‘Torso Killer Pleads Guilty in 1974 New Jersey Cold-Case Murders Richard Cottingham has claimed to be responsible for up to 100 murders, but authorities in New York and New Jersey have linked him to nine so far not including the two 1974 murders By Stefanie Dazio and David Porter •
Published 6 hours ago
What to Know
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.
Richard Cottingham, 74, is currently in state prison on a life sentence for other murders. He has claimed he was responsible for up to 100 murders, but authorities in New York and New Jersey have linked him to nine so far not including the two 1974 murders though they believe the death toll is higher.
NEWARK, N.J. – 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.
Richard Cottingham, 74, is currently in state prison on a life sentence for other murders. He has claimed he was responsible for up to 100 murders, but authorities in New York and New Jersey have linked him to nine so far – not including the two 1974 murders – though they believe the death toll is higher.
Cottingham has been in prison since 1981 but confessed to three of the murders, dating back to the late 1960s, last year.
‘Torso Killer Pleads Guilty in 1974 New Jersey Cold-Case Murders Richard Cottingham has claimed to be responsible for up to 100 murders, but authorities in New York and New Jersey have linked him to nine so far not including the two 1974 murders By Stefanie Dazio and David Porter •
Published April 27, 2021
What to Know
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.
Richard Cottingham, 74, is currently in state prison on a life sentence for other murders. He has claimed he was responsible for up to 100 murders, but authorities in New York and New Jersey have linked him to nine so far not including the two 1974 murders though they believe the death toll is higher.
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, finally closing the cold case deaths of teenage friends who had left home for a trip to the mall and never returned. Cottingham, 74, is currently in state prison on a life sentence for other murders. (New Jersey Courts via AP) Tuesday, April 27, 2021 2:49 PM EST By STEFANIE DAZIO and DAVID PORTER, AP
NEWARK, N.J. (AP) A New Jersey serial killer known as the “Torso Killer” admitted he kidnapped and raped two teenage girls and murdered them in a hotel room a few days later, closing the mystery of the cold-case deaths from 1974.
‘Torso Killer Pleads Guilty in 1974 New Jersey Cold-Case Murders Richard Cottingham has claimed to be responsible for up to 100 murders, but authorities in New York and New Jersey have linked him to nine so far not including the two 1974 murders By Stefanie Dazio and David Porter •
Published 4 hours ago •
Updated 4 hours ago
What to Know
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.
Richard Cottingham, 74, is currently in state prison on a life sentence for other murders. He has claimed he was responsible for up to 100 murders, but authorities in New York and New Jersey have linked him to nine so far not including the two 1974 murders though they believe the death toll is higher.