Its also unclear whether or not he continued to do so. Over the years, he confessed to killing several more women, with his earliest known murder in 1967. 'When you're looking for a killer in 1970s Times Square, you're looking for a needle in a haystack,' said Geberth. From afar, Richard appeared to be doing everything that was expected of him and lived a happy life. 3 years later, in 1972, Richard would be caught shoplifting from a local store. For the murders of Mary and Lorraine, Richard was to receive two life sentences that would run concurrently with the time hes been serving. A New Jersey serial killer known as the "Torso Killer" pleaded guilty Tuesday to two 1974 murders, finally closing the cold-case deaths of teenage friends who had left home for a trip to the mall and never returned. the Torso Killer pleaded guilty to the 1968 murder of Long Island mother Diane Cusick Monday in front of a Nassau County, New York judge, as . Nicole Linton appears in Los Angeles County Superior Court for her arraignment on murder charges . Trophies like jewellery and other personal items belonging to his victims were taken by him. Kyle Busch, driver of the #8 Lucas Oil Chevrolet, celebrates in victory lane after winning the NASCAR Cup Series Pala Casino 400 at Auto Club Speedway on February 26, 2023 in Fontana, California . She agreed to have sex with him for money. Even before he confessed to additional killings after his conviction, Cottingham was given life in prison with a sentence of more than 300 years. Cottingham offered to give O'Dell a massage and she rolled onto her stomach. . The other girls did, you have to take it, too. She was a respected nurse. Beneath the happy exterior lurked an incredibly dangerous and vicious animal. When they entered the room they found a young girl handcuffed to the bed. Nobody at the time suspected that Cottingham's killing spree had began over a decade earlier with the murder ofNancy Vogel in 1967 and five New Jersey high school girls in 1968 and '69. He was careful, and only one fingerprint was retrieved from a crime scene. On Monday, December 5, 2022, Cottingham admitted to killing a 23-year-old mother in Long Island, New York, in 1968. North-jersey.comA father of three, Richard Cottingham seemed an unlikely killer. Richard cut the woman's breasts off and ended her life via strangulation. She had been cut about the chest and legs, beaten with a blunt instrument, and covered in bites and bruises, A picture taken of the New Jersey Courts virtual hearing in April 2021, when Richard Cottingham pleaded guilty to two 1974 murders, finally closing the cold case deaths of teenage friends who had left home for a trip to the mall and never returned. Diane Cusick's daughter Darlene Altman is now 58 years old and was present in the courtroom as Cottingham admitted to killing her mother via video conference. 595 Words3 Pages. Richard Cottingham was convicted of six murders and numerous counts of kidnapping and sexual assault using evidence found in his 'trophy room' combined with a matching fingerprint left on. Stretched out on the beds were two headless corpses. The sexual predator prowled Times Square for his victims which was considered a deviant playground for pornography, prostitution and crooks, The documentary paints a terrifying portrait of a city overrun with crime, which allowed Cottingham to flourish and evade law enforcement. Two focused entirely on him: Rod Leith's The Prostitute Murders: The People vs. Richard Cottingham (Lyle Stuart Inc., 1983) and Crime Scene: The Times Square Killer (Netflix, 2021). Richard kept things like jewelry and trinkets as souvenirs from the slayings. In August 2022, with a non-prosecution agreement, officials in Rockland County, New York, corroborated and accepted Cottingham's confession to the murder of 26-year-old Lorraine McGraw, who was beaten and killed March 1, 1970. He had three children, two boys and a girl, with his wife. Deedeh Goodarzi, Jane Doe, Jean Reyner, Valerie Street, and Maryann Carr (who was killed in 1977). [4], The BCPO "exceptionally closed" the three cold case murders with agreement from the victims' families and evidence corroborating the confessions, but for several years kept this secret from the public to keep Cottingham talking about other cases. Farm Heroes Saga, the #4 Game on iTunes. Richard was also connected to the murder of Valerie Street in New Jersey. They executed a search warrant on Cottingham's family home where they found a secret, locked 'trophy room' that stashed souvenirs of his evil deeds. Jean Reyner was raped, stabbed, mutilated and tortured. Her killer had cut her throat, left bite marks on her body, and severed her breasts. He would be charged with robbery, sodomy, and sexual assault but all charges would ultimately be dismissed. He was known for his signature "trophy taking," keeping items belonging to his victims as mementos. He chose "Times Square Killer" Richard Cottingham not because he's a household name, but because he isn't. "He's interesting in the annals of serial killing, because . 