He is now in Clinton Correctional Facility in Dannemora, near the Canadian border. As he strangled her, Rifkin recalled, She did nothing, just accepted it. He remembered her murder as one of the weird ones.. New York State Police escort Joel Rifkin, 34, a landscaper from East Meadow, to a holding cell after charging him with second-degree murder in East Farmingdale, L.I. BOB STRONG/AFP/Getty Images Trending News "He always seemed like he was slower or a step behind," Fred Reiter, who lived next door to Rifkin in East Meadow, New Yorkgrowing up, recalls in the special. What is the current air quality in Salem Oregon? About to leave, he was confronted by patrolmen who accused him of illegal dumping, but Joel persuaded them he was collecting junk instead. They also found a blood-stained wheelbarrow and chainsaw at the residence. 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. The New York Times Next Up Episode 5: Oak Beach Barbara Jacobs: Jacobs was killed on July 14, 1991. Jenny Soto is one of Joel Rifkin's victims. Right?, Oh, he was kind of quiet. I love these neighbors, he continues. 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. Still, it would take years for authorities to formally identify her, as "Susie" wasn't her real name. 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. Whats in a name? Another colleague chimes in, adding Hey, Elaine, listen. 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. He would be eligible for parole only in 2197, at the age of 238. Out of the 17 women Rifkin said he murdered, two have yet to be identified. Simpson. 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. March 27, 2013 / 3:17 PM They could learn life skills, like write a check, parenting skills just how to livetheir lives in a safe way. When authorities searched Rifkin's East Meadow home, they found all the evidence they needed:clothing, jewelry, drivers licenses, library cards, and credit cards belonging to approximately 10 women. Pulitzer, Lisa, and Joan Swirsky. Joel Rifkin was born in the Year of the Pig. Thirty minutes later, Sale and Rifkin appeared before Judge John Kingston, entering a preliminary plea of not guilty on the Bresciani murder. In its year in review, Newsday described 1993 as Long Islands own annus horribilis the year that violence, abuse, bloody mayhem and sexual perversion tore at the fabric of Nassau and Suffolk Counties suburban life.. "Back in the late 80s and early 90s, it really was not hard to get away with such crimes," said Mladinich. He drifted in and out of jobs, mostly living at home, enjoying one brief relationship with a girl who recalls him as sweet, but always depressed. A pair of womens panties lay on the floor, near a stockpile of rope and tarp. Although Rifkin often hired prostitutes in Brooklyn and Manhattan, he lived in East Meadow, a suburban town on Long Island. Her severed head was found in March 1989 on a New Jersey golf course, but for almost 25 years investigators were unable to positively identify the remains because Balch hadused various names and Social Security numbers. Rifkin was transferred at once to the Nassau County Correctional Facility in East Meadow. In June of that year, he murdered Bresciani, a 22-year-old who left Louisiana for Los Angeles before arriving inNew York. 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. Another time, Rifkin made it as far as a local pizza parlor with his date, but the same bullies chased them out, pursuing the couple on foot until Joel and the girl found refuge in a public library. Fred Klein, shown in his office at Hofstra Universityon June 13, was the lead Nassau County prosecutor in the Joel Rifkincase. 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. Wiles Stabile. Rifkin had reached the detonation point. These girls think, I cant be touched, Rifkin explained. Crack addict Mary Ellen DeLuca, a 22-year-old Long Island native, was last seen alive at 11:00 p.m. on September 1, 1991, when she left a group of friends to earn the price of her next fix. Even the parents of his victims didnt seem to miss Rifkins prey. Corcoran said it played a role in his promotion from lieutenant to captain. Lockdown. State and local detectives found Balch's aunt in New York, who identified her picture this month. "Joel never expressed any remorse whatsoever to me," said Mladinich. That explained Rifkins use of Noxema. Rifkin could not recall the name of number six, murdered a few days shy of Christmas 1991. He spent more than four years in solitary confinement I dont care what someone did. There, Rifkin testified himself in a pretrial hearing to contest that his confession was voluntary. In the trunk was the decaying body of his last victim. Orval was killed by John Rambo after he went into the mountains with his bloodhounds, which he went to use to hunt Rambo down. The neighbor always survives to do the interview afterwards. Something about Joel Rifkin set him apart, an undefined quality that made him an immediate outsider, natural prey to all manner of bullies. "We kept asking him, 'What about this one?'" In March 1989, Rifkin, who admitted he had often fantasized about strangling women during sex, turned his disturbing ideas into reality. They trade suggestions for a possible new name, and of course, they cant come close to agreeing. Rambo hasnt died and he hasnt found some sort of peace in his life that means hes going to stop fighting. Tragedy plus time equals comedy, so its been said. Hikers found her on May 9 after they spied a withered hand protruding from the ground. At the time, she was pursuing her dreams of becoming a singer and actress. Joel waited more than a year to claim his second victim. 