Lindsey Clancy allegedly strangled her three children to death at their family home in Duxbury

The bizarre response of Rex Heuermann’s wife to news of his arrest in the Gilgo Beach murders has been revealed amid reports that she has filed for divorce. Suffolk County Police Commissioner Rodney Harrison said during a sit-down interview with Fox News that Mr Heuermann’s wife Asa Ellerup had initially been shocked after learning her husband was linked to the murders of three women whose bodies were discovered in Gilgo Beach back in 2010. “When we told the wife, she was shocked, she was embarrassed. But there was a point where we showed her certain pictures and she said, ‘OK, it is what it is,’” Mr Harrison said in the interview that aired on Thursday. It comes as online court records show that Ms Ellerup, who has been married to the accused serial killer’s wife for two decades, filed a matrimonial complaint in Suffolk County Supreme Court. The filing – titled Asa Ellerup v Rex Heuermann – states that the divorce is “uncontested”. The case records include a complaint, summons and a “notice concerning continuation of health care coverage” all filed on Wednesday, though the contents have not been made public. The couple have two adult children, who lived with them at a home in Massapequa Park, roughly five miles from the Gilgo Beach crime scenes. Ms Ellerup is said to have been “disgusted” when she learned that her husband had been arrested and charged with three of the string of unsolved killings that have haunted Long Island for more than a decade. He is also the prime suspect in a fourth murder. Shocking court documents, released by Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office last week, revealed that her hair had been found on the bodies of three of the four victims – but that she was out of town on each of the occasions that her husband allegedly struck. Ms Ellerup’s attorney Bob Macedonio told Fox News Digital outside Suffolk County Jail that she had filed for divorce after her life was “turned upside-down” by her husband’s alleged actions. “This is all still a whirlwind,” he said. “Her and her children’s lives have been completely turned upside-down.” Mr Heuermann has an adult daughter and stepson with Ms Ellerup. Their daughter worked at her father’s architecture business with him in Manhattan. Mr Macedonio said that police carried out a coordinated raid on the family home in Massapeua Park on Thursday night at the same time that they arrested Mr Heuermann as he left his office in Midtown Manhattan. He was charged with three counts of murder in the first degree and three in the second degree over the deaths of Megan Waterman, Melissa Barthelemy and Amber Costello. He is also the prime suspect in the murder of Maureen Brainard-Barnes – who together with the three is known as the “Gilgo Beach Four” and was last seen alive in early June 2007 in New York City. The four women were found within one-quarter mile of each other, bound by belts or tape and some wrapped in burlap. He pleaded not guilty to the charges as he appeared in court on 14 July and was ordered to be held without bond. Ms Ellerup and her two adult children were informed about the accusations against him and had their passports, computers, phones and iPads seized as police swooped on their home, her attorney said. “They were home and the cops came in, and they were completely blindsided, and they told them what was going on,” he said. Suffolk County Police Commissioner Rodney Harrison revealed on Monday that the arrest of Mr Heuermann appeared to catch his loved ones totally off guard. “When we initially informed them about their husband, their father, they were shocked,” he said. “They were disgusted — they were embarrassed.” Court documents, filed as part of prosecutors’ request that bail be denied, revealed that hair belonging to Mr Heuermann’s wife was allegedly found on the bodies of three of the four victims. Prosecutors say that two female hairs had been found on Waterman, one of them on the tape which the killer wrapped around her head. One female hair was found on tape used to wrap burlap around Costello and one hair was found in a belt buckle used to bind Brainard-Barnes – who Mr Heuermann is yet to be charged over. To identify the female who the hair belonged to, investigators trawled through the trash at the Heuermann home in Long Island. In July 2022, they recovered 11 bottles from the trash and they were swabbed for DNA. Forensic testing found that the DNA on the bottles matched the female hair found at the crime scene, concluding that the hair belonged to Mr Heuermann’s wife. The accuracy is such that more than 99 per cent of the North American female population can be ruled out, according to the court documents. Prosecutors found that the suspect’s wife was out of town at the time of the three murders for which he has been charged but that her hair could have transferred to the crime scene through her husband’s clothing or through him using items such as tape taken from the family home. She has not been named as a suspect and there is no suggestion that she was involved – or knew about – the murders. As well as his wife’s DNA, Mr Heuermann’s DNA was also found on one of the victims – tied to him through a discarded pizza crust. Mr Heuermann was also linked to the killings through a pimp’s tip about his pickup truck, a stash of burner phones, “sadistic” online searches and phone calls taunting victims’ families. Investigators continue to comb through the family home for evidence – including body parts and trophies taken from the victims – as well as storage units connected to him two miles away in Amityville. So far, a trove of around 200 guns have been seized as well as his pickup truck. Over in South Carolina, police seized the pickup truck at the centre of the murder investigation from his brother’s home this week. Mr Heuermann owns a property in Chester next to his brother Craig. The Chester County Sheriff’s Office confirmed that it “was requested by the Gilgo Beach Task Force to assist in gathering evidence in Chester County relevant to their investigation” – as law enforcement agencies are now also looking into unsolved murders and missing persons cases all across America. A Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department spokesperson told The Independent on Tuesday that they are reviewing unsolved murders and missing persons cases around Sin City after becoming aware that the suspect owns a time share property in the area. “We are aware of Rex Heuermann’s connection to Las Vegas. We are currently reviewing our unsolved cases to see if he has any involvement,” the department said. The horrific serial killer case has captured the nation’s attention for more than a decade. The Gilgo Beach murders had long stumped law enforcement officials in Suffolk County who believed it could be the work of one or more serial killers who targeted sex workers and dumped their bodies along the remote beaches on Ocean Parkway. The case began in May 2010 when Shannan Gilbert vanished after leaving a client’s house on foot near Gilgo Beach. She called 911 for help saying she feared for her life and was never seen alive again. During a search for Gilbert in dense thicket close to the beach, police discovered the remains of another woman. Within a matter of days, the remains of three more victims were found close by. By spring 2011, the remains of a total of 10 victims had been found including eight women, a man, and a toddler. Police have long thought that it could be the work of one or more serial killers. Gilbert’s body was then found in December 2011. Her cause of death is widely contested with authorities long claiming that it is not connected to the serial killer or killers but that she died from accidental drowning as she fled from the client’s home. However, an independent autopsy commissioned by her family ruled that she died by strangulation and her mother believes she was murdered. Like Gilbert, most of the victims targeted were sex workers while some are yet to be identified. Read More Gilgo Beach murders – live: Rex Heuermann’s wife files for divorce as work at NYC Trump building emerges Pizza crust, burner phones and his wife’s hair: How Long Island police tied Rex Heuermann to the Gilgo Beach murders Rex Heuermann’s wife ‘didn’t talk to anyone’ in Long Island community, neighbour says