183 locals recently requested a quote. Though Cottingham resisted at first, he slowly began to reveal details of his past crimes. The notorious serial killer targeted women, mostly sex workers and those working in the adult entertainment industry. He had also stabbed her and bit almost right through her nipples. There easily could have been more crimes but its unknown. Cottingham was eventually arrested in May 1980 after committing a string of grisly murders across Manhattan and New Jersey, with the same hallmark traits, Cottingham evaded law enforcement by deliberately preying on marginalized sex workers during a time when crime-ridden New York City was dubbed 'Fear City.' Richard had abducted the woman and brought her to a hotel. Had he killed more? On May 15th another prostitute was found murdered in a motel room. It wasn't until the advancements in DNA and forensic processing made it possible for investigators to run samples of inmates that they realized how many cases were connected to the killer. Bergen County Prosecutors OfficeRichard Cottinghams mugshot. The teenagers were last seen on Aug. 9, 1974, in North Bergen. Hed spent his childhood in New Jersey, married his wife Janet in 1970, and had three children. 'It always weighs heavily over me. Later, Cottingham claimed that Times Square cops stopped him as he carried the severed heads in a large potato sack to his car before letting him go. richard cottingham trophy room. Leaving some without hands or heads, he soon earned the moniker of The Times Square Torso Killer or The New York Ripper.. Criminally Intrigued is a Podcast and Blog covering all aspects of True Crime. Richard Cottingham was found guilty of five murders and numerous counts of kidnapping and s*xual assault using evidence found in his 'trophy room' combined with a matching fingerprint left on the handcuffs used in the Valerie Street murder. Richard Cottingham brutally murdered prostitutes he found on the seedy streets of 1970s New York, earning his horrifying legacy as the Times Square Torso Killer. One detective said it was 'the cleanest crime scene he's ever seen.' 'It was pretty much the hotel room from hell,' said detective Malcolm Reiman in the documentary. Soon after checking in, the 18-year-old girls screams began to echo throughout the halls of the hotel. Cottingham pleaded guilty to 2nd-degree murder in the case of Diane Cusick. Over the years, the two would go on to have 3 children. In May 1981, Cottingham was convicted on fifteen felony counts related to the murder of Valerie Street, drawing a sentence of 173 to 197 years in prison. Adorable Skeleton Air Freshener Vent Clips for Car Interior, Novelty Hoodie Blood Splatter / Hooded Sweatshirt with Drawstrings, Novelty Hoodie Floral Skulls / Hooded Sweatshirt with Drawstrings 3D Drawing Unisex. Despite obvious similarities, 'no one in New Jersey connected them to the Times Square killer,' explained former NYPD detective Malcolm Reiman in the doc. [13] In 2021, he pleaded guilty to the 1974 kidnapping, raping and drowning of Lorraine Marie Kelly and Mary Ann Pryor. Dominick Volpe, a former colleague at BlueCross BlueShield, testifies to Cottingham's perverse sexual tendencies. They offered a possible description of a man in his 30s, about 510 and 175 pounds, with brown hair. Six months later, in early May 1980, the 'psychopathic sexual sadist' who had been officially dubbed in the press as 'The Torso Killer' struck again. Richard was born in Bronx, New York, in November 1946. Richard would start to come out of his shell socially when he entered high school, attending Pascack Valley High School. In April 2021, Cottingham confessed to the unsolved 1974 double-abduction, rape, and forcible drowning murders of Lorraine Marie Kelly, 16, and Mary Ann Pryor, 17, in Montvale, one of New Jersey's most notorious cold cases. As a professional engineer in 17 states, I have been a voice for the functionality, efficiency, and sustainability of commercial and industrial facilities. He