Richard Cottingham, born November 25, 1946, is an American serial killer infamously known as the “Torso Killer” or “Times Square Ripper” due to his gruesome acts of mutilation, dismemberment, and torture in several murders. Active primarily from the mid-1960s through 1980 across New York and New Jersey, he targeted women, including sex workers in New York City’s Times Square area and others in suburban locations. Cottingham was arrested in May 1980 after being caught in the act in a motel, leading to convictions for multiple murders—including high-profile cases involving dismembered torsos left in hotels—and sentences of multiple life terms without parole. He is confirmed to have killed at least 19 women, with convictions for nine and additional confessions (including cold cases from as early as 1965 and into the 1970s) obtained in later years through interviews while imprisoned, such as admissions in 2022 to five Long Island murders and more recent confessions in 2026 to older New Jersey cases. Authorities believe his total victim count may be higher, though claims of up to 80–100 killings are considered exaggerated. Cottingham, who outwardly lived as a family man and computer operator, continues to serve his sentences in a New Jersey prison.
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