Joel the Ripper: Joel Rifkin 1

Summary

Summary of "Joel the Ripper: Joel Rifkin 1" Episode from Mind of a Serial Killer

In the first episode of Mind of a Serial Killer, hosts Vanessa Richardson and Dr. Tristan Engels delve into the dark psyche of Joel Rifkin, one of New York City's most prolific serial killers. This detailed exploration examines Rifkin's troubled upbringing, the psychological factors that drove him to commit heinous crimes, and the progression of his murderous spree.

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1. Early Life and Adoption

[06:17] Dr. Tristan Engels:
Joel Rifkin was born on January 20, 1959, and was placed up for adoption by his young, unmarried birth parents. His adoptive parents, Jean and Bernard Rifkin, provided a nurturing environment in Long Island, New York. Despite being treated with love, Joel grappled with immense pressure to meet his father's high expectations. Bernard, a successful structural engineer, was disappointed by Joel's struggles with an undiagnosed learning disability, likely dyslexia, which affected his academic performance.

Quote:
Joel reflected on his childhood struggles, stating, “I had as much chance of catching the ball with my face as with my hands” [06:27].

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2. Adolescent Struggles and Bullying

Joel's challenges continued into his school years, where his physical appearance made him a target for relentless bullying. Nicknamed "the Turtle" in junior high and later "Lard Ass" in high school for his lack of athleticism, Joel found himself socially isolated. His only solace was found in watching movies, particularly the 1972 horror film Frenzy, which he later cited as an inspiration for his violent tendencies.

Quote:
Joel admitted, “Frenzy was the inspiration behind my murder spree” [10:50].

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3. Early Adulthood and Onset of Violent Fantasies

After high school, Joel attempted to pursue higher education but struggled academically due to his addiction to hiring sex workers, a behavior that provided him a sense of control and fulfillment of his violent fantasies. His relationship with his adoptive father became even more strained when Bernard was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 1986. Bernard's eventual overdose and death in 1987 momentarily lifted Joel from the suffocating pressures he felt, allowing him to experience short-lived success in horticulture.

Quote:
At his father's funeral, Joel poignantly stated, “Though my father did not give me life, he gave me love” [16:45].

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4. The First Murder: Susie

In February 1989, feeling a resurgence of anger and frustration after a failed romantic pursuit, Joel committed his first known murder. He lured Susie, a sex worker, back to his family home, where he brutally beat and strangled her to death. Displaying a chilling detachment, Joel dismembered Susie's body, hiding her remains to avoid detection.

Quote:
Joel described his reaction post-murder as, “there was no more thought than stomping on a bug or a cockroach” [22:10].

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5. Escalation of Violence

Over the next few years, Joel Rifkin's killings intensified in frequency and brutality. He continued to target vulnerable sex workers, each time refining his methods to evade capture. Notably, his admiration for Ted Bundy influenced his choice of victims and his approach to murder, though he resisted engaging in necrophilia, differentiating his actions from Bundy's.

Quote:
Dr. Engels analyzes, “His fascination with Ted Bundy speaks volumes about his insecurities and desire for control” [28:23].

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6. Increasing Confidence and Carelessness

By 1991, Rifkin had developed a false sense of invincibility, leading to more frequent and careless killings. His methods became more routine, and his disposal tactics grew increasingly sophisticated, though occasionally flawed. One such lapse occurred in July 1991 when he failed to properly conceal Barbara Jacobs' body, leading to its discovery. However, authorities dismissed her death as a drug overdose, unaware of Rifkin's involvement.

Quote:
Dr. Engels remarks, “Joel's thrill-seeking behavior indicates a deep-seated need for stimulation and control” [35:29].

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7. The Turning Point and Close Call with Law Enforcement

In December 1991, Joel Rifkin narrowly escaped detection during a disposal attempt of a victim's body when police officers confronted him. Demonstrating his chilling detachment, he calmly explained his actions, successfully avoiding suspicion. This encounter only emboldened Rifkin, leading him to continue his murderous spree with increased frequency.

Quote:
Narrator highlights, “Joel’s quick thinking and emotional detachment were pivotal in his evasion of law enforcement” [37:54].

