Except for his grades, Joel was the stereotypical nerd, in glasses and high-water pants with white socks. Long Island psychiatrist Barbara Kirwin deemed Rifkins psychological test results the most pathological she had seen in 20 years of practice. JODI ARIAS APPEARED FRIENDLY AFTER TRAVIS ALEXANDERS BRUTAL MURDER, EXPRESSED REMORSE FOR HIS DEATH: DOC, Serial killer Joel Rifkin led cops to the skeleton of one victim at the outskirts of New York City's Kennedy International Airport. Rifkin just didn't excel in academia or sports, and so he struggled with feeling like a disappointment to his dad. "In an effort to show there was some grain of decency in him, he wrote this manifesto, a proposal really, to establish a facility where wayward women that had been living on the streets could go be safe. During questioning, Rifkin described her death in clinical detail, but his emotional detachment was not the worst part of the confession. While Jan and Jeanne stayed mostly silent during the court proceedings, even as reporters staked out their now-infamous home, his sister did speak to New York Post reporter Andrea Peyser. Legal Statement. Rifkin didn't display the typical signs of a budding murderer. Three months later, he killed Leah Evens and left her in rural Northampton, where her skeleton was found on Mothers Day. Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page. She was missing one earring, later found in Rifkins bedroom stash. Prosecutor Fred Klein described Rifkin as a killing machine who acted in deliberate, premediated and methodical ways to carry out his gruesome murders, The New York Times reported in 1994. One girl duped him twice, using the same ruse both times to flee with his cash before sex. Rifkin suffered a major anxiety attack after learning that Susie was HIV positive, following the case as police prepared artists renderings of the victim in life and checked them against a list of 700 missing women. He was charged with killing his ex-wife and her friend. You just wonder about how someone could do what he did and not have any feeling for it, Ahearn said. The suppression hearing convened before Judge Ira Wexner on November 8, 1993, Soshnick and Lawrence picking up where Sale left off in the effort to quash Rifkins confession. "Certain things are very hard to stop," Rifkin said. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. On July 14 of that year, 31-year-old Barbara Jacobs was found, strangled and rotting, in the Hudson River; her body had been wedged inside a plastic bag, then forced into a cardboard box. Brescianis body was found in the back of Rifkins pickup truck after he was stopped by the state police for a traffic violation, The New York Times reported. There was really no coordination between police precincts. He didnt speed up, either, but he kept on driving. Her mother, Doris Williams, described her daughter to the news outlet as a struggling actress and former high school homecoming queen who had moved to New York City from her home in Charlotte, North Carolina. "We were trying to catch up from the previous 20 years. Hikers found her on May 9 after they spied a withered hand protruding from the ground. They could see part of a hand and the head of Rifkins finalvictim. It was a trick for handling corpses, to avoid their stench, portrayed by Hollywood two years earlier in the Oscar-winning Silence of the Lambs. "Some people viewed him as an oddball. At age 33, Anna Lopez had three children by three different fathers, but she worked the streets primarily to feed her own cocaine addiction. "Joel was a bit of an eccentric," said Mladinich. Though Rambo didnt kill anyone in 1982s First Blood, he was basically a psychopath by the end of the James Cameron-scripted sequel; Stallone directed 2008s Rambo with an understanding that the formula works best when distilled to its gun-blazing essence. O.J.! / CBS/AP. Rifkin's lawsuit seeks $50,000 for each of his 1,540 days in solitary confinement (totaling $77 million). Violet ONeill, a 21-year-old prostitute, was the first victim Rifkin had taken home to East Meadow in nearly a year. He was still so tense when he got out of his car that he said he sprained his back. In 1989, Rifkin picked up a sex worker named "Susie." Joel Rifkin referred to his propensity to kill as "almost an addiction," something forensic psychologist N.G. Fending off pleas from