'He's a Clone of Me': BTK Killer Dennis Rader Compares Long Island Murder Suspect Rex Heuermann to Himself
July 21 2023, Published 7:30 p.m. ET
BTK serial killer Dennis Rader said the Long Island murder suspect is a "clone" of him, blending into the world by leading a relatively normal life — even with a family in tow, RadarOnline.com has learned.
The accused Gilgo Beach killer, Rex Heuermann, is a 59-year-old architect who lived in Nassau County with his now-estranged wife, Asa Ellerup, and two children.
He was charged with killing three women whose bodies were found wrapped in burlap more than a decade ago and is the "prime suspect" in the death of a fourth woman. He denied wrongdoing and pleaded not guilty.
After learning about the case, Rader not only noticed some striking similarities in their profiles but also in their capture.
"I was arrested age 59. Married, two kids," BTK, whose nickname was based on his preferred method to "bind, torture, kill," wrote in a letter to Fox News Digital.
Similar to Heuermann, if convicted, he hid in plain sight. "Husband, dad, longtime serial killer, stalker, used electronic devices, lives in a neighborhood undetected."
Plus, Rader's wife pulled the plug on their marriage almost immediately after his arrest in 2005 while Ellerup has also filed for divorce. BTK's loved ones had their lives forever changed by the devastating revelation and now history is repeating itself.
"My first question when a long sought suspect in multiple murders is caught is, 'does he have a family?’" said Kerri Rawson, Rader's daughter, about his double life. "My family's life was upended 18 years ago, February 2005, when we got the noon day knock and simple notification from the FBI, 'Your father is BTK.'"
BTK committed at least 10 brutal murders throughout his killing spree, including one around the corner from her childhood home.
In a shocking turn of events in the Gilgo Beach case, it was revealed that Heuermann's wife may have unwittingly aided authorities in their search for a cold-blooded killer. Hair that is now believed to belong to Ellerup was found on or near the three victims, prosecutors alleged in the bail application.
As stunning new details emerged, a next-door neighbor spoke out and said he previously heard Heuermann digging in his backyard at peculiar hours and smelled burning trash.
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RadarOnline.com also exclusively learned Heuermann was hit with six-figure tax liens in the years before his murder charges. Police are currently looking into whether the architect may be linked to any other unsolved cases.
Heuermann is due back in court on August 1 and faces up to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole if he is found guilty of the crimes.
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