Elaines boyfriend had resisted her earlier suggestion to change his name, but now hes ready to make a switch. At the police station, Rifkin was asked if he had killed anybody else. "They would suspect a serial killer was on the loose and his car would have easily been spotted by cameras.". She liked dressing up.. Confronting them, she was first told that Joel had been detained after a traffic accident, then that he was jailed for a crime which the officers refused to describe. Why not? Rifkin picked her up at about 11 p.m. on November 16, near the Williamsburg Bridge in lower Manhattan. Lockdown. The son of unwed teenage parents, born in 1959, Joel was adopted by Ben and Jeanne Rifkin at three weeks of age. It was the smell of death, and it would linger long after the source had been removed. Rifkin found Orvieto on December 26, 1991, in Bayshore, Long Island. He was generally unkempt, and a thick layer of Noxema was smeared across his mustache. She appeared to have been dead for several days. ", "If I didnt kill them, they would have died anyhow. Get an all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! All of our Serial Killer Magazines and books are massive, perfect bound editions. When asked about the body, Rifkin said, She was a prostitute. Robert Sale met his new client for the first time at 9 a.m. on June 29, and Rifkin complained that police had taken his glasses and left him with a migraine headache, unable to function. I saw him as artistically inclined. June 29, 1993. Judge Robert Hanophy, passing sentence in the Sanchez case, told spectators: It is not in my power to give Mr. Rifkin the sentence he deserves. "Joel never expressed any remorse whatsoever to me," said Mladinich. Eftimiades, Maria. Here is a list of Rifkins victims: Heidi Balch: Authorities believe Heidi Balch was Rifkins first victim but it would take decades before she would ever be properly identified. They called him The Turtle, mimicking his slouched posture and slow footsteps, seldom missing a chance to make him the butt of cruel jokes. "Rifkin on Rifkin: Private Confessions of a Serial Killer,". ", Evidence In The Case Of Serial Killer Joel Rifkin, Explored, 'If I Didn't Kill Them, They Would Have Died Anyhow': How Joel Rifkin Evaded Capture For Years. It didn't help matters that he was constantly seeking his father's approval, too. 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. Throughout his trial and incarceration, Rifkin still could not explain one thing: why. She fought him, resisting strangulation until he snapped her neck. WebLearn about Joel Rifkin Net Worth, Biography, Age, Birthday, Height, Early Life, Family, Dating, Partner, Wiki and Facts. The odor from the truck was immediately overwhelming, Corcoran said, and troopers peeked in the back to see what was under a tarp. If Ahearn got the location wrong of where he picked up a victim, he said Rifkin became indignant . To have the normal picket fence and three kids and a dog and a cat and get on with life. Tragedy plus time equals comedy, so its been said. Credit: Newsday/K. Besides a broken neck, Marquez had fractured ribs, though Rifkin claimed he could not remember hitting her. According to Rifkins complaint, the reports prompted a series of inmate assaults that he suffered in January and February 1996, leading to his confinement in a solitary cell for personal safety. The oil drum was a new kink with Rifkin, used at least four times by his count. He also pleaded guilty to two murders in neighboring Suffolk County. Click to reveal Welcome to November, the month when, according to some studies, serial killers and mass murderers are most likely to be born. When she was dead, he considered raping her corpse in conscious emulation of serial killer Ted Bundy, but the prospect repulsed him. Jury selection for Rifkins first trial, before Wexner, began on April 11, 1994. By the time Rifkin found her, in the predawn hours of June 24, 1993, she was his second hooker of the night--his fourth within two days. get yours now before they are gone forever. Credit: Jessica Rotkiewicz. Featuring specials about fearsome and fascinating serial killers, its a cant-miss event for true crime fans. He recalls killing one hooker in 1989 and another in 1990, dismembering their bodies and dropping the pieces into Manhattan canals, but the butcher work repulsed him, and he didnt really hit his stride until 1991. What it gave me was that he liked to be in control. Seven months later, Simpsons name became connected to murder. He held down various odd jobs, spending much of the little money he made on prostitutes. All rights reserved. WebSusie was still alive, however, and she fought back when he tried to move her, biting one of Rifkins fingers deeply before he strangled her to death. That explained Rifkins use of Noxema. Years of pent-up anger and humiliation craved release. Rifkin had his only real girlfriend in Brockport, but the relationship went nowhere, his paramour recalling Joel as sweet, but always depressed. Back at home with his parents, Rifkin tried Nassau Community College again, attending erratically, earning only 12 credits by the time he finally quit in 1984. ", GARY HEIDNIKS ATTORNEY TALKS INSANE HOUSE OF HORRORS KILLER IN DOC: THERE WAS A METHOD TO HIS MADNESS', Jenny Soto's family. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. I thought of him as a loner, she subsequently told reporters. Evens started to undress, then balked, demanding greater privacy. He placed her body into a 55-gallon oil drum and dumped it into the East River. "Back in the late 80s and early 90s, it really was not hard to get away with such crimes," said Mladinich. The discovery of a serial killer on Long Island came in the midst of a year dominated by bizarre and disturbing stories here it began with 10-year-old Katie Beers still captive in an underground dungeon and ended with Colin Ferguson shooting dozens of commuters going home on an evening train, killing six of them. Just keep the music down., For more on Rifkin, watch Oxygens upcoming special Rifkin on Rifkin: Private Confessions of a Serial Killer, airing on Saturday, April 10 at 7/6c on Oxygen. Rifkin told authorities he placed her body into a mattress and put it at an illegal dump site near the JFK Airport, according to ThoughtCo. There was ample room for Jane Doe in the barrel, safely hidden for their ride to the South Bronx, where Rifkin found a district rife with junkyards and rolled her into the East River. Rifkin believed his victim would never be found, but he had been careless. Abandoned by the father of her two children, Evens found solace in drugs and worked the streets to keep herself well. Rifkin found her tricking on February 27, 1993, stopping for sex in an abandoned parking lot. Rifkin launched into great detail about each of the 17 women he killed, even drawing maps of where the bodies were. This addictioncrippled him, as he had to to leavecollege before finishing and was unable to ever really hold down a job. In 1989, Rifkin picked up a sex worker named "Susie." Ladies and gentlemen, may I have your attention, please? He will be eligible for parole in 2197. He remembered her tattoos, a pickup in Manhattan, and the way she fought for life when he began to strangle her. Get the best of Fox News' entertainment coverage, right in your inbox. With this information, they were able to identify even more of his victims, the New York Times reported. O.J. Is there more than one? WebJoel Rifkin was born on January 20, 1959 and is 64 years old now. Stephen Urbanski says Balch worked as a prostitute in New York City and used numerous aliases. For more on Rifkin, watch Oxygen's special Rifkin on Rifkin: Private Confessions of a Serial Killer, airing Saturday, April 10 at 9/8c on Oxygen. He was born on January 20, 1959, the son of unwed college students who were not prepared to start a family. It is chock full of artwork, rare documents, FBI files and in depth articles regarding serial murder. A Jane Doe victim, thus entombed, was dredged from Newtown Creek, in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, on May 13, 1992. 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. Ten minutes later, with a call for reinforcements on the air, their quarry missed a turn and crashed into a lamp post at a Mineola intersection. 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. Strangled in Joels pickup after sex, she proved the toughest one to kill, he said, breaking all 10 fingernails as she clawed Rifkins face and neck. 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. Although never housed in the prisons general population, Rifkin created enough disruption by his mere presence that administrators moved him into IPC--involuntary protective custody--where prisoners spend 23 hours a day confined to their Spartan cells. In 1989, he killed his first woman. The Terminator could easily take out John Wick and he wouldnt even see it coming. ", I wanted to be normal. Credit: Newsday/Alejandra Villa. We know Blackbirds fate today only from Rifkins confession, and from her diary stashed in his bedroom. After exchanging letters, the former cop, who served the NYPD from 1983 until 2003 when he retired with the rank of Detective Second Grade, decided to visit Rifkin at Attica Correctional Facility. By January 1996, Rifkin was scheduled to serve at least 183 years for seven slayings, with 10 counts outstanding. Joel David Rifkin: New York's Most Prolific Serial Killer. Police just noticed him because his vehicle was missing a license plate. Market data provided by Factset. She loved the clubs. The couple was so happy with their son that they repeated the procedure, with a daughter, three years later. All rights reserved. Homicide detectives began interrogating Rifkin at 8:25 a.m. on June 28, 1993. Corrections officials say that Rifkin is now imprisoned with more than 200 other inmates at Clinton who are not allowed into the general prison population. Growing up, he struggled with confidence and lacked a natural athletic ability, which frustrated his father. My daughter was a very beautiful girl, Victoria ONeill said. They had destroyed themselves through their lifestyle. After a struggle to get the car started and moving, Rifkin drove Williams to Yorktown, a Westchester suburb, where she was found on December 21, 1992. 