The Lakers' recent NBA Draft selection of Jalen Hood-Schifino essentially ends D'Angelo Russell's long-term future in Los Angeles.According to Cydeny Henderson of USA Today, D'Angelo Russell's time with the Lakers might be near its end. This comes after the team selected...

By Leika Kihara TOKYO The Bank of Japan will likely revise up its inflation forecasts and discuss further

The US believes Wagner founder Yevgeny Prigozhin was "likely" killed in a plane crash outside Moscow on Wednesday, Pentagon spokesman Brig. Gen. Patrick Ryder said Thursday.

Italy's Francesco Bagnaia won the Indonesia MotoGP on Sunday with a spectacular ride that took him back to the top of the championship standings after...

"How can you hate a child?" asks Yoni Asher, whose two-year-old and four-year-old were taken by Hamas.

Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers went on a bizarre tangent about spells and spelling while speaking psychedelics conference.Aaron Rodgers is an interesting dude. He's a great quarterback too. But lately the "interesting" has overshadowed the "quarterbacking."Where Rodg...

Gujarat Titans opener Shubman Gill hit a superb century to outdo Virat Kohli’s second successive ton as Royal Challengers Bangalore were eliminated from the Indian Premier League

The match officials who failed to award Wolverhampton a late penalty against Manchester United in the opening round of the Premier League have not been selected for any game in the next set of matches

Celtic boss Ange Postecoglou has agreed to become Tottenham’s new manager on a two-year contract, according to reports. The 57-year-old told Celtic principal shareholder Dermot Desmond on Saturday night of his decision to leave the Glasgow club and has now agreed a deal in principle with Spurs, with the option to extend. Former Australia head coach Postecoglou admitted on Saturday, after Celtic’s Scottish FA Cup final win over Inverness had secured them the domestic treble, that his celebrations would soon be disrupted. Neither club have commented but reports claim an announcement will be made when the finer details of the contract have been finalised. Tottenham have been searching for a permanent new manager since sacking Antonio Conte in March, with first Cristian Stellini and then Ryan Mason placed in temporary charge. When repeatedly pressed on his future after Celtic’s 3-1 Hampden win over Inverness on Saturday, Postecoglou said: “I anticipate enjoying this moment for the next 24-48 hours, as long as I can, before someone drags me away and takes my attention away from enjoying something that’s been hard-earned. “The reality is, there’s probably players in that dressing room who won’t be here next year. That’s the nature of football. “But I want them to enjoy it, I am going to enjoy it, and that’s all I am going to focus on until someone grabs me by the collar and tells me that I have to answer certain questions.” He has won five domestic trophies out of a possible six after arriving from Yokohama F Marinos in 2021 and was linked with numerous Premier League clubs throughout this season. Postecoglou became a hero with the Celtic support, not just for resuming their success after a barren season, but also for implementing an attacking style of play and his connection with the fans. But he looks set to swap Glasgow for another rebuild job as Spurs finally look to appoint Conte’s permanent successor after the Italian’s departure on March 26. Postecoglou is due to go on a family holiday on Tuesday and a deal could be finalised quickly. Tottenham failed to qualify for European football next season for the first time since 2009-10 after an eighth-placed finish in the Premier League. Former Hoops manager Brendan Rodgers has emerged as an unlikely favourite to succeed Postecoglou at Celtic, four years after leaving the club mid-season to take over at Leicester. Assistant manager John Kennedy is also high up the list but reports claim Postecoglou hopes to take the former Celtic defender to Tottenham. Read More Ange Postecoglou: Who is he and what can Tottenham fans expect? Celtic win Scottish Cup to seal treble as Ange Postecoglou faces questions on future Hugo Lloris contemplating Tottenham exit as he has ‘desire for other things’ Ange Postecoglou: Who is he and what can Tottenham fans expect? Ange Postecoglou agrees to leave Celtic for Tottenham – reports Celtic win Scottish Cup to clinch domestic treble

Creditors to Byju’s, India’s most valuable startup, have pulled out of negotiations with the company to recast a