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Cold case

Cold Case Cracked: NJ Bank Worker's Killer Arrested After 36 Years On The Run, Cops Say Cold Case Cracked: NJ Bank Worker's Killer Arrested After 36 Years On The Run, Cops Say
Cold Case Cracked: NJ Bank Worker's Killer Arrested After 36 Years On The Run, Cops Say A North Carolina man has been arrested in connection with a 1990 murder in New Jersey, authorities said. Robert William McCaffrey Jr., 54, of Manteo, North Carolina, was taken into custody at 8 p.m. on Friday, April 10 by a multistate task force in the killing of Lisa Marie McBride,  Sussex County Prosecutor Daniel Perez said. McCaffrey is charged with first-degree murder, kidnapping, and burglary in the death of McBride, whose killing occurred on June 23, 1990, in Vernon Township, authorities said.  Investigators said the decades-old case was solved through advancements in DNA t…
Murder Of Convenience Store Clerk In Saratoga County Still Unsolved 32 Years On Murder Of Convenience Store Clerk In Saratoga County Still Unsolved 32 Years On
Murder Of Convenience Store Clerk In Saratoga County Still Unsolved 32 Years On Over three decades after Betty Conley was shot and killed while working at a Saratoga County convenience store, her killer has yet to face justice. The murder happened in the town of Charlton, at the Xtra Mart on State Route 67, at around 3 a.m. on July 8, 1993. The 37-year-old Conley was working an overnight shift when someone shot her once in the head, killing her, according to sheriff’s officials. Following the killing, the shooter stole an undisclosed amount of cash from the register before fleeing the scene. Witnesses told investigators they saw a white man between the ages of 30 and …
Army Veteran, Toddler Daughter ID'd As 1997 Murder Victims On Long Island Army Veteran, Toddler Daughter ID'd As 1997 Murder Victims On Long Island
Army Veteran, Toddler Daughter ID'd As 1997 Murder Victims On Long Island An Army veteran single mother and her toddler daughter were publicly identified nearly three decades after they were murdered on Long Island. Tanya Denise Jackson, of Brooklyn, and her 2-year-old daughter, Tatiana Marie Dykes, were identified as the victims in the 1997 cold case killings that later became known as the "Peaches" homicides during a Nassau County Police press conference Wednesday, April 23.  Jackson's dismembered torso was discovered inside a plastic storage bin at Hempstead Lake State Park in June 1997. More of the 26-year-old's remains were found in April 2011…
1997 Murders Of 'Peaches,' Toddler Girl In NY Subject Of Major Police Update 1997 Murders Of 'Peaches,' Toddler Girl In NY Subject Of Major Police Update
1997 Murders Of 'Peaches,' Toddler Girl In NY Subject Of Major Police Update Nearly three decades after a young mother’s dismembered torso was discovered in a Long Island park, a major update has emerged in the case known as the “Peaches” homicide. The Nassau County Police Department will hold a press briefing on Wednesday, April 23, at 11 a.m. to share updated developments in the 1997 investigation, the agency said. The briefing will take place at Police Headquarters in Mineola and will be led by Police Commissioner Patrick Ryder and Homicide Squad Commanding Officer Stephen Fitzpatrick. “Peaches” is the nickname authorities gave to the unidentified African Americ…
Road Checkpoints Planned As New Leads Surface In Decades-Old Hudson Valley Homicide: Police Road Checkpoints Planned As New Leads Surface In Decades-Old Hudson Valley Homicide: Police
Road Checkpoints Planned As New Leads Surface In Decades-Old Hudson Valley Homicide: Police More than four decades after the disappearance and murder of 20-year-old Dawn Marie Marino, police will be conducting road checkpoints in connection to one of Orange County’s most haunting cold cases.   On Friday, April 11, the Town of Warwick Police Department, working alongside the New York State Police and FBI, announced the launch of road checkpoints in the Pine Island and Florida areas as part of the ongoing investigation into Marino’s death.  "New leads continue to be developed in this over forty year old case," the department said in a social media post, adding, "…
NY Widow's Killer Nabbed Decades Later Thanks To Retired Detectives, DNA Evidence: DA NY Widow's Killer Nabbed Decades Later Thanks To Retired Detectives, DNA Evidence: DA
NY Widow's Killer Nabbed Decades Later Thanks To Retired Detectives, DNA Evidence: DA A chilling murder mystery in New York that went unsolved for over two decades has finally been cracked thanks in part to a pair of determined detectives long since retired, prosecutors said. On Long Island, Raul Ayala, 51, of Georgia, was indicted for first-degree murder in Suffolk County Court on Friday, Feb. 7, in the 2003 killing of Edna “Timmie” Schubert. The 88-year-old Schubert, a widowed former Department of Motor Vehicles employee who lived alone, was found dead inside her North Bay Shore home on Fredrick Avenue on Dec. 12, 2003, Suffolk County Police said. Her body was discovered b…
