Richard Francis Cottingham ~ Blog 11

   

    His name was RIchard Cottingham and you're probably asking yourself who he is. He wasn't a well-known serial killer and still isn't like Jeffery Dahmer or Ted Bundy. This man had three characteristics to all of his murders. Richard had his own nickname as a serial killer which was “The Torso Killer”. The torso killer came from how he left his victims. When he was finished with them Richard wouldn't leave anything behind but the victims' torsos. Richard was originally from New Jersey, but his crimes were operating in New York between the years 1967 and 1980. One murder he took their hands and heads with him but he was at motel meaning he didnt own anything in the room, so he set the room on fire including the rest of the bodies. His first conviction of murder took place 1981after caught fleeing. Mr.Cottingham killed six people, but he claims that he killed more. He says that there were at least 85 to 100 victims of his. One of his victims had detectives on the case that linked them together. She had gone missing in Times Square around January in the year 1979. Helen's head was hanging by thread when they found her body but that wasn’t the only thing messed up. Her legs were hacked off and left in alleyway set side by side as if they were still attached to her body.