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. She hailed from Metairie, Louisiana, and had been drawn to New York by dreams of acting or dancing. Lauren Marquez: Marquez, 28, was found dead in Westhampton. "Joel was a bit of an eccentric," said Mladinich. A shy, awkward child, he was a target for bullies. Rifkin was booked at Hempstead, where homicide detectives launched a marathon interrogation. Rifkin was dispassionate, referring to the murders as events or incidents, listing his victims by number. Rifkin consigned her remains to the waters surrounding Manhattan. In February 1987, Rifkin's adoptive father committed suicide to end the pain of cancer, thereby increasing Rifkins depression. In many ways, it was almost like a tsunami.. If you are interested in joining our team, contact us at I saw him as artistically inclined. 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. 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. Rifkin said. Homicide detectives began interrogating Rifkin at 8:25 a.m. on June 28, 1993. WebJoel Rifkin, best known for being a Criminal, was born in New York, United States on Tuesday, January 20, 1959. Rambo: Last Blood is currently in theaters. "Where I am right now today, I know this is the best placefor me," he says. But Susie has never been identified. All rights reserved. Through newly revealed interviews from Attica Correctional Facility, New York's most prolific serial killer, Joel Rifkin, reveals exclusive insights into the mind of a monster. WebJoel 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 it is believed he had up to 17 victims. Welcome to November, the month when, according to some studies, serial killers and mass murderers are most likely to be born. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. He maintained his interest in photography and horticulture, but failed to make either a paying proposition. Despite his history of morbid fantasy, Rifkin would later claim he had to plan the murder of his first victim, in March 1989. They drove to a point near the Manhattan Bridge, Rifkin clutching at her throat without the usual preliminaries. Five more patrol cars joined the convoy, sirens wailing, before the Mazdas driver missed a turn in Mineola and crashed his truck into a telephone pole at 3:36 a.m. It was nearly 8 p.m. when authorities presented Jeanne Rifkin with a search warrant, scouring her two-story house for evidence against the man who appeared to be New Yorks most prolific serial killer. "He said he wanted to feel some remorse or feel some humanity towards them. Oh please, please, please change your name to O.J.! 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. Jury selection for Rifkins first trial, before Wexner, began on April 11, 1994. 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. In 1989, Rifkin picked up a sex worker named "Susie." As much as I say I wanted to stop, there probably wouldve been others,Joel Rifkin said of the likelihood he would have continued to kill if he hadnt been caught in 1993. I had sex with her, and then I killed her. In case there is such a thing as reincarnation, I want you to spend your second life in prison.. 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. Joel Rifkin, 34, is transferred to District Court 29 June, 1993 in Farmingdale, NY after police said he confessed to killing as many as 17 women. Fox News Flash top entertainment and celebrity headlines are here. Rifkins first victim of 1993 was Leah Evens, a 28-year-old who lived with her mother in Brooklyn. With no money, Rifkin attempted to hold down a job, but that also became another unsuccessful moment in his life. she suggested, inspired by O.J. How far is Las Vegas from the California coast? 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. She wasnt what they said she was, Gonzales said. He was living with his mother and sister at the time of his arrest. They can disappear for months, hetold CBS New Yorkin 2011. By unanimous decision, a New York appellate court refused to lift the lockdown in June 2000. WebLearn about Joel Rifkin Net Worth, Biography, Age, Birthday, Height, Early Life, Family, Dating, Partner, Wiki and Facts. Rifkin wedged Lee into the same trunk hed used for Mary DeLuca and dropped her in the East River. They opened the truck and found Bresciani. He was also an academic failure, suffering from undiagnosed dyslexia despite a tested IQ of 128. Hopewell Police Chief George Meyer tells The Times of Trenton that New York authorities have no interest in prosecuting the case because Rifkin is already behind bars. This is truly a one of a kind collectors item for anyone interested in the macabre world of true crime, prison art or the strange world of murderabelia. There was another oil drum victim, Joel insists, although he doesnt know her name and cant recall exactly when he dropped her body in the Harlem River. Lorraine Orvieto: Orvieto, 28, disappeared in Dec. 1991. Jenny Soto was the last victim of 1992, a 23-year-old addict whose many trips to detox never turned her life around. For the first time in his life, he made straight As for two consecutive semesters, rewarded by selection for an internship at the prestigious Planting Fields Arboretum in Oyster Bay, New York. Rifkin didn't display the typical signs of a budding murderer. That one was easy.' Elaines boyfriend had resisted her earlier suggestion to change his name, but now hes ready to make a switch. Stephen Urbanski says Balch worked as a prostitute in New York City and used numerous aliases. He rolled Soto into the Harlem River, near the spot where Yun Lee had been found 14 months earlier. He will be eligible for parole in 2197. Before the day was done, Rifkin, now 59, had written out a detailed description of how he had murdered 17 women who were working as prostitutes. ", 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. That may explain his failure to perform as Lee went to work. 