107. Mary Ann Della Salla -The Name He Couldn’t Bury
A single diary entry, buried inside a police file, may have held the key to stopping a killer.
In 1967, 17-year-old Mary Ann Della Salla vanished while walking home from work in Hackensack, New Jersey. Seventy-six days later, she was found nine miles away.
Her case went cold and her name faded, until decades later when a confession brought it all back.
In this episode, we retrace Mary Ann’s final days, the overlooked details that sat untouched for years, and the chilling truth that surfaced in 2022 - when serial killer Richard Cottingham finally admitted what he had done.
This is the 4th part of a series. Please listen to episodes 104, 105 & 106 first.
Thank you to Dr. Peter Vronsky for lending his expertise and for helping to facilitate the closure of Mary Ann Della Salla’s case. Thank you to Jennifer Weiss, late daughter of victim Deedeh Goodarzi.
Content Warning: This episode includes discussions of graphic violence. Listener discretion is advised.
Method & Madness is researched, written, hosted, & produced by Dawn Cate
Music by Tymur Khakimov from Pixabay
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Sources:
Long-Buried Secrets: The Serial Killer and the Detective - The New York Times
The Record
Wed, Apr 26, 2000 ·Page 11
The Jersey Journal
Fri, Feb 03, 1967 ·Page 2
The Star-Ledger
Wed, Feb 01, 1967 ·Page 6
The Herald-News
Sat, Apr 15, 1967 ·Page 13
The Morning Call
Sat, Apr 19, 1969 ·Page 1
The Herald-News
Thu, Nov 02, 1967 ·Page 4
Crime Scene: The Times Square Killer — Netflix Documentary Series
“The City” — 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)
“New Jersey Cold Cases: Girl Murders 1960–1980” — Research Compilation
Archival articles accessed via Newspapers.com
Archival news reports accessed via American Archive of Public Broadcasting
Additional research assistance provided by Dr. Peter Vronsky and archival reporting from regional New Jersey newspapers.
Thank you for listening!