What did Rex Heuermann's wife say about his arrest? Asa Ellerup's response to husband's alleged serial killings revealed
Rex Heuermann was arrested outside his architectural firm in Manhattan on July 13
2023-07-21 01:21
Marcus Rashford told how to achieve levels of Mbappe and Haaland
Wayne Rooney says Marcus Rashford must help Manchester United win regular trophies if he's to reach the levels of Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland. The former Red Devil also says Harry Maguire must leave the club after losing the captaincy.
2023-07-21 01:20
Reddit Place experiment immediately covered in grotesque messages
Reddit users have hijacked a collaborative experiment launched by the company within minutes of its launch. The third edition of Reddit Place – a 1-million-pixel online canvas that allows any user to choose the colour of an individual pixel – launched on Thursday amid ongoing protests against the platform’s management. Communities, or sub-Reddits, quickly organised to post explicit messages aimed at Reddit’s chief executive on various sections of the canvas. In the centre of r/Place, a giant sign appeared within minutes reading, “Fuck Spez”, referring to Reddit CEO Steve ‘Spez’ Huffman. Other sections included graffiti scrawled with the same message, while another featured the text “Never forget what was stolen from us” – referring to the third-party apps that shut down in the wake of API changes to the site. Reddit was forced to push back the experiment several times in efforts to avoid coinciding with the worst of the protests, which at one stage saw thousands of high profile sub-Reddits go dark. Reddit acknowledged the timing of the latest social experiment, adding the tagline: “Right place, wrong time.” The Independent has reached out to Reddit for further comment on the latest protests. Reddit Place is set to continue for the next four days, allowing users to contribute to its evolving creation. Previous editions featured flags, cartoon characters, popular memes and even works of art. One nihilistic group called The Black Void was able to take over vast swathes of the 2017 Reddit Place Canvas with black pixels. The original concept of Reddit Place was intended to “enable humans to communicate and collaborate in ways they have never been able to before”, according to creator Josh Wardle, who went on to create the popular word game Wordle. “My hope is that the success and collaborative nature of projects like Place will encourage other internet companies to take some more risks when exploring ways that their users can interact,” he said at the time. Read More The Reddit blackout, explained: Why thousands of subreddits are protesting third-party app charges Reddit CEO tells employees ‘this will pass’ in response to major chaos at site Netflix kills its cheapest plan without ads Netflix’s password sharing crackdown is going much better than people expected Stolen ChatGPT accounts for sale on the dark web
2023-07-21 01:19
Sao Paulo governor turns heads on Brazil's right after Bolsonaro election ban
By Ricardo Brito BRASILIA The governor of Brazil's wealthiest and most populous state, Tarcisio de Freitas, has emerged
2023-07-21 01:19
MLB Rumors: Shohei Ohtani buzz, Braves plans changing, Red Sox stealing Yankees target
MLB Rumors: Could Red Sox steal Cody Bellinger from Yankees at trade deadline?For weeks now, the New York Yankees have been the most obvious and widely discussed fit for Chicago Cubs outfielder Cody Bellinger. But as the Yankees plans for the deadline have seemingly started to change with the poss...
2023-07-21 01:18
White House and administration officials increasingly concerned about Texas governor's border actions
Biden administration officials have grown increasingly concerned over recent months about Texas Gov. Greg Abbott's measures along the Texas-Mexico border, which have disrupted US Border Patrol operations in the region and put migrants at risk.
2023-07-21 01:15
Rex Heuermann’s wife had bizarre response to Gilgo Beach murders arrest as divorce filing revealed
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
2023-07-21 00:56
Kenya protest call unheeded barring isolated clashes
Kenyans largely ignored a call by the opposition to boost anti-government protests on Thursday, although isolated clashes flared in the capital...