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. Rifkin had apparently forgotten the date of his fathers death and told police he murdered Barbara Jacobs in August 1991, although her body had been found in July. ", "There was always a fascination with strangulations. WebRon Rifkin was born on October 31, 1939 in New York City, New York, USA. Instead, he was a rather meek, unassuming child. Mladinich, Robert. Ladies and gentlemen, may I have your attention, please? After wrestling her body into a plastic trash bag, Rifkin cleaned up the blood and signs of combat in his living room, then lay down and slept for several hours as if nothing had happened. She vowed at the time to be present in the courtroom to let Rifkin and others know that the victims had been more than sex workers. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Rifkin said. The next time Rifkin made headlines, in April 1998, the news involved sale of his artwork at the New York State legislatures office building in Albany as part of a program to compensate crime victims. From 1989 to 1993, a serial killer stalked New York City. Despite his history of morbid fantasy, Rifkin would later claim he had to plan the murder of his first victim, in March 1989. His memory was far from perfect. They let him go with a warning. Officers staked out the house in East Meadow, where Rifkin lived with his sister and elderly mother. Tiffany Bresciani: Rifkins final victim, Tiffany Bresciani, 22, hadmoved to New York from her home in Louisiana to pursue her dream of becoming an actress or singer. Good works notwithstanding, Rifkin had no luck in his bids to escape solitary confinement. What actor has been killed the most in movies? The prison van carried him past the high school where he had graduated 16 years before. All of our Serial Killer books are massive, 8.5" x 11" perfect bound editions. Family (1) Spouse Iva Rifkin ( 28 August 1966 - present) Trivia (10) Mary Catherine Williams, 10 years older than ONeill, had been a high school homecoming queen and college cheerleader in her native North Carolina. 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. Corcoran said it played a role in his promotion from lieutenant to captain. WebJoel Rifkin is now serving 203 years to life in the Clinton, N.Y. correctional facility. I stopped when I got tired.. And she had fake nails and those were ripped off when she fought him.. "Some people viewed him as an oddball. And she had fake nails and those were ripped off when she fought him.. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Rifkin planned to offer a defense in Suffolk that being adopted made him what he was, but ultimately he ended the case with the first of numerous guilty pleas to his crimes. At some point in the litany, Rifkin asked DeLuca if she wanted to die, and she allegedly said yes. WebSusie was still alive, however, and she fought back when he tried to move her, biting one of Rifkins fingers deeply before he strangled her to death. Although the magazine takes this subject very seriously and in no way attempts to glorify the crimes describe in it, it also provides a unique collection of rare treats (including mini biographical comics, crossword puzzles and trivia quizzes). Elaines discomfort level escalates when she and her boyfriend attend a Giants game and they leave an extra ticket at Will Call for Kramer. New Yorks worst serial murder case of this century began--or ended--with a routine traffic stop in the predawn hours of June 28, 1993. Arraigned for the Bresciani homicide on July 15, 1993, Rifkin repeated his plea of not guilty. Rifkin specifically chose women who wouldnt immediately draw attention if they went missing. Simpson and Nicole Brown Simpson. According to astrologers, the presence of Aries always marks the beginning of something energetic and turbulent. The whole city is talking about this monster Joel Rifkin, and I am dating Joel Rifkin, laments Elaine, whose coworkers have gotten wind of the creepy coincidence. His employer at a local music store described Joel as a total piece of work. And in a moment that really tested the "too soon?" Success breeds repetition. As per our current Database, Joel Rifkin is still alive (as per Wikipedia, Last update: May 10, 2020). Get an all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! And police weren't aware that one man was specifically targeting sex workers in the area. Her body was later found in an oil drum in Coney Island Creek, according to ThoughtCo. As much as I say I wanted to stop, there probably wouldve been others, he admitted. Rifkin was found guilty of nine murders in 1994 and sentenced to 203 years to life. (Photo by Vinnie Zuffante/Archive Photos/Getty Images). As he strangled her, Rifkin recalled, She did nothing, just accepted it. He remembered her murder as one of the weird ones.. 