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8. Final Murders and Pattern Recognition by Authorities

By early 1992, Rifkin had killed nine women, each murder exhibiting a consistent pattern of targeting sex workers and using strangulation as his method. Authorities began to notice the similarities between the cases, recognizing the presence of a serial killer. Despite Rifkin’s meticulous efforts to cover his tracks, his increasing boldness and frequency ultimately led to growing suspicions among law enforcement.

Quote:
Dr. Engels concludes, “Joel’s actions were driven by a combination of psychological trauma and an insatiable need for control” [45:26].

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Conclusion

The episode meticulously outlines Joel Rifkin's descent into serial killing, highlighting the interplay between his troubled upbringing, psychological disturbances, and the development of his violent behaviors. By examining his life chronologically, Mind of a Serial Killer provides a comprehensive understanding of what can drive an individual to commit such atrocities, setting the stage for further exploration in the subsequent episode.

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Notable Quotes:

• Joel Rifkin: “I had as much chance of catching the ball with my face as with my hands” [06:27].
• Joel Rifkin: “Frenzy was the inspiration behind my murder spree” [10:50].
• Joel Rifkin: “Though my father did not give me life, he gave me love” [16:45].
• Joel Rifkin: "there was no more thought than stomping on a bug or a cockroach” [22:10].
• Dr. Tristan Engels: “His fascination with Ted Bundy speaks volumes about his insecurities and desire for control” [28:23].
• Dr. Tristan Engels: “Joel's thrill-seeking behavior indicates a deep-seated need for stimulation and control” [35:29].
• Dr. Tristan Engels: “Joel’s actions were driven by a combination of psychological trauma and an insatiable need for control” [45:26].

---

This episode of Mind of a Serial Killer offers an in-depth look into the making of Joel Rifkin, providing listeners with a nuanced perspective on the factors that contribute to the creation of a serial killer. Through expert analysis and compelling storytelling, Vanessa Richardson and Dr. Tristan Engels shed light on the complex motivations behind Rifkin's reign of terror.

Transcript

[Vanessa Richardson]

Foreign.

[Dr. Tristan Engels]

This is Crime House. Too many kids go through the painful experience of being bullied, of being made to feel like they don't belong. It's understandable that wounds like this can linger into adulthood, creating a sense of deep alienation. Most of us are able to overcome those feelings, or at least confront them in a healthy way. But what happens when those wounds never heal? When they grow deeper and fester? How far would you go to finally regain power or control? In the case of Joel Rifkin, he went to the most extreme lengths possible. He found vulnerable people he could dominate and made sure he was the one in control. The human mind is fascinating. It controls how we think, how we feel, how we love, and how we hate. And sometimes the mind drives us to do something truly unspeakable. This is Mind of a Serial Killer, a Crime House original. Every Monday we'll be taking deep dives into the minds of history's most notorious serial killers and violent offenders. And if you're interested in more true crime stories from this week in history, check out Crime the Show. Every episode covers multiple cases unified by the same theme. So every week you get something a little different. At Crime House, we want to express our gratitude to you, our community, for making this possible. Please support us by rating, reviewing and following Mind of a Serial Killer Wherever you get your podcasts and to enhance your mind of a serial killer listening experience, subscribe to Crime House plus on Apple Podcasts. You'll get every episode ad free. And instead of having to wait for each episode of a two part series, you'll get access to both at once, plus exciting bonus content. Hi, I'm Vanessa Richardson.

[Narrator]

And I'm Dr. Tristan Engels. As Vanessa takes you through our subject stories, I'll be helping her dive into these killers minds as we try to understand how someone can do such horrible things.

[Dr. Tristan Engels]

Before we get into the story, you should know it contains descriptions of sexual assault, dismemberment and murder. Listener discretion is advised. This is the first of two episodes on serial killer Joel Rifkin, also known as Joel the Ripper. In the late 1980s and early 90s, Joel stalked the streets of New York City, preying on vulnerable sex workers. In total, he claimed at least 17 victims, the highest number in New York's history. In today's episode, we'll explore the trauma and alienation Joel experienced as a child, how those wounds festered into adulthood, and how it turned him into a merciless serial killer. Next time, we'll follow his insatiable addiction to violence. The conclusion of his grisly murder spree and how the police finally caught up to him. And as always, we'll be asking the question, what makes a serial killer?

[Vanessa Richardson]

Hi there, it's Vanessa. If you're loving mind of a serial killer, you won't want to miss my new show, Crime True Crime Stories. Every Monday I take you on an.