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. The oil drum worked so well for Rifkin that he purchased several more for use as makeshift coffins. Some were on land. Her case remained unsolved until Rifkin confessed in 1993. With Joel Rifkin, Julian Attaway, Robert Mladinich, Sean Ruane. 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. Instead of fighting back, Rifkin invited them to watch TV and drink beer at his house. Throughout his trial and incarceration, Rifkin still could not explain one thing: why. 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. ", First published on March 27, 2013 / 3:17 PM. There was really no coordination between police precincts. He enjoyed the photography club but turned in his usual lackluster academic performance over the next two years, before dropping out in 1980. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. We have to be more aware when we see people who have been exposed to so much meanness, so much emotional brutality, physical brutality. WebJoel 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. Klein became chief of Nassaus Major Offense Bureau soon afterward. Mladinich, Robert. Performance & security by Cloudflare. Get an all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! Her slaying capped his own frenzied acceleration period and left him with embarrassing wounds to explain. When police approached the vehicle, they noticed an absolutely overwhelming odor, according to Newsday. Family (1) Spouse Iva Rifkin ( 28 August 1966 - present) Trivia (10) 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. And police weren't aware that one man was specifically targeting sex workers in the area. 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. During the course of the episode, Rifkin underwent a brain scan to see if abnormal brain chemistry could have possibly made him more likely to commit murder. 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. A woman whose severed head was found on a New Jersey golf course more than 20 years ago has been identified, and police say the trail leads to a notorious serial killer. Table ranking Historys Most Deadly Events: Influenza pandemic (1918-19) 20-40 million deaths; black death/plague (1348-50), 20-25 million deaths, AIDS pandemic (through 2000) 21.8 million deaths, World War II (1937-45), 15.9 million deaths, and World War I (1914-18) 9.2 million deaths. Yun Lee: Authorities believe Lee, 31, was strangled to death on September 23, 1991, Thought Co. reports. She was actually a woman named Heidi Balch, who had used various identities throughout the years. get yours now before they are gone forever. both were veterans, but Teasle was ruler of his own little fiefdom and wanted to keep it. Joel David Rifkin: New York's Most Prolific Serial Killer. Seven months later, Simpsons name became connected to murder. As before, Joel cut most of his classes, focused for the most part on repairing his truck, renting video porn and trolling for prey. Get the best of Fox News' entertainment coverage, right in your inbox. (Robert Mladinich). Officers staked out the house in East Meadow, where Rifkin lived with his sister and elderly mother. Compatible with Rabbit or Goat. Her torso surfaced in the Hudson River, wrapped in black plastic, while her arms and legs were found in a discarded suitcase. Create a free profile to get unlimited access to exclusive videos, breaking news, sweepstakes, and more! She fought him, resisting strangulation until he snapped her neck. Rifkin found her on May 25, 1992, Memorial Day, working Atlantic Avenue in Queens, and retired to a nearby residential street for sex. In the documentary, readers will learn how Rifkin was a meek, mild-mannered child. Elaines boyfriend had resisted her earlier suggestion to change his name, but now hes ready to make a switch. Jane Doe #2: A second unidentified woman was killed some time during 1991. I was breathing heavily. Market data provided by Factset. the New York Daily News reported at the time. One high school date was scuttled after fellow track team members trapped him in the gym and pelted him with eggs, forcing Joel to call his father for help. disposed of the bodies all over New York state, from a Brooklyn creek to an Orange County town. Maryann Holloman, age 39, was retrieved from Coney Island Creek in her oil drum on July 9, two days before passers-by found the skeletal remains of Lorraine Orvieto nearby. In 1988 Rifkin enrolled in a two-year horticulture-study program at the State College of Technology in Farmingdale, New York. From the motel, he drove upstate to Orange County and left DeLucas body at a rest stop outside Cornwall, near West Point. 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. And in a moment that really tested the "too soon?" Soto also had a past record for prostitution, but her family insisted she had been getting her life together before she was killed. Michael Ahearn, then the chief of the Suffolk district attorneys Homicide Bureau, recalled how Rifkin continually corrected him during cross-examination. Credit: Newsday/K. It's like my own little nightmare scenarios.". Joel left his parents several times, renting small apartments, but he was never gone long, always moving home again when his latest job fell through. He wanted to know why he lacked that empathy and humanity. 