The comments below have not been moderated. 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. [18], During the early 1980s, Cottingham was convicted of five murders in two separate New Jersey trials in 1981[19] and 1982,[20] and in a single New York trial in 1984 for three murders. Beneath the happy exterior lurked an incredibly dangerous and vicious animal. The cases had overwhelming evidence against Cottingham in the way of receipts with his writing, linking him to the hotel rooms, fingerprints, and testimony from three different survivors. December of 1979, would be Richards most vicious attack to date. 595 Words3 Pages. It was the era when the Big Apple was nicknamed 'Fear City' and Times Square was a deviant drain of illicit thrills, pornography, prostitution and crooks - providing the sexual predator with the perfect hunting ground. 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. SERIAL killer Richard Cottingham has been behind bars for over 40 years, but he's still being linked to old crimes. By all accounts, he seemed to be leading an everyday life in Lodi, New Jersey, with his wife and three kids. Netflixs Crime Scene: The Times Square Killer is a three-part docuseries that explores the horrific crimes committed by serial killer Richard Cottingham. After failing to return home from a trip to buy shoes at the Green Acres Mall in Valley Stream, New York,[9] 23-year old Diane Cusick was found raped, beaten, and strangled to death in the back seat of her car, parked near the mall. On May 5, 1980, police found another prostitute, Valerie Streets, dead in a motel room. Over the years, he confessed to killing several more women, with his earliest known murder in 1967. He bragged to police officers and fellow inmates that he had murdered more than 100 women in various parts of the United States throughout his active years. 'So I maintain a relationship with Richard now because I want the names of the unidentified victims he took. Now 74, Cottingham, who claims responsibility for dozens of murders, has confessed to a handful. For the murders of Mary and Lorraine, Richard was to. 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. He brought them to a hotel room, tortured them, and dumped their nude bodies. 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. Her body would be left in the room and subsequently set ablaze by Cottingham before fleeing the scene. Richard Cottingham, 74, is currently in state prison on a life sentence for other murders. Richard Cottingham, 74, pleaded guilty Tuesday to murdering Mary Ann Pryor, 17, and Lorraine Marie Kelly, 16, both of North Bergen. They bodies also had their hands removed. The other, a 16-year-old, remains a Jane Doe to this day. Richard Cottingham wasconvicted of five murders and numerous counts of kidnapping and sexual assault using evidence found in his 'trophy room' combined with a matching fingerprint left on handcuffs used in the murder of Valerie Street. When she was found, she'd suffered beatings to her head and body, but her ultimate cause of death was suffocation. Known for being particularly cruel, Cottingham earned the nickname "The Torso Killer" because he would sometimes mutilate the body of his victims, leaving . [7] On October 28, 1967, he strangled Nancy Schiava Vogel, a 29-year-old married mother of two, in Little Ferry, New Jersey. Richard Francis Cottingham was linked with the brutal . Street, a sex worker whod arrived from Florida just a few days earlier, had been beaten, bitten, bound, and strangled to death. A search of Cottingham's home turned up a bizarre "trophy room," containing personal effects from several of the murdered prostitutes. All That's Interesting is a Brooklyn-based digital publisher that seeks out stories that illuminate the past, present, and future. The other girls did, you have to take it, too. 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. 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. Later on, the police also found a room in the basement of Richards home that served as his trophy room. Last edited on 16 February 2023, at 09:15, Serial Killers: The Method and Madness of Monsters, List of serial killers in the United States, List of serial killers by number of victims, "New Jersey's 'Torso Killer' admits murdering 3 teenage girls over 50 years ago", "Justice Story: 'Times Square Ripper' revealed to be mild-mannered husband from suburban Jersey", "Long-Buried Secrets: The Serial Killer and the Detective", "First of Three Trials of Jerseyan in Prostitute Slayings Nears End", "Killer of 2 Is Guilty of 3 More Slayings", "Legislator Gaynor Honors Detectives Who Solved 50 Year Old Cold Case", "Mineola Woman's Murder 48 Years Ago Still Unsolved", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Richard_Cottingham&oldid=1139676388. The following week on May 15th, 1980, another sex worker was lured into a Manhattan motel room under the guise of more work but was most likely ambushed when Cottingham locked the door. This time, he strangled and slit the throat of 25-year-old Jean Reyner, a single mother who had been working as a call girl to finance a custody battle. During the session the man would insist, "You have to take it. Leslie added, He told me to shut up, that I was a whore, and I had to be punished. Weiss was given up for adoption when she was less than two weeks old. The basement became known as the "trophy room." The "Torso Killer" had been found. Richard had also kidnapped 17-year-old Mary Ann Pryor and 16-year-old Lorraine Marie Kelly in August 1974 Manhattan, New York. Cottingham offered to give O'Dell a massage and she rolled onto her stomach. All was quiet and one can be certain that it was probably looking like an average, quiet night. Who Were Richard Cottingham's Victims? 