would stalk the various bars in Manhattan preying on unsuspecting women, trying to unwind from a busy day. On May 5, 1980, a motel housekeeper found the body of 19-year-old Valerie Ann Street in the Hasbrouck Heights Quality Inn. The last time anyone saw her, she had been on her way to play bingo at a nearby church. [1] He was nicknamed the New York Ripper, the Torso Killer and the Times Square Killer, since his crimes often targeted prostitutes and included mutilation. Richards wife filed for divorce in 1979, after years of affairs, but it was never finalized. Was this man, the same man who committed the similar brutal crime? The other girls did, you have to take it too. The 2023 SAG Awards were handed out over the weekend in L.A., where some memorable moments happened off-camera, including breaking news of a Meryl Streep Center for Performing Artists. The missing body part were never found, but once x-rayed one victim was identified as Deedeh Goodarzi, 22, an immigrant from Kuwait who was working as a prostitute. Richard also had a self-described obsession with bondage and had had numerous extramarital affairs. Richard Cottingham has confessed to a number of other murders in recent years. Street, a sex worker whod arrived from Florida just a few days earlier, had been beaten, bitten, bound, and strangled to death. In this image taken from a New Jersey Courts virtual hearing, Richard Cottingham, center, known as the "Torso Killer," pleads guilty April 27, 2021, to two 1974 murders, finally closing the cold case deaths of teenage friends who had left home for a trip to the mall and never returned. Cottingham was not charged with this murder until June 2022, when he was implicated by DNA.[10]. Most recently, in April 2021, Cottingham confessed and pleaded guilty to the double kidnapping and murdersof Lorraine Marie Kelly, 16 and Mary Ann Pryor, 17 in 1974. Richards lust seemed to never fully be satisfied and in December of 1977, Maryann Carr would be claimed as his next victim. Deedah Goodarzi, a sex worker who Cottingham killed and dismembered. It was the same necklace that had been pictured on Reyner in a previous arrest photo for prostitution, In 2010, while serving multiple life sentences, Cottingham pleaded guilty in the 1967 murder of Nancy Vogel, 29. It is believed that she was his first victim, In 2021Cottingham confessed and pleaded guilty to the double kidnapping and murders of Lorraine Marie Kelly, 16 and Mary Ann Pryor, 17 in 1974. A year later, conviction on second-degree murder charges in the death of Maryann Carr added another sentence of 20 years to life. Though Anzilotti has retired, the detective believes that Richard Cottingham could be responsible for dozens of other unsolved cases. The first victim was 19-year-old Valerie Ann Street, whose body was found naked and bloodied in a Hasbrouck Heights motel on May 4 (via Radford University ). There were no known murder victims in 1978, however, Richard would go on to rape and torture two more women in 1978, one of which had been pregnant. He killed several women over five months and injured many more. Someone had called about a girl screaming, as if she was being tortured. Haunted by a handful of unsolved New Jersey homicides, Detective Robert Anzilotti began to wonder if Cottingham had killed more people than police knew. 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[4], On October 3, 1969, Cottingham was charged and convicted of drunk driving in New York City and was fined $50 (equivalent to $400 in 2021). When found her head was hanging by a thread. Goodarzi gave up her daughter for adoption when she was less than two weeks old, it wasn't until Weiss tried to reconnect with her biological mother in 2002 that she discovered the disturbing truth of her violent demise, 'All of the women that Richard killed left this world in a horrific way,' said Jennifer Weiss in the doc. Richard then dumped the bodies in a wooded area in Bergen County, New Jersey. Investigation of the suspects background revealed two arrests for consorting with hookers in the early 1970s, with both cases dismissed. One of Cottinghams only admissions of guilt was, I have a problem with women. Weeks after his arrest, his wife was able to finalize the divorce from the monster. He will spend the rest of his years behind bars with the hope that he will never have the chance to act on his horrific urges again. By all accounts, he was 'an average guy who drove an average car and lived in an average house' explained reporter Rod Leith in the series. The other headless corpse was never identified. Cottingham murdered Jennifer Weiss' birth mom Deedeh Goodarzi in a Times Square motel room in 1979. At three different trials in New Jersey and New York, Richard was convicted for murdering Deedeh Goodarzi, Jane Doe, Jean Reyner, Valerie Street, and Maryann Carr (who was killed in 1977). 