1
00:00:10,467 --> 00:00:12,266
[Eleanor] Cordelia
was cleaning.
2
00:00:21,667 --> 00:00:24,467
Next thing you know,
she's white as a ghost,
3
00:00:24,467 --> 00:00:29,100
and she's telling me, frantic,
"I saw an arm, I saw an arm."
4
00:00:29,166 --> 00:00:30,000
I go, "A what?"
5
00:00:30,000 --> 00:00:30,900
I go, "A what?"
6
00:00:30,967 --> 00:00:33,000
She says, "Under the bed.
7
00:00:33,000 --> 00:00:35,467
I hit something under the bed.
It was an arm."
8
00:00:36,266 --> 00:00:37,767
Not just an arm.
9
00:00:39,000 --> 00:00:41,900
It's a whole body naked.
10
00:00:46,266 --> 00:00:48,667
[theme music playing]
11
00:01:02,200 --> 00:01:05,867
Welcome to Very Scary People,
I'm Donnie Wahlberg.
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00:01:05,867 --> 00:01:09,200
For more than a decade,
starting in the late 1960s,
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00:01:09,266 --> 00:01:11,667
a vicious predator stalked
young women
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00:01:11,667 --> 00:01:13,367
on both the gritty streets
of Manhattan
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00:01:13,367 --> 00:01:16,500
and in the quiet bedroom
communities of New Jersey.
16
00:01:16,567 --> 00:01:20,000
Dubbed the Times Square
Killer, his victims ranged
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00:01:20,000 --> 00:01:22,667
from suburban housewives
to sex workers.
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00:01:22,667 --> 00:01:26,800
For most of his murder spree,
the killer operated under
the radar,
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00:01:26,867 --> 00:01:28,867
blending into
his surroundings.
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00:01:28,867 --> 00:01:30,000
But as the body count
multiplied,
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00:01:30,000 --> 00:01:30,967
But as the body count
multiplied,
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00:01:30,967 --> 00:01:35,000
the killer's arrogance grew,
leaving detectives waiting
for him
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00:01:35,000 --> 00:01:38,200
to make the one mistake
that would lead
to his arrest.
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00:01:38,266 --> 00:01:41,567
This is part two
of "The Times Square Killer."
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00:02:00,567 --> 00:02:03,467
It was a busy morning like
any other in New York City.
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00:02:04,567 --> 00:02:06,767
[siren wailing]
27
00:02:06,767 --> 00:02:09,500
Around 9:00 a.m.,
the fire department got a call
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00:02:09,567 --> 00:02:12,567
from the Travel Inn
Motor Hotel on 42nd Street
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00:02:12,567 --> 00:02:14,133
in Times Square.
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00:02:14,133 --> 00:02:16,867
[female reporter] Firemen
went into a fourth floor
motel room here
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00:02:16,867 --> 00:02:18,467
to find the source of smoke.
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00:02:19,867 --> 00:02:23,600
[Steve] A fireman thought
he saw people lying
on each bed.
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00:02:23,667 --> 00:02:25,400
He thought they were
just mannequins.
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00:02:26,567 --> 00:02:30,000
Then he realized that it was
two naked young females.
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00:02:30,000 --> 00:02:30,567
Then he realized that it was
two naked young females.
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00:02:30,567 --> 00:02:34,367
[Rod] He took their bodies out
as best he could
with some help,
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00:02:34,367 --> 00:02:37,100
prepared to take them
and give them mouth-to-mouth
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00:02:37,100 --> 00:02:39,000
respiration, recovery,
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00:02:39,066 --> 00:02:41,266
and discovered they were
without heads.
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00:02:42,467 --> 00:02:45,367
The killer cut off their hands
and their heads
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00:02:45,367 --> 00:02:48,100
so that they couldn't be
identified.
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00:02:48,100 --> 00:02:51,367
The sadistic murder of
two young women
in a Westside motel
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00:02:51,367 --> 00:02:53,400
early Sunday has become one
of the more bizarre cases
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00:02:53,467 --> 00:02:54,433
in memory.
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00:03:00,467 --> 00:03:03,500
[Larry] The killer leaves
the hotel.
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00:03:03,567 --> 00:03:07,266
He has a duffel bag,
and he's stopped by
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00:03:07,266 --> 00:03:11,900
two police officers who
were concerned for his safety
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00:03:11,967 --> 00:03:14,500
as he walked through
Times Square.
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00:03:14,567 --> 00:03:16,900
And he just explained
to the two cops
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00:03:16,967 --> 00:03:18,967
that he was staying at
a nearby hotel.
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00:03:19,467 --> 00:03:20,800
Everything was good.
52
00:03:22,166 --> 00:03:25,500
If only police had asked
to see what was inside
the duffel bag.
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00:03:27,000 --> 00:03:29,600
Perhaps the reason
he wasn't questioned
more vigorously
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00:03:29,667 --> 00:03:30,000
is because the killer
just seemed like
another regular person.
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00:03:30,000 --> 00:03:33,100
is because the killer
just seemed like
another regular person.
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00:03:33,100 --> 00:03:36,667
He was an average guy
who had a family.
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00:03:36,667 --> 00:03:39,867
He had a wife and three
children, two boys and a girl.
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00:03:40,667 --> 00:03:42,967
Had a home, had a job.
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00:03:42,967 --> 00:03:45,800
And he was very disarming
to people because
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00:03:45,867 --> 00:03:49,567
he didn't look abnormal
or disturbed or deviant
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00:03:49,567 --> 00:03:50,867
in any way.
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00:03:52,700 --> 00:03:55,166
Yet in New Jersey,
where he'd been raised,
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00:03:55,166 --> 00:03:56,467
he'd been killing for years.
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00:04:06,767 --> 00:04:10,400
Teenage Mary Ann Pryor
and Lorraine Kelly
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00:04:10,467 --> 00:04:14,300
were going to the Jersey Shore
and they wanted to get
bathing suits.
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00:04:14,367 --> 00:04:16,900
So they were hitchhiking
to the Paramus Mall.
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00:04:18,100 --> 00:04:24,100
In the '70s, what was very
normal was hitchhiking.
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00:04:24,100 --> 00:04:25,867
A lot of these young kids
did it.
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00:04:27,000 --> 00:04:29,400
And that was the fatal mistake
they made that day.
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00:04:32,200 --> 00:04:35,667
[Steve] A man picked them up
and they never could
have imagined
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00:04:35,667 --> 00:04:37,467
what he planned to do.
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00:04:37,467 --> 00:04:39,100
[Mike] Then he took them
to a hotel.
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00:04:40,567 --> 00:04:43,400
[Steve] He had forced them in.
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00:04:43,467 --> 00:04:46,000
[Mike] They were tied
to the bed so they couldn't
escape during the night.
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00:04:46,000 --> 00:04:48,400
And eventually,
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00:04:49,767 --> 00:04:52,066
he drowned them
in the hotel bathtub.
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00:04:55,066 --> 00:04:58,400
[Brenna] Mary Ann's family
heard on the radio
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00:04:58,467 --> 00:05:00,000
that two bodies were found
in the woods.
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00:05:00,000 --> 00:05:00,600
that two bodies were found
in the woods.
80
00:05:00,667 --> 00:05:02,567
And then there was
a knock on the door.
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00:05:02,567 --> 00:05:07,266
And it was the worst news
that any family could get.
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00:05:09,400 --> 00:05:11,200
[Steve] He's known as
the Times Square killer.
83
00:05:11,266 --> 00:05:13,200
But it really is much
more the story,
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00:05:13,266 --> 00:05:17,700
I think, of a suburban
double life killer.
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00:05:17,767 --> 00:05:20,900
Police had no knowledge
of this guy.
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00:05:20,967 --> 00:05:24,166
He's smart enough to know
that what he's doing out
87
00:05:24,166 --> 00:05:27,300
in New Jersey might not come
to the attention
88
00:05:27,367 --> 00:05:30,000
of law enforcement in New York
and vice versa.
89
00:05:30,000 --> 00:05:31,567
of law enforcement in New York
and vice versa.
90
00:05:31,567 --> 00:05:36,066
Law enforcement has always
been a tribal sort of thing,
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00:05:36,066 --> 00:05:39,900
even though they like
to talk about working
together,
92
00:05:39,967 --> 00:05:41,767
the communication
isn't always there.
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00:05:43,100 --> 00:05:46,400
[Rod] The killer left
few clues, leaving
investigators
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00:05:46,467 --> 00:05:48,266
with nothing to go on.
95
00:05:48,266 --> 00:05:51,266
[Steve] This story terrified
local residents.
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00:05:51,266 --> 00:05:54,767
If police had any suspects
in mind, they didn't include
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00:05:54,767 --> 00:05:57,700
the actual perpetrator,
who was a mainframe
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00:05:57,767 --> 00:06:00,000
computer operator
for a major insurance company.
99
00:06:00,000 --> 00:06:00,700
computer operator
for a major insurance company.
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00:06:00,767 --> 00:06:02,266
And he's pretty bright.
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00:06:02,266 --> 00:06:03,600
And he knows it.
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00:06:03,667 --> 00:06:05,600
He has a level of tech savvy.
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00:06:05,667 --> 00:06:11,166
He's got his hobby,
his extracurricular activity,
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00:06:11,166 --> 00:06:13,000
where he's out
murdering women.
