LONG ISLAND, NEW YORK: Amid the ongoing developments in the case of accused Gilgo Beach killer Rex Heuermann, a relative of another serial killer has stepped forward with a statement after the suspect's attorney, John Ray, apparently accused his wife of being an "accomplice."
The daughter of Keith Hunter Jesperson aka the Happy Face Killer, Melissa Moore, has categorically asserted that Heuermann's wife, Asa Ellerup, played no part as an accomplice in her husband's alleged crimes, as per The US Sun.
Happy Face Killer's daughter Melissa Moore met Rex Heuermann's wife and children
On August 5, Moore traveled from her home state of California to New York to meet Ellerup and her family and offered them direct support. She was deeply moved by Ellerup's empathy for others, recognizing her ongoing struggle to come to terms with the recent events.
After Heuermann's arrest on July 13 and subsequent charges for the Gilgo murders in 2010, his home underwent a comprehensive police search that spanned 12 days. Consequentially, the residence was severely damaged and is now nearly uninhabitable, according to Ellerup's attorneys.
How much has Asa Ellerup GoFundMe raised?
Acknowledging the hardships faced by Ellerup and her family, Moore, who went through a similar situation once, set up a GoFundMe campaign for the family raising over $50,000. After the initial goal was met, Moore increased it to $100,000.
The goal of this fundraiser is to provide help to Ellerup's children, Christopher Sheridan, 33, and Victoria, 22, as they work towards rebuilding their lives.
"The funds are to assist Asa and their family to divorce her alleged serial killer husband and any extra for starting her new life, therapy, basic needs for the children, and to restore the home to whole (as evidence collection damage or destroyed many critical household items)," said Moore about starting the campaign.
She further noted, "While people may assume Asa has the funds to start a new life, the assumption is just that. We don't know the financial and verbal abuse she may have suffered."
Rex Heuermann's wife Asa Ellerup has been battling cancer for years
The suspected Gilgo Beach killer's wife, Ellerup, has been battling skin and breast cancer for several years. However, her health insurance is on the verge of expiring since it is linked to Heuermann's occupation as an architect.
However, she intends to utilize the funds from the GoFundMe campaign set up by Moore to address various needs, including home repairs, medical treatment expenses, and attorney fees related to her divorce proceedings from Heuermann.
Happy Face Killer's daughter Melissa Moore says Asa Ellerup is not an 'accomplice'
After meeting Ellerup herself, Moore is convinced that she is completely innocent and a victim of her husband's actions. "There is 100 percent no doubt that she did not have any involvement in this from our conversations," she insisted in an exclusive interview with The US Sun.
"Her innocence is clear. I've been in this space for so long, I've met hundreds of other families going through similar circumstances, and I can read a person very well. When the day comes when she finally feels like sharing her story, everybody will have no doubt that she wasn't involved in any way," added Moore.
She stated, "Authorities were tracking Rex for a long time and if she was complicit she would've been charged as well. It just reminds me of what my family went through, and she's being treated as guilty by association. That just causes more harm," continuing, "When somebody you love is caused of destroying somebody's life, the last thing you do is speak about it because that will cause more harm to them."
"It's her attorneys who have been speaking about her house and not her [...] and she's more concerned about the people she loves being impacted by all this than herself. The lack of her saying anything about the victims is no indication of her feeling for the victims in any way at all," expressed Moore.
"The term 'victim' is a broad title, and I'm not going to put a hierarchy on victimhood here. Asa and her children are victims in their own way too. And saying she's a victim doesn't diminish that people were killed or lost loved ones," further noted the Happy Face Killer's daughter.
"The focus needs to be on the perpetrator who did this. Looking at the family is just a distraction, in my opinion," highlighted Moore.
What are the accusations against Rex Heuermann?
Heuermann is facing accusations of murdering three women, Melissa Barthelemy, Megan Waterman, 22, and Amber Lynn Costello, 27, between 2007 and 2010, and the investigation into his alleged crimes is ongoing.
He has pleaded not guilty to all the charges brought against him. Attorneys have mentioned that neither his wife nor children have visited him in jail.
