The Gilgo Beach Killer: House of Secrets on Peacock: The Case Against Rex Heuermann
Documentary series in three parts about architect Rex Heuermann and his secret life as an alleged serial killer
What is the series about?
The Gilgo Beach Killer: House of Secrets is a documentary series from NBC News Studios, streaming on Peacock, that closely examines one of the most notorious serial killer cases in recent U.S. history. The series focuses on architect Rex Heuermann, who lived an apparently normal life as a family man in Massapequa Park for years, while allegedly committing a series of brutal murders of women, according to police. Particularly, the episode 'The Good Wife' provides a unique insight into Heuermann's family, including his wife Asa Ellerup, and their attempts to reconcile the image of a loving husband with the horrifying allegations of serial murder.
The real case
The Gilgo Beach case, also known as the Long Island Serial Killer case, began in 2010 when police accidentally discovered the remains of four women near Gilgo Beach. All the victims were sex workers who had been strangled and left in burlap sacks. For more than a decade, the case remained unsolved until technological advances in DNA genealogy and surveillance data from cell towers pointed to Rex Heuermann. The investigation revealed that Heuermann possessed an extensive collection of firearms and led a digital double life marked by violent pornography and contact with sex workers via burner phones.
Timeline of the case
The crimes spanned several years, with victims like Melissa Barthelemy, Megan Waterman, and Amber Lynn Costello disappearing between 2007 and 2010. After the discovery of the bodies in 2010 and 2011, the investigation stalled for a long time, plagued by corruption and incompetence in the local police department. It was not until the formation of a new task force in 2022 that a breakthrough occurred. By matching DNA from a pizza slice that Heuermann had discarded with DNA found on the victims' bodies, police were finally able to make an arrest in July 2023. Since then, several victims have been linked to Heuermann, including Jessica Taylor and Sandra Costilla.
Watch the series
The documentary can be viewed on the streaming service Peacock and is essential for viewers who want to understand the psychological mechanisms behind a man who managed to hide his dark impulses from his closest family for years. The series combines archival footage from the investigation with new interviews that have never been published before.