannan Gilbert in 2010. Officials then found the remains of Maureen Brainard-Barnes, Megan Waterman and Amber Lynn Costello. The victims have been called the "Gilgo Four."
Heuermann was later charged with the murders of Jessica Taylor, Sandra Costilla and Valerie Mack.
Additional remains have been found by officials near Gilgo Beach. Heuermann has not been charged in relation to those victims.
What to Know About 'The Gilgo Beach Killer: House of Secrets'
The new true-crime series, which is executive produced by Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson, follows the aftermath of the Gilgo Beach murders. According to Peacock, the series goes "inside the suspect's home for the first time where exclusive commentary from his own family reveals a chilling portrait of a man accused of living a double life."
The documentary series also provides an in-depth look at the lives of the victims.
Heuermann and Ellerup's daughter, Victoria Heuermann, is interviewed in the series.
"One person's saying this, one person's saying that, but my memory says this," Victoria said.
The trailer ends with a phone conversation between Ellerup and Heuermann.
"Hello," Heuermann can be heard saying in the call.
The two ask each other how they are doing, and Heuermann can be heard saying he is "alright."
"I'm doing great, now that I've got you on the phone," Ellerup replied.
How to Watch
The series premieres on Tuesday on Peacock, with all three episodes available to stream upon its release.
Where Are Asa Ellerup and Her Kids Now?
As of November 2024, Ellerup's children still reside with her at the Heuermann home in Massapequa Park, New York, according to People.
Ellerup, 61, previously worked at Long Island Jewish Medical Center, according to The U.S. Sun.
Victoria, 28, graduated from the New York Institute of Technology (NYIT), with a degree in fine arts, according to her LinkedIn profile. She previously worked as a sales associate at Macy's. The New York Times also reported that Victoria worked for her father's architecture consulting firm prior to his arrest. Vess Mitev, a lawyer for the children, told the outlet last year that Victoria has faced difficulty getting a job.
Ellerup also has a son from her previous marriage, Christopher Sheridan. Ellerup revealed that he has developmental disabilities in a 2023 interview with the New York Post.
Do you have a story that Newsweek should be covering? Do you have any questions about this story? Contact LiveNews@newsweek.com.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Newsweek
3 hours ago
- Newsweek
China-Linked Scam Centers Targeting More US Victims: Report
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Asian scam centers are cheating Americans out of billions of dollars a year while enjoying at least the implicit backing of elements in the Chinese government and the threat posed by the "pig-butchering" fraud gangs is growing, a U.S. congressional commission said. The U.S-China Economic and Security Review Commission said efforts to tackle the problem are fragmented and under-resourced and without a coordinated push to raise public awareness, equip law enforcement, and take aggressive action to expose and deter the scams, American losses would almost certainly escalate. Newsweek reached out to China's foreign ministry for comment. Alleged victims of forced labor at scam centres in Myanmar's Kayin State walk in line as they are met by the Thai Army after crossing the Thai-Myanmar border on February 12, 2025. Chinese-linked online fraud... Alleged victims of forced labor at scam centres in Myanmar's Kayin State walk in line as they are met by the Thai Army after crossing the Thai-Myanmar border on February 12, 2025. Chinese-linked online fraud gangs are increasingly looking for U.S. victims, a congressional commission said. More Photo by LILLIAN SUWANRUMPHA/AFP viaWhy It Matters The announcement points to another source of friction between the United States and China, its main strategic rival Americans lost at least $5 billion to online scams in 2024, according to very conservative estimates, an increase of 42 percent over the previous year, the commission said in a report. It cited the case of an elderly Virginia man who committed suicide after being cheated out of his life savings. The proliferation of scam centers run