If they came forward and said theyd been assaulted, they would be arrested for prostitution, so there was no reason to come forward, Berlinger said. He would let his guard down, Mr. Anzilotti said. He needed a way to approach Mr. Cottingham and found an opening in 2003, when he got a tip: Mr. Cottingham was taking bets on sporting events from his cell. Cottingham primarily sought prostitutes who were petite blondes in their late teens to mid-twenties. She had been tied up and strangled, authorities said. I just ruled him out. Vronsky, who frequently visits Cottingham in prison, said he had a freak, random elevator encounter with the serial killer on the early morning of Dec. 2, 1979, as he tried to check into the Travel Inn Motel near a seedy and sex-crazed Times Square. Three days later, Mr. Anzilotti walked out of his office for good. He continued to live here until the police eventually arrested him on May 22nd, 1980. Although Vogel was the earliest of Cottinghams murder victims, the killer has said she was not his first, according to Vronsky. But Mr. Anzilotti kept pressing him: You know youre going to tell me.. What started in 1967 with the discovery of a Ridgefield Park woman dead, nude and bound in her own car continued until 1980, when the hulking Cottingham, then 33, was arrested after the screams of a would-be victim pierced the walls of a Hasbrouck Heights motel room. [6] In 2022, Cottingham officially confessed to the 1970 murder of Lorraine McGraw, under a non-prosecution agreement. (1981, June 25). 0000005253 00000 n 0000003686 00000 n No one could find any clues in the girls backgrounds: no drugs, no trouble with the law. I was an immediate adult when it happened, she said later in an interview. But on May 22, 1980 Cottingham's life as a predator came to light. Note that there seems to have been a "lull" between 1970 and 1973. In the new docuseries, the second in Netflixs Crime Scene anthology, director Joe Berlinger dissects the Torso Killers murder spree against the backdrop of the sexually charged, crime-ridden culture of 1970s Times Square and how it provided the predator with a fertile hunting ground. And considering the closure of yesterdays cases, I absolutely believe him.. To this day, I dont even think they would have ever said anything. The man has no heart, no soul, no emotion whatsoever, she said. Cottingham, who is already serving a lifetime state prison sentence for killing several other women and girls, was brought to the office of Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella in Paramus to enter his pleas before Superior Court Judge Keith Bachmann in Hackensack. At the mall, Cottingham, then a tall, brown-haired young man, met Vogel, a married mother of two. Cottingham, 75, admitted before state Superior Court Judge Keith Bachmann in April 2021 that he had killed Mary Ann Pryor, 17, and her friend Lorraine Kelly, 16, when the pair went shopping for. 0000001082 00000 n A woman walking to her car found them: two teenage girls, naked and dead in a sliver of woods behind an apartment parking lot. H|U0+(QvG`b08NbHlSoZ2CRSs=* \e~ On July 17, 1968, Harp, of Midland Park, was walking home from band practice when a strange man, Cottingham, tried to coax her into his car, Vronsky said. I thought he could be responsible for some, Mr. Anzilotti said. Both men were keenly aware that it was their years-old relationship that had brought about this moment. For more information, please read our Privacy & Cookie Policy. He'd been a married father of three, but the Lodi resident - who would brutalize his victim's bodies, cutting off limbs, heads and breasts - would later become known as the "Torso Killer" for. Thats not the natural order its supposed to go in.. She, too, had been strangled. Mr. Anzilotti and another investigator drove to the town of Reading, Vt., to deliver the news to Jackies older sister, Suzan Mulder, then 69. Cottingham had kept these items as souvenirs so that he could remember his victims and relive his attacks. Once, he outright explained his hesitation: He said, I know once I give you that case, Ill never see you again, Mr. Anzilotti recalled last month. And I said, Hop in., He drove to the mall. As you can see, he didn't always look like Santa Claus. This guy was particularly ruthless. The five victims addressed . Police were not aware of his murders at the time, nor were they aware that an active serial killer was at large in the New York-New Jersey area. He called his detectives and gave the word: Bring in Cottingham. After nearly 15 years of interviews by Anzilotti and Detective Capt. ,X3ieG(>]/TUW#gI" p&gGgy`Un(aE6e#./"e3 It was just shock all the way around.. [22][23] He pleaded guilty in a December court appearance, and also officially admitted killing four other women in Long Island: Mary Beth Heinz,[24] Laverne Moye,[16] Sheila Heiman,[25] and Maria Emerita Rosado Nieves.