Asa Ellerup, wife of accused Long Island serial killer Rex Heuermann, has filed for divorce, her attorney confirmed. The filing comes less than a week after Heuermann's arrest on six murder charges related to the Gilgo Beach cold cases. Ellerup was recently photographed for the first time since the arrest, appearing distressed as she navigated the upheaval caused by the accusations against her husband.

Ellerup's attorney, Bob Macedonio, stated that the family's lives have been drastically altered by the events. Following Heuermann's arrest near his Manhattan office, authorities informed Ellerup and her adult children of the charges at their Massapequa Park home. Police then confiscated passports, computers, phones, and iPads, according to Macedonio.

Law enforcement has maintained a presence at the Heuermann residence for nearly a week, conducting an extensive search and recovering hundreds of firearms and other items, including a disturbing portrait of a battered woman. Investigators also searched a property owned by Heuermann in South Carolina and impounded two Chevrolet Avalanche trucks, the same model linked to the disappearance of one of the Gilgo Beach victims. Heuermann has pleaded not guilty to the murders of Melissa Barthelemy, Megan Waterman, and Amber Costello, whose bodies were discovered wrapped in burlap along Ocean Parkway in 2010. He is also the primary suspect in the death of Maureen Brainard-Barnes.

Authorities reportedly connected Heuermann to the crimes through witness testimony, phone records, and DNA evidence retrieved from a discarded pizza box. While DNA belonging to Heuermann's wife was found on some of the victims, authorities have stated that she was out of town during the times of the murders and is not considered a suspect. Prosecutors allege Heuermann used the internet and dating apps to solicit sex workers, whom he then murdered and disposed of their bodies along Ocean Parkway. The discovery of the four women's remains occurred during the search for another missing woman, Shannan Gilbert.

Heuermann's next court appearance is scheduled for August 1st. If convicted, he faces a potential sentence of life in prison without parole.