New Jersey Cold Case Linked to Notorious Serial Killer
Richard Cottingham, the so-called Torso Killer, has been charged with the 1968 murder of dance teacher Diane Cusick.
A 54-year-old unsolved murder case has been solved by DNA evidence, and the perpetrator is a notorious serial killer who operated in New York and New Jersey for more than a decade.
The murder of Diane Cusick
Diane Cusick was a 23-year-old teacher at Wakefield Dance Studio in the New Jersey community of Oceanside in 1968.
On the evening of February 15th, she had taught a class until 7:00 PM and called her parents to say she planned to stop off at the nearby Green Acres Mall to purchase a new pair of dancing shoes.
However, as the hours ticked by, Diane’s parents became concerned. By 10:30 PM, they decided to drive to the mall to see if they could see any sign of the young woman.
Diane’s Plymouth Valiant car was still in the parking lot — and inside they discovered a scene no parent should ever have to face. Diane’s body lay in the back seat, her hands bound and a bandage over her mouth.
She had been beaten, raped and strangled to death. Although horrified investigators followed leads from…
