Richard Cottingham

Richard Cottingham, born on November 25, 1946, notoriously dubbed ‘The Torso Killer’ and sometimes referred to as ‘The Times Square Ripper’, is an American serial killer and rapist who terrorized New York during the 1960s and 1970s with a string of heinous murders.

His horrific crimes, characterized by the dismemberment and mutilation of his victims, sent shock-waves across the nation and left an indelible scar on criminal history.

Operating primarily in the New York and New Jersey regions, Cottingham preyed on women, particularly sex workers, often leaving behind crime scenes that were both gruesome and baffling to law enforcement. Although he was eventually apprehended, his case continues to draw attention due to recent confessions and ongoing investigations into previously unsolved murders linked to his reign of terror.

CRIMINAL PROFILE

NAME: Richard Francis Cottingham

ALIAS: The Torso Killer, The Times Square Ripper, The Times Square Killer

DOB: November 25, 1946

COUNTRY: New York, New York, United States 

VICTIMS: 17 confirmed

ARREST: May 22, 1980

SENTENCE: 25 years to life

PRISON: South Woods State Prison, New Jersey 

SPOUSE: Janet Cottingham 1970 – 1980

CHILDREN: 3

Crimes committed

Richard Cottingham is confirmed to have killed at least 17 women, some estimates indicate he may be linked to as many as 100 murders. His confirmed crimes largely took place between 1967 and 1980, with his victims often being young women, sex workers, and other vulnerable individuals. 

He earned the nickname “The Torso Killer” due to the horrifying nature of his crimes. In multiple instances, he dismembered his victims, removing their heads and hands in an effort to hinder identification. His crimes were concentrated in the New York and New Jersey areas.

Known murder victims of Richard Cottingham: 

1. Mary Ann Della Sala – January 24, 1967

Mary Ann, 17, was discovered three months after she went missing in the Passaic River in Hawthorne, New Jersey. She had been strangled. – Cottingham confessed to the murder in 2023.

2. Nancy Schiava Vogel – October 28, 1967

Nancy Vogel, 29, a married mother of two was found strangled in her car in Ridgefield Park, New Jersey. – Cottingham pleaded guilty to her murder in 2010.

3. Diane Cusick – February 15, 1968

Diane, a 23-year-old dance instructor, was found strangled in a Long Island mall parking lot. She had been beaten, raped, and strangled. – In 2022, Cottingham pleaded guilty to her murder as part of a plea deal that granted him immunity from prosecution for four other killings.

4. Denise Falasca – 1968

Denise Falasca, 15, was found in Saddle Brook. The chain of the crucifix she wore around her neck had been used to strangle her.

5. Jacalyn Harp – July 17, 1968

Jacalyn, a 13 year-old girl, was beaten and strangled with the leather strap from her flag sling. Cottingham was linked to her murder through DNA evidence.

6. Irene Blase – April 7, 1969

Irene, 18 was found strangled in Saddle River, New Jersey, with the chain from a crucifix she was wearing.

7. Mary Beth Heinz – May 9, 1972

Mary Beth, 21, was found near a creek in Rockville Centre, New York. She had cuts on her face and neck from being strangled. – Cottingham confessed to her murder in 2022.

8. Laverne Moye – July 19, 1972

Laverne, 23, was discovered in a Rockville Centre creek. She had been strangled. – Cottingham confessed to her murder in 2022.

9. Sheila Heiman – July 20, 1973

Sheila, 33, was found bludgeoned and stabbed to death in her home. – Cottingham confessed to her murder in 2022.

10. Maria Emerita Rosado Nieves – December 1973

Maria, 18, was found strangled in Wantagh, New York. – Cottingham confessed to her murder in 2022.

11/12. Lorraine Marie Kelly and Mary Ann Pryor – August 9, 1974

Lorraine, 16, and Mary Ann, 17, were kidnapped while seeking a ride to a mall. Cottingham took them to a hotel room, held them captive, drowned them in a bathtub, and dumped their bodies in the woods. – Cottingham pleaded guilty to their murders in 2021.

13. Maryann Carr – December 15, 1977

Maryann, a nurse, was abducted from a parking lot near her apartment. She was taken to a motel, beaten, tortured, raped, and strangled. Her body was found in Little Ferry, New Jersey.

14/15. Deedeh Goodarzi and unidentified woman – December 2, 1979

Deedeh, a sex worker, was found tortured, decapitated, and burned in a Times Square motel room. An unidentified woman was found in the same room, also decapitated and burned.

16. Jean Reyner – May 15, 1980

Jean was found mutilated and burned in a New York City hotel room.

17. Valerie Ann Street – May 5, 1980

Valerie, a sex worker, was found strangled and mutilated in New York.