[Dr. Tristan Engels]

Depth journey through two of the most.

[Vanessa Richardson]

Notorious true crime cases from that week in history, all connected by a common theme, from notorious serial killers and mysterious disappearances to unsolved murders and more. Follow Crime House True Crime Stories now wherever you get your podcasts. And for ad free listening and early access to episodes, subscribe to Crime House.

[Dr. Tristan Engels]

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[Dr. Tristan Engels]

Throughout his life, Joel Rifkin was always incredibly insecure. Even though he was smart and capable, he fel like he could never measure up to people's expectations. And those feelings stemmed from some of his earliest childhood moments. After Joel was born, on January 20, 1959, his birth parents who were young and unmarried, put him up for adoption. Of course, he wasn't able to understand what was happening to him at the time. But his adoptive parents, Jean and Bernard Rifkin, treated Joel as if he were their own flesh and blood. Growing up in Long Island, New York, Joel was comfortable, safe and loved. But being a Rifkin came with high expectations, particularly from his adoptive father. Bernard was a successful structural engineer who was popular with friends and colleagues, and Joel didn't quite live up to that reputation. Joel was a naturally smart kid with a recorded IQ of 128. But he also struggled with an undiagnosed learning disability, possibly dyslexia. It impacted his grades, which seemed to embarrass Bernard. Even typical father son activities, like playing catch in the yard, came with a lot of pressure. Joel said that Bernard, who had been a college athlete, wanted Joel to follow in his footsteps. But Joel admitted he had, quote, as much chance of catching the ball with his face as with his hands.

[Narrator]

I'm not sure what age Joel was in this story when he had his intelligence quotient tested as, because this varies. But generally it does appear that Joel has an above average iq. However, someone can be highly intelligent and still have a learning disability. I don't know that a lot of people really grasp that. We tend to identify a possible learning disability when there's a discrepancy between a child's aptitude, which is their ability to learn new information, and their achievement, which is where their current level of accomplishment is. So Joel has the ability to learn new information, but there's something that's limiting his ability to advance to the level he's capable of. And that appears to be something his successful and intelligent adoptive father is struggling with understanding himself. When you're able bodied the way that Bernard is, both intellectually and physically, it can be hard to understand and be compassionate as well as patient with those who aren't.

[Dr. Tristan Engels]

Dr. Ingalls, how can unrealistic expectations from a parent linger into adulthood? Of course they don't turn everyone into a serial killer. But what's the long term effects of feeling that? Familial pressure?

[Narrator]

Yeah, they can definitely linger and put undue stress on Joel. Especially when you factor in the added complexity that these are his adoptive parents. There's an additional pressure to feel accepted and maintain their expectations. Because of that, this can make Joel feel more susceptible to performance. Anxiety, low self esteem and even confidence can be impaired. Not to mention if he's not able to control the things he's being criticized for. By his parents, then he's going to find ways to overcompensate for that. And I'm sure we're going to see that as you take us through his story.

[Dr. Tristan Engels]

The pressures at home definitely seem to overwhelm Joel. And he didn't have it easy at school either. On top of being a bad student, his appearance made him a target for bullying in junior high. With his thick wire framed glasses and bad posture, Joel was nicknamed the Turtle. And that was just the beginning of his suffering. When Joel got to high school, he tried to make some friends by joining the track team. It didn't work. His lack of athleticism earned him yet another embarrassing nickname. Lard ass. With no friends to speak of, Joel spent his nights holed up alone in his room. And even though Joel had an adoptive sister and they got along, it doesn't seem like they were particularly close. Instead, Joel found comfort and escape by watching movies. And in 1972, when he was 13, one film in particular caught his attention. Sometime that year, Joel watched a horror movie called Frenzy. It's all about a serial killer who terrorizes the streets of London and strangles his victims with neckties. One scene in particular features the murder of a character shown close up as she's sexually assaulted and strangled to death. Joel would later claim this movie was the inspiration behind his murder spree. But for the moment, he wasn't planning to hurt anyone. He was still trying to make friends. In another attempt to fit in, he joined the staff of his high school yearbook. But his camera was immediately stolen. And then he didn't get invited to the group's end of year party. But Joel wasn't just being shunned. He was being relentlessly, viciously bullied. On one occasion, he even had a pair of underwear shoved into his mouth.

