'Torso' Killer's MO: Sexual Assault, Torture, and Mutilation

In the shadowy streets of New York City in the late 1970s, fear gripped the public as gruesome murders baffled investigators. Behind the chilling nickname "The Times Square Killer" was Richard Cottingham, a serial murderer who turned his violent fantasies into real-life nightmares.

A Monster Hiding in Plain Sight

Cottingham worked as a computer programmer for an insurance company, a respectable job that masked his double life as one of America's most sadistic killers. His known crimes began in 1967, with murders spanning New York and New Jersey. His modus operandi often included sexual assault, torture, and mutilation. Some victims were burned beyond recognition, earning him another infamous title: "The Torso Killer." Over the course of his decades-long spree, Cottingham claimed the lives of at least 16 women — though he has boasted that his true toll may be closer to 100.

Serial killer Richard Francis Cottingham's mug shot, 1980. Photo courtesy of Bergen County Prosecutor's Office, New Jersey under CC0 1.0.

"He's a psychopath and a sexual sadist who has no remorse," retired NYPD lieutenant commander Vernon J. Geberth said, as reported by PEOPLE. "He's a devil who came to earth."

Brutal Murders That Shocked the Nation

One of Cottingham's earliest known victims was Maryann Carr, an x-ray technician whose body was found in December 1977 near a Quality Inn in New Jersey. Her hands and ankles bore signs of restraint, and adhesive residue on her lips indicated her mouth had been taped shut. It wasn't until 1980 — when Cottingham was arrested at the same motel for torturing an 18-year-old sex worker — that Carr's murder was connected to him, as reported by PEOPLE.

Cottingham's known victims included Diane Cusick, a 23-year-old dance instructor found strangled in her car in 1968, and Maria Emerita Rosado Nieves, an 18-year-old discovered wrapped in plastic bags near Jones Beach, New York, in 1973. His killing spree continued to escalate in the 1970s, targeting women in Manhattan's bustling Times Square. As reported by CNN, Cottingham's crimes were marked by extreme brutality, with some victims tortured and others dismembered.

The Arrest That Ended His Reign

Cottingham's capture came in 1980 after motel staff called police upon hearing the screams of a woman he was torturing. When officers arrived, they found Cottingham with his victim bound and bleeding. This arrest tied him to five additional murders and three assaults, leading to multiple life sentences by 1984.

Investigators continued pursuing leads in cold cases, visiting Cottingham in prison and coaxing confessions with pizza and games of poker. As reported by PEOPLE, this strategy began paying off in 2010, with Cottingham admitting to more murders — often in exchange for immunity. His confessions have since linked him to more than a dozen killings, including five cold cases solved in 2022.

Families Finally Get Answers

For decades, the families of Cottingham's victims were left in the dark, desperate for answers. Darlene Altman, whose mother Diane Cusick was killed in 1968, said to PEOPLE, "I had pretty much given up hope of getting any answers." Cottingham's recent confessions, made from a wheelchair in the prison infirmary, have offered a grim form of closure.

"For more than 50 years, these ... families waited, hoped, and wondered if they would ever find out who killed their loved one," Nassau County Assistant District Attorney Jared Rosenblatt said to CNN.

As Altman told PEOPLE, "It's not closure. ... but it's something."

A Legacy of Pure Evil

Despite his failing health, Cottingham remains defiant. When a judge urged him to seek forgiveness for his crimes, he coldly replied, "No," as reported by CNN. Cottingham is now serving multiple life sentences at South Woods State Prison in New Jersey, where he is expected to spend the rest of his days.

"Richard Cottingham killed who he wanted, when he wanted, because he's a serial killer," Nassau County District Attorney Anne Donnelly said to CNN. "That is what he is."

The Times Square Killer's legacy is one of terror, with investigators believing his true victim count may never be fully known.

References: A Brutal Murderer's Confessions: Inside the Times Square Killer Case | 'Times Square killer' pleads guilty to 1 woman's murder and admits killing 4 others | A Killer Terrorized Times Square and Beyond for More Than 10 Years: Will Families Finally Get Answers?