One of the most infamous serial killers in the history of the New York metropolitan area has admitted to another decades-old murder, bringing a measure of closure to a long-cold case.
A Confession Decades in the Making
Police in Fair Lawn, New Jersey, announced on Tuesday that Richard Cottingham, known as the "Torso Killer," has confessed to the 1965 killing of Alys Eberhardt. The 18-year-old nursing student was found deceased in her family's home in Fair Lawn, a suburb located roughly 12 miles northwest of Manhattan.
Investigators reopened the dormant investigation in 2021. Through what the department described as "countless interviews" conducted over several years, they secured a full confession from Cottingham. The statement noted his admission included specific details that were never made public, corroborating his involvement.
A Notorious Killer Already Behind Bars
The 79-year-old Cottingham has been imprisoned since his arrest in 1980 and is currently serving three life sentences at the South Woods State Prison in Bridgeton, New Jersey. As a result, Fair Lawn Police Chief Joseph Dawicki stated that Cottingham will not face additional charges for this crime as the department officially closes the case.
"Alys was a vibrant young nursing student who was taken from our community far too soon," Chief Dawicki said. "While we can never bring her back, I am hopeful that her family can find some peace knowing the person responsible has confessed and can no longer harm anyone else."
A Legacy of Brutal Crimes
Cottingham has claimed responsibility for as many as 100 homicides dating back to the 1960s, though authorities in New York and New Jersey have officially linked him to about a dozen. His moniker, the "Torso Killer," stems from his method of dismembering some of his victims.
In recent years, he has confessed to several other murders while incarcerated. Notably, in 2022, he admitted to killing five women on Long Island in the late 1960s and early 1970s. He was sentenced to 25 years to life for one of those slayings and received immunity for the others as part of a plea agreement.
Cottingham was previously convicted of murdering five other women — three in New York City and two in northern New Jersey. Lawyers who have represented him over the years did not immediately respond to requests for comment on this latest confession.