by ethnic Chinese criminal gangs in some of the more lawless corners of Southeast Asia has also enabled China to expand its influence in the region, fueled corruption, violence and human trafficking while undermining the ability of governments to control what happens in their territory. What to Know The scamming is known as "pig butchering" and involves fraudsters making contact with unsuspecting people online, building a relationship with them and then defrauding them. This type of fraud can also be known as a "romance scam." An expert working group convened by the United States Institute of Peace estimated that the scams generated $63.9 billion in global revenue in 2023, with Myanmar, Cambodia, and Laos at the epicenter of the operations. The scam centers, where thousands of victims of human trafficking are forced to work, proliferated during the COVID-19 pandemic when in the absence of visiting gamblers gangs re-purposed empty casinos to focus on fraud. Ethnic Chinese gangsters initially hunted for victims in China but that triggered action by Chinese authorities, the U.S. commission said. "Bejing has selectively cracked down on scam centers that target Chinese victims, leading Chinese criminal organizations to conclude that they can make greater profits with lower risk by targeting citizens of wealthy countries such as the United States," it said. As the Chinese criminal networks expanded, they developed a mutually beneficial relationship with Chinese officials eager to promote their Belt and Road Initiative, or BRI, a network of transport and energy infrastructure aimed at linking China to markets in Europe, the Middle East and Africa. "Known syndicates invested large sums in infrastructure projects branded under the BRI, helping build the physical and digital backbone of their scamming operations in places like Cambodia and the Thai-Burmese border. In turn, Chinese officials and state-owned enterprises backed these projects to demonstrate progress advancing the BRI - despite their ties to transnational crime," it said. "While Beijing has taken action against criminal groups that defy its control, it has often turned a blind eye when syndicates align with the CCP's broader agenda," the commission said, referring to the Chinese Communist Party. China has also exploited the problem of scam centers to expand its influence throughout Southeast Asia, the commission said. It cited reports indicating that scam centers in the Philippines were likely linked to Chinese espionage efforts. Beijing has also used the issue of the Chinese transnational criminal gangs as an excuse to pressure Southeast Asian countries to agree to a greater role for Chinese security forces in the region, it said. The International police organization Interpol said last month "human trafficking-fueled scam centres have expanded their global footprint" beyond Southeast Asia. What People Are Saying The U.S-China Economic and Security Review Commission said: "Beijing has placed intense pressure on governments in Southeast Asia to crack down on scam centers that target Chinese victims. Yet these selective crackdowns have done little to disrupt the increasing scale and scope of scam centers in the region. Instead, China's focus on protecting Chinese victims has accelerated the shift toward targeting Americans." Interpol said in a June 30 statement: "Online scam centres have increasingly been observed in other regions, including the Middle East, West Africa – which could be developing into a new regional hub – and Central America." What Happens Next There seems to be no sign that levels of online fraud can be cut in the absence of concerted action by governments around the world.


Newsweek
4 hours ago
- Newsweek
Prince William and Harry's Cousin Found Dead Near Firearm