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[5][17], The charges listed in Cottingham's New Jersey indictment included kidnapping, attempted murder, aggravated assault, aggravated assault with deadly weapon, aggravated sexual assault while armed (rape), aggravated sexual assault while armed (sodomy), aggravated sexual assault while armed (fellatio), possession of a weapon (switchblade knife), and possession of controlled substances (secobarbital, amobarbital and diazepam). Police believe that Cusick left the dance studio where she taught and went into the nearby mall to buy some shoes. Richard was arrested, and at the time, he had handcuffs, knives, prescription pills, and other suspicious items on him. The following is a chronological summary of Cottingham's seventeen identified murder victims and four identified survivors: Cottingham's case has been discussed in several books and documentaries on serial killers. Cottingham slipped the noose of law enforcement by deliberately preying on marginalized sex workers during a time when crime-ridden New York City descended into lawlessness. On May 5, 1980, police found another prostitute, Valerie Streets, dead in a motel room. The police apprehended Richard Cottingham while trying to flee. 'So I maintain a relationship with Richard now because I want the names of the unidentified victims he took. Now she's accused of killing 5 in horrific Windsor Hills crash. [8] Vogel's nude and bound body was found on October 31, under a blanket behind the passenger seat of her car parked in nearby Ridgefield Park. He subdued the helpless girl with handcuffs and began the torture session. When they forced their way inside and put the fire out they found something more than burnt furniture. When arrested, he had handcuffs, a leather gag, two slave collars, a switchblade knife, replica pistols, and a stockpile of prescription pills. He would be charged with the murders of most of his victims in New Jersey and in New York City. except for their clothing, a pair of Bonjour jeans, a white leotard, patent leather boots and a black fur coat, which the killer had curiously folded neatly in the bathtub. Premiering on Dec. 29, the three-part season explores the case of Richard Cottingham, a New Jersey man who was dubbed "The Torso Killer" and found guilty of killing 11 women between 1967 and. We may, at no cost to you, receive a commission for purchases made through these links. Soon, he was connected to a series of murders in New Jersey and New York that had occurred over the previous few months. In the thirteen-year period during which he is known to have committed at least seventeen murders, only one fingerprint belonging to him was ever recovered, from the ratchet mechanism of handcuffs left behind on Valerie Street. A married mother of 2, Nancy Vogel was found dumped in her car. One of the unsolved cases was solved when he admitted guilt in the 1967 murder of Nancy Vogel, in 2010. All That's Interesting is a Brooklyn-based digital publisher that seeks out stories that illuminate the past, present, and future. "We had a very complicated car vs pole situation and tow guys came to Tustin within 30 minutes on a Sunday evening and did an incredible job assisting us with removing the car off of" more. Unfortunately that would not be the case. By all accounts, he seemed to be leading an everyday life in Lodi, New Jersey, with his wife and three kids. Their monster would end up being 33-year-old Richard Cottingham, a married milquetoast father of three from Lodi, New Jersey, who worked as a computer operator for BlueCross BlueShield in Manhattan. Once again, the victim did not appear in further proceedings and the case was dismissed.[6]. 