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00:06:14,900 --> 00:06:18,200
Chilling, horrifying
what he did to people.
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00:06:18,266 --> 00:06:23,867
We're talking about
atrociously striking
his female victims,
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00:06:23,867 --> 00:06:26,867
cutting them, burning them.
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00:06:30,867 --> 00:06:34,000
He was terrorizing women
very close to where he lived.
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00:06:35,467 --> 00:06:38,467
Go back to being
a regular family man.
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00:06:39,667 --> 00:06:42,367
It's a ridiculous dichotomy.
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00:06:43,200 --> 00:06:44,667
His wife
and his three children
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00:06:44,667 --> 00:06:46,567
never suspected a thing.
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00:06:46,567 --> 00:06:49,266
He never raised any red flags.
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00:06:49,266 --> 00:06:52,867
He just was at the point
where he wanted more
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00:06:52,867 --> 00:06:56,100
and more and more,
and it just began to escalate.
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00:07:05,567 --> 00:07:08,867
[Eleanor] I was at
the parking lot at work
at the Quality Inn,
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00:07:08,867 --> 00:07:11,967
waiting for a ride home.
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00:07:11,967 --> 00:07:14,967
All of a sudden,
this car pulls up.
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00:07:14,967 --> 00:07:20,300
And this guy with this stupid,
smirky smile, asking me,
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00:07:20,367 --> 00:07:24,200
"Oh, can you come here?
Do you work in there?"
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00:07:24,266 --> 00:07:27,667
And so now I'm like,
oh my God.
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00:07:27,667 --> 00:07:30,100
So I'm not going
to go near that car.
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00:07:31,567 --> 00:07:32,713
So I try walking around
the back of the car
to get into the hotel.
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00:07:32,713 --> 00:07:37,100
So I try walking around
the back of the car
to get into the hotel.
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00:07:37,166 --> 00:07:39,667
And he's now going
to back the car into me,
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00:07:39,667 --> 00:07:41,867
so I couldn't get
the license plate.
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00:07:41,867 --> 00:07:45,166
And I run in the door,
and I get Delia
that worked there.
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00:07:45,166 --> 00:07:47,567
"Delia, crazy guy out
there trying to get me."
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00:07:47,567 --> 00:07:48,700
"What?"
130
00:07:48,767 --> 00:07:50,367
And we look out,
and he's gone.
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00:08:05,100 --> 00:08:08,367
[Larry] A housekeeper walked
into room 132,
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00:08:09,266 --> 00:08:10,967
and she noticed that the room
133
00:08:10,967 --> 00:08:13,100
has a bit of
a foul stench in it.
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00:08:13,166 --> 00:08:16,600
She began cleaning up
the room, and as she tidied up
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00:08:16,667 --> 00:08:19,500
and tried to vacuum under
one of the beds,
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00:08:19,567 --> 00:08:22,367
she hit something
hard and large.
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00:08:23,600 --> 00:08:27,767
[Eleanor] Delia was
cleaning 132.
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00:08:27,767 --> 00:08:29,867
Next thing I know,
here comes Delia.
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00:08:29,867 --> 00:08:32,713
She's white as a ghost,
and she's telling me, frantic,
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00:08:32,713 --> 00:08:34,900
She's white as a ghost,
and she's telling me, frantic,
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00:08:34,967 --> 00:08:37,400
"I saw an arm.
I saw an arm."
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00:08:37,467 --> 00:08:39,400
I go, "A what?"
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00:08:39,467 --> 00:08:42,700
She says, "Under the bed.
I hit something under the bed.
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00:08:42,767 --> 00:08:43,900
It was an arm."
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00:08:43,967 --> 00:08:45,667
Not just an arm.
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00:08:45,667 --> 00:08:48,367
It's a whole body naked,
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00:08:48,367 --> 00:08:50,400
and the police are coming.
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00:08:54,567 --> 00:08:59,767
A naked 19-year-old
woman with strawberry
bleached blonde hair.
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00:08:59,767 --> 00:09:02,713
Fingerprints would later
identify her as
Valerie Ann Street,
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00:09:02,713 --> 00:09:04,867
Fingerprints would later
identify her as
Valerie Ann Street,
151
00:09:04,867 --> 00:09:08,000
who came north from Florida
with a conviction
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00:09:08,000 --> 00:09:09,567
for prostitution
in her home state.
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00:09:10,800 --> 00:09:13,767
She was handcuffed
so tightly that it left
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00:09:13,767 --> 00:09:15,200
deep marks on her wrists.
155
00:09:16,367 --> 00:09:18,500
There was a wound
on her lower back,
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00:09:18,567 --> 00:09:21,000
which was apparently made
by some sort of knife.
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00:09:24,567 --> 00:09:28,166
Police had begun retracing
her steps from the day before
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00:09:28,166 --> 00:09:30,667
and realized that she had
started the day in New York.
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00:09:33,367 --> 00:09:36,000
[Larry] Valerie Ann Street
had been seen
160
00:09:36,066 --> 00:09:38,166
by another sex worker
in Manhattan
161
00:09:38,166 --> 00:09:42,667
working a corner
at Madison Avenue
and 32nd Street.
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00:09:42,667 --> 00:09:45,600
[Steve] On the surface,
her exchange with
a Manhattan office worker
163
00:09:45,667 --> 00:09:47,867
was no different
than any of her
other interactions
164
00:09:47,867 --> 00:09:49,467
with her other customers.
165
00:09:49,467 --> 00:09:53,100
This appears to have been
a straight business
transaction.
166
00:09:53,166 --> 00:09:55,100
He's the John.
She's the hooker.
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00:09:55,667 --> 00:09:57,467
They make a deal.
168
00:09:57,467 --> 00:10:00,100
Eventually, the man brought
her to New Jersey.
169
00:10:00,166 --> 00:10:02,713
She showed up at the hotel
and registered for the room
170
00:10:02,713 --> 00:10:03,667
She showed up at the hotel
and registered for the room
171
00:10:03,667 --> 00:10:05,867
herself using her alias.
172
00:10:05,867 --> 00:10:09,567
She's then taken hostage
and tortured.
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00:10:09,567 --> 00:10:13,166
He killed her and stuffed her
under the bed,
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00:10:14,166 --> 00:10:16,967
and that's where
the housekeeper found her
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00:10:16,967 --> 00:10:19,200
under the bed while
she was cleaning the room.
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00:10:21,500 --> 00:10:24,266
This was one of the only
incidents where any sort of
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00:10:24,266 --> 00:10:27,667
a usable court evidence
was found.
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00:10:27,667 --> 00:10:30,967
In this case, it was
a fingerprint.
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00:10:30,967 --> 00:10:32,713
[Eleanor] So the next day,
detectives called me
into the office,
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00:10:32,713 --> 00:10:35,667
[Eleanor] So the next day,
detectives called me
into the office,
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00:10:35,667 --> 00:10:39,867
and they're questioning me,
and they show me
a picture of Valerie.
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00:10:39,867 --> 00:10:41,467
And they go, "What does
she look like?"
183
00:10:41,467 --> 00:10:44,166
Well, she looks a little
like my blonde Tamron.
184
00:10:44,166 --> 00:10:47,100
"Have you noticed anything
strange around here?"
185
00:10:47,166 --> 00:10:49,166
And then I told them
about the incident
186
00:10:49,166 --> 00:10:51,567
in the parking lot
two weeks before that,
187
00:10:51,567 --> 00:10:57,000
how the car pulled up,
the guy had a stupid,
smirky smile, and all that.
188
00:10:57,066 --> 00:11:00,300
I just got this weird, like,
189
00:11:00,367 --> 00:11:02,713
danger feeling,
stranger danger.
190
00:11:02,713 --> 00:11:03,000
danger feeling,
stranger danger.
191
00:11:03,066 --> 00:11:06,300
And the detectives
kept calling me, Ellie,
192
00:11:06,367 --> 00:11:08,867
we think he's coming back.
193
00:11:08,867 --> 00:11:11,400
You have to listen
for everything.
194
00:11:12,767 --> 00:11:14,300
I said, I'll listen
for everything.
195
00:11:14,367 --> 00:11:17,100
I'm on it.
Yeah, I'm on it, boy.
196
00:11:19,367 --> 00:11:22,567
[Larry] By 1980,
the Times Square killer
was committing crimes
197
00:11:22,567 --> 00:11:24,367
with more frequency.
198
00:11:24,367 --> 00:11:26,900
It was like he didn't have
a care in the world.
199
00:11:26,967 --> 00:11:28,567
He would do something
in New Jersey
200
00:11:28,567 --> 00:11:30,200
and then go right back
to New York
201
00:11:30,266 --> 00:11:31,533
looking for another victim.
202
00:11:32,667 --> 00:11:32,713
But he committed
his first murder over
a decade earlier,
203
00:11:32,713 --> 00:11:35,767
But he committed
his first murder over
a decade earlier,
204
00:11:35,767 --> 00:11:37,367
when he was just a young man.
205
00:11:39,200 --> 00:11:43,367
He was 20 years old
when he evidently killed
his first victim.
206
00:11:46,266 --> 00:11:50,300
Nancy Vogel is probably
the earliest known victim
207
00:11:50,367 --> 00:11:52,200
in 1967.