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Rosie Roche, a cousin of Prince William and Prince Harry, was found dead at her family's home alongside a firearm, a coroner's inquest heard. Roche, aged 20, was related to the royal brothers through her grandfather, who was Princess Diana's uncle. And her great-grandmother, Lady Ruth Fermoy, was a Lady-in-Waiting to the Queen Mother, who advised King Charles III to marry Diana. Quoted by The Sun, area coroner Grant Davies, said police "have deemed the death as non-suspicious and there was no third-party involvement." Prince Harry and Prince William attend the annual Remembrance Sunday service at The Cenotaph, in London, on November 10, 2019. Prince Harry and Prince William attend the annual Remembrance Sunday service at The Cenotaph, in London, on November 10, 2019. Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images Roche's body was found at her family home in Norton, Wiltshire, on July 14. A family spokesperson quoted in The Daily Telegraph said she "will be sorely missed." An obituary published in The Yorkshire Post read: "Roche, Rosie Jeanne Burke. Died on Monday 14th July 2025. "Darling daughter of Hugh and Pippa, incredible sister to Archie and Agatha, granddaughter to Derek and Rae Long. "Private family funeral. A memorial service will be held at a later date." She was discovered by her mother, Pippa, and sister, Agatha. A coroner's inquest was opened and adjourned until October 25. Roche studied English literature student at Durham University and had been packing to go away with friends before her death, according to The Daily Mirror. The Roche Family and the Royals Roche was a granddaughter of the 5th Baron Fermoy, born Edmund James Burke Roche, who was Princess Diana's maternal uncle. Lord Fermoy shot himself aged 45 in 1984, The New York Times reported at the time, before his granddaughter was born. Prince Harry was born the same year and Prince William two years earlier, so neither prince knew him. The Fermoys have been significant figures in royal life. Lord Fermoy's mother, Lady Ruth Fermoy, was a Lady-in-Waiting to the Queen Mother and a significant figure in King Charles III's life. She was Rosie Roche's great grandmother. In fact, she was among the people whom Charles asked for advice on whether to marry Princess Diana. Lady Ruth Fermoy visits her granddaughter Princess Diana following the birth of Prince William at St. Mary's Hospital, in London, England, on June 21, 1982. Lady Ruth Fermoy visits her granddaughter Princess Diana following the birth of Prince William at St. Mary's Hospital, in London, England, on June 21, king's 1994 authorized biography, The Prince of Wales: A Biography, by journalist Jonathan Dimbleby, read: "Characteristically (in relation to such intimate matters) the Queen refrained from tendering her opinion but Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother, who was a significant influence, counselled strongly in favour of marriage, as did her lady-in-waiting, Ruth Fermoy, who was Diana Spencer's grandmother." Quoted in the book, Lady Fermoy also described Charles playing her a piece on the cello as a boy: "He could have been a very good cellist because he's such a sensitive musician and he made a lovely sound. At the end he said, 'I'm hopeless'." Meanwhile, Diana told her biographer Andrew Morton for his 1992 book Diana: Her True Story: "My grandma [Lady Fermoy] always said to me: 'Darling, you must understand that their sense of humour and their lifestyle are different and I don't think it will suit you.'" Lady Fermoy also visited Princess Diana in the hospital after the birth of Prince William, in June 1982. Lord Fermoy's sister was Frances Shand Kydd, Diana's mother. The Death of Thomas Kingston In February 2024, Thomas Kingston—husband of Lady Gabriella Windsor, another cousin of William and Harry—died after shooting himself following side-effects from a change to his medication. Katy Skerrett, senior coroner for Gloucestershire, at the time recorded a narrative verdict in December 2024: "Mr Kingston took his own life using a shotgun which caused a severe traumatic wound to the head. "Intent remains unclear as the deceased was suffering from adverse effects of medications he had recently been prescribed." If you or someone you know is considering suicide, contact the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline by dialing 988, text "988" to the Crisis Text Line at 741741 or go to Jack Royston is chief royal correspondent for Newsweek, based in London. You can find him on Twitter at @jack_royston and read his stories on Newsweek's The Royals Facebook page. Do you have a question about King Charles III, William and Kate, Meghan and Harry, or their family that you would like our experienced royal correspondents to answer? Email royals@ We'd love to hear from you.