[Narrator]

There's a lot of literature on the long term effects of bullying on children and teens, and the results have been pretty clear that children who are bullied are at an elevated risk of developing depression, anxiety, anger, becoming socially withdrawn, or having poor social skills, which is largely due to the rejection of their peers, mistrust in others, increased substance abuse, and obvious interpersonal deficits later in life. And when you add in the fact that Joel, from what you describ, might even be experiencing parental bullying, because an argument can be made that his adoptive father's comments to him about his perceived weaknesses could be a form of bullying in itself. So when you have a child who doesn't feel safe at school or at home and they're getting bullied in both environments, they'll begin looking for ways to self soothe and regulate those emotions on their own. And typically, when there is no guidance in teaching them appropriate ways of cop, that's going to elevate their risk of developing maladaptive coping mechanisms. Now, that does not mean that children who are bullied grow up to become violent serial killers or violent in general. In fact, statistically, it's the individuals who do the bullying that are more likely to become more prone to violence and criminal behaviors by adulthood.

[Dr. Tristan Engels]

Well, considering everything Joel went through in high school, he must have been relieved when he graduated in 1977. Now 18, it was time for a fresh start, and Joel signed up for a local community college. But there was something else he wanted to do before he began. Have sex. Joel had been interested in women for a while, but considering his social standing in high school, dating wasn't exactly an option. So he decided to try something else. Paying for it. Before starting college, he drove into New York City and hired a sex worker. Finally, after years of being bullied, he was getting what he wanted. And even better, he was the one in control.

[Narrator]

This is a very pivotal moment for Joel in what's to come.

[Dr. Tristan Engels]

He was able to let his fantasies run wild. Specifically, he liked to think about overpowering and strangling the women, just like in his favorite movie, Frenzy. He didn't act on that fantasy at that point, but just the thought of it gave him an emotional rush, and it's one he chased again and again from that moment on. After that first encounter, Joel started hiring sex workers so often, it became like an addiction. He spent so much time with them, he only finished a single course during his first year of community college.

[Narrator]

Yeah, whenever there are symptoms or a pattern of behavior that begins to impair someone's functioning socially, professionally, academically, or even legally, it warrants further evaluation. And what you're describing here is definitely something indicative of functional impairment related to his illegal sexual preoccupation and also his violent thoughts.

[Dr. Tristan Engels]

Well, maybe he realized he needed a change of scenery, because in the fall of 1978, Joel transferred to a state university in Brockport, New York, over 400 miles from Long Island. And it seemed to do him some good. While he was there, Joel started dating a fellow student. However, it wasn't enough to fill the void in his heart. Joel was still depressed and lonely, and it took a toll on the relationship. Eventually, things fizzled out. Joel took the breakup hard. A friend who knew him at the time said, quote, he was in love with her. When that relationship ended, he talked about her for a very long time. Following that failed relationship, Joel tried to get his life back on track. A few times over the course of several years, he was in and out of college. It never stuck, though. He couldn't break his addiction to hiring sex workers or the fantasy of choking the life out of them, those thoughts became so overwhelming, Joel finally gave up on academics in 1984, when he was 25. He ended up back in Long island with his parents, working odd jobs to support his secret addiction. Then, in 1986, when Joel was 27, things got even worse. That year, Joel's adoptive father, Bernard, was diagnosed with prostate cancer. Despite their strained relationship, Joel still really cared about his dad, and the experience was extreme hard on him. Joel later said his father's struggle with the disease was tough to watch. During this emotional time, Joel said his father would hug his mother and sister, but not him, because, according to Joel, he was still a disappointment. Even so, Joel remained by Bernard's side as his father's health deteriorated. By early 1987, Bernard couldn't bear the pain anymore. He overdosed on barbiturates and died. At the funeral, Joel gave a eulogy that reportedly brought the mourners to tears. In a poignant moment, he said, quote, though my father did not give me life, he gave me love.

[Narrator]

It's clear that Joel, despite the strain of his relationship with his adoptive father, felt some kind of obligation to maintain loyalty and be appreciative of him despite all that emotional coldness Joel might have felt or have been made to feel by Bernard, that Bernard chose to raise Joel despite his perceived shortcomings when his biological parents did not. Joel likely understands that it's possible for parents to relinquish their children and sees that his adoptive parents never did that, even if he did not live up to his adoptive father's expectations. That's the model of love that Joel has been taught. As long as they don't reject you or abandon you, then you should remain appreciative of them. When the reality is that there's two things that can be true here. They did choose to raise him despite their disappointment in him, and they can be emotionally abusive at the same time.