her sister and husband to move on with her life, not to mention a marriage proposal from a determined suitor, Rory holds fast to what she knows in her heartDawson is still alive. Link your TV provider to stream full episodes and live TV. Her mother told the newspaper in 1993 that her daughter had been a happy and outspoken child, who later struggled with drug abuse and began to work as a prostitute. You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked. The cocaine in her system prompted detectives to brand her a drug mule, killed accidentally by the rupture of drug-filled condoms in her stomach. Create your free profile and get access to exclusive content. As the hearing dragged on, Rifkins lawyers alienated Judge Wexner by Soshnick repeatedly arriving late for court and unprepared and Lawrence missing whole days. According to wikipedia latest update, he is still alive. Rifkin's other victims includeTiffanyBresciani, Julie Blackbird, Lauren Marquez, Mary Catherine Williams, Barbara Jacobs, Yun Lee, Maryann Hollomon, Leah Evens, Violet ONeill, Mary Ellen DeLuca, Lorraine Orvieto, Iris Sanchez, Jenny Soto, and Anna Lopez,according to a 2018 Newsday article. He offered no resistance as police removed him from the pickup, frisked him for weapons and removed an X-acto knife from his pocket. They trade suggestions for a possible new name, and of course, they cant come close to agreeing. The murder, detectives gathered, was not his first. You dont even use a name, its just initials. One week after he killed Lorraine Orvieto, on January 2, 1992, Rifkin went hunting again. The oil drum worked so well for Rifkin that he purchased several more for use as makeshift coffins. It came from the dead body of Tiffany Bresciani, 22, the girlfriend of Dave Rubinstein (a.k.a. Ahearn saidRifkins lack of concern for his victims haunted him for years and still does. A cemetery posted a personal ad for a goose whose mate died. Her case remained unsolved until Rifkin confessed in 1993. Pittsburgh woman missing for 31 years found alive in Puerto Rico, School shooting survivor has emotional audition on "American Idol", exclusive 2011 interview with CBS-2's Mary Calvi. They wound up at a cheap motel, DeLuca first balking at sex and demanding more dope, then rushing through the act, complaining all the while. ", First published on March 27, 2013 / 3:17 PM. Rifkins selection process was erratic, sparing most of the hookers he patronized on a near nightly basis, prompting him to kill others on a whim. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Create a free profile to get unlimited access to exclusive videos, breaking news, sweepstakes, and more! Police finally caught up to Rifkin in June 1993, when state troopers spotted his pickup truck without license plates on the Southern State Parkway. Mary Catherine Williams, 10 years older than ONeill, had been a high school homecoming queen and college cheerleader in her native North Carolina. From 1989 to 1993, a serial killer stalked New York City. State and local detectives found Balch's aunt in New York, who identified her picture this month. Dave Insurgent, a member of the 1980s punk band Reagan Youth), and his final victim. Mary Catherine Williams, 31, was linked to Rifkin after some of her credit cards were found among Rifkins belongings, according to a, She had pieces of skin under her fingernails, her sister Margarita Gonzales told, in 1993. Back at the landscaping lot, Rifkin stuffed her into an oil drum, drove her body to Brooklyn and dropped it into Coney Island Creek. Rifkin, who is the focus of Oxygen's upcoming special,"RifkinonRifkin: Private Confessions of a Serial Killer" airing Saturday, April 10 at 7/6conOxygenas part ofSerial Killer Week,often targeted sex workers,who he was able to kill without calling much too much attention to their disappearances. He struck her on impulse, strangling her while she mouthed something about making a big mistake. It was Rifkins first murder of someone he knew beforehand, and he experienced fleeting remorse. Check out our sister site VHS WASTELAND. He was easy to make fun of.. Joel Rifkin was born in in January 20, 1959. He enjoyed the photography club but turned in his usual lackluster academic performance over the next two years, before dropping out in 1980. Check out never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! This huge, perfect