Why Suspected Gilgo Seaside Killer’s Daughter Is ‘On the Fence’ Over His Guilt

Rex Heuermann was initially arrested in 2023 and charged with the murders of Amber Lynn Costello, Melissa Barthelemy, and Megan Waterman. Then, in January 2024, he was additionally charged with the homicide of Maureen Brainard-Barnes, earlier than extra homicide expenses for Jessica Taylor, Sandra Costilla and Valerie Mack got here later within the 12 months. He has pleaded not responsible throughout the board and awaits trial.

The suspected serial killer’s daughter, Victoria Heuermann, is without doubt one of the primary interview topics in Peacock’s The Gilgo Seaside Killer: Home of Secrets and techniques docuseries — out in the present day — and offers her POV on the horrific crimes her father is accused of committing.

Victoria recalled her father being “very busy for a pair years” with massive jobs whereas she was in school, telling viewers she at all times “seemed as much as him” and felt he left “some actually massive footwear to fill” for her.

She defined that his “very demanding” job as an architect is one thing that was “weighing on his psychological well being,” claiming that he would generally “come dwelling annoyed.” She, nevertheless, stated he was by no means bodily abusive and claimed “the worst he would do was he would throw a plate into the sink.”

“That is the worst,” she stated.

Because the doc continues, the household is seen going by means of what has been dubbed as a attainable “kill room” — a locked room within the basement the place authorities discovered the weapons.

Victoria defined that everybody knew Heuermann was additionally an avid hunter. “It was no secret he had weapons, he was an open guide,” she defined.

“Quite a lot of media, they’re calling the vault, the kill room. That is the place he saved all his weapons,” she stated. “As a child, he confirmed them to me, he did educate me to point out me the best way to use a gun once I was sufficiently old. However the vault was at all times locked. The one time I used to be in there was once I was in there.”

“Say in the event that they actually did occur down right here, he actually will need to have been like Superman for us to not discover something ever,” she added. “This was once his bed room rising up. Quite a lot of his gun stuff, his childhood stuff, household heirlooms had been on this room. For him to do this on this room, a bit of unrealistic however I assume not not possible.”

Victoria’s feedback come after her mom, Asa Ellerup, defined that the vault door had a mix lock on the skin, however a lever on the within, insisting “nobody can get locked in right here.” She stated the room was the place he “displayed his firearms assortment.”

Ellerup filed for divorce from Heuermann after his July 2023 arrest. Per PEOPLE, the divorce was finalized this previous April. Whereas Ellerup would not talk about the explanations for the break up — and appears fairly insistent on her husband’s innocence all through the doc — Victoria gave her opinion.

“I perceive why she divorced my dad. They did the divorce to guard the belongings,” she claimed.

“It is now legally her home, she was married to him, she will get the belongings within the divorce,” added Victoria. “If we misplaced the home, we might be homeless. It is our home. However it does not imply that we’re not a household anymore.”

As investigators constructed their case in opposition to Heuermann, they surveilled Victoria — and pulled her DNA after she took a sip from an vitality drink on a Lengthy Island Railroad prepare. That DNA was essential to linking her father to the murders, thrusting her and her household into the highlight.

“I went from being a standard particular person … to this laughing inventory all around the web and TV and information. I felt humiliated,” she stated of all the eye that got here with the case.

“I do know I haven’t got something to be shameful about. I did not actually really feel like an individual. They ask questions, ‘Why did not see something? How did I not know?’ I used to be 10, 12 and 13 years outdated when these women had been murdered,” she then stated. “I used to be at school, which takes up chunk of the day after which I used to be dwelling or doing after college actions. And that is precisely how I would not know something. And now that I truly look again on my childhood I do discover it laborious to consider my dad truly did all of this.”

Regardless of all of the proof collected by prosecutors all through the investigation, Victoria stays firmly “on the fence” in terms of her dad’s guilt.

“The duty pressure is alleging two days after we went on trip, my dad murdered Megan and discarded her whereas we had been away,” she stated, earlier than being requested by a producer whether or not she thinks the timing is solely a coincidence.

“I am unsure about it. I do not know whether or not it did or did not occur. On the time, I used to be 13 years outdated. I noticed him at common instances each day. Morning, evening and the holidays he did be part of us on,” she continued. “However on the identical time, there was a variety of hours our of the day I additionally was not dwelling, together with holidays that he didn’t be part of us on. That is precisely what I imply by on the fence.”

“He was very a lot round 90% of the time, however there’s that 10% he was not,” she added. “I really feel like I am unable to know whether or not he did or did not. I used to be not round for it, I used to be too younger to know.”

Victoria stated she’s “not choosing a aspect” till she sees all of the proof for herself in the course of the trial, as a manner of “defending myself” and her sanity. “With all this proof rising in opposition to him, possibly there’s some loyalty nonetheless to my dad and to my mother too. Whether or not the world likes it or not, whether or not I prefer it or not, he is my dad. They cannot take that away from me,” she added.

When requested whether or not it is attainable for her to like him if he is discovered responsible, she added, “If he is responsible, it’ll begin to grow to be a love-hate relationship. I really like him as my dad, the hate is the opposite aspect of him that got here out. And going ahead, I am not going to work together with him the identical manner I’d have if this by no means occurred. Each the sentiments, love and hate, can coexist.”

Victoria, at one level within the doc, additionally spoke with Kerri Rawson, the daughter of the BTK killer, bonding over their wrestle to just accept the proof and allegations about their fathers.

“My self-worth and self price is six toes below. I really feel like I do bounce between despair and anger,” Victoria instructed Rawson. “Why am I even right here anymore? There are folks on the market who need me useless. I used to be 13 years outdated on the time, why do I’ve to go?”

Rawson may relate, saying she additionally skilled loss of life threats from those that did not consider she knew nothing about her father’s murderous methods. She then puzzled whether or not Victoria had visited her father in jail.

“I visited him as soon as. What’s scary is, even once I noticed him or visited him in jail, he appeared like himself and the way he at all times is,” stated Victoria. “It is so laborious to even consider the truth that he is this sick killer. However on the identical time, like, as a result of I used to be so younger on the time, I additionally do not know what he is not this sick killer. I mentally put together myself for the last word final result.”

Rawson stated it took her a very long time to just accept the reality as a result of “it would not match the person I do know,” including that she is usually mad about what he did whereas additionally unhappy that he is not round for her as a father.

“Whether or not or not I consider my dad did it or not, I am on the fence about that,” Victoria concluded. “Half of me believes he did not do it, however on the identical time, he may have completely had a double life.”

Peacock’s The Gilgo Seaside Killer: Home of Secrets and techniques is streaming now.