Legal Statement. At the time, she was pursuing her dreams of becoming a singer and actress. Another colleague chimes in, adding Hey, Elaine, listen. Joel Rifkin will celebrate 65rd birthday on a Saturday 20th of January 2024. Barbara Jacobs was the next to die, a 31-year-old addict with arrests on her record for auto theft and prostitution. An anonymous caller reported Hollomans floating remains to police on July 9, 1992, two days before Orvietos corpse was found. MADHATTERDESIGN@GMAIL.COM, Like old school VHS Covers? He rolled Soto into the Harlem River, near the spot where Yun Lee had been found 14 months earlier. Theyre intelligent, always seeking more knowledge, and exclusive. In 2000, a state appellate court determined that prison officials had not violated Rifkin's constitutional rights by housing him in isolation. Rifkin was dispassionate, referring to the murders as events or incidents, listing his victims by number. With this information, they were able to identify even more of his victims, the New York Times reported. In many ways, it was almost like a tsunami.. When she was dead, he considered raping her corpse in conscious emulation of serial killer Ted Bundy, but the prospect repulsed him. "Joel was very calm about it," Mladinich continued. He wanted to know why he lacked that empathy and humanity. In February 1987, Rifkins father killed himself to end the pain of cancer, and Joel delivered the eulogy at his funeral. Joel Rifkin Joel Rifkin was an unemployed New York landscaper living a dark double life as a prolific serial killer claiming the lives of 17 women, a staggering total. When asked about the body, Rifkin said, She was a prostitute. There was no emotion whatsoever. The son of unknown parents, he was adopted by Bernard and Jeanne Rifkin when he was three weeks old. He didnt speed up, either, but he kept on driving. 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. In 1965, the family settled in East Meadow, New York, where Rifkin would spend most of his remaining years. Pulitzer, Lisa, and Joan Swirsky. Rifkin did not respond to a request sent to him at Clinton Correctional Facility in upstate Dannemora for comment for this story. 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. There were times he would come up with things about the afterlife, or an energy flow he detected leaving his victims, Lawrence said. 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. Joel Rafkin is still alive. Before Rifkin left for college, he drove to New York City where he picked up a sex worker for the first time. The victims who have been identified, from past Newsday coverage: Privacy Policy |Terms of service |Subscription terms |Your ad choices |Cookie Settings |California Privacy Rights |About Us |Contact Newsday |Reprints & permissions |Advertise with Newsday |Help. Her torso surfaced in the Hudson River, wrapped in black plastic, while her arms and legs were found in a discarded suitcase. Besides a broken neck, Marquez had fractured ribs, though Rifkin claimed he could not remember hitting her. According to the documentary, Rifkin picked up hundreds of sex workersand he eventually left college before finishing. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. She fought him, resisting strangulation until he snapped her neck. WebJoel Rifkin is now serving 203 years to life in the Clinton, N.Y. correctional facility. 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. Joel Rifkin murdered17 women, making him New York's deadliest serial killer. Joel waited more than a year to claim his second victim. He was arrested in Hempstead, in August 1987, after soliciting sex from an undercover policewoman, but he escaped with a nominal fine. "The only difference is that within 20 minutes, we started talking about murder and mayhem. (Photo by Jerry Engel/New York Post Archives /(c) NYP Holdings, Inc. via Getty Images). When they signaled for him to pull over, Rifkin kept driving. The 31-year-olds body was later found inside a plastic bag, stuffed into a cardboard box and thrown into the Hudson River. Dave Insurgent, a member of the 1980s punk band Reagan Youth), and his final victim. "And a lot of them are dangerous people. Ahearn saidRifkins lack of concern for his victims haunted him for years and still does. Their mistake made Rifkin laugh, explaining that the clumsy cops had counted Williams twice. Rifkin didnt stop after his first murder. It is in their nature to take action, sometimes before they think about it well. Its like my own little nightmare scenarios, he said. As much as I say I wanted to stop, there probably wouldve been others, he admitted. They enjoy helping others and are good companions until someone close crosses them, then look out! In 1989, Rifkin picked up a sex worker named "Susie." 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. 