Man Kills Fellow Inmate At Sing Sing Prison, Convicted Nearly 30 Years Later Man Kills Fellow Inmate At Sing Sing Prison, Convicted Nearly 30 Years Later
Man Kills Fellow Inmate At Sing Sing Prison, Convicted Nearly 30 Years Later Nearly 30 years after fatally stabbing a fellow inmate at a Northern Westchester prison because he wore a cross, a 54-year-old New York man learned he will spend decades in prison for the killing.  Albany resident Allah-Son-Allah was sentenced to 20 years in state prison for his killing of 32-year-old Michael Jones on Christmas Eve 1995 while they were both incarcerated at Sing Sing Correctional Facility in Ossining, the Westchester County District Attorney's Office announced on Thursday, Oct. 10.  According to the DA's Office, at around 8 p.m. on Dec. 24, 1995, Allah-Son-All…
Cold Case: Murder Of Baby From Region Solved After 27 Years Cold Case: Murder Of Baby From Region Solved After 27 Years
Cold Case: Murder Of Baby From Region Solved After 27 Years After some 27 years, detectives have solved the cold case murder of a baby boy in the region. Albany County resident Keri Mazzuca, age 52, of Altamont,  was charged in connection with the Sunday, Sept. 7, 1977 homicide, on Saturday, Sept. 14.  According to Albany Police Officer Megan Craft, around 7:15 a.m., Sept. 7, 1997, officers responded to the area of the Moses statue in Washington Park for reports of a dead baby.  A park worker found the child's body while digging a ditch next to a flower bed near the statue. When officers arrived, they located the dead infant who woul…
'Connected By Evil': Unsolved Murders Of Teens Found In NY Focus Of New Podcast 'Connected By Evil': Unsolved Murders Of Teens Found In NY Focus Of New Podcast
'Connected By Evil': Unsolved Murders Of Teens Found In NY Focus Of New Podcast An ex-cop turned podcaster is hoping to breathe new life into the cold case killings of two young women whose remains were discovered in upstate New York. On a recent episode of his true crime podcast, APB Cold Case, retired Costa Mesa, California police chief Mark Spawn discussed the murders of 18-year-old Jennifer Hammond and 19-year-old Christina White. The women disappeared in August 2003 and June 2005, respectively, and were last seen near mobile home parks in the Saratoga County town of Milton. According to New York State Police, Hammond, a native of Littleton, Colorado, was last see…
Man Charged In Murder Of Hudson Valley Man After 5 Years Man Charged In Murder Of Hudson Valley Man After 5 Years
Man Charged In Murder Of Hudson Valley Man After 5 Years Following a five-year investigation into the death of a Hudson Valley man, detectives, and the FBI Safe Streets Task Force have arrested a suspect in the case.  Dikion D. Constantine, age 23, of the Bronx, was charged on Thursday, April 11, with the murder of Sebastian Avilan-Medina, age 26, of Middletown, on Monday, March 11, 2019.  According to Lt. Jeffry Thoelen of the Middletown Police, the arrest culminates a highly intensive five-year investigation into the cold case homicide of Avilan-Medina, who was found shot to death in his Knapp Avenue home. "Despite thi…
15-Year-Old Girl Found Dead In Northern Westchester: Police Investigating Over 50 Years Later 15-Year-Old Girl Found Dead In Northern Westchester: Police Investigating Over 50 Years Later
15-Year-Old Girl Found Dead In Northern Westchester: Police Investigating Over 50 Years Later Authorities are continuing to investigate the murder of a 15-year-old girl whose remains were discovered in a sleeping bag at the bottom of a Northern Westchester cliff more than five decades ago.  More than 50 years after her murder, New York State Police are asking the public for help in solving the murder of 15-year-old New Jersey resident Alice Lezan of Franklin Township, whose remains were found in Cortlandt on Nov. 14, 1970.  On this date, authorities found Lezan's body bound with rope inside a red sleeping bag that was discovered at the bottom of a 60-foot drop ne…
Cold Case Confession: NY Man Admits Stabbing Woman To Death 29 Years Later, Police Say Cold Case Confession: NY Man Admits Stabbing Woman To Death 29 Years Later, Police Say
Cold Case Confession: NY Man Admits Stabbing Woman To Death 29 Years Later, Police Say Nearly 30 years after a woman was found stabbed to death inside her home, a New York man has confessed to her murder following a DNA breakthrough. Schenectady County resident Stephen Smerk, age 51, of Niskayuna, was arrested and charged with second-degree murder in the November 1994 killing of Robin Lawrence in Springfield, Virginia, police announced Monday, Sept. 11. The 37-year-old mother was found dead from multiple stab wounds three days after the killing, on Nov. 20, 1994, according to police. Her 2-year-old daughter was also found in the home days later, unharmed. Investigators devel…
