Notorious 'Torso Killer' confesses to another killing

The Fair Lawn Police Department announced connected Tuesday the closure of the 1965 execution lawsuit of 18-year-old Alys Eberhardt.

"Alys was conscionable 18 years aged erstwhile her beingness was tragically taken successful her household location successful 1965. For astir six decades, her household lived without answers. While thing tin undo this loss, we anticipation that contiguous yet brings immoderate measurement of bid to those who person carried this symptom for truthful long," the section wrote connected Facebook.

Eberhardt was recovered dormant successful her family's location astatine the property of 18 successful Fair Lawn, N.J., a suburb conscionable extracurricular of Manhattan.

Richard Cottingham, known arsenic the "Torso Killer," confessed to the murder, giving constabulary details "that were ne'er publically known," the section said.

NEW HAMPSHIRE COLD CASE SOLVED 50 YEARS AFTER FBI FORENSIC LAB REPORT LET KILLER ESCAPE JUSTICE

Convicted serial slayer Richard Cottingham, known arsenic the "Times Square Killer," is pictured via video nexus successful Supreme Court successful Nassau County, New York, connected Monday, Dec. 5, 2022. (Rebecca White/New York Daily News/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)

"After the lawsuit was reopened successful 2021, Fair Lawn detectives worked tirelessly to re-examine the investigation," constabulary said. "Over the people of respective years, and done countless interviews and persistent effort, Richard Cottingham yet provided a afloat confession, including details that were ne'er publically known."

Fair Lawn Police Chief Joseph Dawicki memorialized Eberhardt successful a statement, saying she was a "vibrant young nursing pupil who was taken from our assemblage acold excessively soon."

"While we tin ne'er bring her back, I americium hopeful that her household tin find immoderate bid knowing the idiosyncratic liable has confessed and tin nary longer harm anyone else," Dawicki added.

FLORIDA COLD CASE BREAKTHROUGHS: SHERIFF’S UNIT CRACKS TWO LONG-UNSOLVED KILLINGS

Michael Smith, who was identified by respective quality outlets arsenic Eberhardt's nephew, responded to the Fair Lawn Police Department's station with a connection from the family. In the statement, Smith wrote astir the important closure that the improvement has brought his household and thanked the Fair Lawn Police Department for its enactment connected the case.

"Our household has waited since 1965 for the truth. To person this quality during the holidays — and to beryllium capable to archer my mother, Alys’s sister, that we yet person answers — was a infinitesimal I ne'er thought would come," Smith wrote. "As Alys’s nephew, I americium profoundly moved that our household tin yet grant her representation with the truth."

"Richard Cottingham is the personification of evil, yet I americium grateful that adjacent helium has yet chosen to reply the questions that person haunted our household for decades. We volition ne'er cognize why, but astatine slightest we yet cognize who," Smith added.

Richard Cottingham makes a distant quality successful a courtroom successful Mineola, N.Y., Dec. 5, 2022. (Seth Wenig, File/AP Photo)

PENNSYLVANIA GIRL’S CHURCH MURDER SOLVED AFTER FAMILY CONFESSION HELPS IDENTIFY KILLER

Cottingham, 79, has been imprisoned since his 1980 arrest. He is serving 3 beingness sentences astatine the South Woods State Prison successful Bridgeton, New Jersey. He has claimed work for up to 100 homicides going backmost to the 1960s, though authorities successful New York and New Jersey person officially linked him to astir a twelve of the crimes, The Associated Press reported.

Cottingham, who is wide known arsenic the "Torso Killer" due to the fact that helium brutally dismembered immoderate of his victims, has confessed to assorted killings implicit the years.

In April 2021, Cottingham admitted to committing the slayings of 17-year-old Mary Ann Pryor and 16-year-old Lorraine Marie Kelly successful 1974, the AP reported. He pleaded blameworthy to kidnapping the girls and raping them for days earlier drowning them successful a motel country bathtub, according to the AP. The outlet noted that the 2 girls were past seen connected Aug. 9, 1974, successful North Bergen, N.J. The girls reportedly told household that they were heading to the promenade via autobus to get bathing suits for an upcoming travel to the Jersey Shore.

Richard Cottingham getting cuffed aft the verdict.  (Peter Karas - The Record/USA TODAY Network)

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

In 2022, helium admitted to sidesplitting 5 women successful the New York City country successful the precocious 1960s and aboriginal 1970s, the AP reported. Cottingham was sentenced to 25 years to beingness for the 1968 sidesplitting of 23-year-old Diane Cusick but received immunity from prosecution connected the different 4 killings arsenic portion of a plea deal. He was antecedently convicted of sidesplitting 3 women successful New York and 2 successful bluish New Jersey.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.