EP. 246 - SERIAL KILLER: THE TORSO KILLER - RICHARD COTTINGHAM PART 1

Murder In America

Blood In The Sink Productions

True Crime

4.8 • 8.5K Ratings

🗓️ 22 May 2026

⏱️ 102 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

When firefighters rushed to a hotel room in December of 1979, they had no idea they were stumbling into the den of a serial killer. On the bed, they discovered the bodies of two women — their heads and hands cut off, and their torsos set on fire and left on display for first responders to find. It was the first glimpse into the madness of Richard Cottingham, the Torso Killer. Little did first responders know, his reign of terror went back decades, leaving a twisted trail that, to this day, we haven’t uncovered the full truth behind. Even now, as he sits in jail, we’re left to wonder: How many victims did he truly have? - Sources:https://docs.google.com/document/d/1eTYeCoYyxm58DXXdoFbHQyWHlWbcH9iKGIefFcQToW4/edit?tab=t.y2yayotxnlcb Listen to our new show, "THE CONSPIRACY FILES"!: -Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/5IY9nWD2MYDzlSYP48nRPl -Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-conspiracy-files/id1752719844 -Amazon/Audible - https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/ab1ade99-740c-46ae-8028-b2cf41eabf58/the-conspiracy-files -Pandora - https://www.pandora.com/podcast/the-conspiracy-files/PC:1001089101 -iHeart - https://iheart.com/podcast/186907423/ -PocketCast - https://pca.st/dpdyrcca -CastBox - https://castbox.fm/channel/id6193084?country=us - Stay Connected: Join the Murder in America fam in our free Facebook Community for a behind-the-scenes look, more insights and current events in the true crime world: https://www.facebook.com/groups/4365229996855701 If you want even more Murder in America bonus content, including ad-free episodes, come join us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/murderinamerica Instagram: http://instagram.com/murderinamerica/ Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/people/Murder-in-America-Podcast/100086268848682/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/MurderInAmerica TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@theparanormalfiles and https://www.tiktok.com/@courtneybrowen Feeling spooky? Follow Colin as he travels state to state (and even country to country!) investigating claims of extreme paranormal activity and visiting famous haunted locations on The Paranormal Files Official Channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/TheParanormalFilesOfficialChannel - (c) BLOOD IN THE SINK PRODUCTIONS 2026 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	Today's episode is presented by 824's highly anticipated next horror event, Backrooms.
0:07.7	A furniture store owner vanishes after discovering a mysterious doorway in his basement
0:12.0	that leads to an endless network of interconnected rooms.
0:15.8	From Kane Parsons, the preeminent creator of the Backrooms YouTube series,
0:20.6	this tense psychological horror thriller explores the suffocating dread of liminal spaces and the unknown lurking behind them.
0:28.2	Don't miss Backrooms. Only in theaters May 29th. Get tickets now.
0:34.1	Today's episode is presented by Corporate Retreat in theaters May 22nd via Western Film Services and Passage Pictures.
0:41.6	Described as a gory mix of the menu and saw, corporate retreat centers around a group of young executives
0:47.4	whose luxury team building trip descends into a bloody fight for survival against a vengeful retreat leader,
0:54.1	played by the inimitable
0:55.2	Alan Ruck.
0:56.8	At the center of this horror comedy is an eclectic cast that also includes O'Dea Rush, Sasha
1:02.2	Lane, Ashton Sanders, Zion Marino, Kirby Johnson, and Rosanna Arquette.
1:08.0	Aaron Fisher directs from a scripty co-wrote with Carrie Lee Romeo with special makeup
1:12.3	effects handled by Candyman and Screamfor Maestro Gary J. Tonnecliffe. You'll laugh, you'll cringe,
1:18.7	you'll cover your eyes. When corporate retreat hits theaters May 22nd, get tickets now.
1:23.6	Changes in sexual performance are more common than most people realize, and support doesn't need to feel awkward.
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1:32.7	Start by completing a short consultation reviewed by UK registered clinicians.
1:36.9	If eligible, treatment is delivered discreetly to your home, with ongoing support whenever you need it.
1:42.3	You're not alone in this.
1:43.8	Visit Medexpress.co.
	...

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