Torso Killer linked to 100 deaths admits murdering five women near New York City
Torso Killer linked to 100 deaths admits murdering five women near New York City
A serial killer dubbed the Torso Killer has admitted murdering a 23-year-old woman outside a Long Island shopping centre in 1968 and four other women decades ago.
Richard Cottingham was arraigned earlier this year on a second-degree murder charge in connection with Diane Cusick’s death during a trip she made to buy shoes at the suburban Green Acres Mall in New York.
Cottingham is believed to be one of America’s most prolific serial killers and has already been convicted in 11 other killings.
Appearing virtually from a New Jersey prison for the Nassau County Court hearing, Cottingham was sentenced to 25 years to life behind bars for Ms Cusick’s killing.
Cottingham said he is responsible for up to 100 deaths, though authorities in New York and New Jersey have only officially linked him to a dozen so far.
He has been imprisoned since 1980, when he was arrested after a motel maid heard a woman screaming inside his room.
Authorities found the woman alive but handcuffed and suffering from bite marks and knife wounds.
Authorities believe Ms Cusick left her job at a children’s dance school and stopped at the shopping centre to buy a pair of shoes when Cottingham followed her out to her car.
They believe he pretended to be a security guard or police officer, accused her of stealing and then overpowered the seven-stone woman.
A medical examiner concluded Ms Cusick was beaten in the face and head and suffocated.
She had defensive wounds on her hands and police were able to collect DNA evidence at the scene.
At the time, however, DNA testing did not exist.
The DNA was entered into a national database in 2016 when Cottingham pleaded guilty to another murder in New Jersey.
In 2021, police in Nassau County received a tip a suspect who may be responsible for killings in the suburban county was locked up in New Jersey.
They began rerunning DNA tests on cold cases and got a match to Cottingham.
Cottingham was working as a computer programmer for a health insurance company in New York at the time of Ms Cusick’s death.
Reference: By Associated Press Reporters
Articles-Popular
- Main
- Contact Us
- Planetary Existences-2
- Planetary Existences
- TWO REVELATIONS-2
- The Two Revelations
- Jeffery Epstein - The Saga - 9
- Jeffery Epstein - The Saga - 8
- Jeffery Epstein - The Saga - 10
- Universality of Initiation
- The Participants In The Mysteries-2
- The Path Of Initiation
- Initiation and the Devas
- Impeachment Investigators Subpoena White House - Ukraine
- The Fourth Way - Study of Oneself - P.D.Ouspensky
- Discipleship - Group Relations - 2
- The Probationary Path - 2
- The Final Initiation
- The Succeeding Two Initiations
- The Participants In The Mysteries
- Discipleship - Group Relationships
- Discipleship
- Jeffery Epstein - The Saga - 7
- The Fourth Way - Wrong Functions - P.D Ouspensky
- Statues are a mark of honour. Like Edward Colston, Cecil Rhodes and Oliver Cromwell have to go
- Jeffery Epstein - The Saga - 6
Articles - Latest
- US government agrees to $138.7M settlement over FBI's botching of Larry Nassar assault allegations
- WW3 fears skyrocket as Iran official wars Tehran can launch nukes in one week
- Barbados halts £3m plan to purchase Tory MP’s former slavery plantation amid backlash
- Hamas chiefs 'planned to INVADE Israel, kill civilians and form state'
- New Opinion Poll Heats Up London Mayor Race
- Poland ready to host US nukes on Putin's doorstep as Nato and Russia heading for nuclear showdown
- Tory MP resigns after demanding £6,500 to pay off 'bad people'
- Richard Drax to earn millions from sale of Barbados slave plantation
- Met apologises to Stephen Lawrence’s mother for broken promise
- Greek and Turkish delegations meet in Athens as part of efforts to improve often strained ties
- Why £2.5 billion from Roman Abramovich's Chelsea sale STILL hasn't been paid to Ukraine war victims - explained
- Ex-Scottish leader Sturgeon's husband charged with embezzling party funds
- Ousted Myanmar leader Suu Kyi moved from prison to house arrest due to heat
- Vietnamese property tycoon sentenced to death in $27bn fraud case
- All seven British terrorist co-conspirators of al-Qaeda 'dirty bomb' mastermind Dhiren Barot are freed after serving just HALF their jail terms: Thugs were caged for a total of 136 years in 2007 over terror plot to kill hundreds in London and New York