Gilgo Beach killer’s basement was the site of horrific murders, but his ex-wife now sleeps there every night despite being ‘haunted by dreams’

The basement of the Massapequa Park home that once belonged to Rex Heuermann has been transformed into a space where his ex-wife, Asa Ellerup, now sleeps every single night, despite the chilling history that unfolded within those walls. According to New York Post, this revelation comes from the fourth installment of the Peacock documentary series titled The Gilgo Beach Killer: House of Secrets, which was produced in partnership with The Post.

It is a haunting development in a case that has gripped Long Island for three decades, as Ellerup continues to process the reality of the double life led by the man she was with from 1993 until 2010. Ellerup, who finalized her divorce from Heuermann in March 2025, confirmed that she has completely gutted the basement room where her ex-husband committed his horrific crimes.

She explained her decision to stay in the space during an interview for the documentary, noting that she feels a sense of spiritual purpose by remaining there. “The brutal truth is that Rex Heuermann said he dismembered the bodies in this room. That is the brutal truth. Now there’s me. I am in this room. And I am here because I do feel spiritual. I’m trying to say spiritually in my own way that I am really sorry for what these victims went through,” she said.

Finding out your family home was a crime scene for 30 years is wild

Despite her efforts to reclaim the space, the psychological toll is immense. She admitted that she is “haunted by dreams” every single night, a reality she believes will follow her for the rest of her life. She expressed a somber outlook on the possibility of closure, stating, “It will never go away. It will follow me for the rest of my life. There will never be any justice for anyone and there will never be any way to forget about this.”

The scope of Heuermann’s crimes, which authorities initially believed began later, actually spans back to the early 1990s. Heuermann, a former Manhattan architectural consultant, was arrested on July 13, 2023, and eventually pleaded guilty on April 8, 2026, to seven murders. During his confession to his ex-wife, he admitted to an eighth victim, Karen Vergata, whose case had not previously been linked to him.

Although he confessed to the murder, he will not face charges for her death, and his sentencing is set for June 17, 2026. Ellerup recalled visiting Heuermann in jail during the summer of 2025, where he made the chilling confession regarding the total number of his victims. She asked him directly how many women he killed, and he told her eight, noting that all but one of those murders took place in the basement of the home where they raised their family.

Prosecutors have consistently maintained that Ellerup was unaware of the killing spree throughout their marriage. The investigation into Heuermann began in March 2022 after police identified a dark green first-generation Chevrolet Avalanche registered to him that matched a witness description. Digital evidence played a massive role in the case, as cellphone records placed him in contact with three of the four women known as the Gilgo Four.

Investigators also discovered that an email account linked to him had been used to search for information regarding the investigation, along with searches for sadistic materials, child pornography, and images of the victims and their families. Forensic evidence was equally damning. DNA testing on a discarded pizza crust provided a match to hair recovered from burlap used to wrap one of the victims.

The case originated from the 2010 disappearance of Shannan Gilbert, which led police to discover 11 sets of human remains along Ocean Parkway near Gilgo Beach between 2010 and 2011. While the discovery of the Gilgo Four, Melissa Barthelemy, Maureen Brainard-Barnes, Megan Waterman, and Amber Lynn Costello, brought national attention to the area, the investigation eventually expanded to include the deaths of Sandra Costilla, Valerie Mack, and Jessica Taylor.

Similar fears of serial activity led the Houston DA to blast serial killer rumors despite many local deaths remaining a total mystery. As Ellerup continues to process the information, she remains focused on understanding the man she lived with for so many years. “I want to get to know the other side of Rex,” she said. “I want to know why Rex killed these women, what his triggers were. I am processing the information in a very different way because now I see evil in him.”

Her journey, marked by nightly hauntings and a desire for spiritual accountability, underscores the lasting shadow cast by the crimes committed in that basement.