Between 1967 and 1980, a serial killer named Richard Cottingham, also known as the Times Square Killer, terrorized the nation by killing several women in New York and New Jersey. For many years, these brutal slayings remained unsolved. Finally, in 1980, authorities got a breakthrough and arrested Cottingham for the murder of one of the victims. However, police believed that Cottingham might be responsible for several other slayings that happened during the aforementioned timeline.
In 1977, the authorities discovered the dead body of a woman three miles away from her residence in Little Ferry, New Jersey. Citing the investigators, People Magazine reported that the killer murdered the woman by strangling her. The outlet also mentioned that the killer handcuffed the victim’s wrists and ankles. For three years, the case remained unsolved. However, in 1980, police apprehended Richard Cottingham from the same place where the body of the victim was found.
The Sun reported that he bragged about killing more than 100 women across the US. With technological advancement, authorities analyzed his DNA and made startling discoveries. It helped the investigators in linking Cottingham to a slaying that took place in 1968. The killer admitted to the slaying and received 25 years to life in prison for the murder.
As of now, Richard Cottingham is serving his sentence at the South Woods State Prison in Bridgeton, New Jersey.
Times Square Killer murder case explored
According to The Sun, in 1980, a maid heard a woman’s scream from the serial killer’s motel room. The motel staff dialed 911 and asked for assistance. The outlet also mentioned that the authorities reached the location after Cottingham had started torturing the girl with a knife. Fortunately, the young woman survived the serial killer. Subsequently, police apprehended the Times Square Killer.
For decades, the killer spent his life behind bars for five killings and three assaults. However, in 2016, the authorities entered his DNA into a national database, per The Guardian. In 2021, the investigators started running DNA tests again on the unsolved cases. Interestingly, they found a match for Richard Cottingham. The outlet reported that in December 2022, he admitted killing four more women in the early 70s.
Richard Cottingham is one of the most prolific serial killers in US history. The Times Square Killer case has been featured in several documentaries on Netflix and other streaming platforms.