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. "Rifkin on Rifkin: Private Confessions of a Serial Killer,". Five months after Rifkin was caught, "Seinfeld" released an episode titled "The Masseuse" in which Elaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) is dating a man named Joel Rifkin (Anthony Cistaro) at the same time the murderer was drawing headlines. 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. Joel Rifkins zodiac sign is Aquarius. At the police station, Rifkin was asked if he had killed anybody else. At the time, there was no more thought than stomping on a bug or a cockroach. At age 33, Anna Lopez had three children by three different fathers, but she worked the streets primarily to feed her own cocaine addiction. They never kill the neighbor. 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. They cite physical evidence and Rifkin's statements in linking Balch's killing to him. A forensic anthropologist was hired to reconstruct the victims face, but Rifkin confessed before the model was finished. 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. He didn't wet the bed or torture animals or start fires. She was found by a fisherman on July 11, 1992, two months before her family filed a missing persons report. Eftimiades, Maria. "Leah was not a throwaway," Evans' friend tearfully says in the special. This addictioncrippled him, as he had to to leavecollege before finishing and was unable to ever really hold down a job. In this exclusive sneak peek from April 10's new Oxygen special, Rifkin on Rifkin: Private Confessions of a Serial Killer, Joel Rifkin detailed a murder he committed. Rifkin transferred to the state university at Brockport, a Rochester suburb, in fall 1978. At least 10 dead after winter storm slams South, Midwest, The Saturday Six: Dental device controversy, scientist's bug find and more, Indonesia fuel depot fire kills 18; more than a dozen missing, Biden had cancerous skin lesion removed last month, doctor says, Tom Sizemore, actor known for "Saving Private Ryan" and "Heat," dies at 61, Defense lawyers in Idaho killings case want gag order kept, Alex Murdaugh sentenced to life in prison for murders of wife and son. After strangling Lopez in his car, Rifkin drove through the night to Brewster, in Putnam County, and dumped her corpse along I-84. He killed mostly prostitutes and drug addicts; he was convicted of nine murders, although he is believed to have killed many more. 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. In an exclusive 2011 interview with CBS-2's Mary Calvi, Rifkin talked about his killing spree. 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. But he accelerated, speeding down the next off-ramp, into the streets of Wantagh. I wouldn't sleep with my back to him if I were you, cracks a colleague. Prosecutor Fred Klein described Rifkin as a killing machine who acted in deliberate, premediated and methodical ways to carry out his gruesome murders. Create a free profile to get unlimited access to exclusive videos, breaking news, sweepstakes, and more! 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. Joel would not strike again for 15 weeks, and when he did, he would take better care to hide his tracks. "As much as I say I wanted to stop, there probably would've been others. In November, he pleaded guilty to the Sanchez homicide in Queens and to three more counts in Brooklyn: victims Orvieto, Holloman and the Jane Doe killed in 1992. Orvieto, 28, disappeared in Dec. 1991. Rifkin, a former landscaper, was stopped by police on a routine traffic stop when a Long Island officer noticed his front license plate was missing, CBS New York reports. A failure in athletics, Rifkin joined the yearbook staff, and promptly had his camera stolen. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. In every high school, theres a kid that doesnt get girls,but they dont go ahead and murder 17 women.". Despite a tested IQ of 128, Joel did poorly in school, at least part of his problem traceable to the merciless teasing of class-mates. 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. 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. Known as Joel the Ripper, he murdered and dismembered at least nine women in New York. 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. ", "There was always a fascination with strangulations. According to Robert Mladinich in From the Mouth of the Monster, Joels fantasies included some bondage and some rape, plus a gladiator type thing with two girls that would fight to the death. In some daydreams he raped and stabbed women, but his fantasy victims were silent, just passive about it. After a 1972 viewing of Alfred Hitchcocks Frenzy, loosely based on Londons Jack the Ripper homicides of 1964-65, he fixated on strangling prostitutes. Oxygen Insider is your all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more. He had forgotten names of several victims and knew others only by their street names. He directed police to the remains of Lauren Marquez and Iris Sanchez, found five hours apart on June 29, but Julie Blackbird was gone forever. 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. Decomposition made it impossible to determine a cause of death, and she was buried nameless, unidentified until June 1993. New York: St. Martins Press, 1993. This is a savings of over $100! He was eventually acquitted. Rifkin responded to the news by firing Soshnick on the spot, leaving Lawrence, a lawyer with no criminal experience, to wage the battle alone. (Photo by Andrew Savulich/NY Daily News Archive via Getty Images). A chainsaw found in the garage was stained with blood and bits of human flesh.