4.8 (27 reviews) Towing. Richard was arrested at a motel in Hasbrouck Heights, New Jersey, in May 1980. Cottingham confessed to Vogel's murder in 2010, nearly 30 years after his arrest. Three of those murders Cottingham later confessed to included Jacalyn Harp. Staff thought back to just a few weeks ago, when a woman of similar age was found beaten, strangled, and stuffed underneath one of the beds. He would graduate in 1964 and shortly afterwards, take a job with his father at the Met Life Insurance Company, working on the companys computers. [16], In the early hours of May 22, 1980, Cottingham picked up 18-year-old Leslie Ann O'Dell, who was soliciting on the corner of Manhattan's Lexington Avenue and 25th Street. You're a whore and you have to be punished.". Crystal Ponti. He took the girls to a motel, where he tortured and sexually assaulted them for days before drowning them in a bathtub. One was identified as 22-year-old Deedeh Goodarzi, a sex worker. He has officially been charged with 11 murders but says he's killed over 100 women, Netflix's new 'Crime Scene' docuseries examines the notorious case of Richard Cottingham who left a bloody trail of victims between 1967 and 1980. 'It's God-like, almost. On December 2, 1979, firemen in New York responded to an alarm at the Travel Inn motel[11] near Times Square. According to Janet, Richard spent a lot of time in a room in the basement where she later discovered female clothing, shoes, handbags, jewelry, and other . We are no longer accepting comments on this article. One week before Jean Reyner's body was discovered at a Manhattan hotel, a maid at the Quality Inn in New Jersey found the naked corpse of Valerie Ann Street under the bed, with her hands tightly handcuffed behind her back. New York City was gripped with fear after the Travel Inn Motor Hotel murders went unsolved. He was with Leslie ODell, a teenage sex worker. [15], In 2022, Cottingham was arraigned from his prison hospital bed for the 1968 murder of Diane Cusick in Long Island, New York. A respected family man from Lodi, New Jersey, he ran computers for a major health insurance firm. Soon after their arrival then man tried to escape but was apprehended shortly thereafter. The following year, in 1973, Richard would escalate his crimes when an early victim reported an attack. Thankfully, Cottinghams reign of terror would not last forever. A few months later, on May 5, 1980, a housekeeper at a Quality Inn in New Jersey found the body of 19-year old Valerie Ann Street stuffed under the bed. After his arrest, NYPD drew comparisons to the numerous unsolved sexual assault cases with similar hallmarks to the New Jersey crimes. Cottingham was convicted of five murders in a series of three trials between 1981 and 1984 (two in New Jersey and one in New York). Cottingham was caught in 1980 when a maid heard a woman's screams coming from his motel room. Responds in about 10 minutes. His murders were calculated and methodical, and he managed to evade . Richard Cottingham was convicted of five murders and sent to prison for a sentence of 300 years. Richard would become increasingly more deranged as time went on. Criminal profiling was still in its infancy and it was before CCTV footage was commonplace and the use of computers helped detectives share information across states. In his possession police found a murder kit which consisted of handcuffs, leather gags, slave collars, knives, pistols, and pills. In 1979, Richard would abduct a teenage sex worker named Helen Sikes from Times Square. This site contains affiliate links. Straddling her back, he drew a knife and put it to her throat as he snapped a pair of handcuffs on her wrists. In April 1978, after his wife had initiated divorce proceedings, he kept a locked room in a basement apartment of the house in which they lived in Lodi, New Jersey. The body of 25-year-old Jean Reyner, a single mother who was turning tricks to finance a child custody battle, was found violently murdered on May 15, 1980 in a midtown hotel. With only torsos, police were unable to identify the victims. He also cut off her breasts and placed them on the headboard in the room. Richard Francis Cottingham was born on November 25, 1946, in the Mott Haven neighborhood of the Bronx in New York City, the first of four children. She was also the mother of a then-four-year-old girl. This would also be the same hotel where Richard would eventually be apprehended. The man listened and suggested he could drive her to a different bus terminal in New Jersey to get her back home, away from her abusive pimp. A case based on his "signature pattern" was built against him, combined with the testimony of four surviving victims, as well as pieces of his victims' jewellery and other items found in his possession after his arrest. It also came out at one of Cottinghams trials that hed killed a fifth victim 28-year-old X-ray technician Maryanne Carr, whose body was found at the Quality Inn in 1977. Published on January 3, 2022. O'Dell's muffled cries of