Cold Case: Capital Region Man Confesses To Grisly 1994 Murder, Police Say Cold Case: Capital Region Man Confesses To Grisly 1994 Murder, Police Say
Cold Case: Capital Region Man Confesses To Grisly 1994 Murder, Police Say A 51-year-old man from the region has been arrested in a Virginia homicide, cracking a 29-year cold case, authorities announced. Schenectady County resident Stephen Smerk, of Niskayuna, is facing second-degree manslaughter in the Nov. 20, 1994 death of 37-year-old Robin Lawrence, who was found dead in a Springfield, Virginia home, Fairfax County police said. Smerk is believed to have stabbed Lawrence inside of her home, when he was 22 years old, authorities said. In 1994, a DNA profile was developed; however, at the time there was no match in any system for the recovered DNA. In the …
Suspect In Cold Case Killing Takes Own Life In Hudson Valley As Police Close In, DA Says Suspect In Cold Case Killing Takes Own Life In Hudson Valley As Police Close In, DA Says
Suspect In Cold Case Killing Takes Own Life In Hudson Valley As Police Close In, DA Says Nearly 30 years after an elderly New York woman was found bludgeoned to death inside her apartment, the cold case has finally been solved. The Rensselaer County District Attorney’s Office announced Thursday, Jan. 19, that Jeremiah James Guyette had been identified as the sole suspect in the murder of Wilomeana “Violet” Filkins. Filkins was found dead in the living room of her East Greenbush home on Aug. 19, 1994. New York State Police and the East Greenbush Police Department spent the next two decades following up on tips and re-submitting evidence to the state crime lab in an attempt to …
Man Admits Strangling 25-Year-Old Woman To Death Nearly 20 Years Ago In Westchester: DA Man Admits Strangling 25-Year-Old Woman To Death Nearly 20 Years Ago In Westchester: DA
Man Admits Strangling 25-Year-Old Woman To Death Nearly 20 Years Ago In Westchester: DA A man has finally admitted to strangling a woman to death and leaving her body wrapped in a blanket alongside a parkway in Westchester County nearly 20 years ago.  Earlier Report - Suspect Charged With Murder Of Woman Found Wrapped In Blanket On Side Of Westchester Parkway Florida resident Christopher Gonzalez, age 41, pleaded guilty to the 2005 murder of Yonkers resident Angel Serbay on Wednesday, Jan. 18, according to Westchester County District Attorney Miriam Rocah.  Gonzalez murdered Serbay on Sept. 3, 2005, when he strangled the 25-year-old to death and left her body w…
DNA Technology Leads To Arraignment Of Serial Killer For 1968 Murder Of Woman At NY Mall DNA Technology Leads To Arraignment Of Serial Killer For 1968 Murder Of Woman At NY Mall
DNA Technology Leads To Arraignment Of Serial Killer For 1968 Murder Of Woman At NY Mall A 75-year-old convicted serial killer has been charged with the 1968 murder of a woman on Long Island in the parking lot of a popular mall thanks to DNA technology. Richard Cottingham, of the South Woods State Prison in Bridgeton, New Jersey, was arraigned virtually on Wednesday, June 22, on a grand jury indictment, charging him with one count of murder, said Nassau County District Attorney Anne Donnelly. According to the investigation, Diane Cusick, age 23, then a resident of New Hyde Park, was an instructor at a dancing school in Oceanside.  Diane CusickNassau County District Attorne…
Westchester Man Charged In 1999 Cold Case Murder Of Teen Girl Westchester Man Charged In 1999 Cold Case Murder Of Teen Girl
Westchester Man Charged In 1999 Cold Case Murder Of Teen Girl More than two decades after a 13-year-old girl was killed in New York, a suspect from Westchester has been apprehended and is facing murder charges, authorities announced. Joseph Martinez, age 49, of New Rochelle, was charged with two counts of second-degree murder for his role in the February 1999 slaying of 13-year-old Minerliz Soriano in the Bronx. Martinez was taken into custody by NYPD investigators on Monday, Nov. 29, 22 years after Soriano was found strangled to death in a Bronx dumpster after she was last seen leaving Bronxdale Middle School in 1999. Investigators said that So…
Criminal Complaint Against Robert Durst For Wife's 1982 Murder Filed In Westchester Criminal Complaint Against Robert Durst For Wife's 1982 Murder Filed In Westchester
Criminal Complaint Against Robert Durst For Wife's 1982 Murder Filed In Westchester Robert Durst has been charged in Westchester with the murder of his former wife Kathie, who mysteriously disappeared in 1982, potentially providing solace for a family that’s been dealing with the unsolved death for decades. “The Westchester County District Attorney's Office can confirm that a complaint charging Robert Durst with the murder of Kathleen Durst was filed in Lewisboro Town Court on (Oct.) 19, 2021,” Westchester County District Attorney Mimi Rocah announced. "We have no further comment at this time.” The second-degree murder complaint comes after Kathie Durst’s family called fo…