[Dr. Tristan Engels]

Even though Joel was still grieving, Bernard's death seemed to take some weight off Joel's shoulders. And for a brief time after his father passing, Joel's life took a turn for the better. He'd always enjoyed gardening, and in 1988, he started taking horticulture classes at the New York State College of Technology for the first time Joel managed to succeed at something. The 29 year old got straight A's in his first year of the program and landed an internship at a local arboretum in early 1989. During his time there, he developed a crush on one of his fellow interns. Unfortunately for him, she didn't feel the same way. And with that, all the emotional progress Joel had made over the past year vanished. Joel felt ashamed, humiliated, and most of all, angry. And this time, he decided to do something about it.

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[Vanessa Richardson]

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[Dr. Tristan Engels]

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[Dr. Tristan Engels]

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[Dr. Tristan Engels]

1989, 30 year old Joel Rifkin seemed to be finally making some progress in his career and his love life. He got an internship at an arboretum near his home on Long island and even tried to make a romantic connection with a fellow intern. But when she didn't reciprocate his feelings, he started to spiral. All of a sudden, the pain, resentment and shame he'd felt throughout his life came rushing back. Joel couldn't handle it. He needed to take his frustrations out on something. On February 20, 1989, Joel's mom was out of town. He used the opportunity to drive into New York City like he'd done countless times before. He picked up a sex worker who called herself Susie and brought her back to his family's house on Long Island. After Joel and Susie had sex, she asked if they could go out and get some drugs. But Joel had no intention of letting her leave. Instead, he grabbed a heavy metal artillery shell he'd gotten from a flea market and started beating her with it. After a few minutes, Joel was sure Susie was dead. But when he tried to move her, he realized she was still breathing. That's when Joel finally acted on his twisted fantasy. He grabbed Susie and strangled her to death. As the reality of what he'd done set in, Joel didn't feel any sense of remorse. He felt detached, cold. In the documentary Rifkin on Private Confessions of a Killer, he said at the time there was no more thought than stomping on a bug or a cockroach.

[Narrator]

Let's talk about what precipitated this attack and why, after all this time of fantasizing about violence towards women and researching serial killers, does he act now? Joel's upbringing, as we've talked about, appears to have taught him that unless he meets certain standards, standards that were clearly set by his father, he won't be worthy of love or acceptance. So here we are. His father passes away and he feels a sense of relief from the pressure he was under. And he can start to make progress at his own pace and he begins to excel. He was getting straight A's. He got an internship. And if he feels that he can only be accepted and worthy if he is succeeding, then he's likely starting to feel that way now. And then he gets a crush on someone, an intern, and that crush is not reciprocated. So now, in Joel's mind, he's being rejected despite finally being successful and worthy. And so that's counterproductive for him. It makes sense why he's now deciding to direct that anger outward onto his first victim.

[Vanessa Richardson]

Dr. Engels.

[Dr. Tristan Engels]

After so many years of fantasizing about this moment when he kills Susan, is it odd that he didn't feel more relief here?

[Narrator]

In some ways, it does seem atypical, because serial killers often do feel a sense of relief and gratification when they're killing, because it fulfills a deep psychological need for control or power or thrill. On the other hand, Joel was given up at birth, which is a trauma in itself, one of abandonment. And with the possible exception of one previous girlfriend, he's not really learned how to have warm and empathetic connections with others. And Argu, arguably, his entire life, has been detached from others. So although this may seem atypical for serial killers in general to not feel that relief or that gratification after the killing, the detachment that he is showing does seem to be typical for Joel in general.

