New York has had its fair share of notorious serial killers who have left a lasting impact on the state’s criminal history. These individuals, such as David Berkowitz, Albert Fish, Joel Rifkin, Arthur Shawcross, Robert Shulman, Richard Cottingham, and Michael Bruce Ross, were responsible for taking multiple lives, often in brutal and gruesome ways. Their motives varied, from sadistic pleasure to greed, to mental illness.
David Berkowitz
David Berkowitz, also known as the “Son of Sam” and the “44 Caliber Killer” killed six people and injured several others in New York City between 1976 and 1977. Berkowitz was born in New York City in 1953 and had a difficult childhood marked by abandonment, abuse, and mental health issues.
He began his killing spree in the summer of 1976, using a .44 caliber revolver to shoot and kill young women and couples in parked cars. His victims were mostly young women with long brown hair, and his attacks were seemingly random and unprovoked.
See also: The 7 Most Notorious Serial Killers in Texas
Berkowitz left notes at some of the crime scenes, taunting the police and the media. He also wrote letters to the police and to a journalist, claiming that a neighbor’s dog, named “Sam”, was possessed by an ancient demon and was commanding him to commit the murders.
Berkowitz was finally caught in August 1977, when a witness saw him leaving the scene of one of the shootings and reported the license plate number of his car to the police. When confronted by the police, he confessed to the murders, saying that he had been obeying the commands of “Sam” the demon dog.
Berkowitz was convicted of six counts of second-degree murder and was sentenced to six consecutive life sentences. He is still in prison today and has expressed remorse for his actions. The case of David Berkowitz was highly publicized and sparked widespread fear and panic in New York City during the time of the killings. His case remains one of the most notorious serial killer cases in American history.
Albert Fish
Albert Fish killed several children in the 1920s and 1930s. Fish, who was born in 1870, had a history of mental illness and had been institutionalized multiple times before he began his killing spree.
Fish’s victims were mostly young children, whom he would lure with promises of money or jobs before abducting, torturing, and killing them. He is known to have killed at least three children, but it is believed that he may have been responsible for more deaths.
Fish’s crimes came to light in 1934, when the mother of one of his victims received a letter from him that described in graphic detail how he had killed and cannibalized her daughter. The police were able to trace the letter to Fish and arrested him.
During his trial, Fish admitted to the killings and described his acts in graphic and disturbing detail. He also claimed to have the desire to be punished for his crimes. He was found guilty and was sentenced to death by an electric chair. He was executed on January 16, 1936.
The case of Albert Fish is considered one of the most shocking and disturbing in American criminal history due to the nature of his crimes and his twisted motives. Fish’s acts were so heinous that they continue to shock and fascinate people even today.
Joel Rifkin
Joel Rifkin murdered 17 women in New York City between 1989 and 1993. Rifkin was born in New York City in 1959 and had a history of mental health issues, including depression and schizophrenia. He was also known to have a long-standing interest in necrophilia.
Rifkin’s victims were mostly sex workers or drug addicts whom he would pick up on the streets, kill, and then dump their bodies in remote locations. He would often mutilate the corpses and sometimes keep body parts as souvenirs. He would then dispose of the bodies in various places including on the side of the road, in trash bags, and in a pond in Long Island.
Rifkin’s crimes were finally uncovered in June 1993, when he was pulled over by police for a traffic violation and they discovered the body of a woman in his truck. He was arrested and later confessed to killing 17 women.
During his trial, Rifkin pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity, but was found guilty and was sentenced to 203 years in prison. He is currently serving his sentence at Clinton Correctional Facility in New York.
See also: The 13 Most Notorious Serial Killers in California
The case of Joel Rifkin is one of the most notorious serial killer cases in New York City’s history, due to the number of victims and the length of time that he was able to evade capture. His case also raised questions about the treatment and monitoring of individuals with severe mental health issues.
Arthur Shawcross
Arthur Shawcross, also known as “The Genesee River Killer” murdered 11 women and children between 1988 and 1990 in Rochester, New York. Shawcross was born in 1945 and had a history of criminal behavior and psychiatric issues. He served time in prison for the manslaughter of two children in 1972, before being released on parole in 1987.
