An American woman befriended her mother's killer to find out the truth about her death

Relatives of murdered people are often willing to do anything to find out the truth about the death of their loved ones. Jennifer Weiss, whose mother was tortured, beheaded and burned by the Times Square killer, became friends with a maniac. She began to communicate closely with the murderer in order to find out information not only about her mother, but also about other victims. Richard Cottingham persecuted, tortured and killed young women and girls. The maniac beheaded the corpses, leaving no traces at the crime scenes. Only now, after dating Jennifer, he began to gradually reveal the truth.

Deedeh Goodarzi was one of two women murdered by serial killer Richard Cottingham in a New York hotel on December 2, 1979. The murderer cut off the heads and hands of Didi and an unknown 16-year-old girl and took them with him. The skulls of the women were never found.

Now the maniac is in prison in New Jersey on charges of murdering at least 11 women and girls. Despite the terrible atrocities, he became friends with Didi's biological daughter, Jennifer Weiss. Jenny says that she made contact with her mother's killer in order to find out the truth about her fate and the fate of other victims.

Jennifer was adopted by a foster family from New Jersey at the age of four. The girl found out the truth about her mother's death when she turned 24. Now the American woman is writing letters to 75-year-old Cottingham in prison. The girl started visiting him in 2017, and since then she has seen him more than 30 times. She believes that this is the only way she can get the necessary information out of him.

In one of the letters, the maniac asked the girl for forgiveness for the murder of her mother. After that, Jennifer decided to come to him on a date to get answers to questions. The American woman says that he is a real psychopath.

Didi Gudarzi was an elite prostitute of Iranian origin. She abandoned her newborn daughter when she was only two weeks old. Information about the girl's biological father could not be found.

According to Cottingham's stories, he had known Didi for two years. This gave Jenny the idea that the maniac could be her biological father. The killer has already agreed to take a DNA test.

For many, a daughter's friendly communication with her mother's killer seems strange. But Jennifer is sure that this is the only way she can learn more about the fate of his victims. She is ready to do anything to get to the truth.

When the daughter of the murdered Didi first came to meet Cottingham, he smiled at her affably. She honestly told the criminal that she was ready to communicate with him in exchange for detailed information about the crimes.

In the early 80s, Richard Cottingham was accused of five murders, and over the next forty years he confessed to committing six more murders. It is assumed that in fact the maniac took the lives of about 80 - 100 people for 17 years.

In April 2021, he confessed to the abduction, torture and drowning of 17-year-old Mary Ann Pryor and 16-year-old Lorraine Marie Kelly in 1974. These confessions the criminal gave thanks to communication with Jenny, because she constantly encourages him to talk about other murders.

The confession to the murders of Mary and Lorraine was the first in which he showed remorse. The maniac said that he did not need to kill the girls, but was afraid that they would turn him over to the police.

Jennifer managed to get Cottingham to talk. He told her about his childhood. The maniac had an insatiable sexual desire, he hardly slept. The murderer believed that he could do whatever he wanted with the victims.

The criminal mainly attacked prostitutes. He wanted to "punish" them, but his victims were teenage girls, pregnant women, and young mothers. Cottingham stripped them, beat them, cut off their heads and breasts. Cigarette burns and stab wounds were found on the bodies. Most of the girls were strangled.

The maniac wanted to demonstrate his superiority over other people. He longed to win, he liked to cheat and steal. Cottingham considered himself the master of life.

Richard Cottingham managed not to come to the attention of the police until 1980 - more than a decade after the first known murder. In the early 70s, he took the life of 29-year-old mother of two children Nancy Vogel (Nancy Vogel). A naked woman was found strangled in a car. The maniac confessed to this murder only in 2010.

Cottingham was looking for his victims in the area of Times Square. From 15.00 to 23.00, he worked for an insurance company in Manhattan, and his wife and three children lived in New Jersey. The criminal managed not to leave any traces behind, so the authorities did not realize that they were dealing with a serial killer.

The maniac was arrested in 1980, after his wife filed for divorce and the number of murders increased. Cottingham was caught hot in a hotel in New Jersey in May 1980, when he tortured another victim. Her screams alarmed the hotel staff. Two weeks earlier, he had killed a woman in the same hotel.

As the killer's health deteriorates, Jennifer Weiss wants to continue communicating with him in order to find out as much information as possible while he is still able to tell something. The daughter of the murdered Didi collaborates with Dr. Peter Vronsky, an investigator and forensic historian. They made a map of other unsolved murders in New Jersey.

Richard Cottingham is serving a life sentence without the right to pardon in a prison in New Jersey. They believe that the true number of murders committed by him will never be known. The maniac will take the truth about his crimes to his grave.

Unfortunately, many victims of violence are simply not believed. Such a terrible injustice happened to Marie Adler from Washington State, who was exposed as a liar and a criminal, despite the fact that she suffered at the hands of a maniac.