[Dr. Tristan Engels]

However, Joel felt in that moment, he couldn't dwell on it for long because he had to figure out what to do with Susie's body. He had some ideas, though, because he'd been reading up on serial killers in preparation for this moment. In the end, he decided to take the body down to the basement and dismember it. He even cut off his victim's fingertips and pulled out her teeth to make it harder to identify her. But just like the murder itself, the gruesome task didn't bother him. Later, Joel said he, quote, looked at it as a job. After he was done, Joel placed Susie's severed head in an empty paint can and disposed of it near a golf club in New Jersey. He dumped the rest of her remains into the East River. And even though some golfers did find Susie's head a couple weeks later, the police were never able to identify her, just as he'd planned. There wasn't any evidence leading back to Joel, either. He'd just gotten away with murder. But there were some variables he hadn't considered. When the news reported on the murder, they revealed that Susie had been HIV positive. Joel was terrified. Although he wasn't infected, the experience probably made him think twice about what he was doing. But after about a year and a half, Joel couldn't wait any longer. He was ready to strike again. Sometime around late 1990, his mom headed out of town again, and Joel decided to look for another victim. Like before. Joel drove into the city and hired a sex worker. This time, he fixated on a blonde woman named Julie Blackbird. She reminded him of Marilyn Monroe. Like he'd done with his first victim, Joel brought Julie back to his house. After they had sex, he bludgeoned her, this time with a heavy table leg. Once she was too weak to fight back, Joel strangled her to death. Then he dismembered her body in the basement. But before he did, he considered emulating one of his serial killer heroes, Ted Bundy, by having sex with her body. In the end, though, he claims he didn't go through with it. He thought it was too repulsive.

[Narrator]

There are a couple things here that are of significance. The fact that he identifies Ted Bundy as one of his quote, heroes really speaks to what he aspires to be. A conventionally attractive man who is highly educated, unsuspecting, and someone who is able to gain the attention of women organically, not necessarily women he has to hire. So why is this important? It says a lot about his insecurities. And it also makes sense why, when, given the opportunity to engage in necrophilia, he found that to be repulsive over everything else he's already done. Ted Bundy engaged in those acts because he couldn't handle rejection. Whereas I feel that with Joel, he wants to feel desired or accepted, and he cannot experience those feelings during an act of necrophilia. But he can experience those feelings when he hires sex workers. Which makes sense as to why he chose to kill a sex worker and not the woman who rejected him. Because it's her job, and she's willing to be intimate with him and willing to make him feel desirable and accepted.

[Dr. Tristan Engels]

Whatever twisted moral compass Joel was following, he decided to be more careful about getting rid of Julie's body. Want to risk having her remains discovered and linked back to him. This time, he put her body parts into a few buckets and a milk crate, Filled the containers with cement, and dropped them into the east river. To this day, nobody has found Julie Blackbird's remains. And now that Joel had murdered two people with little issue, he was feeling more confident. On July 13, 1991, less than a year after he killed Julie Blackbird, Joel killed another sex worker, A woman named Barbara Jacobs. In what was now a familiar pattern, Joel brought Barbara back to the house in Long island, Then bludgeoned her with the same table leg he used to kill Julie Blackbird. Then he proceeded to strangle her to death. However, Joel was put off by the thought of dismembering another Victim. Or maybe he just didn't want to go through the trouble. Either way, he simply wrapped Barbara's body in plastic, placed it in a cardboard box, then dropped it into the Hudson River. This change in plans was a critical mistake. Just a few hours later, the box with Barbara's body still in it washed back on shore and was discovered by firefighters doing a training exercise. Even then, Joel's carelessness didn't come back to bite him. Even though someone had clearly tried to dump Barbara's body, the coroner determined she died of a drug overdose. It's not clear if they didn't notice the impact wounds from the table leg or just didn't want to waste time and resources on a sex worker. But either way, the authorities didn't pursue it any further.

[Narrator]

Unfortunately, this is not really something new when it comes to the mishandling of cases involving sex workers.

[Dr. Tristan Engels]

Well, it made Joel realize that if he chose a certain kind of victim, namely vulnerable, anonymous women, he didn't need to worry about being so careful after all. A little Less than two months later, on September 1, 1991, 32 year old Joel headed to his familiar hunting ground in Manhattan, where He picked up 22 year old sex workers worker Mary Ellen DeLuca. But Joel didn't take Mary Ellen back to his house like with his first three victims. Instead, he drove her around the city until sunrise, stopping to score drugs for her along the way. It's not clear if he was trying to make it look like a drug overdose or if he was just trying to make Mary Ellen more intoxicated and vulnerable. Regardless, they eventually ended up at a cheap motel where Joel strangled her to death.

