Editing Richard Cottingham

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[[Torture]]<br>
[[Torture]]<br>
|goals = Get away with his murders (failed)
|goals = Get away with his murders (failed)
|hobby = Killing and mutilating girls}}{{Quote|You have to take it. The other girls did, you have to take it too. You’re a whore and you have to be punished.|Cottingham to one of his victims.}}'''Richard Francis Cottingham''' (born November 25, 1946) is an American serial killer who operated in the New York City between 1967 and 1980. He was also known as '''the Butcher of Times Square''', '''the New York Ripper''', '''the Times Square Ripper''', and '''the''' '''Torso Killer''' due to his ''modus operandi'' of [[Dismemberment|dismembering]] his victims and leaving only their torsos behind. His victims were exclusively female, with most of them being prostitutes. He would usually take them to hotel rooms where they would have sex, after which he would brutally murder them and cut up their bodies. On several occasions he lit the bodies on fire, with one such occasion nearly burning down a hotel. Cottingham is officially known to have killed 12 people, but he claims to be responsible for 85 to 100 murders.
|hobby = Killing and mutilating girls}}{{Quote|You have to take it. The other girls did, you have to take it too. You’re a whore and you have to be punished.|Cottingham to one of his victims.}}'''Richard Francis Cottingham''' (born November 25, 1946) is an American serial killer who operated in the New York City between 1967 and 1980. He was also known as '''the Butcher of Times Square''', '''the New York Ripper''', '''the Times Square Ripper''', and '''the''' '''Torso Killer''' due to his ''modus operandi'' of [[Dismemberment|dismembering]] his victims and leaving only their torsos behind. His victims were exclusively female, with most of them being prostitutes. He would usually take them to hotel rooms where they would have sex, after which he would brutally murder them and cut up their bodies. On several occasions he lit the bodies on fire, with one such occasion nearly burning down a hotel. Cottingham is officially known to have killed 11 people, but he claims to be responsible for 85 to 100 murders.
==Biography==
==Biography==
Cottingham was born Richard Francis Cottingham on November 25, 1946, in The Bronx, New York City, the first of three children. In 1958, when Richard was 12, his family moved to River Vale, New Jersey. In 1964, Richard graduated from Pascack Valley High School, in Hillsdale, New Jersey. After graduating, Richard worked for his father at Metropolitan Life insurance company until 1966 as a computer operator, while taking computer courses.
Cottingham was born Richard Francis Cottingham on November 25, 1946, in The Bronx, New York City, the first of three children. In 1958, when Richard was 12, his family moved to River Vale, New Jersey. In 1964, Richard graduated from Pascack Valley High School, in Hillsdale, New Jersey. After graduating, Richard worked for his father at Metropolitan Life insurance company until 1966 as a computer operator, while taking computer courses.
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In 2020, Cottingham admitted to killing an additional three women (Jacalyn Harp, of Midland Park; Irene Blase, of Bogota; and Denise Falasco, of Closter, all of whom were strangled in the late 1960s.) In 2021 confessed and pleaded guilty in the double abduction rape/murders of Lorraine Marie Kelly, 16 and Mary Ann Pryor, 17.
In 2020, Cottingham admitted to killing an additional three women (Jacalyn Harp, of Midland Park; Irene Blase, of Bogota; and Denise Falasco, of Closter, all of whom were strangled in the late 1960s.) In 2021 confessed and pleaded guilty in the double abduction rape/murders of Lorraine Marie Kelly, 16 and Mary Ann Pryor, 17.
In 2022, he was arraigned from his hospital bed for the 1968 murder of Diane Cusick. The link was found through DNA evidence; authorities believe it to be, thus far, the oldest criminal case to be prosecuted by DNA evidence. This has brought the total number of Cottingham's victims to 12.


He is currently incarcerated in New Jersey State Prison in Trenton, New Jersey.
He is currently incarcerated in New Jersey State Prison in Trenton, New Jersey.
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