Living With a Serial Killer: FBI Expert Explains How Rex Heuermann Hid 7 Murders From Family
Hidden Killers With Tony Brueski | True Crime News & Commentary
True Crime Today
3 • 791 Ratings
🗓️ 17 June 2025
⏱️ 18 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Description: How does a man accused of brutally murdering seven women over three decades hide such horrific crimes from the family sleeping under the same roof? In this eye-opening interview, former FBI Special Agent Robin Dreeke, who led the Bureau's Behavioral Analysis Program, breaks down the sophisticated psychological mechanisms that allow serial killers to compartmentalize their lives.
Rex Heuermann, a 61-year-old Manhattan architect, allegedly maintained two completely separate existences - devoted family man in Massapequa Park by day, predator hunting vulnerable women by night. His wife of 27 years, Asa Ellerup, continues to support him, while his daughter Victoria now believes he's "most likely" guilty. This family divide offers a unique window into how deception operates in long-term relationships.
Dreeke explains the concept of "truth-default state" - why spouses detect lies at only 50% accuracy, essentially no better than a coin flip. He reveals how environmental factors like suburban normalcy and professional success create cognitive dissonance that prevents family members from recognizing warning signs. The discussion covers specific patterns Heuermann allegedly used: only killing when family was out of town, using multiple burner phones, and maintaining strict operational security that ultimately failed him.
Drawing parallels to other cases like BTK killer Dennis Rader, Dreeke provides crucial insights for listeners about red flags in relationships: secretive technology use, unexplained absences, compartmentalized friendships, and subtle personality shifts. He addresses the haunting question every family member asks: "How did I not know?"
This episode is particularly valuable for women concerned about relationship safety, offering practical advice on when privacy becomes concerning secrecy and how to strengthen intuition without becoming paranoid. Dreeke's expertise in trust assessment and human behavior provides listeners with tools to protect themselves while understanding the complex trauma faced by families of accused killers.
Hashtags: #SerialKillerPsychology #RexHeuermann #GilgoBeachMurders #FBIBehavioralAnalysis #RobinDreeke #TrueCrime #Compartmentalization #DoubleLife #FamilyTrauma #CriminalPsychology #RelationshipRedFlags #TrueCrimePodcast #AsaEllerup #VictoriaHeuermann #SerialKillerFamily #DeceptionDetection #LISK #LongIslandSerialKiller #TrueCrimeCommunity #PsychologicalManipulation #DomesticDeception #CrimeAnalysis #BehavioralProfiling #TrustYourGut #WomensSafety
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Transcript
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| 0:56.8 | This is the Hidden Killers podcast with Tony Bruske and continuing coverage of the case against |
| 1:03.6 | Rex Hewerman. Otherwise, affectionately known as the Gilgo Beach killer or the Long Island |
| 1:10.3 | serial killer, allegedly. |
| 1:12.9 | Lots of new information coming out. |
| 1:15.6 | More so, I think, to scratch our itch of what the hell was going on in that house. |
| 1:22.4 | Because that's what we've been speculating on since he was arrested. |
| 1:25.7 | Of course, his house, the Massapequa Park in New York, |
| 1:29.2 | looked kind of like a hoarder's house, to put it lightly. Kind of surprising for a guy that's |
| 1:34.3 | somewhat a skilled and respected architect in New York City to be living in such a situation. |
| 1:40.8 | It was kind of a little bit incongruent. But we also wondered, okay, if he's doing all |
| 1:45.1 | these things and he has this weird basement that has all sorts of weaponry in it and allegedly |
| 1:51.8 | child porn and all sorts of horrible things, a manifest on how to kill people, what's going on |
| 1:57.9 | there? What's going on with the wife, Asa? They've been married for decades. What about the kids? Did they know what was going on? And the new Peacock documentary that came out that was produced by G Unit Productions. Yes, G unit 50 Cent. It dives into this. And it goes into great detail. We hear Asa in her own words. We hear daughter. We hear the son. |
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