[Narrator]

It actually wouldn't surprise me if either of those were true. But more importantly, it wouldn't surprise me if he wanted to make it look like a drug overdose, since that was the ruling with Barbara. And Joel is clearly learning as he goes how to best protect himself and become more sophisticated. Not to mention, having her under the influence, like you said, makes her more vulnerable for what he plans to do to her next.

[Dr. Tristan Engels]

Well, Joel hadn't thought the whole thing through. The sun was up and he was in the middle of New York City with a dead body on his hands. Thinking fast, Joel took more inspiration from his favorite movie, Frenzy. He remembered that in one scene, the killer hides one of his victims in a heavy clothing trunk. So Joel went out and bought a similar trunk, lugged it back to the motel room and placed Mary Ellen's body inside. Then he carried it out to his car and dropped it at a Rest stop in plain sight. It took a month for anyone to bother looking at it. By that point, Mary Ellen's remains were so badly decomposed, she couldn't be identified. She was buried as a Jane Doe. But the experience emboldened Joel even further. At this point, he must have felt invincible.

[Narrator]

Yeah, this definitely is emboldening him. But he's also likely getting a thrill from it. Thrill seeking and a need for stimulation is a big trait that is seen in serial killers. I think part of his thrill seeking is evident in the research and the planning phases of his killings. At least that's how it seems. It's something that he's been doing since he was a child and continues to do. After each killing, he continues to research how to do it differently. He finds new ways to kill, new tactics to use. But his methods are remaining the same in that he continues to target vulnerable sex workers.

[Dr. Tristan Engels]

Does it give them a sense of invincibility? Do they feel like they're able to kill with greater frequency? Or is that drive so innate in them that it wouldn't matter if they're being investigated or not?

[Narrator]

I think for Joel, as I touched on briefly, his thrill is also motivated by the fact that he feels he is doing these killings, quote, right in his eyes. It's giving him a sense of being successful. And as we have established, living up to the expectations of his father and excelling at literally anything was a core value in the home. So perhaps to Joel, he finally feels he has met that in this very depraved way. Since he's getting psychological gratification as a result and continues to remain undetected, we can definitely expect to see an increase in frequency.

[Dr. Tristan Engels]

Well, once Joel realized nobody was coming after him, he certainly wasn't trying to space out his attacks anymore. Later, in September 1991, just a few weeks after killing Marielle and DeLuca, Joel murdered 31 year old sex worker Yun Lee. He put her in the same kind of trunk he'd used with Marielle Villain. But this time he went back to his original strategy and dropped it in the east river. After that, 32 year old Joel took a couple months off, but not because he was worried about being caught. Murder had become so routine to him, it had lost that special edge. He wasn't really even planning them out anymore. Instead, he later described his thinking as, quote, if it happens, it happens. Well, just before Christmas 1991, it happened again. Joel picked up a sex worker in Manhattan whose name he couldn't recall. This time, he didn't Even bother going somewhere to kill her. He just did it right in his car.

[Narrator]

This is a deviation from his normal methods because there's no second location and no sexual intercourse, at least from what you've shared. And it happens. After a few months of resistance existing.

[Dr. Tristan Engels]

With her body in the passenger seat, he drove out to a workspace he'd rented that year to start a landscaping business. He left the body there, then went to pick up a 55 gallon drum from a recycling plant where he used to work. He went back to fetch the body, then headed for an old junkyard along the East River. But the area wasn't as private as Joel thought. As he headed back to his car, there were two police officers waiting for him. And they were very interested in what Joel was up to.

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[Dr. Tristan Engels]

Around Christmas time in 1991, 32 year old Joel Rifkin claimed his sixth victim. After killing her, he went to a riverside junkyard to get rid of the body. But on his way back to his car, Joel was stopped by a pair of police officers. Now, it's not clear if the officers saw him dropping the barrel in the river, but they did think he was at the junkyard to illegally dump some trash. Joel managed to talk his way out of it. He said he was actually there to look for junk, not to throw it away. The officers took him at his word. They let Joel leave with nothing more than a warning. They had no idea. They just let a serial killer slip through their fingers.

