106. Confessions: Alys - The Name He Couldn't Bury
In September of 1965, 18-year-old nursing student Alys Eberhardt was murdered inside her family’s home in Fair Lawn, New Jersey. Despite an extensive investigation, the case remained unsolved for decades.
More than sixty years later, serial killer Richard Cottingham, known as the “Torso Killer”, confessed to the crime, providing details only the killer could have known.
In this episode of Method & Madness, we look back at Alys’s life, the investigation that followed her death, and the confession that finally brought long-awaited answers to her family.
Thank you to Dr. Peter Vronsky for lending his expertise and for helping to facilitate the closure of Alys Eberhardt’s case. Thank you to Jennifer Weiss, late daughter of victim Deedeh Goodarzi.
Method & Madness is researched, written, hosted, & produced by Dawn Cate
Music by Tymur Khakimov from Pixabay
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Sources:
Crime Scene: The Times Square Killer — Netflix Documentary Series
“The City” — The New York Times
“First of Three Trials of Jerseyan in Prostitute-Slayings Nears End” — The New York Times
“How a Detective Delved Into the Mind of N.J.’s Torso Killer to Close Brutal Cold Case Murders” — The Record
“Torso Killer: Ailing Richard Cottingham Confesses to More Murders” — The Record
“‘Crime Scene’ Reveals True Depravity of ‘Times Square Killer’” — The Herald-News (May 2, 2021)
“1974 Double Murder of North Bergen Teenagers Solved” — Hudson TV
“New Jersey ‘Torso Killer’ Admits He Tied Up, Raped, Drowned Teens in 1974” — ABC7 New York
“Times Square Killer Richard Cottingham Arraigned for Another Murder From More Than 50 Years Ago” — ABC7 New York
“New Jersey Cold Cases: Girl Murders 1960–1980” — Research Compilation
Historical newspaper coverage — The Record (1971–1977)
Historical newspaper coverage — The New York Times (December 25, 1956)
Archival articles accessed via Newspapers.com
NJ.com reporting on Richard Cottinghamhttps://www.nj.com/hudson/2009/10/post_28.html
Additional research assistance provided by Dr. Peter Vronsky and archival reporting from regional New Jersey newspapers.
Thank you for listening!
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