About 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.
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
WHERE IS Richard Cottingham NOW?
- 25 years to life
Richard Cottingham is currently incarcerated in the South Woods State Prison, New Jersey.
Richard Cottingham, who has been serving a life sentence since 1981, continues to confess to additional murders, with some confessions as recent as 2022. Authorities suspect he may be connected to more killings than originally believed, as DNA evidence and his own admissions have linked him to several cold cases.
In 2021 he plead guilty to the murders of Lorraine Marie Kelly and Mary Ann Pryor.[2]
On December 5, 2022, Cottingham pleaded guilty to the 1968 murder of Diane Cusick, a 23-year-old woman who was found strangled in a Long Island mall parking lot. [3]
That same year, he also confessed to four other murders under the condition that he would not receive additional life sentences.
In 2023 Cottingham confessed to the 1967 murder of Mary Ann Della Sala. [4]
Despite his age and declining health, Cottingham sporadically continues to cooperate with law enforcement. providing information that continues to shed light on his extensive criminal history.
- Apr 27, 2021: Plead guilty to the 1974 murder of two girls [2]
- Dec 5, 2022: Plead guilty to 5 murders that happened 1968-1973 [3]
- March 2023: Confessed to the 1967 murder of Mary Ann Della Sala [4]
- Eligible for parole slated for August 30, 2025 [1]
[1] South Woods State Prison: https://www.nj.gov/corrections/pages/Visitation.html
[2] ATI: The Gruesome Crimes Of Richard Cottingham, The ‘Times Square Ripper’ Who Murdered At Least 16 Victims October 27, 2024
[3] Nassau County District Attorney’s office: Richard Cottingham pleads guilty to 1968 cold murder case – December 5, 2022
[4] Fox News: ‘Torso Killer’ Richard Cottingham’s unheard confession revealed in doc: ‘He murdered across the board’ – March 9, 2023
CRIMES COMMITTED
Richard Cottingham is suspected of killing at least 16 women, though 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 victims of Richard Cottingham:
January 24, 1967 – Mary Ann Della Sala
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.
October 28, 1967 – Nancy Schiava Vogel
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.
February 15, 1968 – Diane Cusick
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.
July 17, 1968 – Jacalyn Harp
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.
April 7, 1969 – Irene Blase
Irene, 18 was found strangled in Saddle River, New Jersey, with the chain from a crucifix she was wearing.
July 14, 1969 – Denise Falasca
Denise was discovered strangled on the side of Westminster Place in Saddle Brook.
May 9, 1972 – Mary Beth Heinz
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.
July 19, 1972 – Laverne Moye
Laverne, 23, was discovered in a Rockville Centre creek. She had been strangled. – Cottingham confessed to her murder in 2022.
July 20, 1973 – Sheila Heiman
Sheila, 33, was found bludgeoned and stabbed to death in her home. – Cottingham confessed to her murder in 2022.
December 1973 – Maria Emerita Rosado Nieves
Maria, 18, was found strangled in Wantagh, New York. – Cottingham confessed to her murder in 2022.
August 9, 1974 – Lorraine Marie Kelly and Mary Ann Pryor
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.
December 15, 1977 – Maryann Carr
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.
March 23, 1978 – Karen Schilt – survived
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.
October 13, 1978 – Susan Geiger – survived
Cottingham drugged, sexually assaulted, and attempted to kill Susan Geiger, a sex worker. She survived the attack.
December 2, 1979 – Deedeh Goodarzi and unidentified woman
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.
May 15, 1980 – Jean Reyner
Jean was found mutilated and burned in a New York City hotel room.
May 5, 1980 – Valerie Ann Street
Valerie, a sex worker, was found strangled and mutilated in New York.
May 12, 1980 – Pamela Weisenfield – survived
Pamela was beaten repeatedly but survived the attack.