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. These girls think, I cant be touched, Rifkin explained. And Rifkin told WCBS-TV in 2011 that his victim count would have likely been much higher if he hadnt been arrested in 1993. Rifkin picked her up on April 2, 1993, while she was working Second Avenue. It also left Rifkin with a new problem. By clicking Sign up, you agree to our privacy policy. Rifkin arrived at Attica state prison in February 1996, sporting a black eye from his first assault by fellow inmates while confined on Rikers Island. Curiously, though, the driver of the pickup did not stop. After strangling Lopez in his car, Rifkin drove through the night to Brewster, in Putnam County, and dumped her corpse along I-84. One of the bullies who harassed him later called Rifkin an abuse unit. Violet ONeill, a 21-year-old prostitute, was the first victim Rifkin had taken home to East Meadow in nearly a year. BOB STRONG/AFP/Getty Images Trending News Jenny Soto was the fighter, breaking off her fingernails on Rifkins face before he snapped her neck on November 16, 1992. A chainsaw found in the garage was stained with blood and bits of human flesh. I just struggled to come to grips that this same person was a serial killer capable of such barbarism. He took really terrific photos and had an attractive artistic side. Oxygen Insider is your all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more. Next, he drove to a recycling plant in Westbury, where he had once worked part-time, and helped himself to a 55-gallon oil drum. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. Simpson. I remember I wrote about a boxing match for one of our assignments as journalism students and he photographed the event. WebJoel Rifkin murdered 17 women, making him New York's deadliest serial killer. He maintained his interest in photography and horticulture, but failed to make either a paying proposition. Rifkin's lawsuit seeks $50,000 for each of his 1,540 days in solitary confinement (totaling $77 million). In retrospect, a shockingly prophetic moment happens when Elaine comes up with a suggestion after reading a sports magazine. At about nine the next morning, Rifkin recalled completely bugging out, beating Blackbird with a heavy table leg before he strangled her. The obsession with murder had consumed his life and he began using the rented job site as a way station for corpses in transit. This guy seems like the real deal.". 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. She wasnt what they said she was, Gonzales said. He told investigators he dismembered her body, put it into various buckets filled with concrete, and dropped the buckets into the East River and Brooklyn canal. Fred Klein, shown in his office at Hofstra Universityon June 13, was the lead Nassau County prosecutor in the Joel Rifkincase. 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. "I don't know. 2013 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. The 31-year-olds body was later found inside a plastic bag, stuffed into a cardboard box and thrown into the Hudson River. The wild chase was on. She had pieces of skin under her fingernails, her sister Margarita Gonzales told The Associated Press in 1993. Hewent to painstaking efforts to try to conceal the bodies, often dismembering the victims, placing their bodies in oil drums, or throwing them into bodies of water, he would later tell WCBS-TVin 2011. I function better in prison. Her body was never recovered. Her body was discovered in Cornwall in October 1991, a month after she had been reported missing by her family, The New York Timessaidin 1993. 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. According to the special, he killed 16 more sex workers. He had no explanation for the wild flight to avoid a minor traffic ticket, but the cause of Rifkins panic was revealed a moment later. Known as Joel the Ripper, he murdered and dismembered at least nine women in New York. Violet ONeill: ONeills dismembered body parts were found over three days in July 1992 in multiple waterways including the Harlem River, East River, and a body of water near Governors Island, according to a New York Times article. Credit: Randee Daddona. 2 men found drugged after leaving NYC gay bars were killed, medical examiner says. He wanted to know why he lacked that empathy and humanity. Over the next four years, he killed 16 more prostitutes. The special also features interviews with Rifkins childhood friends, investigators on the case, as well as those closest to his victims. About to leave, he was confronted by patrolmen who accused him of illegal dumping, but Joel persuaded them he was collecting junk instead. With 25-year-old Iris Sanchez, strangled in April 1992, he simply drove to JFK Airport and left her body in a vacant lot, beneath a mattress. In March 1989, Rifkin, who admitted he had often fantasized about strangling women during sex, turned his disturbing ideas into reality. By the time he got home, she was swaddled in tarp and concealed in the trunk. Joel picked her up on July 13, 1991, and took her home to East Meadow for sex. He dropped her into Brooklyns Newtown Creek, where she was spotted floating with the current, foot protruding from the rusty barrel, on May 13, 1992. She hailed from Metairie, Louisiana, and had been drawn to New York by dreams of acting or dancing. Some of the bodies already found had not been classified as homicides, Klein said. Two floaters in as many days suggested a serial killer