208
00:11:52,266 --> 00:11:55,166
She was a married woman
with two children.
209
00:11:55,166 --> 00:11:57,867
She lived in Little Ferry,
New Jersey.
210
00:11:57,867 --> 00:12:00,767
And she told her family
she was going out
211
00:12:00,767 --> 00:12:02,713
to play bingo in
the local church one night
212
00:12:02,713 --> 00:12:02,967
to play bingo in
the local church one night
213
00:12:02,967 --> 00:12:06,000
and never came back.
214
00:12:06,000 --> 00:12:08,600
[Brenna] And, you know,
rather horrifyingly,
215
00:12:08,667 --> 00:12:11,300
two schoolgirls found her
in her car.
216
00:12:11,367 --> 00:12:12,667
They thought she was
a mannequin.
217
00:12:12,667 --> 00:12:16,467
She was naked and bound,
and she had been strangled.
218
00:12:20,767 --> 00:12:23,667
[John] There were some
shopping bags in the trunk.
219
00:12:25,000 --> 00:12:28,467
Never quite knew why,
but the keys to the car
were missing.
220
00:12:28,467 --> 00:12:30,266
They were nowhere
to be found inside,
221
00:12:30,266 --> 00:12:32,713
nor were they found outside
the vehicle.
222
00:12:32,713 --> 00:12:33,266
nor were they found outside
the vehicle.
223
00:12:33,266 --> 00:12:36,600
Why the keys were missing
and why the car was locked
224
00:12:36,667 --> 00:12:38,567
just didn't seem
to make sense.
225
00:12:38,567 --> 00:12:41,367
But it did point in
the direction
of an unlikely suspect.
226
00:12:43,667 --> 00:12:46,900
On the day following
the report of her
being missing,
227
00:12:46,967 --> 00:12:49,767
her brother showed up
at Little Ferry Police
and said,
228
00:12:49,767 --> 00:12:53,967
"My sister is missing,
but I found her car keys,"
229
00:12:55,467 --> 00:12:58,400
and gave the police
the keys to her car.
230
00:12:58,467 --> 00:13:00,100
Investigators were thinking,
231
00:13:00,166 --> 00:13:02,713
How else could Nancy Vogel's
brother have her car keys
232
00:13:02,713 --> 00:13:03,000
How else could Nancy Vogel's
brother have her car keys
233
00:13:03,000 --> 00:13:06,500
unless he had killed her
and locked the car?
234
00:13:06,567 --> 00:13:09,367
He soon became a suspect
in his own sister's murder.
235
00:13:11,166 --> 00:13:14,000
But detectives couldn't find
any additional evidence
236
00:13:14,066 --> 00:13:15,567
that would link him
to the crime.
237
00:13:16,800 --> 00:13:21,600
So he was a suspect, nowhere
near enough to charge him.
238
00:13:21,667 --> 00:13:23,800
[Steve] Even though police
cleared him,
239
00:13:23,867 --> 00:13:27,000
that didn't stop some people
in his family from thinking
240
00:13:27,000 --> 00:13:29,500
that he committed
his own sister's murder.
241
00:13:32,100 --> 00:13:32,713
By now, sex workers
in New York had been
warned about
242
00:13:32,713 --> 00:13:34,667
By now, sex workers
in New York had been
warned about
243
00:13:34,667 --> 00:13:36,300
the Times Square Killer.
244
00:13:36,300 --> 00:13:40,000
I feel like most serial
killers end up getting kind
of messy towards the end.
245
00:13:49,400 --> 00:13:51,200
Last winter, we told you
about several especially
brutal murders
246
00:13:51,266 --> 00:13:53,000
of alleged prostitutes
here in New York.
247
00:13:53,066 --> 00:13:55,700
And so far, the murders
have gone unsolved.
248
00:13:55,767 --> 00:13:57,900
[Louis] When you get
a case like this,
249
00:13:57,967 --> 00:14:02,166
everybody wants to look for
a watershed event in his life
250
00:14:02,166 --> 00:14:05,400
that made him
a serial sexual murderer.
251
00:14:05,467 --> 00:14:07,100
But you're just not going
to find it.
252
00:14:07,100 --> 00:14:09,100
Poor parenting,
stressful events,
253
00:14:09,166 --> 00:14:12,467
and all of the rest of it
never are of help.
254
00:14:12,467 --> 00:14:14,500
But this is not something
that's learned,
255
00:14:14,567 --> 00:14:18,000
nor is it something a result
of some terrible event
256
00:14:18,000 --> 00:14:18,035
that happened
in his childhood from
257
00:14:18,035 --> 00:14:19,667
that happened
in his childhood from
258
00:14:19,667 --> 00:14:22,266
his mother, his father,
and so on.
259
00:14:22,266 --> 00:14:26,000
His parents,
they didn't make him
to become a serial killer.
260
00:14:26,000 --> 00:14:27,367
That's him.
261
00:14:28,567 --> 00:14:31,266
In a 2009 French documentary,
262
00:14:31,266 --> 00:14:35,100
the killer reflected
on how he was different
than most people.
263
00:14:35,767 --> 00:14:38,367
[Richard speaking]
264
00:14:44,667 --> 00:14:47,300
He may have had different
quirks like everybody else,
265
00:14:47,367 --> 00:14:48,035
but there was really
nothing in his demeanor
266
00:14:48,035 --> 00:14:50,100
but there was really
nothing in his demeanor
267
00:14:50,166 --> 00:14:53,867
or his presentation
that would make him
stand out in any way.
268
00:14:53,867 --> 00:14:56,467
He went to high school.
He was on the track team.
269
00:14:56,467 --> 00:14:59,667
He had friends.
He may have had
some difficulty with friends,
270
00:14:59,667 --> 00:15:03,300
but that's not really abnormal
in any significant way.
271
00:15:03,367 --> 00:15:07,767
[Rod]
He's a high school graduate,
graduated in 1964.
272
00:15:08,600 --> 00:15:10,567
His father was
an executive with
273
00:15:10,567 --> 00:15:12,667
Metropolitan
Insurance Company,
274
00:15:12,667 --> 00:15:15,100
knew the business quite well,
275
00:15:15,100 --> 00:15:18,035
and encouraged his son
to go in that direction
276
00:15:18,035 --> 00:15:20,300
and encouraged his son
to go in that direction
277
00:15:20,367 --> 00:15:23,266
and gotten hired through his
father over
278
00:15:23,266 --> 00:15:24,667
at Metropolitan Life.
279
00:15:26,567 --> 00:15:29,400
He started at the bottom
in the mailroom.
280
00:15:29,467 --> 00:15:31,166
Eventually, he worked
his way up
281
00:15:31,166 --> 00:15:33,166
to mainframe
computer operator,
282
00:15:33,166 --> 00:15:36,900
and then he found
a better-paying job
at Blue Cross Blue Shield.
283
00:15:36,967 --> 00:15:41,166
[Larry] It seemed like
a perfectly healthy
father-son relationship,
284
00:15:41,166 --> 00:15:44,200
but like everything
else about the killer,
there was a dark side.
285
00:15:46,567 --> 00:15:48,035
[Rod] The father would
coach him on what to do
286
00:15:48,035 --> 00:15:50,266
[Rod] The father would
coach him on what to do
287
00:15:50,266 --> 00:15:53,300
if he got into
an automobile accident
288
00:15:53,367 --> 00:15:56,700
because, of course,
if he had booze on his breath,
289
00:15:56,767 --> 00:15:58,600
he'd get the DUI.
290
00:15:58,667 --> 00:16:04,166
His father's advice
was to feign injury
291
00:16:04,166 --> 00:16:06,600
so that the police
would back off
292
00:16:06,667 --> 00:16:10,967
and they would bring the EMTs
and take him to the hospital.
293
00:16:10,967 --> 00:16:14,300
And by this time,
the cops are losing
294
00:16:14,367 --> 00:16:16,600
their opportunity
to get him for DUI
295
00:16:16,667 --> 00:16:18,035
because, of course,
the effect of the alcohol
is starting to wear off.
296
00:16:18,035 --> 00:16:20,166
because, of course,
the effect of the alcohol
is starting to wear off.
297
00:16:22,266 --> 00:16:24,667
[Larry] There's no saying what
the father's influence
298
00:16:24,667 --> 00:16:26,867
might have really had
on this young man,
299
00:16:26,867 --> 00:16:31,367
but that alone doesn't explain
why he became what he became.
300
00:16:32,767 --> 00:16:35,800
I don't use words
like evil, but I think that
301
00:16:35,867 --> 00:16:38,400
there is something missing
in him.
302
00:16:38,467 --> 00:16:39,900
He preyed on all kinds
of women,
303
00:16:39,967 --> 00:16:41,700
but he preyed on
a lot of sex workers
304
00:16:41,767 --> 00:16:44,567
and people on
the margins of society.
305
00:16:44,567 --> 00:16:47,266
He probably thought
he had it down pat.
306
00:16:47,266 --> 00:16:48,035
I feel like most serial
killers end up getting
kind of messy towards the end,
307
00:16:48,035 --> 00:16:52,100
I feel like most serial
killers end up getting
kind of messy towards the end,
308
00:16:52,100 --> 00:16:53,567
and maybe
that's overconfidence
309
00:16:53,567 --> 00:16:55,667
or maybe it's wanting
to be caught somehow.
