NEW YORK (AP) 鈥� The Manhattan architect who lived a secret life as the has spent the past three years alone in a segregated cell, reading crime novels and occasionally being visited by his lawyers or family, according to the sheriff who oversees the jail.
Rex Heuermann also struck up a brief correspondence with Keith Hunter Jesperson, the 鈥� who confessed to killing eight women across the country in the 1990s, said Suffolk County Sheriff Errol Toulon.
The sheriff said it was Jesperson, who is serving multiple life sentences without the possibility of parole in Oregon, who wrote first to Heuermann at the jail in Riverhead, New York, where he’s been held since his .
Heuermann wrote back, but hasn’t responded to several follow-up missives from Jesperson, according to Toulon, who spoke to The Associated Press ahead of Heuermann鈥檚 sentencing Wednesday.
He faces life in prison without the possibility of parole after pleading guilty to murdering seven women and admitting in April that he killed yet another woman.
Toulon said 鈥渙ther fanatics鈥� have also tried to reach out, but Heuermann has denied 鈥渁ll visits or any communication,鈥� including from news outlets seeking interviews.
Gloria Allred, a lawyer for some of the Long Island victims鈥� families, dismissed Heuermann and Jesperson as 鈥渓osers鈥� and 鈥渃owards鈥� and urged people to commit to ending violence against women.
鈥淭hey both murdered someone鈥檚 daughter, someone鈥檚 mother, someone鈥檚 sister,鈥� she said in a statement. 鈥淭hey chose the most vulnerable victims.鈥�
Most of Heuermann鈥檚 victims were female sex workers whose dismembered remains were found off a remote ocean parkway near Gilgo Beach, some 50 miles (80 kilometers) east of Manhattan.
Jesperson met many of his victims while working as a truck driver. He was dubbed the Happy Face Killer because he drew smiley faces on taunting letters he sent to media and police.
Macabre reading list gives insight to mindset
Heuermann has been a voracious reader in jail, but Toulon said the inmate鈥檚 preference for violent crime and mystery novels — some about serial killers — concerns him.
Some of the works he鈥檚 recently borrowed from the jail library include J.D. Robb鈥檚 鈥淧ortrait in Death,鈥� John Sandford鈥檚 鈥淪ecret Prey,鈥� Heather Graham鈥檚 鈥淧icture Me Dead,鈥� Sue Grafton鈥檚 鈥淣 is for Noose鈥� and Lisa Jackson鈥檚 鈥淐hosen to Die,鈥� according to Toulon.
鈥淗e鈥檚 not taking out sports books or cooking books, you know,鈥� the sheriff said. 鈥淗e鈥檚 choosing to read about this.鈥�
Toulon, who was elected in 2017 after decades working for the New York City corrections department, said Heuermann鈥檚 demeanor has remained unchanged through more than 1,000 days of incarceration.
鈥淗e doesn鈥檛 seem uncomfortable in his cell,鈥� the sheriff said. 鈥淣o emotion, no despair.鈥�
鈥淓very time you see him, it鈥檚 the same stoic look that he has when you see him in the courtroom,鈥� Toulon continued. 鈥淭here鈥檚 no remorse.鈥�
Days spent under close supervision
The large, hulking Heuermann is housed in a standard, 6-by-9-foot cell equipped with a metal sink, a metal toilet and a bed with a 鈥渧ery thin mattress,鈥� according to Toulon.
Cells in the unit are all in view of correction officers, he said. The department also beefed up staff after Heuermann’s arrest, but purposefully did not assign any female correction officers to the unit, and no staff is allowed in unless authorized to work there.
鈥淥ne of the things that we wanted to ensure when he came into our custody is that justice was served in the courts and not in our jails,鈥� Toulon said.
Inmates in the unit are served three meals a day, all in their cells, Toulon said. There鈥檚 no common area, and they can only see the communal television through the bars of their cells.
Heuermann remains segregated anytime he leaves his cell 鈥� officers pause all other inmate movement to avoid interactions, he said.
He showers alone, and while he gets fresh air in the jail yard up to six days a week alone, he isn鈥檛 particularly active, according to Toulon.
鈥淗e does not play basketball, doesn鈥檛 do any sprints. He does not do any dips, pullups, or situps or pushups,鈥� the sheriff said. 鈥淗e just basically just walks around in circles in the yard.鈥�
Heuermann sees visitors in a designated meeting area where his handcuffs are removed and where inmates are allowed to embrace or kiss their visitors once at the beginning and end of the meeting. He’s sat face-to-face with his ex-wife Asa Ellerup, their grown daughter Victoria, his attorneys, his therapist and a few others.
鈥淗e does not have an extensive visit list,鈥� said Toulon.
Heuermann’s family won鈥檛 attend his sentencing
Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney鈥檚 office, which is prosecuting the case, declined to comment on Heuermann鈥檚 life behind bars. Nor did his family.
His ex-wife and two grown children said through their lawyers that they won鈥檛 be attending the sentencing, where some of the victims’ families are expected to face Heuermann and deliver emotional statements.
鈥淥ut of respect for those who have endured unimaginable loss and suffering, she does not wish her presence to distract from the purpose of these proceedings,鈥� said Robert Macedonio, Ellerup鈥檚 attorney. 鈥淗er thoughts remain with the victims and their loved ones as they continue their pursuit of justice, healing, and closure.鈥�
___
Follow Philip Marcelo on X: .
Copyright © 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, written or redistributed.
