Gilgo Beach Case Takes New Turn as Victim’s Son Sues Heuermann, Ex-Wife and Daughter Just Days Before Plea

Days before accused Gilgo Beach killer Rex Heuermann is expected to enter a guilty plea, the son of one of his alleged victims has filed a wrongful death lawsuit seeking damages for years of suffering.

The suit was filed on Monday in Suffolk County State Supreme Court by Attorney John Ray on behalf of Benjamin Torres, the son of Rex’s victim, Valerie Mack. The lawsuit mentions Heuermann, his former wife, Asa Ellerup, and their daughter, Victoria Heuermann, as defendants.

Mack disappeared in 2000 when Torres was only six years old. She was 24 at the time and had been working as an escort in Philadelphia under the name Melissa Taylor. Her remains were found later that year in a wooded area in Manorville. Unfortunately, the case remained unsolved for years.

As per The New York Post, Torres alleges his mother was “ferociously” tortured, and her body was dismembered. Hence, he is seeking compensation for the loss of her care and support, as well as the trauma caused by her death. The filing also states that he has been “deprived of his mother’s care, guidance, protection, nurture, society, and economic support” since he was six years old.

It also asks the court to consider waiving the usual two-year deadline for such claims, citing Torres’ young age at the time and delays in identifying Mack’s remains.

Heuermann was arrested in 2023 in Massapequa Park after a major break in the prolonged investigation. Prosecutors have also linked him to the killings of seven women, including Mack.

In another surprising claim, the suit also names Heuermann’s wife, who allegedly may have known about the crimes or ignored key facts. “At some point in time,” the lawsuit states, they “knew of, concealed, deliberately ignored, or consciously avoided learning” about the murder. The suit further seeks damages for the documentary released in June, claiming the family earned more than $1 million for access to their home and story.

An attorney for Ellerup and her daughter strongly denied the claims. He said that the lawsuit is “a reckless attempt” and shared that the two had “no involvement or knowledge” of the crimes. He added he expects the case to be dismissed.

Now, the exact charges to which Heuermann would plead guilty and other details are not clear. The accused was also involved in the killings of Jessica Taylor, 20, Megan Waterman, 22, Melissa Barthelemy, 24, Maureen Brainard-Barnes, 25, Amber Lynn Costello, 27, and Sandra Costilla, 28, and Mack.