2023 Cinemaholic Inc. All rights reserved. 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.' But the question remained: Who was Richard Cottingham? A killing spree that lasted a few months eventually led to his arrest in May 1980, bringing to the fore previously unconnected murders as well. 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. Their skulls and hands were never found. Did he intend on killing this poor girl? In October 1966, he became a computer operator for Blue Cross Blue Shield Association, where he worked until his 1980 arrest. The other female victim has never been identified and to this day remains a Jane Doe. He said that uncountable times.. Hed eventually leave the company and start working for Blue Cross, where he performed the same tasks. In April 1978, Cottingham's wife filed for divorce on the grounds of "abandonment" and "mental cruelty" (refusing to have sex with her after the birth of their third child, staying out until early morning, and leaving her with insufficient household funds). Pornographic films are advertised in Manhattans Times Square in January 1971. Police arrested 33-year-old Richard Cottingham at the scene. [13][14] Anzilotti had spent 15 years interviewing Cottingham, working toward the confession. [13] In 2021, he pleaded guilty to the 1974 kidnapping, raping and drowning of Lorraine Marie Kelly and Mary Ann Pryor. 4.8 (27 reviews) Towing. The police apprehended Richard Cottingham while trying to flee. On May 22, 1980, Cottingham picked up Leslie Ann O'Dell in Midtown Manhattan and dragged her back to the same New Jersey motel where he mutilated his last victim just 18 days earlier. union square hospitality group gift card; clubhouse baseball baseball; forest service lease cabin for sale utah. Richard would soon meet his future wife, and the two were married on May 3rd, 1970. But Cottinghams depravity was much deeper than police realized at the time of his arrest. Powered by WordPress.com VIP. Cottingham later described his motives as a game and mainly psychological., I was able to get almost any woman to do whatever I wanted them to do, psychologically, he said decades after being found guilty of five murders. He is currently being held at the New Jersey State Prison in Trenton, NJ, and is not eligible for parole. She would die of asphyxiation and once finished, Richard stuffed the girl under the bed. He killed several women over five months and injured many more. Hasbrouck Heights, NJ. Were not ruling out the possibility that two men could have been involved.. He returned back to the hotel to soak the crime scene in lighter fluid and set the room ablaze. Born in the Bronx on Nov. 25, 1946, Richard Cottingham lived an outwardly normal life. Who is Richard Cottingham? One victim was recognized as Deedeh Goodarzi while the other slain woman remains unknown to this day, Deedeh Goodarzi was a 22-year-old high-end prostitute from Iran whose family immigrated to Long Island when she was a teenager. Cottingham's DNA was collected from her body, although DNA wasn't used in solving crimes at the time. 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She then screamed, and the muffled noises were heard by a maid, leading to the police being called. He would be charged with the murders of most of his victims in New Jersey and in New York City. Had he killed more? Youre in complete control of somebodys destiny.. we respect your privacy and take protecting it seriously, Richard Francis Cottingham | Serial Killer, Incarcerated at the New Jersey State Prison. According to The Associated Press, Cottingham confessed to. He would commute daily to New York for his job, but once in a while, when the mood struck, Richard would not go home after work. Its unclear what he was stealing, if he was short on money or so there was no trail of him purchasing a specific item. She had been given one hell of a beating and her killer had eaten away at her nipples, almost severing one. He said that uncountable times.. 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. Today, Times Square is a glittering tourist attraction. Do not sell or share my personal information. Later on, the police also found a room in the basement of Richard's home that served as his trophy room. Spatter, gore, fingerprints, puddles of blood, there was no evidenceexcept 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. [4][5], After his graduation, Cottingham worked for Metropolitan Life, where his father was a vice-president, starting in the mail room at the firm's Manhattan headquarters and eventually became a mainframe computer operator upon taking computer courses.

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