Richard Cottingham Linked to More Murders

Infamous serial killer Richard Cottingham has reportedly confessed to another grim murder, that of an 18-year-old nursing student in New Jersey, according to police this week.

Cottingham, now 79 and serving a life sentence for multiple murders since 1967, confessed to law enforcement in Fair Lawn that he killed Alice Eberhardt on September 25, 1965. Chief Joseph Dawicki shared the news on Facebook.

“Alice was a vibrant young nursing student taken from our community far too soon,” Dawicki posted. “While we can never bring her back, we hope her family might find some solace in knowing that those responsible have confessed and can’t harm anyone else.”

The chief emphasized the relentless dedication of the police in seeking justice, underscoring that this case exemplifies their commitment.

Back in 1980, Cottingham was a married father of three and worked as a computer programmer for a health insurance firm when he was apprehended.

His downfall began when a maid at a Times Square motel heard screams and alerted the police, who found a woman inside—alive but handcuffed, suffering from knife wounds and bite marks.

Sadly, two other victims were not as fortunate. In December 1979, a fire at the Travel Inn Motor Hotel on West 42nd Street revealed a gruesome scene: a body with severed head and hands.

The nation was taken aback by the alarming details of Cottingham’s crimes, which were later dramatized in the Netflix series “Crime Scene: The Times Square Killer,” which premiered in December 2021.

Initially convicted of six murders committed in New York and New Jersey between 1977 and 1980, he earned the nickname “The Torso Murderer,” reflecting the horrifying manner in which he dismembered his victims.

Though sentenced to life, he pleaded guilty in 2022 to five additional murders of women on Long Island from 1968 to 1973.

In total, Cottingham has been connected to at least 18 murders, but investigators suspect he may have been involved in the deaths of up to 100 women. Eberhardt’s case marks his latest admission.