Janet Cottingham was once married to a notorious serial killer, Richard Cottingham, who terrorized New York and New Jersey with his brutal murders of at least 80 young women and girls. He was known by various nicknames, such as the “New York Ripper,” the “Torso Killer,” and the “Times Square Killer,” for his gruesome methods and locations of killing. Janet filed for divorce in 1979, but changed her mind when he was arrested in 1980. She finally divorced him in 1981, after he was convicted and sentenced to life in prison.
Janet had three children with Richard: two sons and a daughter. She moved with them to Poughkeepsie in the mid-1980s, hoping to escape the media attention and start a new life. She has been living a quiet and low-key life ever since, avoiding the public eye and the horrors of her past.
This is what we know about her so far.
A Look At Janet Cottingham’s Biography
Janet Cottingham has always shunned the spotlight and avoided the media, making her personal history a mystery. The only clue we have about her possible birth date and place is from her former husband, Richard Cottingham, who was born on November 25, 1946, in the Bronx, New York. He is now 78 years old. She might have shared the same period of birth with him, implying that they could be within the same age bracket.
Nothing is known about Janet’s early life, education, or family background. Richard, on the other hand, grew up with his parents and three sisters in River Vale. He went to Pascack Valley High School, where he was a track athlete.
He later became a computer operator for Blue Cross/Blue Shield in Manhattan. Janet’s employment status, if any, remains unknown.
She Was Married To Richard Cottingham For Nearly A Decade
Janet Cottingham married Richard Cottingham on May 3, 1970. The wedding ceremony took place at Our Lady of Lourdes Church in Queens Village, Queens, New York City. At the time of the wedding, her ex-husband was barely 24 years old, indicating she probably married at a young age. Immediately after the wedding, they settled down in New Jersey.
Eight years into the marriage, she filed for divorce in April 1978. Her reasons for filing for divorce include abandonment and mental cruelty, and she indicated he refused to have s*x with her after the birth of their child, stayed out until morning, and left with her insufficient household funds.
In May 1980, she withdrew her petition after he was arrested for trying to murder Leslie Ann O’Dell at a Hasbrouck Heights Quality Inn’s room 117. A year later, she completed the divorce process after he was convicted.
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Janet Cottingham Shared Three Children With Her Ex-Husband: They Relocated After He Was Convicted
Janet Cottingham gave birth to three children, two boys and a girl, during her marriage to Richard. Her eldest son, Blair, was born in 1973 and is now 52 years old. Her second son, Scott, came two years later, in 1975, and is currently 50 years old. Her daughter, Jenny, followed in 1976 and is 49 years old today.
After Richard was sentenced and their marriage ended, Janet and her children had no reason to stay in their old home. They moved to Poughkeepsie, New York, in the mid-1980s. Her children were still young at the time, and they needed to escape the media’s attention on Richard’s crimes and killings.
Janet raised her children quietly in Poughkeepsie. They have kept a low profile ever since, and she might still live there.
Here’s A Summary Of Her Ex-Husband’s Crimes And Conviction
As you already know, Richard Cottingham was a monster who lurked in the shadows of New York and New Jersey. He preyed on young women and girls, raping, strangling, and mutilating them with a sadistic lust. He was known as the Torso Killer, the New York Ripper, and the Times Square Killer, for his horrific methods and locations of murder.
He claimed to have killed at least 80 women, but only 18 have been confirmed so far. He started his killing spree in 1967, when he was 21 years old, and continued until 1980, when he was caught red-handed by the police.
As indicated, he was a computer operator by day, and a serial killer by night. He frequented sex clubs and massage parlors, where he often picked up his victims.
He was convicted of five murders and three assaults in three trials that ended in 1984. He received multiple life sentences and is currently incarcerated in New Jersey.
He confessed to four more murders in 2010, and another one in 2020, as part of plea deals that granted him immunity from prosecution. He also admitted to the 1968 rape and murder of Diane Cusick, a Long Island mother of two, in 2022, thanks to a DNA match that linked him to the crime.
Even though he is still behind bars, Richard Cottingham is one of the most notorious and brutal serial killers in American history. He showed no remorse for his actions.
