Rex Heuermann had a weird relationship with his mother and likely targeted women who looked like her: pal

Alleged Gilgo Beach serial killer Rex Heuermann, 61, had a strange relationship with his parents, his longtime friend told The Post.

The architect, now charged with murdering seven sex workers between 1993 and 2010, lived in the same house where he was born in Massapequa, Long Island, and kept it exactly as it had been when he was a child.

“I keep thinking, where is the root? It’s something when he was young, maybe he could have been rejected by the girls in high school. But that happens to most guys anyway,” speculated David Jimenez, who appears in the new Peacock documentary “The Gilgo Beach Killer: House of Secrets.”

Rex Heuermann in court.
Alleged Gilgo Beach serial killer Rex Heuermann was a “momma’s boy,” according to those who knew him, and had a strange relationship with his parent.James Carbone/Newsday/Pool
Poster for the Peacock docuseries "The Gilgo Beach Killer: House of Secrets."
“The Gilgo Beach Killer: House of Secrets” is available to stream now on Peacock.Peacock
Photo of Rex Heuermann and Asa Ellerup.
Heuermann and wife Asa Ellerup lived in the house he had grown up in after they married in 1995.Peacock

“I wonder, if you look at a picture of his mother, did she look like these ladies? These victims were all, y’know, petite.

“Does he have a hatred, indirectly, for his own mother or his father he’s projecting here?” Jimenez continued.

Heuermann’s mother, Dolores, is now 95 and believed to still be alive, but no pictures of her have ever surfaced. His father, Theodore Heuermann, died in 1975 at age 50. Classmates have previously said Heuermann was bizarrely close to his “controlling” mother and was a “momma’s boy.”

House featured in The Gilgo Beach Killer: House of Secrets.
Heuermann’s house was left largely untouched or improved since when he was a child, despite him working as an architect.Peacock
Asa Ellerup, wife of accused Gilgo Beach serial killer Rex Heuermann, arriving at Riverhead Court for a hearing.
Ellerup, who has since divorced Heuermann, attending one of his court hearings in 2023.Dennis A. Clark
Man standing outside Riverside Bar Shop and Lounge.
Heuermann’s pal David Jimenez says he believes something in his childhood made him the way he is.Courtesy of David Jimenez
New York Post newspaper headlines reading "Monster Among Us".
The Post has doggedly pursued the story of the Gilgo Beach serial murderer since the first victims were uncovered in 2010.Peacock
Rex Heuermann at a shooting range.
Heuermann is a gun enthusiast, and almost 300 guns were recovered from his house after his arrest in 2023.Peacock

Heuermann lived in the house with his wife, Asa Ellerup — who divorced him after almost 30 years shortly after he was arrested for the alleged murders in 2023 — and their two children from 1994 onward.

Neither Heuermann’s family nor his friend had any idea he could be involved in the murders, to which he has pleaded not guilty, before his arrest.

“He ruled that house like the old 1950s-style family. Traditional, he was very secure, very much a man, but in a very secure, masculine way, not in an obnoxious way.

Collage of photos of Gilgo Beach victims.
Heuermann’s seven alleged victims (clockwise from top left): Maureen Brainard-Barnes, Megan Waterman, Melissa Barthelemy, Amber Lynn Costello, Valerie Mack, Jessica Taylor, Sandra Costilla.Suffolk County Police Department

“He looked after his wife and kids. He would protect [Asa]. He would look out for her when she was suffering from many of the physical ailments she has, especially later in life,” said Jimenez.

“I think that he has split personality, because the only side I ever saw of was as assured, smart, together, you know. When I heard all the details, DNA and everything that came out, I was shocked,” he added.

Heuermann’s trial has yet to begin. “The Gilgo Beach Killer: House of Secrets” is available to watch now on Peacock.

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