> At a Glance
> – Richard Cottingham, 79, confessed to the 1965 stabbing and bludgeoning of 18-year-old Alys Eberhardt in her Fair Lawn home.
> – The case, reopened in 2021, may be among his earliest crimes.
> – Cottingham, already serving life for five 1970s murders, claims up to 100 total victims.
> – Why it matters: The admission brings closure to the Eberhardt family after nearly 60 years.
Richard Cottingham, long known as the “Torso Killer,” has admitted to another decades-old murder, extending a grisly timeline that now reaches back to September 24, 1965.
A 1965 Crime Revisited
Investigators say Cottingham confessed to killing 18-year-old Alys Eberhardt, who was found dead inside her Fair Lawn family home. The stab-and-bludgeon attack had gone unsolved until the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office reopened the file in 2021.
The Eberhardt family welcomed the news, telling authorities the confession finally delivers answers-and a measure of peace-after 58 years of uncertainty.
Immunity Deal Blocks New Charges
Despite the admission, Cottingham will not face additional charges. Prosecutors granted him immunity for this and four other killings in exchange for his cooperation, mirroring a prior arrangement used to resolve the 1968 murder of Diane Cusick on Long Island.
| Victim | Year | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| Alys Eberhardt | 1965 | Confessed, no charges |
| Diane Cusick | 1968 | Confessed, no charges |
| Four unnamed women | 1960s-70s | Confessed, no charges |
Cottingham remains behind bars since 1981, convicted of five torso slayings-three in New York, two in Bergen County-during the 1970s. Prosecutors continue to review cold cases, hoping to attach more names to the dozens of killings he claims to have committed.
Key Takeaways
- Cottingham’s confession pushes his admitted crimes back to 1965.
- Immunity deal shields him from new charges, but aids ongoing investigations.
- Cold-case unit credits the 2021 reopening with finally solving Eberhardt’s murder.
For the Eberhardt family, the confession ends a lifetime of questions, proving that even the oldest cases can still yield answers when investigators refuse to close the file.