at large, but New York police had their hands full with 2,000 murders a year in those days, and junkie prostitutes were never high priority. They opened the truck and found Bresciani. Cruising Manhattans East Village for hookers one night, at about 10 p.m., he selected a young woman remembered only as Susie. She was a hard-core drug addict, demanding several stops to purchase crack before they drove back to Long Island. Neighbors had noted a foul odor emanating from the Rifkin garage, where corpses were occasionally stored before disposal, but the stench was attributed to fertilizer and insecticide Joel used on his landscaping job. Following a traffic stop that led to a car chase by police, authorities noticed a. . He was confined to his cell at the Attica Correctional Facility for 23 hours per day. Rifkin arrived at Attica state prison in February 1996, sporting a black eye from his first assault by fellow inmates while confined on Rikers Island. It seemed like the only people who noticed him were his childhood tormenters,he thought. Oholah, Rifkin explained, was both the Hebrew word for sanctuary and the name of a prostitute whose violent death is described in Ezekiel 23:3-10. In Joels room, they struck pay dirt, recovering dozens of ID cards, drivers licenses and credit cards, photographs, articles of jewelry, and piles of womens clothing taken from his victims. 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. Performance & security by Cloudflare. Barbara Jacobs: Jacobs was killed on July 14, 1991. He was only caught because of a small mistake, and he would have kept killing, he admits. Tune in on Oxygen April 10 to April 18. Lawrence said he paid an enormous toll, starting with the day of the conviction. Credit: Randee Daddona. Rifkin's prison life In early 1994, it was reported that Rifkin had engaged in a jailhouse scuffle with mass murderer Colin Ferguson. These are more like giant, professionally produced graphic novels. Things seemed to go downhill from there. Rifkin did not respond to a request sent to him at Clinton Correctional Facility in upstate Dannemora for comment for this story. She was identified through DNA testing on August 20, 1993. Family members of his victims either could not be reached or declined to comment. His landscaping business had folded by then, his landlord clamoring for $700 in overdue rent. Despite finding that Wexner should have excluded Rifkins confession to the Bresciani murder--an argument pursued in vain for five years--the appellate court found overwhelming evidence establishing his guilt and refused to overturn any part of his sentence. The habit was expensive and she tricked to keep herself supplied. (It was still there, waiting for detectives, at the time of Joels arrest.) His guide enabled police all over the metropolitan area to find bodies they didnt know existed or to explain how and why bodies had been found earlier. Aside from books and magazines (no more than 10 per isolation cell), Rifkin had lawsuits to amuse himself. Is The New York Review the same as the New York Review of Books? Joel David Rifkin (born January 20, 1959) is an American serial killer who was sentenced to 203 years in prison for the murders of nine women between 1989 and 1993, though he is believed to have killed up to 17 victims in all. (Photo by Jerry Engel/New York Post Archives /(c) NYP Holdings, Inc. via Getty Images). He killed mostly prostitutes and drug addicts; he was convicted of nine murders, although he is believed to have killed many more. He dismembered their bodies and disposed theirremains in the New York area. The Seinfeld team wasted no time trying to churn laughs out of one of New Yorks most horrible mass murderers Rifkin is believed to have killed up to 17 women and is the subject of Oxygens upcoming special Rifkin on Rifkin: Private Confessions of a Serial Killer, airingSaturday, April 10 at 7/6c on Oxygen. Create a free profile to get unlimited access to exclusive videos, breaking news, sweepstakes, and more! Rifkin responded to the news by firing Soshnick on the spot, leaving Lawrence, a lawyer with no criminal experience, to wage the battle alone. Joel would not strike again for 15 weeks, and when he did, he would take better care to hide his tracks. Theyre never disturbed by the sounds of murdering, just stereo. 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. Is Joel Rifkin Still Alive Or Dead? Rifkin on Rifkin: Private Confessions of a Serial Killer Premieres Saturday, April 10th, 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, When police later searched his mothers home, they found a treasure trove of mementos that Rifkin had saved from his victims,including drivers licenses, their underwear, jewelry, and other trophies, according to a 2018. Pulitzer, Lisa, and Joan Swirsky. Elaines boyfriend had resisted her earlier suggestion to change his name, but now hes ready to make a switch. Her body was thrown into the East River. In early 1994, it was reported that Rifkin had engaged in a jailhouse scuffle with mass murderer Colin Ferguson. He was very interested in horticulture and interned at the Planting Fields Arboretum State Historic Park.