Dateline NBC: Who was the Gilgo Beach serial killer? Profession, wife and other details explored

The latest episode of Dateline NBC chronicles the case of the Gilgo Beach serial killer, who is also infamously known as the Long Island Serial Killer (LISK). Identified as Rex Andrew Heuermann and charged with three counts of first-degree murder and three counts of second-degree murder, the killer in question is a 1964-born Manhattan-based architect who was also a part of the NYC-based networking group called The Dream Team.

The period of 1996 to 2011 witnessed the remains of eleven people, including the Gilgo Four, be discovered along the Gilgo Beach area in Long Island. With the aid of DNA testing and genetic genealogy, investigators could tie three out of the four victims in the Gilgo Four to Heuermann.

The wife of Long Island Serial Killer (LISK), Asa Ellerup, has also been accused of being involved in the shocking series of murders by the attorneys of two victims. However, Ellerup's lawyers denied such claims.

The Dateline NBC episode The Hunt for the Gilgo Beach Killer brings victim Shannan Gilbert's family along with neighbors, colleagues, and family of the alleged murderer. The episode airs Friday at 9 pm ET/8 pm CT on NBC.

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How did they catch the Gilgo Beach serial killer?

The 59-year-old Nassau County resident, Rex Heuermann, or the Long Island Serial Killer (LISK), was arrested on July 13, 2023. The arrest came 25 years after the first murder that was committed in the series of murders in Long Island that are still under investigation.

Heuermann was named a suspect on March 14, 2022, after a New York state investigator identified him in a database. The FBI had formed a task force with the Suffolk County Police Department, the Suffolk County Sheriff's Office, and the New York State Police, who surveilled Heuermann's premises.

After obtaining samples from their trash, they successfully matched the DNA in the discarded pizza crust to a hair strand found on one of the burlap bags. A potential match for Heuermann's wife was also found as hair from almost three victims matched the same found in discarded bottles after Rex Heuermann's arrest.

The investigation team additionally scanned telephone towers for cell tower records and internet searches, used the physical description provided by a witness, and gained access to the credit card billing records as well. A witness mentioned a green pickup truck, which was later narrowed down to one that Heuermann's brother owned, and he drove around.

The Chevy Avalanche, owned by Rex Heuermann, was named by a witness and acted as the final piece in the puzzle.

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Gilgo Beach killer's wife and her GoFundMe page controversy

Rex Heuermann was married to Asa Ellerup for over 25 years. The two lived a private life with his son, Christopher Sheridan, and daughter, Victoria Heuermann, in Massapequa Park, Long Island. Following the accusation of Ellerup's involvement in the murders, the Heuermann home has been overrun by investigators and media.

Asa Ellerup, Victoria Heuermann and Christopher Sheridan (Image via GoFundMe/Melissa Moore)

Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney said,

"One hair on Waterman comes back to his wife, or the DNA profiles are consistent. And then the DNA profile from Costello is consistent with the wife."

After the revelations, a GoFundMe fundraiser aiming to raise $25,000 was started by Melissa Moore, the daughter of the Happy Face serial Killer who wanted to help the family in the hour of need. The GoFundMe fundraiser garnered more than $56,000 out of targeted $100,000 with 1500 donations - inviting speculation and buzz among media outlets.

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What was Rex Heuermann's profession?

Rex Heuermann owned an architecture firm, RH Consultants & Associates, which he founded in 1994. His firm worked on building codes and zoning analysis. RH worked on a Foot Locker near Yankee Stadium, a Target in SoHo, and a hair salon in the Meatpacking District as part of small-scale projects.

RH Consultants & Associates were hired for a partition and plumbing project at The Trump Building on Wall Street. According to a piece by Dan Adler in a Vanity Fair interview:

"The 59-year-old intersected with the everyday world he inhabited as a Manhattan architect of considerable success and prolificacy."

Heuermann was also a part of the NYC-based networking group called The Dream Team.

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Commonly Asked Questions about the Gilgo Beach Serial Killings

Where to watch The Gilgo Beach killer documentary?

A TMZ documentary on the Long Island Serial Killer, TMZ Investigates Gilgo Beach Serial Murders: Missed Warning Signs, is available for streaming on Hulu. Meanwhile, Netflix has ordered a documentary on the serial killings to be helmed by Lost Girls director Liz Garbus.

When did the Gilgo Beach killings happen?

The killings took place between the years 1996 to 2011. The last discovered remains belonged to Shannan Gilbert, found in a marsh in Oak Beach, Long Island.

Did the Gilgo Beach killer have any children?

The Gilgo Killer, or Rex Heuermann, had two children - Christopher Sheridan and Victoria Heuermann.

Where is the Gilgo Beach killer now?

Rex Heuermann is currently under arrest at the Riverhead Correctional Facility in New York. He had been kept under suicide watch in the Suffolk County Correctional Facility.