bound copy of SERIAL KILLER MAGAZINE is chock full of artwork, rare documents, trivia and in depth articles regarding serial murder. In 1989, he killed his first woman. "You think of people as things.". Days later, Rifkin was transferred from Attica to the Clinton Correctional Facility at Dannemora--long known as the Siberia of New York prisons, isolated in the Adirondack Mountains, 350 miles north of Manhattan. Elaines discomfort level escalates when she and her boyfriend attend a Giants game and they leave an extra ticket at Will Call for Kramer. In 1994, Rifkin was sentenced to life in prison. Joel Rifkin Death Fact Check Joel is alive and kicking and is currently 64 years old. She woke up fighting for her life, kicking the gear-shift hard enough to snap it off before Joel smothered her. When told his truck had no rear license plate, Rifkin assured the officers it had been present when he left his home, some 40 minutes earlier. Lorraine Orvieto, age twenty-eight, was strangled by Rifkin a few days before Christmas, jammed in a 55-gallon oil drum and dropped into Coney Island Creek, where her body would remain undiscovered for over six months. The next to die, Lauren Marquez, was a 28-year-old addict and prostitute, hooked on drugs before she left her native Tennessee for New York City. Fred Klein described Rifkin as a sexual sadist who relished his victims suffering: He got caught red-handed, and now hes using and abusing the concept of mental illness. Lawrence called his client a paranoid schizophrenic who lived in the twilight zone, overwhelmed by violent, irresistible compulsions that took control of his life. Rifkin, for his part, snored through much of the prosecutions case, a performance Lawrence blamed on allergies to the bologna sandwiches he ate in jail. They didn't realizeone man was targeting sex workers in New York City. And if he hadn't been caught, he likely wouldn't have stopped, he admits in Oxygen's new special, "Rifkin on Rifkin: Private Confessions of a Serial Killer," airing Saturday, April 10 at 7/6c on Oxygen. They drove to a point near the Manhattan Bridge, Rifkin clutching at her throat without the usual preliminaries. She fought him, resisting strangulation until he snapped her neck. From the Mouth of the Monster. That first murder gave way to many more; he killed 16 more sex workers, often dismembering their bodies and disposing of themin the New York area. Rifkin said. Stephanie Nolasco covers entertainment at Foxnews.com. Buoyed perhaps by that effort, in August 1999 Rifkin unveiled his plans for Oholah House, a proposed shelter for prostitutes that would include drug treatment, counseling, medical care and job training. Weary of the pain by February 1987, he took a massive dose of barbiturates and died after four days in a coma. He will be eligible for parole in 2197. ", JOHN WALSHS SON CALLAHAN EXPLAINS HOW HIS BROTHER ADAM'S MURDER MADE HIM DETERMINED TO CATCH BAD GUYS, Jenny Soto, a victim of serial killer Joel Rifkin. Theyre never disturbed by the sounds of murdering, just stereo. Joel Rifkin, and I am dating Joel Rifkin, laments Elaine, whose coworkers have gotten wind of the creepy coincidence. To have the normal picket fence and three kids and a dog and a cat and get on with life. State troopers Deborah Spaargaren and Sean Ruane were working the graveyard shift in East Meadow, Long Island, when they spotted a pickup truck with no license plate ahead of them, at 3:15 A.M. The obsession with murder had consumed his life and he began using the rented job site as a way station for corpses in transit. Julie Blackbird: Rifkin killed again about 16 months later, after picking up Julie Blackbird in 1990 and bringing her back to his home. In every high school, theres a kid that doesnt get girls,but they dont go ahead and murder 17 women.". Very few people start out life thinking, 'Oh gee, my goal in life is to wind up in Attica. Rifkin did not respond to a request sent to him at Clinton Correctional Facility in upstate Dannemora for comment for this story. Joel Rifkin will celebrate 65rd birthday on a Saturday 20th of January 2024. WebJoel Rifkin murdered 17 women, making him New York's deadliest serial killer. Would Joel Rifkin report to the stadium office? Jenny Soto, a victim of serial killer Joel Rifkin. A low-speed car case ensued for about 20 minutes, until Rifkin lost control of