310
00:17:02,567 --> 00:17:05,667
[Larry] Leslie Ann O'Dell,
who is an 18-year-old
311
00:17:05,667 --> 00:17:09,500
who had just come to New York
after a four-day bus ride
312
00:17:09,567 --> 00:17:14,467
from her hometown of Olympia
in the state of Washington.
313
00:17:14,467 --> 00:17:18,035
[Dr. Melinda] It became
somewhat of a known quantity
314
00:17:18,035 --> 00:17:18,667
[Dr. Melinda] It became
somewhat of a known quantity
315
00:17:18,667 --> 00:17:21,600
that if you landed
at the bus station,
316
00:17:21,667 --> 00:17:24,467
that there was probably
a fairly good possibility
317
00:17:24,467 --> 00:17:27,467
that there would be
various men out there
318
00:17:27,467 --> 00:17:33,667
who would provide you with all
sorts of glamorous promises.
319
00:17:33,667 --> 00:17:36,567
If you've been sitting on
a bus for seven days,
320
00:17:36,567 --> 00:17:39,367
you have to have been
totally exhausted
321
00:17:39,367 --> 00:17:44,767
and very difficult to make
decisions about what was good.
322
00:17:44,767 --> 00:17:47,800
[Steve] She found herself
in the clutches of a pimp.
323
00:17:47,867 --> 00:17:48,035
It was a horrible
situation for a teenager
to find herself in.
324
00:17:48,035 --> 00:17:51,200
It was a horrible
situation for a teenager
to find herself in.
325
00:17:52,166 --> 00:17:54,467
Leslie had no idea
that the man
326
00:17:54,467 --> 00:17:56,867
who would come out of nowhere
and pretend to be her savior
327
00:17:56,867 --> 00:17:58,567
was actually worse
than anything
328
00:17:58,567 --> 00:17:59,700
she could have imagined.
329
00:18:01,367 --> 00:18:05,467
Leslie Ann O'Dell is working
on Lexington Avenue
330
00:18:05,467 --> 00:18:06,767
on the east side of Manhattan
331
00:18:06,767 --> 00:18:09,867
when she meets
just a random guy,
332
00:18:09,867 --> 00:18:11,667
doesn't look like
anything special,
333
00:18:11,667 --> 00:18:15,800
but he offers her $100
in return for sexual favors.
334
00:18:16,900 --> 00:18:18,035
She agrees. They go to a bar.
335
00:18:18,035 --> 00:18:20,100
She agrees. They go to a bar.
336
00:18:20,166 --> 00:18:21,967
He keeps feeding her drinks.
337
00:18:21,967 --> 00:18:24,100
She spoke to him
a little bit about
338
00:18:24,100 --> 00:18:26,567
the situation that she was in.
339
00:18:26,567 --> 00:18:30,266
The man says to her,
I'll drive you out
of the city,
340
00:18:30,266 --> 00:18:33,166
I'll take you to
a bus terminal over in Jersey,
341
00:18:33,166 --> 00:18:36,767
and you'll be on your way back
to your hometown in Olympia
342
00:18:36,767 --> 00:18:39,000
before your pimp even knows
that you're gone.
343
00:18:40,567 --> 00:18:42,400
By now, sex workers
in New York
344
00:18:42,467 --> 00:18:44,467
had been warned about
the Times Square killer,
345
00:18:44,467 --> 00:18:47,867
but the man seemed so sincere
that Leslie believed him.
346
00:18:47,867 --> 00:18:48,035
He looked completely normal.
He can speak very well.
347
00:18:48,035 --> 00:18:51,166
He looked completely normal.
He can speak very well.
348
00:18:51,166 --> 00:18:52,867
She needed someone
to help her.
349
00:18:52,867 --> 00:18:55,400
He's offering his help.
He seemed like a nice guy.
350
00:18:55,467 --> 00:18:56,967
She went along with him.
351
00:18:59,367 --> 00:19:01,500
Now the torture begins.
352
00:19:01,567 --> 00:19:03,367
He's got a gun.
353
00:19:03,367 --> 00:19:06,667
[Eleanor] I heard a commotion,
and I hear this girl.
354
00:19:06,667 --> 00:19:09,100
"Oh, my God, no.
Oh, my God, no."
355
00:19:22,266 --> 00:19:25,100
Welcome back
to Very Scary People.
356
00:19:25,166 --> 00:19:27,166
The Times Square killer
may have thought
357
00:19:27,166 --> 00:19:29,166
he could get away
with murder forever.
358
00:19:29,166 --> 00:19:31,700
He hid behind a mask
of respectability,
359
00:19:31,767 --> 00:19:33,867
wearing a suit to work
in New York
360
00:19:33,867 --> 00:19:37,000
and raising a family in
the suburbs of New Jersey.
361
00:19:37,066 --> 00:19:40,900
But by 1980, his crimes
are becoming more extreme,
362
00:19:40,967 --> 00:19:44,567
and the Times Square killer
is becoming more reckless.
363
00:19:46,667 --> 00:19:49,066
[Steve] Leslie Ann O'Dell
was only 18 years old.
364
00:19:49,066 --> 00:19:51,767
She had just arrived
in New York City
365
00:19:51,767 --> 00:19:53,900
from her home
in Washington State,
366
00:19:53,967 --> 00:19:56,600
and met a pimp
that charmed her
367
00:19:56,667 --> 00:19:59,500
and put her out on the street.
368
00:19:59,567 --> 00:20:01,567
She met a John in Manhattan
369
00:20:01,567 --> 00:20:05,400
who took her to a bar
and bought her some drinks.
370
00:20:05,467 --> 00:20:08,266
She confided to him that
she was in over her head,
371
00:20:08,266 --> 00:20:11,066
and she wanted to get away
from her pimp,
372
00:20:11,066 --> 00:20:12,567
and he offered
to take her back
373
00:20:12,567 --> 00:20:14,100
to a bus depot in New Jersey
374
00:20:14,100 --> 00:20:15,529
so she could go back to her
home in Washington State.
375
00:20:15,529 --> 00:20:17,467
so she could go back to her
home in Washington State.
376
00:20:20,300 --> 00:20:22,900
[Larry] So this man
and Leslie come across
377
00:20:22,967 --> 00:20:26,266
the George Washington
Bridge chatting.
378
00:20:26,266 --> 00:20:28,567
He says to her, like, look,
379
00:20:28,567 --> 00:20:32,200
could the two of us have sex
before you head out?
380
00:20:32,266 --> 00:20:35,500
So she agrees to accompany him
to the Hasbrouck Heights
381
00:20:35,567 --> 00:20:36,967
Quality Inn,
382
00:20:36,967 --> 00:20:41,000
which has become his favorite
place to do his business.
383
00:20:41,066 --> 00:20:42,767
[Rod] The people
who work there,
384
00:20:42,767 --> 00:20:45,266
does he think
they're completely blind
or stupid?
385
00:20:45,266 --> 00:20:45,529
He's got to realize
that he's raising,
you know, some alarms,
386
00:20:45,529 --> 00:20:49,166
He's got to realize
that he's raising,
you know, some alarms,
387
00:20:49,166 --> 00:20:51,867
and, you know, who knows?
388
00:20:51,867 --> 00:20:55,867
Don't forget, he was dressed
like a businessman in a suit
and tie.
389
00:20:55,867 --> 00:20:58,667
I guess you could say
he wasn't dressed like
a killer.
390
00:20:59,867 --> 00:21:01,567
Once they get inside the room,
391
00:21:01,567 --> 00:21:04,166
he asks Leslie
if he could give her a massage
392
00:21:04,166 --> 00:21:06,467
before they have sex.
393
00:21:06,467 --> 00:21:10,467
She agrees to this,
and he pulls out a knife,
394
00:21:10,467 --> 00:21:13,066
holds it to her throat,
and immediately handcuffs her.
395
00:21:13,700 --> 00:21:15,529
In the 2009 documentary,
396
00:21:15,529 --> 00:21:15,867
In the 2009 documentary,
397
00:21:15,867 --> 00:21:18,166
he explained how excited
he got during these
398
00:21:18,166 --> 00:21:19,367
violent encounters.
399
00:21:20,600 --> 00:21:22,467
[Richard speaking]
400
00:21:37,266 --> 00:21:39,166
[Steve] Now
the torture begins.
401
00:21:39,800 --> 00:21:41,166
He's got a gun.
402
00:21:41,166 --> 00:21:43,467
He's telling her that
she's a whore
403
00:21:43,467 --> 00:21:45,166
and deserves to be punished.
404
00:21:46,800 --> 00:21:52,000
[Louis] The offender
very often has a twisted
sense of morality,
405
00:21:52,000 --> 00:21:54,467
and so many of them
will say, you know,
406
00:21:54,467 --> 00:21:56,467
prostitutes and sex workers,
407
00:21:56,467 --> 00:21:58,767
I want to rid the world
of these sorts of things.
408
00:21:59,967 --> 00:22:03,266
For the next several hours,
you know,
409
00:22:03,266 --> 00:22:05,000
he sliced her with a knife.
410
00:22:05,000 --> 00:22:06,867
He whipped her
with a leather belt.