May 22, 1980 – Leslie Ann O’Dell – survived
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
Cottingham’s downfall began on May 22, 1980, when he was caught in the act of torturing Leslie Ann O’Dell at a hotel in Hasbrouck Heights, New Jersey. A hotel employee, hearing strange noises, alerted the police. Officers arrived to find O’Dell bound and severely beaten, though still alive. Cottingham was arrested on the spot, and investigators quickly began connecting him to other unsolved murders.
After his arrest, police searched his home and uncovered a collection of incriminating evidence, including handcuffs, drugs, and newspaper clippings detailing the murders. Over time, forensic evidence and witness testimonies helped link him to multiple victims, further unraveling his dark history of violence.
Robert Anzilotti, the 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 began spending time with the notorious Torso Killer, patiently working 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 additional murders over time, shedding light on previously unsolved cases.
TRIAL & CONVICTIONS
Richard Cottingham was arrested on May 22, 1980, at a hotel in Hasbrouck Heights, New Jersey, while in the process of torturing 18-year-old Leslie Ann O’Dell, who miraculously survived the attack. 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 damning evidence, including handcuffs, prescription drugs, and newspaper clippings related to the murders.
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. 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.
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REFERENCES / CITATIONS:
1. South Woods State Prison: https://www.nj.gov/corrections/pages/Visitation.html
2. ATI: The Gruesome Crimes Of Richard Cottingham, The ‘Times Square Ripper’ Who Murdered At Least 16 Victims October 27, 2024
3. Nassau County District Attorney’s office: Richard Cottingham pleads guilty to 1968 cold murder case – December 5, 2022
4. Fox News: ‘Torso Killer’ Richard Cottingham’s unheard confession revealed in doc: ‘He murdered across the board’ – March 9, 2023
BOOKS ABOUT Richard Cottingham
Richard Cottingham: The True Story of The Torso Killer
The prostitutes working New York City’s Times Square were more than a little bit nervous. A deranged serial killer who apparently melted into the crowd was picking up hookers and sadistically torturing them…
The New York Ripper: The True Story of Serial Killer Richard Cottingham
A shocking case of unbridled sex, sadism, prostitution, date-rape drugs, abduction, bondage, torture, sexploitation, perverted fetishes, serial killing and dismemberment of the depraved New York notorious Ripper…
TV SHOWS & DOCS FEATURING Richard Cottingham
Born to kill? S6.E3 – Richard Cottingham: The Times Square Ripper
Over a thirteen-year span, computer programmer Richard Cottingham targeted women, mostly prostitutes from Times Square, New York, for sex and brutal slaughter up until 1980.
TV Series / Documentary | 2011
The Torso Killer Confessions
Delves into the decades long journey of Detective Robert Anzilotti as he works to bring justice to cold case victims linked to serial killer Richard Cottingham.
TV Mini Series / Documentary | 2023
YOUTUBE
Note: Symbol denotes the show/episode is currently available to watch on youtube: We will list the main youtube channel where available, but wont link to channels directly on the page. Please see the comments section for links to specific shows/episodes.
MORE ARTICLES ABOUT Richard Cottingham
A selection of interesting articles about Richard Cottingham, sourced and curated from around the web:
Torso Killer’ Richard Cottingham’s unheard confession revealed in doc: ‘He murdered across the board’ – March 9, 2022
Fox News | Author: Stephanie Nolasco | March 9, 2023
The Gruesome Crimes Of Richard Cottingham, The ‘Times Square Ripper’ Who Murdered At Least 16 Victims
ATI | Author: Kaleena Fraga | October 27, 2024
Victims’ kids confront serial ‘Torso’ killer Richard Cottingham: ‘Pure evil’
NY Post | Author: Joshua Rhett Miller | Dec 8, 2022
‘Torso Killer’ Richard Cottingham Pleads Guilty to Murdering Dance Teacher, Admits to 4 Other Killings
Inside Edition | Author: Inside Edition Staff | Dec 5, 2022
After ‘Torso Killer’ confession, NJ loved ones explain how 1960s murders changed their lives
New Jersey Herald | Author: New Jersey Herald | Sep 28, 2020
TV Shows & Documentaries Youtube Links:
Born to kill? S6.E3: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hSg50Os2tlU