Despite his confessions and the overwhelming evidence against him, Rifkin pled not guilty at his murder trial. A high-speed chase ended in Mineola, where he crashed into a utility pole which was located directly in front of the courthouse in which he would eventually stand trial. 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. On the early morning hours ofJune 28, 1993, three days after he had killed Bresciani, Rifkin stashed her body in his car's trunk and headed down the Southern State Parkway to dispose of her, the New York Daily News reported at the time. 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. New York. The driver wasnt speeding, but the absence of a tag was in itself a minor violation, and they turned the flashers on, prepared to write a quick citation. Rifkin told authorities he had taken the lives of another 16 women, revealingexactly where he placed the bodies and how he actually had killed them, Ruane said. However, a drug problem resulted in sex work to feed her addiction, Newsday reported. Known as Joel the Ripper, he murdered and dismembered at least nine women in New York. Some were in water. He was easy to make fun of.. On May 25, 1992, he strangled crack addict Anna Lopez, dumping her corpse in some woods off Interstate 84, in Brewster. This addictioncrippled him, as he had to to leavecollege before finishing and was unable to ever really hold down a job. He was on his way to dump the body near Republic Airport, he explained, when he was spotted by Ruane and Spaargaren. MADHATTERDESIGN@GMAIL.COM, Like old school VHS Covers? Every issue of Serial of Serial Killer Magazine we sell. Their recorded conversations are the focus of a new true-crime documentary titled "Rifkin on Rifkin: Private Confessions of a Serial Killer," which is part of Oxygen channels "Serial Killer Week.". Rifkin picked her up at about 11 p.m. on November 16, near the Williamsburg Bridge in lower Manhattan. Joel Rifkin, meanwhile, killed 17 people a staggering amount of victims that makes him New Yorks most prolific serial killer. Susie 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. Arraigned for the Bresciani homicide on July 15, 1993, Rifkin repeated his plea of not guilty. But that all change in 1993 after Rifkin said he made a "25 cent mistake. His rage and self-loathing only grew, according to the special. Other times he killed them in his car. (Photo by Neil Schneider/New York Post Archives /(c) NYP Holdings, Inc. via Getty Images), "When we first started talking, it was kind of awkward," said Mladinich. Lauren Marquez: Marquez, 28, was found dead in Westhampton. Williams would fill another nameless paupers grave until Rifkin confessed to her murder, six months after she was found. Rambo would go on to receive extensive survival and combat training, later becoming a Green Beret in September of 1969. (Photo by Andrew Savulich/NY Daily News Archive via Getty Images). Create a free profile to get unlimited access to exclusive videos, breaking news, sweepstakes, and more! "Water is harder to investigate than land because it washes everything," he said. Her body was discovered in Cornwall in October 1991, a month after she had been reported missing by her family. Many of the victims were never even reported missing, and so police were unaware of the scope of the killing spree. Her mother, Florence Orvieto,told The New York Times that she had been saving her Christmas presents for two years until she learned in 1993 that her daughters body had been discovered in a 55-gallon oil drum in Coney Island Creek in Brooklyn. He didn't wet the bed or torture animals or start fires. He was also an academic failure, suffering from undiagnosed dyslexia despite a tested IQ of 128. I thought of him as a loner, she subsequently told reporters. They let him go with a warning. Rifkins ninth victim, ironically, surfaced before numbers seven and eight. Fox News Flash top entertainment and celebrity headlines are here. Joel Rifkin referred to his propensity to kill as "almost an addiction," something forensic psychologist N.G. Joel Rifkin, New York's most prolific serial killer, is the subject of a new true-crime documentary on Oxygen. 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. 