411
00:22:07,867 --> 00:22:09,367
And every time she passed out,
412
00:22:09,367 --> 00:22:13,567
he would use a damp
washcloth to revive her
413
00:22:13,567 --> 00:22:15,000
and go right back to it.
414
00:22:16,567 --> 00:22:19,367
Leslie Ann O'Dell
was a fighter.
415
00:22:19,367 --> 00:22:22,567
People don't expect
sex workers to fight back,
416
00:22:22,567 --> 00:22:28,000
but thank goodness O'Dell
was willing to fight
for her life.
417
00:22:28,000 --> 00:22:31,367
[Larry] At one point during
her ordeal, she's uncuffed,
418
00:22:31,367 --> 00:22:36,667
and she immediately goes
for the gun that's nearby.
419
00:22:36,667 --> 00:22:38,367
And when she tries to use it,
420
00:22:38,367 --> 00:22:40,400
she realizes quickly
that it's a prop gun
421
00:22:40,467 --> 00:22:42,000
and it's going to be
of no help at all.
422
00:22:46,200 --> 00:22:49,100
[Eleanor] I heard a commotion
in 117.
423
00:22:49,100 --> 00:22:52,767
So I run over real quick,
put my ear to the door,
424
00:22:52,767 --> 00:22:57,600
and I hear this girl,
"Oh, my God, no.
Oh, my God, no."
425
00:22:57,667 --> 00:23:00,567
And something about a gun.
426
00:23:00,567 --> 00:23:03,100
And then I hear,
like, a struggle,
427
00:23:03,100 --> 00:23:05,166
and it's coming closer
to the door.
428
00:23:05,166 --> 00:23:09,767
And the first thought,
of course, is the murderer.
429
00:23:09,767 --> 00:23:13,567
He's back. He's going
to murder the girl in 117.
430
00:23:13,567 --> 00:23:15,529
So I head up the hall to go
to the front desk to get help.
431
00:23:15,529 --> 00:23:18,166
So I head up the hall to go
to the front desk to get help.
432
00:23:18,166 --> 00:23:21,000
"The girl's going
to be murdered.
We got to save her."
433
00:23:21,000 --> 00:23:27,467
So Todd,
our assistant manager,
he's knocking on 117.
434
00:23:27,467 --> 00:23:30,100
I don't know if this guy's
going to open the door
and shoot him
435
00:23:30,166 --> 00:23:34,467
or what's going to happen,
but it was Leslie who opened
436
00:23:34,467 --> 00:23:36,567
the door a tiny bit
with a chain
437
00:23:36,567 --> 00:23:39,266
and stuck her little hand out
like this
438
00:23:39,266 --> 00:23:40,900
and was moving her eyes.
439
00:23:41,767 --> 00:23:44,567
And she's saying,
"Everything's okay,"
440
00:23:44,567 --> 00:23:45,529
which it wasn't,
which we knew.
441
00:23:45,529 --> 00:23:47,600
which it wasn't,
which we knew.
442
00:23:47,667 --> 00:23:51,400
[Mike] She was able
to give a signal
443
00:23:51,467 --> 00:23:56,800
to the employees that made
them call the police.
444
00:23:56,867 --> 00:23:58,700
[siren wails]
445
00:23:58,767 --> 00:24:03,467
The police show up,
and this is his last stand.
446
00:24:03,467 --> 00:24:05,767
[Mike] And at that time,
he realized
447
00:24:05,767 --> 00:24:07,500
that he had to get out
of there.
448
00:24:07,567 --> 00:24:11,367
So he did take off,
ran down the hallway.
449
00:24:11,367 --> 00:24:15,529
This guy is running by
with a suit on
450
00:24:15,529 --> 00:24:15,867
This guy is running by
with a suit on
451
00:24:15,867 --> 00:24:19,100
and a gun and an attaché case.
452
00:24:19,166 --> 00:24:23,000
So I think it's a detective,
right, who would have a gun.
453
00:24:23,000 --> 00:24:26,300
So I said,
"Oh, did you get him?"
454
00:24:28,467 --> 00:24:30,467
And he points the gun.
455
00:24:30,467 --> 00:24:34,500
And with that, one of
the police come in
the side door
456
00:24:34,567 --> 00:24:38,100
with their shotgun,
and they're aiming it
at this guy.
457
00:24:41,567 --> 00:24:44,767
[Mike] The first responding
officer caught him
in a stairway.
458
00:24:46,066 --> 00:24:49,467
[Eleanor] And then they had
the attaché case open
459
00:24:49,467 --> 00:24:51,800
with all this weird stuff
in it,
460
00:24:51,867 --> 00:24:56,667
black garbage bag,
adhesive tape, handcuffs.
461
00:24:56,667 --> 00:24:59,500
[Larry] A leather gag,
two slave collars,
462
00:24:59,567 --> 00:25:04,266
a switchblade, ankle cuffs,
replica pistols,
463
00:25:04,266 --> 00:25:07,867
and pills that he used
to knock his victims out.
464
00:25:07,867 --> 00:25:10,166
When I saw him arrested
sitting there,
465
00:25:10,166 --> 00:25:12,266
I realized it was the same guy
466
00:25:12,266 --> 00:25:14,967
that tried to get me
in the parking lot.
467
00:25:16,266 --> 00:25:19,300
That's... I could cry.
468
00:25:25,367 --> 00:25:27,266
That's when it gets
overwhelming.
469
00:25:30,467 --> 00:25:34,166
Police identified him as
33-year-old Richard Cottingham
470
00:25:34,166 --> 00:25:35,367
from Lodi, New Jersey.
471
00:25:37,767 --> 00:25:44,266
There were many cold cases
that existed at that time,
472
00:25:44,266 --> 00:25:45,529
and we believed
it was Cottingham.
473
00:25:45,529 --> 00:25:46,800
and we believed
it was Cottingham.
474
00:25:56,400 --> 00:25:59,867
[Brenna] There was no way
for the jurisdictions
in New Jersey
475
00:25:59,867 --> 00:26:01,467
and New York to communicate.
476
00:26:02,467 --> 00:26:04,100
If there had been
the Internet,
477
00:26:04,166 --> 00:26:05,266
if there had been websites,
478
00:26:05,266 --> 00:26:07,900
if there had been
the 24-hour news network
479
00:26:07,967 --> 00:26:09,200
that there is today,
480
00:26:09,200 --> 00:26:11,467
police departments in New York
might be able to say,
481
00:26:11,467 --> 00:26:13,567
"Hey, that murder
in New Jersey
482
00:26:13,567 --> 00:26:16,100
looks really similar
to this murder
in Times Square."
483
00:26:17,467 --> 00:26:22,200
[Rod] It wasn't until
Cottingham was
finally arrested
484
00:26:22,266 --> 00:26:24,719
and they finally were putting
two and two together
485
00:26:24,719 --> 00:26:25,900
and they finally were putting
two and two together
486
00:26:25,967 --> 00:26:28,200
that they looked
at these cases.
487
00:26:31,000 --> 00:26:34,066
[Mike] After police take
Cottingham into custody,
488
00:26:34,066 --> 00:26:36,767
he tries to play all this off.
489
00:26:36,767 --> 00:26:42,266
He carried his murder kit
in a attaché case.
490
00:26:42,266 --> 00:26:44,767
[Larry] The paraphernalia
that they recovered
491
00:26:44,767 --> 00:26:47,266
was just something that
he kept around
492
00:26:47,266 --> 00:26:50,667
because he was a fan
of bondage and domination.
493
00:26:50,667 --> 00:26:52,900
He said he wanted to see
what it felt like to have
494
00:26:52,967 --> 00:26:54,667
someone under his control.
495
00:26:55,800 --> 00:26:58,667
And that line has been used
a lot of times
496
00:26:58,667 --> 00:27:02,367
by different people who have
abused women sexually,
497
00:27:02,367 --> 00:27:03,900
and they explain it away,
498
00:27:03,967 --> 00:27:05,800
"We were just trying
something new."
499
00:27:05,867 --> 00:27:08,667
He's going to try to get
himself out of this
in some way.
500
00:27:08,667 --> 00:27:11,600
And that's at least
an explanation
to the authorities
501
00:27:11,667 --> 00:27:13,367
as to why they were
doing this.
502
00:27:15,000 --> 00:27:16,567
[Steve] But when police raided
his house,
503
00:27:16,567 --> 00:27:17,800
they found that the killer,
504
00:27:17,867 --> 00:27:20,100
who had been so careful
to cover his tracks,
505
00:27:20,100 --> 00:27:23,000
had actually left a stunning
record of his crimes.
506
00:27:23,066 --> 00:27:24,719
He had a trophy room
of souvenirs
507
00:27:24,719 --> 00:27:25,166
He had a trophy room
of souvenirs
508
00:27:25,166 --> 00:27:27,600
that he'd stolen from
the women he'd attacked.
509
00:27:29,166 --> 00:27:31,767
That's not uncommon
for killers
510
00:27:31,767 --> 00:27:34,500
to keep certain items
from their victims.
511
00:27:37,367 --> 00:27:40,000
He's cherishing them,
so to speak.