DA In New York To Pursue Charges Against Robert Durst For Missing First Wife DA In New York To Pursue Charges Against Robert Durst For Missing First Wife
DA In New York To Pursue Charges Against Robert Durst For Missing First Wife A district attorney in New York will be pursuing charges against convicted killer and real estate heir Robert Durst for the unsolved 1982 of his first wife. Westchester County District Attorney Mimi Rocah is planning to take the case to a grand jury, according to multiple reports, 39-years after Kathleen McCormack Durst suspiciously disappeared near the Connecticut border. According to News 12, which first reported the news, subpoenas are going out and a jury search could begin as soon as next week. Rocah’s office has not commented on the matter since the news broke. The move comes after …
Robert Durst Testifies He Lied To Police Night Wife Kathie Disappeared In Northern Westchester Robert Durst Testifies He Lied To Police Night Wife Kathie Disappeared In Northern Westchester
Robert Durst Testifies He Lied To Police Night Wife Kathie Disappeared In Northern Westchester Hudson Valley real estate heir Robert Durst testified this week that he lied to police when probed about the disappearance of his wife Kathie in the suburban New York City area nearly 40 years ago. Durst was back on the stand this week, where he reportedly testified that he waffled many times about whether or not he saw his wife get onto a commuter train heading toward Manhattan on the night she went missing in 1982. During his testimony, Durst also stated that he lied to police in saying that he later spoke to her on the phone following her disappearance from the hamlet of South Salem in t…
Northern Westchester Disappearance Of Kathie Durst Reopened As Cold Case, DA Says Northern Westchester Disappearance Of Kathie Durst Reopened As Cold Case, DA Says
Northern Westchester Disappearance Of Kathie Durst Reopened As Cold Case, DA Says The Westchester County District Attorney has reopened the investigation into the disappearance of accused serial killer Robert Durst’s former wife, Kathie Durst as she hopes to bring the family “closure.” District Attorney Mimi Rocah said that she has assigned her top investigators in the recently formed cold case unit to investigate the alleged slaying of Durst's first wife, who hasn’t been seen in decades. Related story - Accused Serial Killer Robert Durst's Family Helped Cover Up Murder Of Wife, Attorney Says Durst - whose life and case was made famous by the HBO miniseries “The Jinx” …
Cold Case: 16-Year-Old Area Homicide Remains A Mystery Cold Case: 16-Year-Old Area Homicide Remains A Mystery
Cold Case: 16-Year-Old Area Homicide Remains A Mystery New York State Police are seeking any tips into their investigation of a 16-year cold case involving the 2003 murder of Megan McDonald. McDonald’s body was discovered on March 15, 2003, in a field off of Bowser Road in Wallkill in Orange County. She was 20 years old at the time of her death. The cause of McDonald’s death was determined to be blunt force trauma. At the time of her homicide, McDonald worked at the Galleria Mall in Middletown. She was also attending SUNY Orange County Community College. Anybody with information regarding this case is urged to contact SP Middletown Bureau of C…
Jury Finds Suspect Guilty In 2008 Taxi Murder In Westchester Jury Finds Suspect Guilty In 2008 Taxi Murder In Westchester
Jury Finds Suspect Guilty In 2008 Taxi Murder In Westchester A former Westchester resident is facing life in prison after being found guilty of fatally shooting a man in a taxicab more than a decade ago and attempting to flee the state to avoid arrest. Damon Scott has been found guilty of second-degree murder in the death of a Yonkers man in 2008 following a cold case investigation. Westchester County District Attorney Anthony Scarpino, Jr., announced that a jury returned the guilty verdict shortly after noon on Wednesday, Oct. 10. A Lincoln Town Car taxi pulled up in front of the Mexico Car Service on South Broadway in Yonkers at approximately 4:50 …
Westchester Man Nabbed In Cold-Case La Cosa Nostra Mob Hit Westchester Man Nabbed In Cold-Case La Cosa Nostra Mob Hit
Westchester Man Nabbed In Cold-Case La Cosa Nostra Mob Hit A member of the La Cosa Nostra organized crime family is facing murder charges in the cold-case fatal stabbing of a Westchester man, prosecutors announced. John Tortora Jr., known as "Johnny T," a member of the Genovese Crime Family, was arrested by FBI agents and Yonkers Police in connection with the 1997 death of 29-year-old Richard Ortiz in Yonkers. “The arrest of John Tortora should remind everyone that justice delayed is not justice denied," FBI Assistant Director William F. Sweeney Jr. said. "Whether a crime was allegedly committed decades ago or just days ago, the…