Known survivors of Richard Cottingham: 

Karen Schilt – survived – March 23, 1978

Cottingham, using the alias “John Schaefer,” approached Karen in a bar, drugged her, took her to an unknown location, raped her, and left her for dead in a sewer. She was found by a hotel employee and survived, but the case went cold until Cottingham’s arrest.

Susan Geiger – survived – October 13, 1978

Cottingham drugged, sexually assaulted, and attempted to kill Susan Geiger, a sex worker. She survived the attack.

Pamela Weisenfield – survived – May 12, 1980

Pamela was beaten repeatedly but survived the attack.

Leslie Ann O’Dell – survived – May 22, 1980

Leslie, 18 was attacked at a motel in Hasbrouck Heights, New Jersey, but survived. Hotel staff called the police, leading to Cottingham’s arrest.

Capture & Investigation

Richard Cottingham was arrested on May 22, 1980, at a hotel in Hasbrouck Heights, New Jersey, caught red handed, while in the process of torturing 18-year-old Leslie Ann O’Dell, who miraculously survived the attack. A hotel employee, hearing strange noises, alerted the police. Officers arrived to find O’Dell bound and severely beaten, though still alive. This arrest marked the beginning of his identification as the infamous “Torso Killer” and revealed his connection to a series of brutal murders across New York and New Jersey.

After his arrest, police searched his home and uncovered a collection of incriminating evidence, including handcuffs, drugs, and newspaper clippings related to the murders. Over time, forensic evidence and witness testimonies helped link him to multiple victims, further unraveling his dark history of violence.

Authorities charged Cottingham with numerous crimes, including multiple counts of murder, kidnapping, sexual assault, and torture, spanning from 1967 to 1980.

On August 14, 1980, Richard Cottingham was charged with the triple homicide of Mary Ann Jean Reyner, Deedeh Goodarzi, and an unidentified woman.

Cold cases and Robert Anzilotti

Robert Anzilotti, the (now retired) Bergen County chief of detectives, began to suspect that Cottingham might have committed more murders in New Jersey than law enforcement had initially uncovered. In 2004, Anzilotti was assigned to investigate several cold cases dating back to the mid-1960s. That same year, he started meeting with Cottingham, dedicating hundreds of hours to what he described as a “cat-and-mouse game.”

Anzilotti worked patiently to extract information. Although Cottingham initially resisted answering questions about the cold cases, he gradually started revealing details about some of his past crimes. Thanks to Anzilotti’s years of persistence, Cottingham eventually confessed to numerous additional murders over time, shedding light on previously unsolved cases.

Trial & Convictions

By November 6, 1981, he was convicted of 15 out of 20 counts related to his crimes. Over the next three years, he faced additional trials for more murders and attempted murders.

On October 12, 1982, Cottingham was convicted of the second-degree murder of Maryann Carr. Three days later, on October 15, 1982, he was sentenced to 25 years to life for her murder, with a minimum term of 30 years to be served consecutively with his 1980 sentence. On September 7, 1984, he was convicted for the 1980 charges. Years later, on September 18, 2010, Cottingham pleaded guilty to the 1967 murder of Nancy Vogel. During these proceedings, he attempted suicide twice. In total, he was convicted of five murders.

In 2022, Cottingham confessed to the 1968 murder of Diane Cusick and five other Long Island murders from the early 1970s. The following year, in 2023, another cold case was closed when he confessed to the murder of Mary Ann Della Sala.

Richard Cottingham is considered one of the most sadistic serial killers in U.S. history. His trials between 1981 and 1984 resulted in multiple life sentences, ensuring he remains imprisoned at South Woods State Prison in New Jersey. Despite his incarceration, his ongoing confessions continue to help solve cold cases, revealing that his reign of terror extended far beyond his original convictions.

REFERENCES / CITATIONS:

1. NJ.gov: Department of Corrections – NJ – Prisoner Search
2. NJ.com: Bergen man convicted of decades-old killings, admits to fatal strangling of N.J. woman – Sep. 19, 2010
3. Northjersey.com: Cold cases solved: Bergen serial killer confesses to three more deaths – Jan 3, 2020
4. Boston.com: ‘Torso Killer’ pleads guilty in 1974 cold-case murders – April 27, 2021
5. NBC New York: Infamous Serial Killer Indicted in Brutal 1968 Mall Murder of Long Island Dance Teacher – June 22, 2022
6. Nassau County District Attorney’s office: Richard Cottingham pleads guilty to 1968 cold murder case – December 5, 2022
7. Fox News: ‘Torso Killer’ Richard Cottingham’s unheard confession revealed in doc: ‘He murdered across the board’ – March 9, 2023
8. ATI: The Gruesome Crimes Of Richard Cottingham, The ‘Times Square Ripper’ Who Murdered At Least 16 Victims October 27, 2024