512
00:27:40,066 --> 00:27:42,367
He's putting them
in a safe place,
513
00:27:42,367 --> 00:27:44,567
in a room in his home,
514
00:27:44,567 --> 00:27:47,667
which he disallows
anyone to go to.
515
00:27:48,467 --> 00:27:50,266
His wife can't go in there.
516
00:27:50,266 --> 00:27:52,567
His children are forbidden
to go in there.
517
00:27:52,567 --> 00:27:54,719
And he's got a place
where he's keeping
518
00:27:54,719 --> 00:27:54,767
And he's got a place
where he's keeping
519
00:27:54,767 --> 00:27:57,266
these little trinkets
to remember.
520
00:27:58,367 --> 00:28:01,367
They bring back a memory
of an incident
521
00:28:01,367 --> 00:28:04,000
that he largely enjoyed.
522
00:28:04,066 --> 00:28:06,500
It brings him gratification.
523
00:28:08,567 --> 00:28:12,166
Slowly, the potato
was peeling,
524
00:28:12,166 --> 00:28:15,000
and we learned more and more
about him and who he was.
525
00:28:17,567 --> 00:28:21,266
Cottingham was raised in
a fairly middle-class family
526
00:28:21,266 --> 00:28:22,700
in New Jersey.
527
00:28:22,767 --> 00:28:24,719
The first of four children,
he had three younger sisters.
528
00:28:24,719 --> 00:28:25,600
The first of four children,
he had three younger sisters.
529
00:28:27,567 --> 00:28:29,166
[Rod] He's raised Catholic.
530
00:28:29,166 --> 00:28:32,900
He was very nervous as
a child, very nervous
growing up.
531
00:28:32,967 --> 00:28:36,200
His mother was
an innocent soul.
532
00:28:36,266 --> 00:28:38,500
She didn't have a clue
of what was going on.
533
00:28:38,567 --> 00:28:44,300
She did offer some
explanations about him
534
00:28:44,367 --> 00:28:47,900
and his behavior
when he was young.
535
00:28:47,967 --> 00:28:49,500
She would say things like
536
00:28:49,567 --> 00:28:52,166
he would constantly
be chewing his nails,
537
00:28:52,166 --> 00:28:54,719
constantly be waving
and swishing
538
00:28:54,719 --> 00:28:56,467
constantly be waving
and swishing
539
00:28:56,567 --> 00:28:58,467
back and forth with his leg.
540
00:28:58,467 --> 00:29:00,667
[Larry] So we know he was
an anxious kid.
541
00:29:00,667 --> 00:29:03,400
But aside from that,
no major red flags.
542
00:29:03,467 --> 00:29:06,266
No evidence that he was
torturing animals,
543
00:29:06,266 --> 00:29:09,767
setting fires,
behavior you might
expect from a serial killer.
544
00:29:11,500 --> 00:29:14,100
When people saw him
in the community,
545
00:29:14,166 --> 00:29:17,400
they saw this professional
working in New York,
546
00:29:17,467 --> 00:29:20,100
working in
the computer industry.
547
00:29:20,166 --> 00:29:22,800
[Steve] But there were secrets
that he was keeping
from his wife.
548
00:29:22,867 --> 00:29:24,719
He had several extramarital
affairs.
549
00:29:24,719 --> 00:29:25,266
He had several extramarital
affairs.
550
00:29:25,266 --> 00:29:28,100
And just as his wife
was giving birth
for the first time,
551
00:29:28,100 --> 00:29:30,967
he was arrested for taking
advantage of sex workers.
552
00:29:32,567 --> 00:29:37,467
There were two cases,
one in '73 and one in '74.
553
00:29:37,467 --> 00:29:41,400
These were salacious
instances.
554
00:29:41,467 --> 00:29:43,200
They involved robbery.
555
00:29:43,266 --> 00:29:45,066
They involved sexual assault.
556
00:29:45,066 --> 00:29:49,467
There was a charge of
unlawful imprisonment.
557
00:29:49,467 --> 00:29:52,700
Okay, so we're talking
about handcuffs.
558
00:29:52,767 --> 00:29:54,719
The prosecutors need
their testimony,
559
00:29:54,719 --> 00:29:55,367
The prosecutors need
their testimony,
560
00:29:55,367 --> 00:29:57,567
and these women were refusing,
561
00:29:57,567 --> 00:30:00,266
refusing to cooperate
to that extent.
562
00:30:00,266 --> 00:30:02,266
That's on Cottingham's side.
563
00:30:02,266 --> 00:30:03,900
He's frightened these women.
564
00:30:03,967 --> 00:30:05,767
He's scared them to death.
565
00:30:05,767 --> 00:30:07,567
He's threatened them
with weapons.
566
00:30:07,567 --> 00:30:09,867
And they're afraid
of the police.
567
00:30:09,867 --> 00:30:14,266
He's got this mindset
that he's above the law.
568
00:30:14,266 --> 00:30:16,800
In some ways, that's because
he literally thought
569
00:30:16,867 --> 00:30:18,367
that he could get away
with murder.
570
00:30:19,467 --> 00:30:24,467
In 1977, when his youngest
child was just a year old,
571
00:30:24,467 --> 00:30:24,719
Maryann Carr was taken
from the parking lot
572
00:30:24,719 --> 00:30:27,266
Maryann Carr was taken
from the parking lot
573
00:30:27,266 --> 00:30:28,667
in her apartment complex.
574
00:30:29,967 --> 00:30:33,100
Those who saw it later
told the police
575
00:30:33,100 --> 00:30:34,667
that they thought
it was the husband.
576
00:30:35,967 --> 00:30:39,166
[Larry] As it turned out,
after Cottingham was arrested,
577
00:30:39,166 --> 00:30:41,867
investigators were able
to determine that
578
00:30:41,867 --> 00:30:45,266
the victim's husband
and he looked very much alike.
579
00:30:45,266 --> 00:30:48,567
As long as Cottingham's
methods were working for him,
580
00:30:48,567 --> 00:30:50,900
he just kept repeating
the same patterns.
581
00:30:50,967 --> 00:30:52,667
He kidnapped two
of his victims
582
00:30:52,667 --> 00:30:54,719
from the same
apartment complex,
583
00:30:54,719 --> 00:30:54,900
from the same
apartment complex,
584
00:30:54,967 --> 00:30:57,867
and he continually visited
the Quality Inn
585
00:30:57,867 --> 00:31:00,300
in Hasbrouck Heights,
New Jersey.
586
00:31:00,367 --> 00:31:03,800
[Larry] In 1979,
Cottingham's wife filed
for divorce.
587
00:31:03,867 --> 00:31:06,800
She said he regularly
stayed out all night
588
00:31:06,867 --> 00:31:08,667
and stopped having sex
with her
589
00:31:08,667 --> 00:31:10,467
after she had
their third child.
590
00:31:10,467 --> 00:31:13,467
[Rod] She got tired of
being the woman
591
00:31:13,467 --> 00:31:17,467
who was taking care
of the house, taking care
of everything.
592
00:31:17,467 --> 00:31:19,967
And for whatever reason,
and I think
593
00:31:19,967 --> 00:31:21,967
it's his persuasiveness,
594
00:31:21,967 --> 00:31:24,667
she agreed to back off.
595
00:31:24,667 --> 00:31:24,719
I think she was
a little more docile
596
00:31:24,719 --> 00:31:27,600
I think she was
a little more docile
597
00:31:27,667 --> 00:31:31,166
than a lot of women might be
with a guy like this,
598
00:31:31,166 --> 00:31:33,100
letting him get away
with the whole lot.
599
00:31:34,567 --> 00:31:37,200
Still, she had no idea that
she had married a killer.
600
00:31:40,166 --> 00:31:42,800
[male reporter]
Richard Cottingham is
being arraigned today
601
00:31:42,867 --> 00:31:45,166
on charges of murdering
a 19-year-old girl
602
00:31:45,166 --> 00:31:46,867
in a motel
in Hasbrouck Heights.
603
00:31:46,867 --> 00:31:50,000
The victim, Valerie Street,
had been sexually abused
604
00:31:50,066 --> 00:31:51,200
and mutilated.
605
00:31:51,200 --> 00:31:53,000
Cottingham is a suspect
in the killing and mutilation
606
00:31:53,000 --> 00:31:54,719
of two prostitutes
last December in
a 42nd Street motel.
607
00:31:54,719 --> 00:31:56,400
of two prostitutes
last December in
a 42nd Street motel.
608
00:31:58,100 --> 00:32:01,367
[Steve] In 1981,
Richard Cottingham was charged
with murder,
609
00:32:01,367 --> 00:32:03,266
kidnapping and sexual assault
610
00:32:03,266 --> 00:32:06,400
in connection with five
different women in New Jersey.
611
00:32:06,467 --> 00:32:09,066
The first of three
scheduled trials.
612
00:32:09,066 --> 00:32:11,567
He pleaded not guilty.
613
00:32:11,567 --> 00:32:13,166
He kind of always
wanted his kids
614
00:32:13,166 --> 00:32:16,100
to think that there was
a hint that maybe
he didn't do these things,
615
00:32:16,100 --> 00:32:17,100
maybe it wasn't him.
616
00:32:17,100 --> 00:32:19,100
He never confessed.