2023-07-21 00:56
Asgreen holds on to win 18th stage of Tour. Vingegaard protects big lead
Another Danish rider took the limelight at the Tour de France as Kasper Asgreen joined an early breakaway and then held on to win the 18th stage in a sprint finish
2023-07-21 00:55
Trump says Jack Smith Jan 6 indictment doesn’t ‘frighten’ him but it ‘would be very dangerous’ to jail him
Hours after former President Donald Trump announced that he was a “target” in Special Counsel Jack Smith’s investigation into the efforts to overturn the 2020 election, Mr Trump told Sean Hannity that he was “bothered” by the news but it doesn’t “frighten” him. In a radio interview in Iowa though, the former president said he thought it would be “very dangerous” for Mr Smith to jail him prior to any trial because of his “tremendously passionate group of voters”. Mr Trump spoke to Mr Hannity in a pre-recorded town hall interview on Fox News. The former president faces a potential third indictment over the events of January 6 – on top of other ongoing criminal cases. He faces 34 felony counts of falsifying business records in the Manhattan District Attorney’s case regarding hush money payments to adult film star Stormy Daniels. The former president already faces a 37-count federal indictment in connection to his handling of classified documents found at Mar-a-Lago. The Fox News host suggested Mr Trump remained untroubled by the investigations: “It doesn’t seem to bother you like I think it would bother so many other people. What is it about you that it doesn’t?” “No, it bothers me. It bothers me for everybody in this incredible sold-out audience,” the former president disagreed, speaking to the people of Des Moines, Iowa. He added that the ongoing probes into him are an example of “election interference,” and that the Department of Justice is politicised. “They want to try to demean and diminish and frighten people,” Mr Trump said. “But they don’t frighten us because we’re going to make America great again. That’s all there is.” Mr Trump had written on Truth Social earlier in the day: “Deranged Jack Smith...sent a letter (again, it was Sunday night!) stating that I am a TARGET of the January 6th Grand Jury investigation, and giving me a very short 4 days to report to the Grand Jury, which almost always means an Arrest and Indictment.” In an interview with The Simon Conway Show on Tuesday after the news of the target letter broke, the former president was asked by host Doug Wagner (filling in for Conway) what his message to supporters would be should Mr Smith imprison Mr Trump ahead of any trial. Said Wagner: “Is it something that concerns you of the people making sure that they don’t go out of their right mind if something like that happens, if that, for example, they do say — Jack Smith says, OK, I’m going to put Donald Trump in jail?” The former president replied: “I think it’s a very dangerous thing to even talk about because we do have a tremendously passionate group of voters, much more passion than they had in 2020 and much more passion than they had in 2016.” He reiterated: “I think it would be very dangerous.” Mr Trump has a record of trying to whip up his supporters ahead of legal action against him, telling supporters before his first indictment in Manhattan over hush money payments to Stormy Daniels to “protest” and “take our nation back”. Later he warned of “death and destruction” if he were charged. Only a small number of supporters showed up in Lower Manhattan to protest. Read More All the lawsuits and criminal charges involving Trump and where they stand Trump news – live: Trump claims he’s ‘not frightened’ by Jan 6 target letter as potential indictment looms Trump probe ‘subpoenaed CCTV from Georgia 2020 ballot counting centre’ Undue influence? Anonymous donations to World Health Organization's new foundation raise concerns The US and North Korea have no diplomatic ties — but they still have ways to talk about US soldier Biden pushes a strong role for unions in tech jobs, even as potential strikes are on the horizon
2023-07-21 00:54
Trump Bashes Biden in New Video as He Seeks United Auto Workers Endorsement
Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump released a new video attacking President Joe Biden’s environmental policies in a bid
2023-07-21 00:52
Majorie Taylor Greene doubles down on showing Hunter Biden nudes to Congress
Republican Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene said she was "uncomfortable" showing graphic, sexually explicit photos of Hunter Biden to Congress, but insisted that "the American people deserve to see" the photos. Ms Greene showed the images during a House Oversight Committee hearing on Wednesday. The photos appeared to show the president's son having sex with sex workers. Black boxes were used to cover the genitals and faces of the individuals who aren't Mr Biden. The committee was discussing the claims of IRS whistleblowers who said Mr Biden received preferential treatment during a federal tax investigation when Ms Greene unveiled her photos. The stunt drew expected criticism from Congressional Democrats, many who offered scathing rebukes of the congresswoman's judgement. Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez called the display "pornographic" and said Republicans had reached a "new low" before taking a barely-veiled shot at Congressman Matt Gaetz. “If the gentlelady from Georgia wanted to follow evidence, we should also take a look at, hypothetically, a case where sex trafficking charges against a 17-year-old girl, potentially,” she said, referencing the fact that Mr Gaetz was under investigation by the DOJ in connection with a child sex trafficking case. Mr Gaetz has denied the allegations and his attorneys said in February that the DOJ had dropped the investigation without issuing charges. Aaron Fritschner, the deputy chief of staff and comms director for Democratic Congressman Don Beyer, noted that Ms Greene included the explicit photos in her email newsletter, and questioned whether or not children were sent those images. "Marjorie Taylor Greene just sent this email to her constituents (yes this using official, taxpayer-funded resources). I clicked the link so you don't have to, it is exactly what you think," he wrote in a tweet, showing a screenshot of Ms Greene's newsletter. "I double checked and there isn't an age screen on her eNewsletter subscription page. So a distinct possibility that Marjorie Taylor Greene just emailed links to video containing nude images of Hunter Biden to minors using taxpayer-funded resources." The Independent has reached out to Ms Greene for comment. Congressman Jamie Raskin told the Washington Post that more than anything, Ms Greene's stunt was "completely irrelevant" to the day's discussion. He said that it "did not advance in any way the putative objective of the hearing" and described the incident as an "assault to the dignity of the committee." Read More Marjorie Taylor Greene sparks outrage by showing explicit photos of Hunter Biden at congressional hearing GOP lawmakers predict imminent ‘fistfight’ between Marjorie Taylor Greene and Lauren Boebert Marjorie Taylor Greene accidentally refers to ‘Israel’s apartheid wall’ in speech praising barriers Marjorie Taylor Greene faces backlash after showing explicit photos of Hunter Biden Biden’s latest campaign video is a Marjorie Taylor Greene speech GOP lawmakers predict ‘fistfight’ between Marjorie Taylor Greene and Lauren Boebert
2023-07-21 00:48