[26]. What they want is an outright statement and a sign-off of Yes thats me,' Vronsky continued. iP^ -KvWZvxhc'm$93tSz =oBTmD]+)bTJ T|u>/. Trophies like jewellery and other personal items belonging to his victims were taken by him. He married in 1970 and became a father of. This girl did everything right, Vronsky said. Much like John Moye, Altman, who now lives in Ocala, Fla., said she struggled to process Cottinghams savagery. He married in 1970 and became a father of three. 2023 NYP Holdings, Inc. All Rights Reserved, How a retired detective snared his seventh Torso Killer confession, Expert reveals biological reason why were obsessed with true crime shows. He had three children, two boys and a girl, with his wife. Despite the gruesome nature of his murders, the butcher, named Richard Cottingham, never warranted the breathless news coverage of David Son of Sam Berkowitz, who only three years prior paralyzed the Big Apple with fear. 0000000756 00000 n For over 40 years, its been folklore in this county.. Anzilotti and BCPO subsequently confirmed the "exceptional closures" of these three murders.[13][8]. On March 12, 1974, Cottingham was arrested in New York City for robbery and unlawful imprisonment on the complaint of another prostitute. Author Peter Vronsky, who has a forthcoming book on Cottingham, and was first to publicly announce that the imprisoned Cottingham was responsible for the three 50-year-old crimes, says authorities want to add more to the list. But something a hunch, past investigative speculation, the proximity of the crimes drew Mr. Anzilotti to the prisoner. And before I go, I want to close out the Kelly-Pryor case., Mr. Cottingham urged the chief to reconsider leaving the force. Hes been chief of detectives nearly five years. [13][14] Anzilotti had spent 15 years interviewing Cottingham, working toward the confession. Richard Cottingham was born in 1946 and grew up largely in New Jersey. The New York Times, p. 26. Inside they found the bodies of 22-year-old sex worker Deedeh Goodarzi[9] and an unidentified woman estimated between 16 and 22. [2] Four surviving abduction-rape victims testified against Cottingham; he was convicted in three of the cases and acquitted in one. xref The murders committed by the Torso Killer bore little resemblance to the ones Mr. Anzilotti was investigating, but their timing matched up with Mr. Cottinghams settling in New Jersey. It was a game to me. Cottingham was serving time for five murders, following convictions in New Jersey and New York, when Bergen prosecutors detectives in 2010 tied him to the killing of 29-year-old Ridgefield Park mom Nancy Schiava Vogel, bringing the total then to six. Click here to follow Daily Voice Hackensack and receive free news updates. His yearbook photo shows a cross-country runner with blond hair slicked back. Moye, who traveled from Georgia to see Cottingham confess to killing his mother and four other women as part of a plea deal, said he leaned heavily on his Catholic faith as the unrepentant killer watched via video feed from South Woods State Prison in New Jersey, where hes serving multiple life sentences. Everything that I was taught about evil was evident in his presence, in his demeanor, in the gaze of his eyes, Moye told The Post. But in 2009, he surfaced to again make waves, when he gave a chilling interview to journalist Nadia Fezzani about his motivation and his body count. Absolutely, its completely plausible. After years in prison, Mr. Cottingham began to open up to the detective about past unsolved crimes. Denise Falasca, aged 15, was abducted on July 14, 1969, in Emerson, while walking to a friend's home and found the next morning in Saddle Brook, by the side of a road next to a cemetery, strangled with the cord or the chain of her crucifix. Again and again, for 15 years, Mr. Anzilotti met with the inmate, seeking the truth. WjgF\A9Ro9r/;l5Gh3h}NG2L -S$B{s"=z{ 0EaSe,&@yJQ>`n; ;dj7n (~>*}fEx*\W]xvpt]/k"0JTj4%`G?t$8I@FmYkr(_5_+ jfbXP{]~&I6"%}\STHD Ld2=ENhk$)HESdX,g o+IkRC~eC1 dm"GZBDM7~K&'/9"[{$AXH'my Instead, he drove her to the Quality Inn, where he tortured, beat and sexually assaulted her for hours, until a maid heard her scream. On December 15, 1977, the body of X-ray technician Maryann Carr, 26, was found brutally beaten and strangled in the parking lot of the Quality Inn motel in Hasbrouck Heights, New Jersey, but police did not link the murder to Cottingham until his 1980 arrest at the same motel. Cottingham committed his first known murder when he was 20-years-old, although he claims to have started as an adolescent. Now 74, Cottingham, who claims responsibility for dozens of murders, has confessed to a. Hackensack, Jacalyn "Jackie" Harp, aged 13, was randomly ambushed as she walked home in the evening of July 17, 1968, from school band practice in Midland Park and strangled with the leather strap of her bag. [7] In a 2009 interview, Cottingham admitted to the murders and claimed that he severed the heads and hands of the victims to prevent their identification, as he was acquainted with Goodarzi and had been seen with her in a bar the night before.