617
00:32:19,100 --> 00:32:21,767
[male reporter] Cottingham's
blood type was found inside
618
00:32:21,767 --> 00:32:23,600
the dead woman's hotel room.
619
00:32:23,667 --> 00:32:24,719
And that adhesive tape,
like that found on
Valerie Street's mouth,
620
00:32:24,719 --> 00:32:27,600
And that adhesive tape,
like that found on
Valerie Street's mouth,
621
00:32:27,667 --> 00:32:30,567
was found in Cottingham's car
when he was arrested.
622
00:32:33,300 --> 00:32:36,567
[Eleanor] I had to go
and testify every time and...
623
00:32:37,467 --> 00:32:40,500
When I had to get up
and testify,
624
00:32:40,567 --> 00:32:44,367
they have it facing
where Cottingham's sitting.
625
00:32:45,200 --> 00:32:47,567
And he kept looking at me.
626
00:32:47,567 --> 00:32:50,867
So, it was horrifying,
horrifying.
627
00:32:52,000 --> 00:32:54,600
As evidence piled up
against Cottingham,
628
00:32:54,667 --> 00:32:54,719
he attempted suicide in jail.
629
00:32:54,719 --> 00:32:56,467
he attempted suicide in jail.
630
00:32:58,000 --> 00:33:02,000
Cottingham evidently made two
or three suicide gestures,
631
00:33:02,066 --> 00:33:04,467
but they were
very superficial.
632
00:33:04,467 --> 00:33:06,600
On one occasion,
he broke his glasses
633
00:33:06,667 --> 00:33:08,600
and tried cutting himself
with the shards.
634
00:33:08,667 --> 00:33:11,467
He also tried slicing himself
with a razor
635
00:33:11,467 --> 00:33:14,767
and drinking liquid
antidepressants.
636
00:33:14,767 --> 00:33:17,367
I think it was just
simple attention
637
00:33:17,367 --> 00:33:20,667
because I think if he wanted
to kill himself,
638
00:33:20,667 --> 00:33:22,166
he was an expert at killing,
639
00:33:22,166 --> 00:33:24,266
then I think he probably
could have killed himself.
640
00:33:24,266 --> 00:33:24,719
He was eventually sent back
to court
641
00:33:24,719 --> 00:33:26,300
He was eventually sent back
to court
642
00:33:26,367 --> 00:33:28,100
to hear the judge
pronounce him guilty.
643
00:33:30,467 --> 00:33:32,400
The sentence he declared
644
00:33:32,467 --> 00:33:36,467
must be for the protection
of modern society.
645
00:33:36,467 --> 00:33:40,000
There were multiple trials
that Richard Cottingham
646
00:33:40,066 --> 00:33:41,400
went through
647
00:33:41,467 --> 00:33:43,200
and ultimately,
648
00:33:44,367 --> 00:33:46,166
the result of those
multiple trials
649
00:33:46,166 --> 00:33:49,166
resulted in numerous
life sentences
650
00:33:49,166 --> 00:33:50,300
for Richard Cottingham.
651
00:33:51,166 --> 00:33:52,767
He probably won't get out
of jail.
652
00:33:52,767 --> 00:33:54,166
He's 34 years old now.
653
00:33:54,166 --> 00:33:54,719
He was sent to jail
for almost 200 years.
654
00:33:54,719 --> 00:33:56,700
He was sent to jail
for almost 200 years.
655
00:33:56,767 --> 00:33:59,767
[Rod] Finally,
his wife divorced him
656
00:33:59,767 --> 00:34:02,300
after he was convicted
for these crimes.
657
00:34:02,367 --> 00:34:06,200
She moved up to New York State
to get away from New Jersey,
658
00:34:06,266 --> 00:34:07,867
get away from Bergen County,
659
00:34:07,867 --> 00:34:10,266
and that's where
she raised her kids.
660
00:34:15,667 --> 00:34:17,867
[John] Even after Cottingham
was convicted,
661
00:34:17,867 --> 00:34:23,000
there were many cold cases
that existed at that time
662
00:34:23,000 --> 00:34:24,700
and continue to exist,
663
00:34:24,767 --> 00:34:28,266
but law enforcement
never forgets them.
664
00:34:28,266 --> 00:34:30,800
When I first took
over as chief,
665
00:34:30,867 --> 00:34:36,000
I decided to assign
the homicide detectives
666
00:34:36,066 --> 00:34:40,800
to pull out a lot of the cold
cases, go through them,
667
00:34:40,867 --> 00:34:43,567
and find whatever viable cases
668
00:34:43,567 --> 00:34:47,166
they felt they should
pursue and reopen.
669
00:34:47,166 --> 00:34:50,166
Many of the cold cases
in New York and New Jersey
670
00:34:50,166 --> 00:34:51,700
fit Cottingham's M.O.
671
00:34:51,767 --> 00:34:54,719
So as the years passed
and Cottingham sat
behind bars,
672
00:34:54,719 --> 00:34:55,200
So as the years passed
and Cottingham sat
behind bars,
673
00:34:55,266 --> 00:34:58,100
detectives continued
to go through his old files.
674
00:34:58,100 --> 00:34:59,400
They were hoping to link him
675
00:34:59,467 --> 00:35:01,467
to other unsolved murders
in the area.
676
00:35:07,100 --> 00:35:09,600
I went down there
and sat down with him,
677
00:35:09,667 --> 00:35:12,100
and I wasn't there
specifically
678
00:35:12,166 --> 00:35:16,100
to get him to confess
to these murders.
679
00:35:16,166 --> 00:35:20,166
I was there to see
if he would come
and speak to our detectives.
680
00:35:21,100 --> 00:35:23,667
And he did end up calling
our office,
681
00:35:23,667 --> 00:35:24,719
and there was
a young detective
at the time back then.
682
00:35:24,719 --> 00:35:27,667
and there was
a young detective
at the time back then.
683
00:35:27,667 --> 00:35:29,266
His name was Rob Anzilotti.
684
00:35:29,266 --> 00:35:31,767
A lot of times to
get confessions,
685
00:35:31,767 --> 00:35:34,667
you can't just walk into
a room and ask the person,
686
00:35:34,667 --> 00:35:37,066
"Hey, did you do it?"
That's not gonna work.
687
00:35:37,066 --> 00:35:40,900
It takes time, it takes
dialogue, it takes patience,
688
00:35:40,967 --> 00:35:43,667
and I felt he was
the right guy for the job.
689
00:35:43,667 --> 00:35:48,100
And so they spent
about 17 years
690
00:35:48,100 --> 00:35:50,967
going back and forth
and just talking.
691
00:35:50,967 --> 00:35:54,719
The serial killers, they like
that cat-and-mouse thing,
692
00:35:54,719 --> 00:35:54,800
The serial killers, they like
that cat-and-mouse thing,
693
00:35:54,867 --> 00:35:58,266
and even when they are caught
and they are in prison,
694
00:35:58,266 --> 00:35:59,600
they enjoy the game.
695
00:35:59,667 --> 00:36:01,800
You want to know something
that I know,
696
00:36:01,867 --> 00:36:03,367
so what are you gonna give me
for it?
697
00:36:03,367 --> 00:36:05,467
How are you gonna
twist it out of me?
698
00:36:05,467 --> 00:36:07,867
And Cottingham definitely
continued that game
699
00:36:07,867 --> 00:36:10,800
with Anzilotti for years.
700
00:36:10,867 --> 00:36:13,300
[Mike] And Anzilotti
succeeded into
701
00:36:13,367 --> 00:36:16,000
developing a rapport
with Cottingham,
702
00:36:16,066 --> 00:36:18,200
which led
to several confessions.
703
00:36:28,667 --> 00:36:31,100
[Brenna] Nancy Vogel was
the first confession
704
00:36:31,166 --> 00:36:33,600
Cottingham gave
to Detective Anzilotti.
705
00:36:33,667 --> 00:36:38,567
Cottingham claimed he drove
her up to a wooded area
706
00:36:38,567 --> 00:36:41,667
in Montvale, New Jersey,
near the New York State line.
707
00:36:43,467 --> 00:36:46,967
He killed her there
and put her
in the backseat of her car,
708
00:36:46,967 --> 00:36:49,266
because that's the car
they used to get up there,
709
00:36:49,266 --> 00:36:53,100
and he left the car
in a residential neighborhood
710
00:36:53,100 --> 00:36:55,100
back near her home
711
00:36:55,100 --> 00:36:55,641
and walked back to the hotel
where his car was.
712
00:36:55,641 --> 00:36:58,500
and walked back to the hotel
where his car was.
713
00:36:58,567 --> 00:37:01,467
You might not believe this,
but there are many people
out there
714
00:37:01,467 --> 00:37:06,100
that confess to crimes
that they have absolutely
no connection with.
715
00:37:06,166 --> 00:37:10,467
I had to satisfy myself that
it was indeed Mr. Cottingham
716
00:37:10,467 --> 00:37:12,166
that committed this crime.
717
00:37:12,166 --> 00:37:15,166
I am the prosecutor,
and I am the only one that
718
00:37:15,166 --> 00:37:18,300
can actually authorize
the warrant to charge
719
00:37:18,367 --> 00:37:19,567
Cottingham with murder.
720
00:37:19,567 --> 00:37:21,600
And I recall there
were two things
721
00:37:21,667 --> 00:37:25,100
that I was told
that tied him to it.
