Common Sense Media Review
By Melissa Camacho
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Sexually violent, graphic content in exploitative docu.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 15+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
The Gilgo Beach Killer: House of Secrets
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
THE GILGO BEACH KILLER: HOUSE OF SECRETS is a three-part true crime series about the home life of the alleged GBK or Long Island serial killer. Beginning in July 2023, New York architect Rex Heuermann is arrested and charged with the murders of seven women that took place over the course of three decades. Now his wife, Asa Ellerup, and his adult children, Victoria Heuermann and Christopher Sheridan, talk about what their family life was like, what happened to them and their house after the arrest, and the media distortions about what was found in the home and other details about the case. They also share their thoughts and misgivings about his possible guilt. Interviews with journalists, law enforcement officials, and attorneys involved with the case offer details about the investigation, the house, and the upcoming trial. Archive media footage of the searches for victims, along with Heuermann family photographs and home videos, are featured. Brief reenactments of certain moments are also shown.
Is It Any Good?
The sensational true crime series is a glimpse into the lives of the people closest to the alleged Long Island serial killer in hope of revealing how he may have been able to get away with multiple murders. Conversations in The Gilgo Beach Killer: House of Secrets with Rex Heuermann's (now ex-) wife Asa Ellerup and their adult children delve into how law enforcement and media have characterized him as a man who lived a double life. They also reveal some of their thoughts about the DNA evidence linking him to his alleged victims. Ellerup and the kids detail how the search for evidence in their dilapidated family home nearly destroyed it, and how media distortions about what was found have also turned their lives upside down.
Meanwhile, law enforcement officials and lawyers offer their insights about the overall case, and sometimes use the opportunity to justify how they conducted their searches and treated Heuermann's family after he was arrested. Amidst the troubling details, The Gilgo Beach Killer: House of Secrets also features crime reporters and writers offering their thoughts about the serial murders in ways that lean more into speculation than into objective storytelling. As a result, the overall production feels exploitative, and is more entertaining than informative.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the popularity of true crime TV documentaries about serial killers. Are these stories informative, or entertaining?
Is it appropriate for media to characterize someone as a criminal if they haven't been convicted of the crime? Does The Gilgo Beach Killer: House of Secrets do this?
TV Details
- Premiere date : June 10, 2025
- Cast : Asa Ellerup , Victoria Heuermann , Christopher Sheridan
- Network : Peacock
- Genre : Reality TV
- TV rating :
- Last updated : June 27, 2025
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