Donald Trump Reportedly Once Did Business With Gilgo Beach Murder Suspect Rex Heuermann

Donald Trump and controversy have always gone together hand in hand. However, his unexpected connection to serial killer suspect, Rex Heuermann, may be one of the most disturbing stories currently circulating about the former president. Over the past week, the true crime community found themselves knee-deep in a couple of high-profile cases that have captivated the public's attention. Just a few days after the public began to question Carlee Russell – the Hoover, Alabama nurse who mysteriously disappeared for 48 hours before returning home — about whether or not she was actually abducted or if she'd masterminded a super disturbing hoax, Rex Heuermann entered the news circuit.

According to CNN, Heuermann, an architect, was recently named as a suspect in the Gilgo Beach murders, a collection of horrific murders which took place at the start of the 2010s. So far, Heuermann has been charged with the murders of three women: Melissa Barthelemy, Megan Waterman, and Amber Costello. Heuermann is suspected to have had a hand in the murder of another woman named Maureen Brainard-Barnes. Heuermann has pled not guilty; however, things aren't looking good for the architect, regardless. 

Days after Heuermann was arrested and placed into custody, his wife Asa Ellerup filed for divorce, per CNN. She's purported to have been unaware of Heuermann's alleged criminal activities, but the outlet reported that her hair was found on the deceased's remains. Years before Heuermann was formally charged, he did some important work for Trump, and the connection isn't sitting well with the presidential hopeful.

According to the New York Post, Rex Heuermann did some contract work for Donald Trump's 40 Wall Street skyscraper in 2018. Referencing paperwork filed with the New York City Department of Buildings, the outlet reported that Trump's company contracted Heuermann — via his architectural company — to fix a plumbing issue within his building during the politician's first presidential term. Heuermann's company oversaw "renovation of office space to include minor partition and plumbing changes" (via The Real Deal). The bill amounted to $205,017. Trump's team, however, has attempted to distance Trump from Heuermann. "Mr. Heurmann [sic] never worked for The Trump Organization in any capacity," read a statement from Trump's rep. "According to our records, he was hired by a third-party commercial office tenant who vacated years ago, to perform minor architectural work in their individual space." According to the New York Post, officials detained Heuermann at his place of business, which was cited within the paperwork.

So far, Trump hasn't directly spoken out about these reports. But given enough time and attention to the matter, it's likely that he'll have plenty of words about the negative association with Heuermann. In the meantime, Trump has plenty of other important matters on his plate, such as his ongoing legal snafus. And he's certainly been voicing his thoughts on it all. On his Truth Social app, he wrote, "FOR THE FIRST TIME IN THE HISTORY OF THE USA, LAWYERS, AND THE LEGAL SYSTEM ITSELF, ARE UNDER SIEGE...ALL A GIFT FROM CROOKED JOE BIDEN, MERRICK GARLAND, AND DERANGED PROSECUTOR, JACK SMITH!!!"

Given that Donald Trump was dealing with presidential duties at the time of Rex Heuermann's contract work, it's likely that he had zero direct contact with the accused murderer. In fact, merely a week before his January 2017 inauguration, Trump announced that he'd be putting the responsibility of his business endeavors on his sons, according to the BBC. "Together, Don, Eric, and Allen [Weisselberg] will have the authority to manage the Trump Organization and will make decisions for the duration of the presidency without any involvement whatsoever by President-elect Trump," shared Trump's attorney at the time.

Trump's distant association with Heuermann has riled up Twitter users, who've quickly shared their range of opinions. "Of course Donald Trump hired Rex Heuermann, the architect serial killer. This is the worst TV show ever!" tweeted one user. Another Twitter user wrote, "Trump only hired the best people. He bragged about that on stage. The Gilgo Beach serial killer was once employed by him. Yup, only the best people." However, several users found this revelation to be un-newsworthy, given the random connection. "Heuermann was a freaking top architect in Manhattan. He had boatloads of elite clients," tweeted one user. "A prolific property developer in NY hired a NY architect. Wow, what a story!" tweeted another follower. Finally, another user wrote, "Seriously.... read the article. Sum up. Trump once hired an architectural firm to do plumbing work. Later the owner was arrested for murder. Question, what does this have to do with Trump?? Answer. Nothing."