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. This includes ebooks of every book and magazine on the site. He also pleaded guilty to two murders in neighboring Suffolk County. Curiously, though, the driver of the pickup did not stop. Joel couldnt wait to play the deadly game again. Some of the bodies already found had not been classified as homicides, Klein said. He researched past crimes for details. The drivers license identified him as 34-year-old Joel David Rifkin, residing on Garden Street in East Meadow, Long Island. Hes not the murderer, she reassures. WebJoel Rifkin murdered 17 women, making him New York's deadliest serial killer. Despite his history of morbid fantasy, Rifkin would later claim he had to plan the murder of his first victim, in March 1989. I just lost control, he said later. Eugene Corcoran, shown onJune 18, was one of the lead investigators in the Joel Rifkin case. Is Joel Rifkin Still Alive 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. Known as Joel the Ripper, he murdered and dismembered at least nine women in New York. Oxygens Serial Killer Week brings viewers inside the minds of the most notorious criminals of all time. He killed mostly prostitutes and drug addicts; he was convicted of nine murders, although he is believed to have killed many more. Instead of fighting back, Rifkin invited them to watch TV and drink beer at his house. He paid a fine and managed to conceal the incident from his mother, ranging farther afield to seek hookers in Manhattan when he felt the urge. With this information, they were able to identify even more of his victims, the New York Times reported. The odor from the truck was immediately overwhelming, Corcoran said, and troopers peeked in the back to see what was under a tarp. Credit: Newsday/Alejandra Villa. 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. , After the Giant game, he says, I realized that this this problem isn't going away.. Elaine told her new beau he should change his name. He dismembered their bodies and disposed theirremains in the New York area. Link your TV provider to stream full episodes and live TV. Joel Rifkin had killed 17 women, and now he was driving around with one in the back of his truck. He had an I.Q. 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 can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked. It came from the dead body of Tiffany Bresciani, 22, the girlfriend of Dave Rubinstein (a.k.a. Rifkin believed his victim would never be found, but he had been careless. Create your free profile and get access to exclusive content. 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. In the trunk was the decaying body of his last victim. she suggested, inspired by O.J. Yourself, New Yorks Deadliest Serial It did change me personally, he said. Joel picked her up on July 13, 1991, and took her home to East Meadow for sex. We have to be more aware when we see people who have been exposed to so much meanness, so much emotional brutality, physical brutality. This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks. . Joel Rifkin is currently serving a life sentence. Joel David Rifkin (born January 20, 1959) is an American serial killer convicted of the murder of 9 women (although it is believed he killed as many as 17), mostly drug addicted prostitutes, between 1989 and 1993 in New York City. If he were to receive any money, it would be subject to state laws that earmark most of the award for the families of his victims. They were so decomposed that no signs of violence were visible, and medical examiners had mistakenly concluded that some had died of drug overdoses, he said. 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. Credit: AP/Pool Photo/ Bill Turnbull. From breaking news to special features and documentaries, the NewsdayTV team is covering the issues that matter to you. He maintained his interest in photography and horticulture, but failed to make either a paying proposition. Joel delivered a eulogy at his fathers funeral, moving the mourners to tears, and his depression deepened. 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. So altogether that makes 299 kills by one man so far, and theres still two more films to come. Unlike Orvieto, Holloman was identified from dental records and returned to her family for burial. It was hell from day one. Decomposition made it impossible to determine a cause of death, and she was buried nameless, unidentified until June 1993. His rage and self-loathing only grew, according to the special. Over the years, he was also bullied at school, which left him angry and isolated as he desperately sought his fathers approval. 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. 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. 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. Rifkins father was chronically ill. A heavy smoker, already afflicted with emphysema, Bernard was diagnosed with prostate cancer in fall 1986. He was living with his mother and sister at the time of his arrest. 