An attorney for the families of two Gilgo Beach victims has questioned whether accused serial killer Rex Heuermann's wife was actually in town longer than prosecutors believe.
Heuermann, 60, was charged with the murders of four sex workers, whose bodies were among 11 found between 2010 and 2011 on the deserted stretch of shoreline near her Long Island home.
According to Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney, his estranged wife, Asa Ellerup, was out of town during each of the three murders and has not been accused of any wrongdoing.
But attorney John Ray, who represents the families of Shannan Gilbert and Jessica Taylor, raised doubts about whether she was present during an event at St. John's University in Queens on Tuesday night.
He asked if she was in town and claimed she may have been present at one of the murders.
A lawyer for the families of two Gilgo Beach victims has questioned whether Asa Ellerup (pictured), the wife of accused serial killer Rex Heuermann, was actually in town longer than prosecutors believe
Heuermann, 60, was charged with the murders of four sex workers, whose bodies were among 11 found between 2010 and 2011 on a stretch of coast near their Long Island home
The first victim, 24-year-old Melissa Barthelemy, was discovered by Suffolk County police on December 11, 2010. The body of 22-year-old Megan Waterman of Maine was found two days later
Heuermann is also accused of killing Amber Costello (left) and Maureen Brainard-Barnes (right).
Ray claimed he spoke to a hotel manager in Atlantic City who told him that Ellerup and her two children arrived later than investigators thought.
If true, that would mean they would have been in the city during at least one of the murders.
But attorney Bob Macedonio, who represents Ellerup, disputed those claims and said that if District Attorney Tierney was wrong, the entire case against Heuermann would fail.
“When do they do that in advance in a bail application during criminal investigations?” he told Fox News.
“Very, very rarely.”…When he’s wrong, it raises reasonable doubt about his entire case.”
Former federal prosecutor Neama Rahmani, who is not involved in the case, said: “The prosecutor's statement would be a potential problem if it were false.”
“But why would the prosecutor argue something he wasn’t sure about?”
Heuermann is currently being held in a Suffolk County jail in connection with four murders.
According to Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney, Heuermann's estranged wife, Asa Ellerup, was out of town during each of the three murders and was not accused of any wrongdoing
But attorney John Ray, who represents the families of Shannan Gilbert and Jessica Taylor, raised doubts about whether Ellerup was present during an event at St. John's University in Queens on Tuesday evening
In July he was charged with the murders of Melissa Barthelemy, Megan Waterman and Amber Lynn Costello, who disappeared in 2009 and 2010.
Authorities later accused him of murdering the fourth victim, Maureen Brainard-Barnes, in January.
Police have released a long list of “red flags” that allegedly led them to Heuermann as a suspect. The first piece of evidence is a Chevrolet Avalanche that belonged to him and was linked by a witness to Costello's murder.
According to documents filed in Suffolk County court, investigators were then able to connect that car to Heuermann's cell phone records, which linked him to locations connected to the murders, which ultimately led to them obtaining a DNA sample .
Police say Heuermann used Melissa Barthelemy's phone to make taunting calls to her family from the victim's phone, made just steps from his Manhattan office.
After identifying Heuermann as the owner of the Chevrolet, law enforcement officers issued over 300 subpoenas, search warrants and other legal actions to obtain additional evidence.
Ellerup arrived in court in November to hear evidence presented when her estranged husband was charged with murder in the deaths of four sex workers
Ellerup visited the architect, who is in prison in Manhattan, for the first time in November and was seen appearing in court to “see for herself what will be presented in court.”
In August, she was previously accused by lawyer Ray of being involved in the gruesome murders.
Police have given no indication that Ellerup or the couple's children are connected to the murders. However, Ray claims to have witnesses who she believes could confirm her presence when Heuermann brought sex workers home.
He said her alleged presence when he did so suggested she may have had knowledge of the murders, a claim rejected by Macedonio, who said his client and her children were not suspected by investigators.
Macedonio said Ellerup was not in the area at the time her husband allegedly committed the murders.
has reached out to Macedonio for comment.