Rex Heuermann’s family alleges police dumped their beloved cats in kill shelter after searching family home

Police who were searching alleged Gilgo Beach serial killer Rex Heuermann’s family home allegedly abandoned their cats in a kill shelter. A 12-day search of the property turned their house into a wreck, Rex’s family claimed.

Authorities work outside as they search the home of suspect Rex Heuermann, Tuesday, July 18, 2023, in Massapequa Park, N.Y (AP Photo/John Minchillo)(AP)

Rex’s wife, 59-year-old Asa Ellerup, shared the Massapequa Park home with the suspected killer for more than two decades. After Rex’s arrest, reports claimed Asa and her adult children were living in a hotel. However, she returned to the house to find it torn apart, with floorboards ripped up and boxes thrown around.

‘The authorities trapped the cats and sent them to a kill shelter’

Melissa Moore, the daughter of Happy Face Killer Keith Hunter Jesperson, set up a GoFundMe for Asa to help her start a new life. In an interview with The US Sun, Melissa said, “When Rex was arrested […] they went into the house, the police and the feds. And then they said, ‘Listen, we have the warrants. We’re going to search this house. We’re going to be here for a while.”

Asa, along with her children – 26-year-old Victoria Heuermann and 33-year-old Christopher Sheridan – were ordered to pack up and leave the premises, and were allegedly not given time to look for their two beloved pet cats. Christopher, however, managed to find Stewie, his service dog.

“They left assuming the police would care for the animals as they left the home without any notice,” Melissa said. “Immediately, the authorities trapped the cats and sent them to a kill shelter.” The family was ultimately able to find the shelter and bring the cats home, Melissa revealed.

“Lawyers representing Asa learned that her animals were in a shelter and arranged for them to be removed before they could be euthanized,” Melissa said. “In my time working with families such as these, I have known law enforcement to place a family in a hotel when they seize the home for evidence. This was not the case for Asa, Christopher and Victoria.”

Rex’s arrest is tied to the ‘Gilgo Four,’ referring to the four women whose bodies were found within days of each other in 2010. The women in question were Melissa Barthelemy, 24, Megan Waterman, 22, Amber Lynn Costello, 27, and Maureen Brainard-Barnes, 25.