Newsweek
4 hours ago
- Newsweek
White House Denies Epstein Accuser's Claims About Meeting With Trump
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. The White House has denied President Donald Trump once met a Jeffrey Epstein accuser in the late convicted sex offender's offices three decades ago. "This is recycled, old fake news of the highest order that was already peddled more than 6 years, concocted by Democrats and the liberal media just like they did with the Russiagate scandal, which was just proven today," White House communications director Steven Cheung told Newsweek on Monday. "The President was never in his office," Cheung said, referring to Epstein. "The fact is that the President kicked him out of his club for being a creep." Why It Matters Trump's ties to Epstein, the disgraced financier and convicted sex offender who died by suicide behind bars while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges in 2019, have come under fresh scrutiny as his administration faces pressure from some of the president's own supporters to release the evidence about the investigation into Epstein. A firestorm followed the Justice Department's July 6 announcement that it would not release any more evidence about the sex trafficking investigation into Epstein. The department said in a two-page memo that there was no client list of elites who participated in Epstein's trafficking of underage girls. Trump had promised to release files related to Epstein while on the campaign trail last year. But the administration's handling of the case has angered many Trump supporters who believed the files would reveal a cover-up in the case to protect Epstein's wealthy and powerful friends. The backlash intensified after the Wall Street Journal reported last week on a sexually suggestive note that it said Trump sent Epstein for his 50th birthday. Trump has sued the newspaper and called the article "false, malicious, and defamatory." Meanwhile, some Democratic lawmakers are calling for the release of all Epstein files, suggesting that this has not been done to protect powerful or influential individuals. Trump has said Attorney General Pam Bondi had not told him whether his name was in the Epstein files. He slammed those calling for the government to release more information as "troublemakers" as he requested the Justice Department to release grand jury testimony related to Epstein. President Donald Trump delivers remarks to Republican senators during a dinner in the State Dining Room of the White House on July 18, 2025, in Washington, DC. President Donald Trump delivers remarks to Republican senators during a dinner in the State Dining Room of the White House on July 18, 2025, in Washington, To Know According to the New York Times, Maria Farmer's account of meeting Trump—which she previously described to the newspaper in 2019—is an indication of how Trump may have been named in the unreleased files related to the Epstein investigation. She worked for Epstein in 1995 and 1996, initially to acquire art and later to oversee the comings and goings of girls and celebrities at the entrance of his townhouse on Manhattan's Upper East Side, the newspaper reported. Farmer told the Times that she reported being sexually assaulted by Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell, who was convicted on charges she helped Epstein lure girls to be sexually abused, in the summer of 1996. At the time, she said she had urged authorities to take a look at the people around Epstein, including Trump. She said the same when the FBI interviewed her about Epstein in 2006. She said she had no evidence of criminal wrongdoing by Epstein's associates, but mentioned Trump's name on both occasions because of his apparent closeness to Epstein and the encounter she had with Trump. Farmer said that Epstein had unexpectedly summoned her to his Manhattan office late one night in 1995. She arrived wearing running shorts. She said that Trump arrived, stood over her and stared at her bare legs, making her feel afraid. Then Epstein walked in, and she recalled, said to Trump: "No, no. She's not here for you." She said the men left the room, and she overheard Trump saying he thought she was 16. She said she had no further interactions with Trump and did not see him engage in any inappropriate behavior with girls or young women. What People Are Saying Trump wrote on Truth Social on Saturday: "I have asked the Justice Department to release all Grand Jury testimony with respect to Jeffrey Epstein, subject only to Court Approval. With that being said, and even if the Court gave its full and unwavering approval, nothing will be good enough for the troublemakers and radical left lunatics making the request. It will always be more, more, more. MAGA!" Senator Amy Klobuchar, a Democrat, said on CNN's State of the Union on Sunday: "People have a reason that they want to know what's in there. They believe the president when he said there's stuff in there that people should see. Wall Street Journal. These are not bastions of liberalism or wild progressives that have come out and said the public have a right to know what is in these documents." Representative Tim Burchett, a Tennessee Republican who cosponsored the bipartisan Epstein Files Transparency Act, said on ABC's The Week on Saturday that unsealing grand jury records is "a start." Of the Epstein files, he said: "I want them released. But my warning is this, let's make sure that we're not releasing the names of some of these who—who were then children, now adults, that were abused by this dirtbag, Epstein. And let's make sure we don't release things that are—that have innocent names on them." What's Next Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche requested the unsealing of transcripts from grand jury proceedings that resulted in indictments against Epstein and Maxwell. But legal analysts—including former prosecutors from both liberal and conservative camps—have cautioned that the public is unlikely to find a "smoking gun" or sweeping narrative implicating a wider circle of powerful figures. Meanwhile, the Trump administration will likely continue to face calls to release the government's files on the Epstein case.