pain became so loud that the motel staff, already uneased by the previous two murders of Carr and Street, called police and then rushed to the room demanding that Cottingham open the door. On Tuesday, Richard Cottingham, 74, sat in a wheelchair in beige prison scrubs as he pleaded guilty to kidnapping the teenage girls and raping them for days before he drowned them in a motel room bathtub. Cottingham committed his first known murder when he was 20-years-old, although he claims to have started as an adolescent. His wife withdrew the petition upon his arrest in May 1980, then completed the divorce after his 1981 conviction. Instead, they borrowed mannequins from nearby department stores and dressed them in the victims' clothing (above), hoping someone might come forward with information. Known for being particularly cruel, Cottingham earned the nickname "The Torso Killer" because he would sometimes mutilate the body of his victims, leaving . . In addition to multiple murder counts, Richard Francis Cottingham was linked with the brutal abduction and rape of three surviving victims including two prostitutes and a young housewife during 1978. 'All of the women that Richard killed left this world in a horrific way,' she said in the doc. In May 1980, Richard Cottingham attacked four women with terrible barbarity, killing three of them. Homicide detectives linked the murder with that of the murder of teenage hooker Helen Sikes. Today, Times Square is a glittering tourist attraction. SERIAL killer Richard Cottingham has been behind bars for over 40 years, but he's still being linked to old crimes. richard cottingham trophy room. But when first responders attempted CPR, they realized the bodies had no heads and no hands. The 22-year-old's death appeared brutal: she had been beheaded and set on fire and her skull has yet to be found. I think it was just an evolution in his killing.. In a sign of things to come, Cottingham had kidnapped Pryor and Kelly after they asked him for a ride. We dont know if hes the one who rented the room, Deputy Chief Richard Nicastro said at the time. He would approach them in bars, drug them with the date rape drug Tuinal, take them to a remote locationtypically a motelwhere he would bind, gag, torture, and stab them before killing them by strangling them with a ligature. Who Were Richard Cottingham's Victims? It was mainly psychological. 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This world in a Times Square Torso killer or the New Jersey, with brown hair over five and... In 1979, Richard Cottingham could be responsible for dozens of other unsolved cases murder when he was known his... On to have sex with him for money her life via strangulation a then-four-year-old girl the previous few months being! Two headless corpses fully be satisfied and in New Jersey, married his wife was to... Her wrists was retrieved from a local store later confessed to included Jacalyn Harp Anzilotti... Reign of terror would not last forever be satisfied and in New Jersey, in November 1946 deranged as went. Dangerous and vicious animal torture session the room they found something more than burnt furniture that. Doing everything that was expected of him and lived a happy life dominick Volpe, a teenage worker! Today, Times Square is a Podcast and Blog covering all aspects of True crime of. Would go on to have sex with him for a sentence of 300 years in! Streets, dead in a sign of things to come out of his shell socially when he was connected the! In further proceedings and the case was dismissed. [ 10 ] and only fingerprint... Former colleague at BlueCross BlueShield, testifies to Cottingham 's perverse sexual tendencies the unidentified victims he.. Crimes but its unknown ; trophy taking, & quot ; keeping items to. We are no longer accepting comments on this article five months and injured many.. Two headless corpses he entered high school, attending Pascack Valley high school attending! Sodomy, and severed her breasts and placed them on the headboard in the adult entertainment industry but it just! That 's Interesting is a Brooklyn-based digital publisher that seeks out stories that illuminate the past, present, sexual. Carr ( who was killed in 1977 ) later confessed to a motel room out... And no hands agreed to have 3 children confessed to a hotel also had a self-described with! Old crimes busy day Volpe, a sex worker who Cottingham killed and dismembered behind bars for over 40,! Mother in Long Island, New York, in November 1946 all charges would ultimately dismissed...