Rex Heuermann, the Manhattan architect who lived a secret life as the Gilgo Beach serial killer, has spent the past three years in solitary confinement reading crime novels and corresponding with another notorious convicted murderer, according to Suffolk County Sheriff Errol Toulon.
Background
Heuermann was arrested in July 2023 and has been held at the county jail in Riverhead, New York, since that time. The 61-year-old construction project manager from Massapequa Park, Long Island, pleaded guilty last year to murdering seven women whose dismembered remains were found off a remote stretch of ocean parkway near Gilgo Beach, approximately 50 miles east of Manhattan.
Prosecutors said most of Heuermann's victims were female sex workers. In April, he admitted to killing an eighth woman, expanding the scope of what authorities believe was a years-long killing spree that spanned at least two decades.
The case drew national attention for its unusual timeline: Heuermann lived largely undetected despite becoming a suspect in 2011 when police first discovered remains near Gilgo Beach. It wasn't until 2022 that investigators used genetic genealogy to identify him as the likely killer, leading to his arrest the following year.
The Correspondence
According to Toulon, Heuermann received letters from Keith Hunter Jesperson, the infamous "Happy Face Killer" who confessed to killing eight women across multiple states during the early 1990s. Jesperson, who is serving multiple life sentences without parole at a correctional facility in Oregon, initiated the correspondence.
"He wrote first," Toulon told The Associated Press. "Heuermann wrote back, but hasn't responded to several follow-up missives."
Jesperson earned his nickname by drawing smiley faces on taunting letters he sent to media outlets and police during his killing spree. He was working as a truck driver when he encountered many of his victims.
"Other fanatics" have also attempted to reach Heuermann, but the convicted killer has denied "all visits or any communication," including requests from news organizations seeking interviews, according to Toulon.
Life Behind Bars
Toulon described Heuermann's daily existence in meticulous detail ahead of Wednesday's sentencing, where he faces life in prison without the possibility of parole. The sheriff said Heuermann remains stoic and shows no signs of remorse after more than 1,000 days of incarceration.
"He doesn't seem uncomfortable in his cell," Toulon said. "No emotion, no despair."
The convicted killer is housed in a standard 6-by-9-foot cell equipped with a metal sink, toilet, and what Toulon described as a "very thin mattress." He remains segregated anytime he leaves his cell, with officers pausing all other inmate movement to prevent interactions.
"Every time you see him, it's the same stoic look that he has when you see him in the courtroom," the sheriff continued. "There's no remorse."
Heuermann has become a voracious reader behind bars, but Toulon expressed concern about his literary preferences: violent crime and mystery novels, including works featuring serial killers.
"He's not taking out sports books or cooking books, you know," Toulon said. "He's choosing to read about this."
Toulon provided the titles of several books Heuermann has recently borrowed from the jail library, including J.D. Robb's "Portrait in Death," John Sandford's "Secret Prey," Heather Graham's "Picture Me Dead," Sue Grafton's "N is for Noose," and Lisa Jackson's "Chosen to Die."
He receives fresh air in the jail yard up to six days a week, though Toulon noted Heuermann remains inactive. "He does not play basketball, doesn't do any sprints. He does not do any dips, pullups, or situps or pushups," the sheriff said. "He just basically walks around in circles in the yard."
Family Response
Gloria Allred, an attorney representing some of the victims' families, dismissed both Heuermann and Jesperson as "losers" and "cowards" in a statement. She urged the public to commit to ending violence against women.
"They both murdered someone's daughter, someone's mother, someone's sister," Allred said. "They chose the most vulnerable victims."
Heuermann's ex-wife, Asa Ellerup, and their two grown children will not attend Wednesday's sentencing, according to their attorney Robert Macedonio. He said Ellerup did not wish her presence to distract from proceedings where victims' families are expected to deliver emotional statements.
"Her thoughts remain with the victims and their loved ones as they continue their pursuit of justice, healing, and closure," Macedonio said in a statement.
Heuermann's visitors have been limited. According to Toulon, he has met face-to-face with Ellerup, their grown daughter Victoria, his attorneys, his therapist, and a few others in a designated meeting area where handcuffs are removed and inmates are permitted brief embraces at the beginning and end of visits.
"He does not have an extensive visit list," said Toulon. "He just basically walks around in circles in the yard."
Key Takeaways
- Heuermann pleaded guilty to murdering seven women whose remains were found near Gilgo Beach and admitted in April to killing an eighth victim
- The "Happy Face Killer" Keith Hunter Jesperson initiated correspondence from Oregon, where he serves multiple life sentences without parole
- Heuermann reads crime novels about serial killers while awaiting sentencing, which could come as early as Wednesday
- The sheriff reports the convicted killer shows no remorse after more than 1,000 days in custody
- His ex-wife and children will not attend the proceedings out of respect for victims' families
What's Next
Heuermann is scheduled to be sentenced Wednesday. He faces life in prison without parole. Some victims' family members are expected to attend and deliver statements confronting him in court for the first time since his arrest nearly three years ago.
Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney's office, which prosecuted the case, declined to comment on Heuermann's conditions of confinement.