Defense Attorney Bob Motta on Rex Heuermann Becoming Pen Pals With 'Happy Face Killer'

In this deeply unsettling analysis, we examine two of the most revealing pieces of footage from the Gilgo Beach case: Asa Ellerup’s tour of the rooms she was forbidden to enter for 27 years, and her emotional responses during a jail call with accused serial killer Rex Heuermann. Psychotherapist Shavaun Scott joins us to break down the psychological contradictions, trauma-bond patterns, and body-language “tells” that expose the control dynamics inside this marriage. First, we explore Asa’s walkthrough of the house: a gun room behind a steel door, a locked space under the stairs she’d never seen, and the basement investigators believe may be tied to multiple murders. Even as she demonstrates the locks, she insists “nothing was off limits.” Scott explains this as classic “doublethink,” a defense mechanism where two opposing truths are held to avoid cognitive collapse. From her closed eyes during stressful moments to her insistence that investigators are “picking, picking, picking,” every movement reveals emotional conflict. Then we shift to the jail phone call. Rex casually discusses dinner while facing seven murder charges. He never proclaims innocence — a strategic silence, Scott notes — while Asa brightens just hearing his voice despite her visible physical decline. Their divorce, she argues, was “strategic,” yet the emotional attachment remains intact. We analyze Victoria Heuermann’s shifting language, normalized violence in the home, and why certain family members break free while others remain psychologically tethered. This episode digs into denial, coercive control, compartmentalization, and how predators create environments where locked rooms — literal and emotional — become part of everyday life. For anyone wanting to understand the psychological machinery behind serial offenders and their families, this is essential viewing. #RexHeuermann #AsaEllerup #GilgoBeachMurders #SerialKillerPsychology #TraumaBonding #BodyLanguageAnalysis #TrueCrimeCommunity #HiddenKillers #LockedRooms #LongIslandSerialKiller Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/@hiddenkillerspod Instagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/ Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/ Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspod X Twitter https://x.com/tonybpod Listen Ad-Free On Apple Podcasts Here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/true-crime-today-premium-plus-ad-free-advance-episode/id1705422872

26 Joulu 43min

How does a man live under the same roof as his wife and children while allegedly carrying out seven brutal murders over nearly three decades? In this powerful two-part breakdown, we bring together two of the nation’s leading experts on human behavior—former FBI Special Agent Robin Dreeke and psychotherapist Shavaun Scott—to explain how Rex Heuermann may have maintained one of the most disturbing double lives in modern true crime. Robin Dreeke opens the episode with a deep dive into the psychology of compartmentalization, truth-default theory, and why spouses detect lies only about 50% of the time. He explains how Heuermann allegedly created a split existence: family man in Massapequa Park, predator operating in secrecy when his wife and children were out of town. Burner phones, controlled finances, rigid routines—each played into the illusion of normalcy. Dreeke draws critical parallels to notorious cases like BTK, revealing the subtle relationship red flags that can be missed even by those closest to the perpetrator. Then psychotherapist Shavaun Scott joins to analyze the chilling emotional dynamic captured in the Peacock documentary. Asa Ellerup’s unwavering loyalty—even calling Rex her “hero”—opens a window into trauma bonding, coercive control, and the psychological grooming that can turn a spouse into an unknowing enabler. From Asa’s isolation to tightly restricted access to finances and technology, Scott exposes the mechanisms that may have kept her locked inside Heuermann’s constructed reality. Together, these insights reveal not just how a predator allegedly concealed his crimes, but how ordinary families can be pulled into extraordinary darkness without ever recognizing the danger. For anyone concerned about relationship safety, manipulation, or hidden abuse, this episode offers crucial perspective—and a sobering look at the human cost behind one of America’s most haunting serial killer cases. #RexHeuermann #SerialKillerPsychology #GilgoBeachMurders #AsaEllerup #RobinDreeke #ShavaunScott #TrueCrimeAnalysis #DoubleLife #TraumaBonding #HiddenKillersPodcast Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/@hiddenkillerspod Instagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/ Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/ Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspod X Twitter https://x.com/tonybpod Listen Ad-Free On Apple Podcasts Here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/true-crime-today-premium-plus-ad-free-advance-episode/id1705422872

