Heuermann's former family sued over alleged exploitation
The shadow of Rex Heuermann, charged in the Gilgo Beach serial killings, has now lengthened to encompass his former family. Benjamin Torres, son of Valerie Mack, one of Heuermann’s alleged victims, has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the accused killer, his ex-wife Asa Ellerup, and their daughter Victoria Heuermann, alleging exploitation of his mother's horrific fate for financial gain.
A son’s accusation: torture and media exploitation
Torres’s lawsuit, spearheaded by attorney John Ray, paints a chilling picture of his mother’s final moments. He claims Mack was subjected to “ferocious torture and dismemberment,” a brutal reality he argues was compounded by Ellerup and Victoria Heuermann’s alleged participation in a documentary that profited from Mack’s suffering. The lawsuit specifically targets funds received by the women for their involvement, claiming they were “given to exploit the slaughter of plaintiff and to publicly attenuate defendant Rex Heuermann’s atrociousness via media exploitation.” This element of the suit introduces a complex layer of culpability beyond Heuermann himself.
The legal action seeks not only compensation for Mack’s wrongful death but also for the “terror, restraint, pain, mutilation, and dismemberment inflicted upon her before and after death,” a stark and devastating indictment. Prosecutors believe Mack, a 24-year-old sex worker operating in the Philadelphia and Atlantic City areas in 2000, was murdered between September 1 and November 19 of that year. Her remains, discovered years apart – some near Manorville, Long Island, and others near Gilgo Beach – remained unidentified for a significant period.
The connection to Heuermann came through a striking piece of forensic science: mitochondrial DNA analysis of a hair found on Mack’s body, which reportedly matched the DNA profiles of both Ellerup and Victoria Heuermann. This, coupled with evidence uncovered on Heuermann’s electronic devices, established a link that prosecutors believe is undeniable.
But here’s the detail that has ignited a legal firestorm: Robert Macedonio, representing Ellerup and Victoria Heuermann, fiercely dismisses the lawsuit as a “reckless attempt by John Ray to keep himself relevant.” He pointed out that Victoria Heuermann was only 13 years old at the time of Mack’s murder, questioning the plausibility of her involvement. Macedonio further reminded that Shannan Gilbert, another victim whose disappearance remains unsolved and for whom Heuermann hasn't been charged, had no connection to the Gilgo Beach homicides, a pointed jab at Ray’s previous representation of Gilbert’s family.
Heuermann, currently facing charges in connection with the deaths of seven women – Sandra Costilla, Jessica Taylor, Maureen Brainard-Barnes, Melissa Barthelemy, Megan Waterman, Amber Lynn Costello, and Mack – is reportedly considering a plea deal that could include an admission of guilt in an eighth case, the 1996 disappearance of Karen Vergata. Suffolk County prosecutor Ray Tierney has remained tight-lipped about the ongoing negotiations, stating simply, “Nothing is done, and so we wait.”
The question now isn’t just about Rex Heuermann’s guilt or innocence, but about the extent of responsibility his former family bears in the aftermath of unspeakable acts. The lawsuit against Ellerup and Victoria Heuermann promises a complex and potentially revealing chapter in this harrowing saga, one that could redefine the scope of justice in the Gilgo Beach case.