722
00:37:25,166 --> 00:37:25,641
That he took the car keys
and he threw them away.
723
00:37:25,641 --> 00:37:28,166
That he took the car keys
and he threw them away.
724
00:37:28,166 --> 00:37:31,000
That was never in
any press release.
725
00:37:31,000 --> 00:37:33,000
Only the killer would
have known that,
726
00:37:33,066 --> 00:37:35,200
that the keys were not left
in the car.
727
00:37:35,266 --> 00:37:37,367
The second thing is
he told us about
728
00:37:37,367 --> 00:37:41,066
the Valley Fair shopping
bags in the truck.
729
00:37:41,066 --> 00:37:44,166
Only the killer would
have known that.
730
00:37:44,166 --> 00:37:48,367
And then Nancy Vogel's son
told me something that
I didn't expect.
731
00:37:49,066 --> 00:37:53,166
He said,
"I can't believe this.
732
00:37:53,166 --> 00:37:55,641
All these years, I thought
it was my uncle."
733
00:37:55,641 --> 00:37:55,967
All these years, I thought
it was my uncle."
734
00:37:55,967 --> 00:37:58,567
Cottingham had told us
he threw the keys away,
735
00:37:58,567 --> 00:38:01,567
so we knew that
when the uncle put the keys
736
00:38:01,567 --> 00:38:02,767
on the police desk,
737
00:38:02,767 --> 00:38:04,767
it was just an extra set.
738
00:38:06,400 --> 00:38:12,767
So, Nancy Vogel's two children
received two gifts that day.
739
00:38:12,767 --> 00:38:15,400
The first gift is
the man who killed
740
00:38:15,467 --> 00:38:18,166
their mother was brought
to justice.
741
00:38:18,166 --> 00:38:21,700
The second gift is
it was never their uncle.
742
00:38:24,600 --> 00:38:25,641
Over the next ten years,
Cottingham confessed
743
00:38:25,641 --> 00:38:28,467
Over the next ten years,
Cottingham confessed
744
00:38:28,467 --> 00:38:31,266
to Anzilotti about three
more murders.
745
00:38:31,266 --> 00:38:34,867
The trails of which had
all gone cold.
746
00:38:34,867 --> 00:38:38,100
In 2021, Robert Anzilotti
was about to retire.
747
00:38:38,166 --> 00:38:39,600
But there was another
cold case that
748
00:38:39,667 --> 00:38:41,767
had been bothering detectives
for years.
749
00:38:41,767 --> 00:38:46,100
The murders of teenagers
Lorraine Kelly
and Mary Ann Pryor.
750
00:38:46,166 --> 00:38:50,767
They were going down
the Jersey Shore
in August 1974.
751
00:38:50,767 --> 00:38:55,400
They were going bathing suit
shopping before that.
752
00:38:55,467 --> 00:38:55,641
They had planned to hitchhike
from their homes.
753
00:38:55,641 --> 00:38:59,367
They had planned to hitchhike
from their homes.
754
00:39:00,500 --> 00:39:02,667
Five days later,
their bodies were discovered
755
00:39:02,667 --> 00:39:04,000
in a construction site.
756
00:39:05,800 --> 00:39:08,967
I wanted that case solved
and we had believed
757
00:39:08,967 --> 00:39:10,567
it was Cottingham.
758
00:39:10,567 --> 00:39:13,667
[Brenna] So, right before
Anzilotti's retiring,
759
00:39:13,667 --> 00:39:16,767
Cottingham pleads guilty
to Mary Ann Pryor
760
00:39:16,767 --> 00:39:18,467
and Lorraine Kelly.
761
00:39:18,467 --> 00:39:22,367
According to him, he picked
them up and it was raining.
762
00:39:22,367 --> 00:39:24,100
They sat in the car
for a while together.
763
00:39:24,166 --> 00:39:25,641
First, he took them
to a McDonald's
to get something to eat.
764
00:39:25,641 --> 00:39:26,767
First, he took them
to a McDonald's
to get something to eat.
765
00:39:26,767 --> 00:39:28,667
Then he took them to a hotel.
766
00:39:28,667 --> 00:39:30,600
He brought them
into the hotel room.
767
00:39:30,667 --> 00:39:33,667
He had them tied up
and he spent several days
768
00:39:33,667 --> 00:39:34,667
with them in the hotel.
769
00:39:35,467 --> 00:39:40,367
He did bad things
to them and ended up
770
00:39:40,367 --> 00:39:43,266
drowning them in a bathtub.
771
00:39:43,266 --> 00:39:46,567
[Mike] And he brought them up
to the New York State line
772
00:39:46,567 --> 00:39:49,266
and dumped their two bodies.
773
00:39:49,266 --> 00:39:52,667
[Steve] The only reason that
he admitted to Anzilotti
774
00:39:52,667 --> 00:39:55,000
that he killed Mary Ann Pryor
and Lorraine Kelly
775
00:39:55,000 --> 00:39:55,641
was because Anzilotti
was retiring
776
00:39:55,641 --> 00:39:56,767
was because Anzilotti
was retiring
777
00:39:56,767 --> 00:39:58,667
and that was
his farewell gift.
778
00:39:58,667 --> 00:40:02,266
[John] I know that
Rob Anzilotti didn't look
at it as a gift.
779
00:40:02,266 --> 00:40:04,967
He looked at it as a gift
for the families.
780
00:40:04,967 --> 00:40:08,400
Somewhere I knew
the Pryor and Kelly families
781
00:40:08,467 --> 00:40:12,000
would begin to now maybe enjoy
never a normal life,
782
00:40:12,000 --> 00:40:13,200
but a better life.
783
00:40:19,166 --> 00:40:21,867
So, Cottingham
is now in his 70s.
784
00:40:21,867 --> 00:40:25,300
He's in very poor health,
in a wheelchair.
785
00:40:25,367 --> 00:40:25,641
He knows that he doesn't have
a lot of time left.
786
00:40:25,641 --> 00:40:28,667
He knows that he doesn't have
a lot of time left.
787
00:40:29,867 --> 00:40:32,166
[Brenna] There's tons of
unsolved crimes
788
00:40:32,166 --> 00:40:33,467
in New Jersey and New York,
789
00:40:33,467 --> 00:40:36,166
and who knows how many
of them are Cottingham.
790
00:40:36,166 --> 00:40:38,166
Time is ticking for him
to start confessing
791
00:40:38,166 --> 00:40:39,367
to the rest of these.
792
00:40:40,367 --> 00:40:42,400
[Eleanor] It affected me
a great deal.
793
00:40:42,467 --> 00:40:45,400
I tell my grandchildren,
you don't walk down the street
794
00:40:45,467 --> 00:40:46,300
by yourself.
795
00:40:46,367 --> 00:40:51,166
I am, like, super
over-cautious.
796
00:40:51,166 --> 00:40:53,800
I wouldn't even let
my granddaughter
walk from the bus stop
797
00:40:55,467 --> 00:40:55,641
down a quarter of a block.
798
00:40:55,641 --> 00:40:57,667
down a quarter of a block.
799
00:40:57,667 --> 00:41:00,200
[laughs] I didn't even want
her on a bus.
800
00:41:00,266 --> 00:41:01,467
You know, you get driven
to school,
801
00:41:01,467 --> 00:41:03,767
you get picked up from school.
802
00:41:03,767 --> 00:41:07,500
[Steve] According
to what Cottingham told
journalist Nadia Fezzani
803
00:41:07,567 --> 00:41:09,767
in a 2009 documentary,
804
00:41:09,767 --> 00:41:11,166
there's still a lot of murders
805
00:41:11,166 --> 00:41:13,100
that the police
don't know about.
806
00:41:13,100 --> 00:41:15,367
So, how many victims
do you think you have?
807
00:41:16,567 --> 00:41:18,600
Oh, I know exactly how many.
808
00:41:19,900 --> 00:41:21,500
[chuckles]
809
00:41:23,100 --> 00:41:24,700
Over 85.
810
00:41:25,367 --> 00:41:25,641
Under 100.
811
00:41:25,641 --> 00:41:26,767
Under 100.
812
00:41:34,100 --> 00:41:35,667
Despite the passage of time
813
00:41:35,667 --> 00:41:38,166
and Richard Cottingham's
declining health,
814
00:41:38,166 --> 00:41:40,867
law enforcement is still
vigorously trying to connect
815
00:41:40,867 --> 00:41:43,400
cold cases
to the Times Square killer.
816
00:41:43,467 --> 00:41:45,200
Thanks to the tenacity
and grit
817
00:41:45,266 --> 00:41:46,867
of the detectives
on the case,
818
00:41:46,867 --> 00:41:50,567
in December 2022,
Cottingham finally admitted
819
00:41:50,567 --> 00:41:52,266
to killing five
Long Island women
820
00:41:52,266 --> 00:41:55,641
between 1968 and 1973.
821
00:41:55,641 --> 00:41:56,166
between 1968 and 1973.
822
00:41:56,166 --> 00:41:58,266
We can only hope
that even more of his victims
823
00:41:58,266 --> 00:42:00,200
will find justice.
824
00:42:00,266 --> 00:42:02,667
I'm Donnie Wahlberg.
Thanks for watching.
Good night.