25 Joulu 36min

In today’s episode, we break down the stunning split narrative unfolding around the Gilgo Beach murders—one fueled by Netflix’s Gone Girls, the other by Peacock’s explosive new documentary The Gilgo Beach Killer: House of Secrets. At the center of both? Asa Ellerup, the ex-wife of accused serial killer Rex Heuermann, whose reactions are raising eyebrows across the true crime world. After watching Gone Girls, Asa reportedly began wondering whether her former husband might be a fall guy—an extraordinary claim considering the decades of corruption inside Suffolk County law enforcement. From former Police Chief James Burke’s violent cover-ups to DA Thomas Spota’s obstruction charges, the county’s history is messy enough to make anyone question official narratives. But in a dramatic turn, Peacock’s documentary shows a different Asa—one calling Rex her “hero,” defending him emotionally, and describing prison visits as “first dates.” The family reportedly received substantial payment for their participation, raising ethical questions and potential legal consequences under proposed updates to New York’s Son of Sam laws. We examine the forensic battle unfolding in court, including the high-stakes Frye hearing over whole genome sequencing—a cutting-edge DNA method prosecutors say ties hairs from victims to Heuermann or members of his household. The defense, meanwhile, argues the science is untested in New York and should be excluded. Add to that:  • Over 200 firearms found in a hidden vault  • Significant damage to the Heuermann home during searches  • The children’s firsthand accounts of living with an accused killer  • Statements that could be used at trial This case now sits at the chaotic intersection of true crime media, family psychology, forensic science, and a justice system still trying to outrun its own corruption. And if Asa’s reaction is any indication, the story is far from settled. #GilgoBeachMurders #RexHeuermann #AsaEllerup #TrueCrimeNews #LongIslandSerialKiller #HiddenKillers #DNAEvidence #DocumentaryAnalysis #JusticeSystem #TrueCrimeCommunity Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/@hiddenkillerspod Instagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/ Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/ Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspod X Twitter https://x.com/tonybpod Listen Ad-Free On Apple Podcasts Here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/true-crime-today-premium-plus-ad-free-advance-episode/id1705422872

24 Joulu 45min

2026 is the year Rex Heuermann finally faces trial for seven murders spanning three decades. But before the courtroom doors open, a stunning arrest just reshaped everything we thought we knew about Gilgo Beach. In December 2025, police charged Andrew Dykes — the father of "Baby Doe" — with murdering Tanya Jackson and their two-year-old daughter Tatiana. For fourteen years, investigators assumed they were victims of the Long Island Serial Killer. They weren't. Dykes had been cooperating with the investigation for months before his arrest. His name was on the child's birth certificate. That means Ocean Parkway wasn't one killer's dumping ground. It was a corridor for multiple predators. But Rex Heuermann is still facing the fight of his life. Seven victims. One trial. Judge Mazzei denied severance and admitted cutting-edge DNA evidence the defense called "magic." The prosecution has filed its statement of readiness with a 723-page evidence inventory. And then there's the planning document — a deleted Word file found on Heuermann's hard drive that prosecutors say is a literal blueprint for murder. Categories for "Body Prep." Instructions to remove heads, hands, and identifying tattoos. Notes about rope strength. References to FBI profiler John Douglas's Mindhunter. A dump site listed that matches where victims were actually found. January 13, 2026 is the next major court date. After that, we're looking at a trial date announcement. In this episode, we break down everything coming in 2026: the evidence, the victims, the family fracture, and the cold cases still waiting for answers. Karen Vergata. Asian Male Doe. Shannan Gilbert. The investigation isn't over. Rex Heuermann says he's innocent. His daughter believes otherwise. The jury will decide. #RexHeuermann #GilgoBeach #LISK #LongIslandSerialKiller #TrueCrime #GilgoBeachMurders #ColdCase #TrueCrimeNews #SerialKiller #Justice2026 Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/@hiddenkillerspod Instagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/ Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/ Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspod X Twitter https://x.com/tonybpod Listen Ad-Free On Apple Podcasts Here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/true-crime-today-premium-plus-ad-free-advance-episode/id1705422872