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. Get an all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! The action you just performed triggered the security solution. The 31-year-olds body was later found inside a plastic bag, stuffed into a cardboard box and thrown into the Hudson River. Rifkin picked her up on Allen Street and drove her to the New York Posts parking lot, where he strangled her at 5:30 a.m. From there, he drove back to East Meadow, stopping at stores along the way for rope and tarp, while Bresciani lay sprawled in the backseat of his mothers car. In March 1989, Rifkin, who admitted he had often fantasized about strangling women during sex, turned his disturbing ideas into reality. ", Joel Rifkin is currently serving a life sentence. Even the parents of his victims didnt seem to miss Rifkins prey. He picked Sanchez up in broad daylight, driving her to a Manhattan housing project down by where Macys has the fireworks. After strangling Sanchez during sex, he drove her corpse across the Brooklyn Bridge, seeking a drop-off point. Three were in oil drums. Neighbors recalled strange odors emanating from Rifkins garage, but they had assumed he stored insecticides there, for use in his garden and landscaping business. A cemetery posted a personal ad for a goose whose mate died. "You know, I first learned he was accused of being a serial killer while I was on the Long Island Expressway," he recalled. You just wonder about how someone could do what he did and not have any feeling for it, Ahearn said. ", First published on March 27, 2013 / 3:17 PM. This massive 8.5 x 11 perfect bound book contains over 300 pages of rare interviews, letters, documents, transcripts and artwork from historys most notorious killers. SERIAL KILLER MAGAZINE is an official release of the talented artists and writers at SerialKillerCalendar.com. His lawyer Bob Sale sought to have Rifkins confession thrown out on grounds that police could not prove he was ever advised of his rights. Rifkin!" Jurors agreed with Dietz, deliberating briefly on May 9 before they convicted Rifkin of murder and reckless endangerment (for leading police on the wild car chase). O.J. A chainsaw found in the garage was stained with blood and bits of human flesh. Rambos escape made him look bad and so he had to eliminate that insult to his own overblown ego. And police weren't aware that one man was specifically targeting sex workers in the area. Infamous New York mass murderer Joel Rifkin was caught in June 1993. "Three were dismembered. He wasn't driving erratically or doing anything odd. clothing, jewelry, drivers licenses, library cards, and credit cards belonging to approximately 10 women. Check out what's clicking today in entertainment. While he was portrayed as a more heroic character in the film, the novel portrays him as a ruthless, psychotic murderer and unlike the movie counterpart, this version of Rambo slaughters innocent people. Rifkin transferred to the state university at Brockport, a Rochester suburb, in fall 1978. (Photo by Jerry Engel/New York Post Archives /(c) NYP Holdings, Inc. via Getty Images). There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase, a SQL command or malformed data. Credit: Newsday/K. Cloudflare Ray ID: 7a2a73bfae92a8aa 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. He was eventually acquitted. Rifkin painstakingly covered up his crimes. Joel couldnt wait to play the deadly game again. Thanks to its ruling planet Mars and the fact it belongs to the element of Fire (just like Leo and Sagittarius), Aries is one of the most active zodiac signs. 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. "Leah was not a throwaway," Evans' friend tearfully says in the special. After the Giant game, he says, I realized that this this problem isn't going away.. Excluded from team sports and neighborhood games, Joel was the butt of every prank and sadistic joke: bullies assaulted him in school and pulled his pants down, stole his lunch and books, and harassed him constantly. For the key players in the case, contact with Rifkin was life altering. Hikers found her on May 9 after they spied a withered hand protruding from the ground. He was very interested in horticulture and interned at the Planting Fields Arboretum State Historic Park. Determined not to bungle the disposal this time, Rifkin went out to purchase cement and a large mortar pan. His upstairs bedroom yielded 75 pieces of womens jewelry, photographs Rifkin had taken of several unidentified women, various items of feminine clothing, makeup cases, a womans curling iron, wallets and pocketbooks, plus a mixed bag of ID cards. On February 20, 1989, Joel Rifkin perpetrated his first homicide by killing Heidi Balch in her home in East Meadow. He was living with his mother and sister at the time of his arrest. 