Sleuth Tracks New Leads on 'Torso Killer' Crimes in NJ

As serial killer Richard Cottingham ages, historian Peter Vronsky is investigating whether the "Torso Killer" had more victims in New Jersey and New York.

Published on Mar. 10, 2026

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Historian Peter Vronsky is working to uncover new leads on crimes potentially linked to serial killer Richard Cottingham, also known as the "Torso Killer" or "Times Square Killer". Cottingham, who is currently serving a life sentence, has confessed to killing at least 13 women in New Jersey and New York between 1960 and 1980. Vronsky is looking into several unsolved cases from the 1960s that may be connected to Cottingham, including the disappearance of a woman whose daughter reached out to Vronsky for help. With Cottingham now 79 years old and having suffered a health scare, Vronsky is racing against time to uncover any additional victims before it's too late.

Why it matters

Cottingham's crimes have haunted the New Jersey and New York region for decades, with many unsolved murders potentially linked to him. Uncovering any additional victims could provide closure for families who have been waiting years for answers. Additionally, understanding the full scope of Cottingham's crimes could shed light on patterns and behaviors of serial killers that may help prevent similar tragedies in the future.

The details

Vronsky began investigating Cottingham's crimes after being contacted by Jennifer Weiss, the daughter of one of Cottingham's victims, Deedeh Goodarzi, who was killed in 1979. Vronsky and Weiss worked together to try to find Goodarzi's severed head, which Cottingham claimed to have buried. After Weiss passed away in 2023, Vronsky has continued her work, looking into a 1963 case involving a Pascack High School student whose mother mysteriously disappeared. Cottingham attended Pascack High from 1960-1964 and Vronsky believes this could be Cottingham's first killing. Cottingham has also recently confessed to additional murders, including the 1974 killings of two North Bergen teenagers and five women on Long Island in the late 1960s and early 1970s.

  • In 2015, Jennifer Weiss reached out to Vronsky for help finding her mother's severed head.
  • In 2023, Jennifer Weiss passed away at the age of 45 from brain cancer.
  • In December 2022, Cottingham confessed to the 1965 murder of Alys Eberhardt, an 18-year-old nursing student from Fair Lawn.
  • In late 2022, Cottingham confessed to five murders of women on the South Shore of Long Island from 1968 to 1972.
  • In 2021, Cottingham admitted to kidnapping and drowning two North Bergen teenagers in 1974.

The players

Richard Cottingham

Also known as the "Torso Killer" or "Times Square Killer", Cottingham is a serial killer who has confessed to or been convicted of killing at least 13 women in New Jersey and New York between 1960 and 1980. He is currently serving a life sentence in prison.

Peter Vronsky

A historian with a doctorate in criminal justice, Vronsky has been working to uncover new leads on crimes potentially linked to Cottingham. He began investigating after being contacted by Jennifer Weiss, the daughter of one of Cottingham's victims.

Jennifer Weiss

The daughter of Deedeh Goodarzi, one of Cottingham's victims, who reached out to Vronsky in 2015 to help find her mother's severed head. Weiss passed away in 2023 at the age of 45 from brain cancer.

Alys Eberhardt

An 18-year-old nursing student from Fair Lawn, New Jersey who was murdered in 1965. Cottingham confessed to her killing in 2022.

Lorraine Kelly and Mary Ann Pryor

Two North Bergen teenagers who were kidnapped, drowned, and dumped in the woods in Montvale, New Jersey in 1974. Cottingham confessed to their murders in 2021.

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What they’re saying

“While there is no such thing as closure, there is at least resolution and a quieting of the unquiet grave. This is my 11th Cottingham case closure that my late investigative partner Jennifer Weiss and I assisted law enforcement with since 2021.”

— Peter Vronsky, Historian (Patch.com)

“Our family has waited since 1965 for the truth. To receive this news during the holidays—and to be able to tell my mother, Alys's sister, that we finally have answers—was a moment I never thought would come. Richard Cottingham is the personification of evil, yet I am grateful that even he has finally chosen to answer the questions that have haunted our family for decades.”

— Michael Smith, Nephew of Alys Eberhardt (Patch.com)

What’s next

Detectives are racing against time to interview the aging Cottingham and uncover any additional unsolved crimes he may be linked to before it's too late.

The takeaway

This case highlights the importance of persistent investigation and the potential for serial killers to have many more victims than are known. Even decades later, uncovering the full scope of Cottingham's crimes could provide closure for families and shed light on patterns of serial killer behavior.