the car and crashed into a utility pole in Mineola, according to the paper. That one was easy.' "Leah was not a throwaway," Evans' friend tearfully says in the special. A motorist stopping to relieve himself found Lopez the next day. "Water is harder to investigate than land because it washes everything," he said. Instead, he picked up a souvenir howitzer shell and beat her furiously. "They would suspect a serial killer was on the loose and his car would have easily been spotted by cameras.". According to the outlet, Rifkin admitted to the other slayings during questioning. Motorist Joel Rifkin, now in handcuffs, helped identify the corpse as 22-year-old Tiffany Bresciani. He kind of leaned back and said, One or 100, whats the difference? Corcoran said. They also found a blood-stained wheelbarrow and chainsaw at the residence. She would not be found until June 1993, when Rifkin drew detectives a map. When she was dead, he considered raping her corpse in conscious emulation of serial killer Ted Bundy, but the prospect repulsed him. Lauren Marquez: Marquez, 28, was found dead in Westhampton. Curiously, though, the driver of the pickup did not stop. Rifkin had no time to move the corpse, but his mother never knew. The son of unwed teenage parents, born in 1959, Joel was adopted by Ben and Jeanne Rifkin at three weeks of age. Corcoran had troopers take Rifkin to Troop L, located then on the grounds of Republic Airport in East Farmingdale where Rifkin was headed that night to bury that body. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. Doubling back from there, he returned to Manhattan, pitching the arms and torso into the East River. At first he was telling us like he didnt know anything about the body in the back of the car and then he was basically saying that he knew she was there but he doesnt know what happened, former New York State Police Trooper Sean Ruane told CNN in 2018. Rifkin transferred to the state university at Brockport, a Rochester suburb, in fall 1978. If you are interested in joining our team, contact us at June 27, 1993. Ladies and gentlemen, may I have your attention, please? Birthday: January 20, 1959 How Old - Age: 64 Recently Passed Away Celebrities and Famous People. It was hell from day one. Check out what's clicking today in entertainment. Not much with that one. He followed the same disposal procedure as with Orvieto: back to Long Island, the oil drum and Coney Island Creek. Rifkin found her on May 25, 1992, Memorial Day, working Atlantic Avenue in Queens, and retired to a nearby residential street for sex. I was completely numb. Theyre perfectionists who enjoy finer things but are not perceived as snobs. Fifty percent of the proceeds from sales were earmarked for New Yorks Crime Victims Board, with inmate artists retaining the rest. He was confined to his cell at the Attica Correctional Facility for 23 hours per day. He was on his way to dump the corpse near Melvilles Republic Airport, some 15 miles north of his house, when Troopers Ruane and Spaargaren noted his lack of a rear license plate. Their mistake made Rifkin laugh, explaining that the clumsy cops had counted Williams twice. Joel delivered a eulogy at his fathers funeral, moving the mourners to tears, and his depression deepened. Rifkin told Dietz in detail how he planned his killings, how he avoided detection, how he got sexual gratification from both the killings and the victims personal effects much to Lawrences dismay. Thats well over 30 ebooks in one package. He was confined to his cell at the Attica Correctional Facility for 23 hours a day. He described all 17 murders in the absence of counsel, writing out the names he remembered, sketching maps to help police find those victims still missing. ", Joel Rifkin is currently serving a life sentence. New York State's most prolific serial killer might not have been discovered on a hot summer night 25 years ago if the license plate on his pickup truck had not fallen off, authorities say. He didn't wet the bed or torture animals or start fires. ", VIRGINIAS HORRIFYING COLONIAL PARKWAY MURDERS CAN STILL BE SOLVED DECADES LATER WITH NEW LEADS, DOC REVEALS, According to Joel Rifkin, it was a '25-cent mistake' that finally led to his capture. He dismembered the corpse as before, placing the head, arms and legs in buckets weighted with concrete; the torso filled a milk crate by itself.