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,, The whole city is talking about this monster. Arraigned for the Bresciani homicide on July 15, 1993, Rifkin repeated his plea of not guilty. Joel Rifkin Bresciani, 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. Rifkin found Orvieto on December 26, 1991, in Bayshore, Long Island. These are more like giant, professionally produced graphic novels. Her slaying capped his own frenzied acceleration period and left him with embarrassing wounds to explain. Mary Catherine Williams: Mary Catherine Williams, 31, was linked to Rifkin after some of her credit cards were found among Rifkins belongings, according to a Newsday article from 1993. There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase, a SQL command or malformed data. As per our current Database, Joel Rifkin is still alive (as per Wikipedia, Last update: May 10, 2020). Appearing for the state, Dr. Park Dietz--earlier a prosecution witness against Arthur Shawcross, Jeffrey Dahmer and John Hinckley--found Rifkin sick but not insane. By the time Rifkin was done taking guilty pleas throughout the area, he had been sentenced to 203 1/3 years to life in prison. As the hearing dragged on, Rifkins lawyers alienated Judge Wexner by Soshnick repeatedly arriving late for court and unprepared and Lawrence missing whole days. Please, it would be so great!. By that time, Ruane and Spaargaren had smelled his reeking cargo, moving toward the rear bed of the truck, where something long and thick was wrapped in plastic, bound with rope. Birthday: January 20, 1959 How Old - Age: 64 Recently Passed Away Celebrities and Famous People. Soto also had a past record for prostitution, but her family insisted she had been getting her life together before she was killed. 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. Rambo: The Franchises 10 Most Brutal Kills. Rifkin admitted to the 17 slayings after his May 1994 murder conviction in Nassau County. Throughout the 1980s, Rifkin worked a series of odd jobs around Long Island, seldom staying long at any. 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. His trial lawyer, John Lawrence of Mineola, planned an insanity defense, but that allowed Klein to introduce evidence of all of Rifkins murders. Another suppression hearing failed to quash his confession, whereupon Rifkin pleaded guilty on both counts, receiving two more consecutive terms of 25 years to life in prison. Back in East Meadow, Jeanne Rifkin found officers circling her house by mid-morning. Rifkin's lawsuit seeks $50,000 for each of his 1,540 days in solitary confinement (totaling $77 million). The appointment was an honor, and it had an unexpected bonus. 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. Joel Rifkin is a member of Criminal Does Joel Rifkin Dead or Alive? The 23-year-oldwas wearing only a T-shirt. Back at the landscaping lot, Rifkin stuffed her into an oil drum, drove her body to Brooklyn and dropped it into Coney Island Creek. Real-life romance eluded Rifkin, for the most part. The prison van carried him past the high school where he had graduated 16 years before. "Last Christmas (1991) she came home and we begged and begged her not to go back to New York," she said. 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. But Susie has never been identified. 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). She was found by a fisherman on July 11, 1992, two months before her family filed a missing persons report. She would not be found until June 1993, when Rifkin drew detectives a map. 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. 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. The action you just performed triggered the security solution. Out in the garage, they found a wheelbarrow and a chainsaw stained with human gore. Joel Rifkin Prison was an exaggerated replay of high school, with constant threats and taunts from other convicts. 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. Rifkin launched into great detail about each of the 17 women he killed, even drawing maps of where the bodies were. Neighbors recalled strange odors emanating from Rifkins garage, but they had assumed he stored insecticides there, for use in his garden and landscaping business. Several months later, the football star was charged with murdering his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman. (It was still there, waiting for detectives, at the time of Joels arrest.) Instead, he picked up a souvenir howitzer shell and beat her furiously. A motorist stopping to relieve himself found Lopez the next day. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. Faced with pistols now, the solemn driver gave his license up and stepped out of the car. At the time, there was no more thought than stomping on a bug or a cockroach. The victim was prostitute Julie Blackbird, selected for her pseudo-Madonna look. Rifkin drove her home to East Meadow when his mother was again out of town, and they spent the night together. Its part of Serial Killer Week, a nine-day event on Oxygen diving into the most fearsome and fascinating criminals of all time. WebPrison officials decided in 1996 that Rifkin was so notorious that his presence in the general prison population could be disruptive. 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. NASHVILLE TV PRODUCER VERONICA BOZZAS MURDER EXPLORED IN TRUE CRIME DOC: THE WHOLE THING WAS SENSELESS, O.J.