The wife of a New York architect accused of the murders of three women whose remains were found on a Long Island beach more than a decade ago filed for divorce Wednesday, her lawyer said.
Attorney Robert Macedonio said a summons and complaint was filed on Asa Ellerup’s behalf in Suffolk County Supreme Court. He declined to comment further.
Authorities previously said Ellerup was out of state at the time of the slayings and was not considered a suspect.
Rex Heuermann, 59, was charged Friday with three counts of first-degree murder and three counts of second-degree murder in the death of 24-year-old Melissa Barthelemy; Megan Waterman, 22; and Amber Lynn Costello 27.
The women were believed to be sex workers advertising online, police said. Her remains were discovered in December 2010 at Gilgo Beach on the south shore of Long Island.
More coverage of the Gilgo Beach murders
Heuermann, of Massapequa Park, is also a suspect in the disappearance and death of a fourth woman, 25-year-old Maureen Brainard-Barnes, whose remains were also found near Gilgo Beach. That investigation is still ongoing, according to a bond request.
The remains of the four women, known as the “Gilgo Four,” were discovered during the search for another missing woman, 23-year-old Shannan Gilbert, who was reportedly last seen running through the nearby gated community of Oak Beach after leave a client’s home. according to a policeman timeline.
Michael J. Brown, Heuermann’s attorney, told reporters that his client has denied any involvement in the killings, saying the allegations are “extremely circumstantial in nature.”
Brown described Heuermann, who has pleaded not guilty and is being held without bail, as “clearly distraught” by the allegations.
