Photo Archive

Following the Trail of the Times Square Killer

Richard Cottingham Crime Scene

Today, Times Square is glittering with dazzling neon lights and giant digital billboards. It’s big, bright, and unforgettable. But in the 1970s, “the heart of the world” was a hunting ground for the American Jack the Ripper, Richard Cottingham.

Richard Cottingham Crime Scene
Incised breasts found on the headboard of the bed.

Between 1967 and 1980, Cottingham brutally murdered and dismembered at least 6 women, and claimed to have killed at least 80 more.

Richard Cottingham Crime Scene
A mutilated body found in a midtown hotel. The victim had been sadistically tortured over a period of days. Cottingham purposely severed the head and hands to make the victim unidentifiable, then set the room on fire before leaving the hotel.

Known as the Torso Killer for his unique MO of dismembering the victims and leaving only their torsos behind, Cottingham is still considered to be one of the most sadistic serial killers in American history.

Richard Cottingham Crime Scene
A victim found in New York City hotel. Cottingham had removed the breasts and placed them on the bed headboard to shock the police. He once again set the room on fire, allowing the authorities to immediately link this killing to the previous incidents.
Richard Cottingham Crime Scene
A mutilated body found in a midtown hotel. The victim had been sadistically tortured over a period of days. Cottingham purposely severed the head and hands to make the victim unidentifiable, then set the room on fire before leaving the hotel.
Behind the Tape Photobook
This exclusive photo gallery originally appeared in Behind the Tape Photobook, along with nearly a thousand more exclusive crime scene photos.
WARNING: THE PHOTOBOOK ISN’T FOR THE FAINT OF HEART.
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