[2]. 0000002882 00000 n <<8BD7E4F5B15F3F4A8993EB3A0150F7AC>]>> 0 It took some effort to convince him to go to court and let me make it public, Anzilotti said Tuesday. Cottingham offered to give O'Dell a massage and she rolled onto her stomach. I didnt know what to expect. Serial Killer House in Lodi, New Jersey, United States. He was eventually convicted of five murders in New Jersey and New York and sent to a New Jersey state prison in the early 1980s. Neither complainant appeared in further proceedings, however, and the case was dismissed. Cottingham was indicted in Cusicks killing in June after DNA evidence linked him to the cold-case slaying believed to be the oldest match to ever lead to a prosecution, Nassau County prosecutors said. When a worker came to check on her, ODell cracked open the door and gave a hand signal asking for help. Richard Cottingham, 76, pleaded guilty to the February 1968 murder of Diane Cusick, 23, and admitted to strangling four additional women in the 1970s in Nassau County. But Cottingham had other victims, and he would later boast of killing 85 to 100 people. 0000001425 00000 n 0000013001 00000 n Since his incarceration, he has attempted suicide on two occasions. 0000000991 00000 n Other locations that are relatively close to this place. It was quite a shock to learn it was him.. She agreed to have sex with him for money. In April of 1979, he started living in the basement of the property after his wife initiated divorce proceedings against him for "abandonment" and "mental cruelty.". Its hard to understand how someone could be like that. YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. Mr. Anzilotti, by then a sergeant, arranged a surprise search of the inmates cell the day after the Super Bowl. The highly-respected law enforcement veteran knew the notorious killer was responsible for the deaths of the North Bergen teens, but Cottingham made him work for it. xref Richard Cottingham, Lorraine . Below, you will find the address and the GPS coordinates for this location. She was stunned. Consequently, he was charged with attempted murder and kidnapping. But then, four years ago, Mr. Cottingham stunned the chief. In this image taken from a New Jersey Courts virtual hearing, Richard Cottingham, center, known as the "Torso Killer," pleads guilty Tuesday, April 27, 2021, to two 1974 murders. Once again, the victim did not appear in further proceedings and the case was dismissed.[6]. That night, city firefighters responded to a blaze at a motel in Times Square, the New York Daily News reported. The public in Bergen County deserved to know the outcome of those girls, he said. This story has been shared 151,197 times. Filming Location in Lodi, New Jersey, United States, Filming Location in Paterson, New Jersey, United States, Filming Location in Clifton, New Jersey, United States, Filming Location in Bloomfield, New Jersey, United States, Crime Location Wylie, Texas, United States, Crime Location Memphis, Tennessee, United States, Place of Interest Brooklyn, New York, United States, Crash Site Location Beaufort, South Carolina, United States. In October 1966, he became a computer operator for Blue Cross Blue Shield Association, where he worked until his 1980 arrest. She had been a teenager when her sister was killed. Hours later, her parents drove to the mall and found Dianes Plymouth Valiant in the parking lot, where her body was discovered in the backseat. Serial killer Richard Cottingham made his admission in the cold case murders of the high school girls, acknowledging that he kidnapped, raped and finally drowned the pair inside a motel room. [13] In 2021, he pleaded guilty to the 1974 kidnapping, raping and drowning of Lorraine Marie Kelly and Mary Ann Pryor. It would take about five months after the grisly Travel Inn slayings for investigators to arrest their man, a married father of three from Lodi, New Jersey, who preyed on sex workers in Times Square, then a seedy nucleus of pornography, prostitution and crime. %%EOF endstream endobj 22 0 obj <> endobj 23 0 obj <> endobj 24 0 obj <>/ColorSpace<>/Font<>/ProcSet[/PDF/Text/ImageC]/ExtGState<>>> endobj 25 0 obj <> endobj 26 0 obj <> endobj 27 0 obj <> endobj 28 0 obj [/ICCBased 41 0 R] endobj 29 0 obj <> endobj 30 0 obj <> endobj 31 0 obj <> endobj 32 0 obj <> endobj 33 0 obj <>stream Anzilottihas spent all but 4 years of his law enforcement career with the prosecutors office after coming over from the Woodcliff Lake Police Department. The confessed killer then fatally bludgeoned Sheila Heiman, a 33-year-old mother of three, in July 1973, at her North Woodmere, NY, home, where her husband found her upon returning from shopping, authorities said. He then drowned them in a bathtub, he said, and dumped their bodies in the woods in a wooded area behind Rolling Ridge Road in Montvale. Inmates were wagering everything from cash to cigarettes. The police hunted for leads, questioning prostitutes about suspicious men, examining the handwriting of the guest who had checked into Room 417: Carl Wilson of Merlin, N.J., a fake name from a fake place. He had come further in closing cases than his younger self could have imagined. On Monday, July 13, 1969, at approximately 8:00 p.m., On March 1, 1970, a group of hikers came across a young woman's naked body in the woods to the west of Tweed Boulevard in, At approximately 7:00 a.m. on the morning of December 16, 1977, the body of X-ray technician, At 9:30 a.m. on May 22, 1980, police entered Room 117 at the same Quality Inn where Carr and Street were murdered and found 18-year-old, This page was last edited on 2 March 2023, at 15:20. When the 40th year since the killings arrived in 2014, the local police asked the public for any new information. Ms. Richard was arrested at a motel in Hasbrouck . Goodarzi, of Trenton, was a sex worker who had been traveling to the then-seedy streets of midtown Manhattan, Vronsky said. Vogel was found dead in her own car in Ridgefield Park, nude and bound. My parents couldnt handle it., She had called Bergen County every few months to ask about the case for 47 years, she said. Justice was served and thats the end of it case closed. I took over handling the calls, the arrangements. So we just stayed in the car and we kept talking to each other, getting to know each other and so forth., If the rain wasnt there, they would have just went to the mall and that would have been it, he said, And I would have went to work.. [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. Retrieved April 2nd, 2007, from Factiva database. Its taken more than 46 years, but a Bergen County police veteran who is only days from retirement got one of the countrys most notorious serial killers to confess. Richard Cottingham was convicted 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. He pleaded guilty to the killing in 2010, but when the news got out, Mr. Cottingham, who evidently thought the hearing would be ignored, was furious. To bring Mr. Cottingham back to court, where the case would certainly draw attention, would stop him from talking about other open cases, the chief explained. 0000002847 00000 n In other words, he may have been content and/or preoccupied. It was like a game to him, Anzilotti recently said. The New York Times, p. 2. Starting in 2014, Cottingham confidentially admitted to Detective Robert Anzilotti of the Bergen County Prosecutor's Office (BCPO) to being the perpetrator of the murders of three teenage females between 1968 and 1969. For more details, please read our Privacy & Cookie Policy. On more than one occasion, he would openly talk about his experiences with sex workers. Knowing better, Harp, just 13 years old, refused. This time, at the Seville Hotel, where he strangled Jean Reyner, a 25-year-old mother working in the sex trade to finance a child custody battle. Like a werewolf, Vronsky told The Post. 0000002831 00000 n 21 23 They were facedown, side by side, as if placed there with care. They sat at the kitchen table, very professional, very polite, very considerate, Ms. Mulder recalled. Which is entirely possible, especially in those days.. In 2004, Vronsky published his first book on homicidal maniacs, Serial Killers: The Method and Madness of Monsters, an exhaustive look at executioners slayings dating back to ancient Rome. He said he wouldn't have done it if I wasn't retiring.. I just kind of looked at it and touched it and put it in a box where I had some dried flowers for my mother when she passed.. Bergen County investigators realized there were numerous open sexual assault cases with similar hallmarks: Cottingham kidnapped them from Times Square, drugged and assaulted them.

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