22 Joulu 25min

2026 is the year Rex Heuermann finally faces trial for seven murders spanning three decades. But before the courtroom doors open, a stunning arrest just reshaped everything we thought we knew about Gilgo Beach. In December 2025, police charged Andrew Dykes — the father of "Baby Doe" — with murdering Tanya Jackson and their two-year-old daughter Tatiana. For fourteen years, investigators assumed they were victims of the Long Island Serial Killer. They weren't. Dykes had been cooperating with the investigation for months before his arrest. His name was on the child's birth certificate. That means Ocean Parkway wasn't one killer's dumping ground. It was a corridor for multiple predators. But Rex Heuermann is still facing the fight of his life. Seven victims. One trial. Judge Mazzei denied severance and admitted cutting-edge DNA evidence the defense called "magic." The prosecution has filed its statement of readiness with a 723-page evidence inventory. And then there's the planning document — a deleted Word file found on Heuermann's hard drive that prosecutors say is a literal blueprint for murder. Categories for "Body Prep." Instructions to remove heads, hands, and identifying tattoos. Notes about rope strength. References to FBI profiler John Douglas's Mindhunter. A dump site listed that matches where victims were actually found. January 13, 2026 is the next major court date. After that, we're looking at a trial date announcement. In this episode, we break down everything coming in 2026: the evidence, the victims, the family fracture, and the cold cases still waiting for answers. Karen Vergata. Asian Male Doe. Shannan Gilbert. The investigation isn't over. Rex Heuermann says he's innocent. His daughter believes otherwise. The jury will decide. #RexHeuermann #GilgoBeach #LISK #LongIslandSerialKiller #TrueCrime #GilgoBeachMurders #ColdCase #TrueCrimeNews #SerialKiller #Justice2026 Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/@hiddenkillerspod Instagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/ Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/ Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspod X Twitter https://x.com/tonybpod Listen Ad-Free On Apple Podcasts Here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/true-crime-today-premium-plus-ad-free-advance-episode/id1705422872

20 Joulu 24min

For nearly three decades, Tanya Jackson was a nameless victim — known only as "Peaches" because of a tattoo on her chest. Her dismembered torso was found in 1997. Her arms, legs, and her two-year-old daughter's remains were discovered in 2011 during the Gilgo Beach investigation. Everyone assumed she belonged to the Long Island Serial Killer. Everyone was wrong. This week, police arrested Andrew Dykes, 66, in Florida — and charged him with murdering both Tanya Jackson and her daughter Tatiana. The twist that changes everything: Dykes is Tatiana's biological father. He allegedly killed his own child and the woman who was raising her, then scattered their bodies across Long Island in a pattern so similar to the Gilgo Beach killings that investigators spent years looking at the wrong suspect. Rex Heuermann faces trial for seven Gilgo Beach murders. But he didn't kill Tanya Jackson. He didn't kill Baby Doe. While the world focused on the architect with the kill lists, Andrew Dykes was living freely in Florida — even cooperating with police as recently as April 2025. This case exposes a hard truth: Gilgo Beach wasn't one killer's graveyard. It was a dumping ground for multiple predators. And the assumption that Peaches belonged to the serial killer let her real killer walk free for twenty-eight years. Tanya Jackson was a U.S. Army veteran from Alabama. She was 26. Her daughter was 2. They were never reported missing. They waited almost three decades for their names back — and for someone to finally answer for what was done to them. This is the full story. #GilgoBeach #TanyaJackson #AndrewDykes #RexHeuermann #Peaches #LongIslandSerialKiller #LISK #TrueCrime #ColdCase #BabyDoe Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/@hiddenkillerspod Instagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/ Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/ Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspod X Twitter https://x.com/tonybpod Listen Ad-Free On Apple Podcasts Here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/true-crime-today-premium-plus-ad-free-advance-episode/id1705422872