After his release, Shawcross began a killing spree, targeting sex workers and prostitutes, whom he would lure to isolated locations and then strangle or suffocate. He would often return to the crime scene to sexually assault the corpses and engage in necrophilia. He also killed a young couple.
Shawcross was finally caught in January 1990, when he was identified by a victim who had managed to escape. He was arrested and later confessed to the murders.
During his trial, Shawcross pleaded guilty to the murders and was sentenced to 250 years in prison. He died in prison in 2008.
The case of Arthur Shawcross is considered one of the most gruesome and disturbing in the history of New York State, due to the number of victims and the nature of his crimes. It also raised questions about the parole system, as Shawcross had been released on parole after serving time for previous violent crimes.
Robert Shulman
Robert Shulman was convicted of killing five women in the New York City area between 1991 and 1993. Shulman was born in 1957 and had a history of criminal behavior and psychiatric issues. He was known to be a necrophiliac and had a penchant for strangling and suffocating his victims.
Shulman’s victims were mostly sex workers or drug addicts whom he would pick up in the streets, kill, and then dump their bodies in remote locations. He would often mutilate the corpses and sometimes keep body parts as souvenirs. He would then dispose of the bodies in various places including on the side of the road, in trash bags, and in a pond in Long Island.
Shulman’s crimes were finally uncovered in 1993 when police found the body of one of his victims in a trash bag. He was arrested and later confessed to killing five women.
During his trial, Shulman pleaded guilty to the murders and was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. He is currently serving his sentence at Clinton Correctional Facility in New York.
The case of Robert Shulman is one of the most gruesome and disturbing in the history of New York State, due to the number of victims and the nature of his crimes, as well as the fact that he was a necrophiliac. His case also raised questions about the treatment and monitoring of individuals with severe mental health issues.
Richard Cottingham
Richard Cottingham was convicted of killing six women in New Jersey and New York between 1968 and 1980. Cottingham was born in 1946 and had a history of criminal behavior, including burglary and voyeurism. He was also known to have sadistic and necrophiliac tendencies.
See also: Top 10 worst prisons in the United States
Cottingham’s victims were mostly young women whom he would lure to hotels, where he would torture and kill them. He would often mutilate the corpses and sometimes keep body parts as souvenirs. He would then dump the bodies in remote locations.
Cottingham’s crimes were finally uncovered in 1980, when he was arrested for a series of burglaries and police found evidence linking him to the murders. He was arrested and later confessed to killing six women.
During his trial, Cottingham pleaded guilty to the murders and was sentenced to six consecutive life sentences. He is currently serving his sentence at the East Jersey State Prison.
The case of Richard Cottingham is considered one of the most gruesome and disturbing in the history of New Jersey and New York, due to the number of victims and the nature of his crimes, as well as the fact that he was a necrophiliac. His case also raised questions about the treatment and monitoring of individuals with severe sadistic tendencies.
Michael Bruce Ross
Michael Bruce Ross murdered eight young women in Connecticut between 1981 and 1984. Ross was born in 1959 and had a history of sexual deviance, including voyeurism and exhibitionism. He was also known to have sadistic tendencies.
Ross’s victims were mostly young women whom he would abduct, sexually assault, and then strangle. He would often dump the bodies in remote locations. He targeted women who were alone, mostly at truck stops and rest areas.
Ross’s crimes were finally uncovered in 1984 when he was arrested for the abduction and rape of a young woman. He was arrested and later confessed to killing eight women.
During his trial, Ross pleaded guilty to the murders and was sentenced to death by lethal injection. He was executed in 2005, becoming the first person to be executed in Connecticut in 45 years.
See also: 10 Most Notorious Serial Killers in Florida
The case of Michael Bruce Ross is considered one of the most gruesome and disturbing in the history of Connecticut, due to the number of victims and the nature of his crimes. His case also raised questions about the treatment and monitoring of individuals with severe sadistic tendencies and the death penalty in the state of Connecticut.