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. Rambo hasnt died and he hasnt found some sort of peace in his life that means hes going to stop fighting. Eftimiades, Maria. Theyre never disturbed by the sounds of murdering, just stereo. "I don't know. Rifkin later claimed that he asked for a lawyer at least 20 times and was always refused, investigators telling him he couldnt speak with counsel until you give us one more homicide. The written transcript of his interview, presumably reconstructed from memory, suggests that Rifkin was offered a lawyer and declined. You dont even use a name, its just initials. At the police station, Rifkin was asked if he had killed anybody else. Elaines boyfriend had resisted her earlier suggestion to change his name, but now hes ready to make a switch. Rifkins last victim, Tiffany Bresciani, was another southern girl. the New York Daily News reported at the time. An addiction to drugs would derail that dreamand influence herto enter the world of sex workand begin topless dancing, according to Newsday. It is in their nature to take action, sometimes before they think about it well. Known as Joel the Ripper, he murdered and dismembered at least nine women in New York. Rifkin was ultimately sentenced to 203 years in prison, where he remains to this day. Except for his grades, Joel was the stereotypical nerd, in glasses and high-water pants with white socks. Joel Rifkin Death Fact Check Joel is alive and kicking and is currently 64 years old. June 29, 1993. According to astrologers, the presence of Aries always marks the beginning of something energetic and turbulent. "He was very matter of fact about it. Yun Lee: Authorities believe Lee, 31, was strangled to death on September 23, 1991, Thought Co. reports. The Terminator could easily take out John Wick and he wouldnt even see it coming. Instead, he concocted an elaborate fantasy affair, frustrated beyond endurance when she failed to reciprocate his secret passion. Sheriff Teasle hated Rambo because he represented a threat to his own power base. 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. Rifkin believed his victim would never be found, but he had been careless. Orvieto, 28, disappeared in Dec. 1991. Married to a pro football player in 1986 and divorced the following year, she had come to New York in search of an acting career, but wound up doing drugs and living on the streets. This guy couldnt even count to 10. In his down time, idling between jobs and classes, Rifkin dreamed of becoming a famous writer, churning out fragments of bleak poetry. His trial lawyer, John Lawrence of Mineola, planned an insanity defense, but that allowed Klein to introduce evidence of all of Rifkins murders. The Associated Press contributed to this report. 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. Theyre perfectionists who enjoy finer things but are not perceived as snobs. By clicking Sign up, you agree to our privacy policy. Lockdown. DNA tests confirmed her identity. It was really unnerving., Marie Alonso, left,mother of Joel Rifkin victim Anna Lopez, shares an emotional moment with Margarita Gonzales,mother of victim Jenny Soto, outside of Nassau County Court in Mineolaon July 7, 1993. As per our current Database, Joel Rifkin is still alive (as per Wikipedia, Last update: May 10, 2020). He bought Williams a fix that night, then tried to choke her when she dozed off in his mothers car. He was confined to his cell at the Attica Correctional Facility for 23 hours a day. As much as I say I wanted to stop, there probably wouldve been others, he admitted. So who were the women who lost their lives to this disturbingkiller? Wiles Stabile. Jane Doe #1: Rifkin killed an unidentified woman in December 1991 by strangling her to death during sex. get yours now before they are gone forever. From 1989 to 1993, a serial killer stalked New York City. He was only caught because of a small mistake, and he would have kept killing, he admits. (It was still there, waiting for detectives, at the time of Joels arrest.) According to the outlet, Rifkin admitted to the other slayings during questioning. Performance & security by Cloudflare. He was still so tense when he got out of his car that he said he sprained his back. Rifkin said. Her mother, Victoria ONeill, told the newspaper she had last seen her daughter on July 16, 1992. Fred Klein, shown in his office at Hofstra Universityon June 13, was the lead Nassau County prosecutor in the Joel Rifkincase. The Joel Rifkin reference certainly grounds Seinfeld 's episode in its own time, but its the idea that O.J. Prosecutor Fred Klein described Rifkin as a killing machine who acted in deliberate, premediated and methodical ways to carry out his gruesome murders. They also sought to suppress his initial admission of Brescianis murder, made at the time of his arrest, while claiming that police had lacked sufficient probable cause for a legal search of Rifkins truck.