9 Joulu 22min

As part of our Hidden Killers 2025 Year in Review series, we’re unpacking one of the most haunting psychological stories to emerge from the Gilgo Beach murders — the steadfast denial of Asa Ellerup, estranged wife of accused serial killer Rex Heuermann. Even as prosecutors present a mountain of evidence — DNA matches, hair fibers from family members found on victims, burner phones, and a detailed murder planning document — Asa still calls her husband her “hero.” She describes visiting him in jail as feeling like “a first date.” She smiles when she hears his voice. She insists their home — where police say the murders were plotted — could never be a crime scene. In this gripping psychological breakdown, retired FBI Behavioral Analyst Robin Dreeke joins Tony Brueski to dissect how trauma, denial, and love can merge into something that looks like loyalty but is really self-preservation. Dreeke explains how 27 years of marriage built what he calls a “truth infrastructure” — a psychological foundation so powerful that admitting betrayal feels more dangerous than believing the lie. He unpacks the mechanics of trauma bonding, cognitive dissonance, and protective blindness, explaining how the human brain often rejects unbearable truth to preserve emotional stability. Dreeke also explores how financial stress, illness, and media exploitation may amplify Asa’s denial — especially as she battles cancer, navigates public scrutiny, and faces criticism for participating in the Peacock documentary The Gilgo Beach Killer: House of Secrets. Then, psychotherapist Shavaun Scott joins Tony to analyze the most disturbing moments captured on camera — including Rex’s recorded jail calls and Asa’s telling body language. Why does she close her eyes when confronted with evidence? Why does she describe love as something that would “hurt him”? Scott reveals how guilt, dependency, and unresolved trauma often trap partners of predators in cycles of emotional paralysis. Together, Dreeke and Scott piece together a portrait not just of denial — but of the psychological collateral damage left behind when a family’s reality is shattered by unimaginable truth. 🎙️ Hidden Killers with Tony Brueski — 2025 Year in Review: The Crimes, The Psychology, and The Human Blind Spots That Defined the Year. #AsaEllerup #RexHeuermann #GilgoBeachMurders #HiddenKillers #TonyBrueski #RobinDreeke #ShavaunScott #TraumaBonding #SerialKillerPsychology #Denial #CognitiveDissonance #TrueCrimePodcast #LongIslandSerialKiller #YearInReview #TrueCrimeToday #JusticeForVictims Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/@hiddenkillerspod Instagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/ Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/ Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspod X Twitter https://x.com/tonybpod Listen Ad-Free On Apple Podcasts Here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/true-crime-today-premium-plus-ad-free-advance-episode/id1705422872

30 Marras 53min

As part of our Hidden Killers 2025 Year in Review series, we’re diving into one of the most disturbing intersections of true crime and psychology yet — the family of Rex Heuermann, the accused Gilgo Beach serial killer, and their shocking public defense of a man prosecutors call one of the most prolific murderers in modern history. In this powerful two-part special, Tony Brueski unpacks the emotional, psychological, and ethical fallout from Peacock’s new documentary The Gilgo Beach Killer: House of Secrets — including Asa Ellerup’s chilling confession that she still calls her accused killer husband her “hero.” Heuermann’s family — wife Asa, daughter Victoria, and son Christopher — sit down for the first time on camera, describing their life before and after the 2023 arrest that turned their world upside down. Despite overwhelming forensic evidence — including DNA links, hair fibers from family members found on victims, and a manifesto allegedly detailing murder methods — Asa insists on her husband’s innocence, calling prison visits their “first dates.” Tony Brueski explores how denial, trauma bonding, and cognitive dissonance shape these responses — and why victims’ families are calling the documentary “a slap in the face.” Legal experts weigh in on the $1 million payday allegedly tied to the family’s cooperation and how this could spark an expansion of New York’s Son of Sam laws to block profiting from criminal notoriety. Then, retired FBI Special Agent Robin Dreeke joins Tony to analyze how killers like Heuermann hide in plain sight — and how families miss the signs. Dreeke explains the “truth-default state,” why spouses detect lies only about half the time, and how suburban normalcy becomes the perfect camouflage for horror. The conversation delves into the terrifying psychology of compartmentalization, exploring how someone can live a double life so convincing that even their loved ones see only the mask. From Heuermann’s alleged burner phones to his meticulous planning during family trips, it’s a case study in deception — and the human mind’s desperate need to believe what feels safe. 🎙️ Hidden Killers with Tony Brueski — 2025 Year in Review: The Crimes, The Psychology, and The Families That Shook America. #RexHeuermann #AsaEllerup #GilgoBeachMurders #HiddenKillers #TonyBrueski #RobinDreeke #TrueCrimePodcast #SerialKillerFamily #PsychologicalDenial #HouseOfSecrets #LISK #CriminalPsychology #SonOfSamLaw #YearInReview #TrueCrimeToday Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/@hiddenkillerspod Instagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/ Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/ Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspod X Twitter https://x.com/tonybpod Listen Ad-Free On Apple Podcasts Here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/true-crime-today-premium-plus-ad-free-advance-episode/id1705422872

29 Marras 42min