[Narrator]

Joel definitely exhibited quick thinking here and very little reaction given what he had just did and then encountering the police. So why is that? There are a couple reasons here. Joel has been somewhat habituated to violence since he was a child, starting with his interest in the movie Frenzy and his research into serial killers. Additionally, he has engaged in several depraved acts that he has expressed very little emotional reaction to. So his emotional range is very limited as it is. There are also some potential biological causes for this. Individuals with psychopathy or sociopathy have reduced connections in the brain, particularly in the prefrontal cortex and the amygdala. The amygdala is where the fight or flight response is, which is where anxiety, fear and empathy are. So it's more likely than not that it's a combination of psychological and biological causes for why he's quick thinking, but also not very reactionary. I think most of us, when we walk back to our car and see police there, are going to have a bit of a anxiety reaction to that. Joel is clearly not capable of that.

[Dr. Tristan Engels]

Well, in some way, the close call seemed to have energized Joel because he barely waited before killing again. Just a few days later, on December 26, 1991, Joel murdered 28 year old Lorraine Orvieto. He didn't even bother going to the city this time. He picked her up close to his family's house on Long Island. Once he had Lorraine in his car, Joel killed her in an empty school parking lot. Afterwards, Joel put her body in another large plastic drawer. From then he drove out to Brooklyn and dumped the container into Coney Island Creek. By the end of 1991, Joel had murdered at least seven women. And he wasn't going to stop anytime soon.

[Narrator]

So this is an example of habituation that I was referring to earlier. Habituation is when there is a decrease in the thrill response because of the repeated stimulus. So he's had four years of the same murder. Right. So after four years of having the same repeat of a stimuli, he is getting a decrease in his reaction or his response to it. And what drives him is that thrill. So there's likely to be an increase in thrill seeking behaviors as a result of the fact that there's now some level of tolerance to his current routine. And it's similar to an addiction in that way. Only there's no real physiological dependency like you would expect to see if it was an addiction to a substance. But what we are seeing is an increase in frequency and carelessness as a result of his need for more stimulation.

[Dr. Tristan Engels]

Well, it certainly seemed like Joel's need to kill Was becoming routine at this point. On January 2, 1992, just about a week after he murdered Loreno Rieto, Joel hired a 39 year old sex worker named named Marianne Holloman. He picked her up and took her to the same parking lot where he'd taken his fourth victim, Yun Lee, just a few months before. And he killed her in the same way he'd killed Lorraine Orvieto just a week prior. Strangulation during oral sex. Then he drove the body back to Long island, put it in one of his 55 gallon drums, and dumped it in a nearby creek. At this point, as you said, the novelty of killing had worn off so much for Joel that he didn't even remember his next victim's name or even when he killed her. Not much is known about this woman, so she's only referred to as victim number nine. Later on, Joel could only recall that she had tattoos and fought fiercely for her life. But when her body was discovered floating along a creek In Brooklyn on May 13, 1992, the authorities didn't even suspect murder. Even though she'd been stuffed in a barrel, Just like several of Joel's other victims, the authorities found drugs in her system. They thought maybe she was a drug mule who'd died of an overdose and didn't look into it any further. After killing his ninth victim, Joel murdered three more women by mid July of 1992. Iris Sanchez, Anna Lopez, and Violet O'Neill. Although they all played out a bit differently, like at various times of day with different ways of disposing of the bodies, the method was always the same. Strangulation. If Joel was looking for a new rush, what happened next definitely accomplished that. On July 9, 1992, the police received an anonymous tip that there was a dead body on the banks of Coney Island Creek. It was the remains of Joel's eighth victim, Marianne Holloman. By coincidence, the police also found the remains of Joel's seventh victim, Lorraine Orvieto, two days later. The similarities were obvious. Both were sex workers. Both had been stuffed into oil drums. Both had clearly died from strangulation wounds. Finally, the police realized they were dealing with murder cases, not overdoses, and that they might have a serial killer on their hands.

[Narrator]

It's interesting that they're able to identify that they died from strangulation wounds, because generally speaking, strangulation doesn't really leave any outward signs. It's like a silent killer in that way. Generally, what they find is that there are signs of strangulation internally versus externally. But either way, this really speaks To Joel's rage. Because that's really what drives that kind of killing.

[Dr. Tristan Engels]

For the moment, these were the only cases being linked to the same person, and nobody suspected Joel was the culprit. Even so, Joel decided to lay low for a bit. He didn't kill again for the rest of the summer, but by the fall, he was ready to strike again. Tragically, we don't know a lot about many of Joel's victims, But we do know a bit more about the next woman he attacked. 32 year old Mary Catherine Williams. Back in high school, Mary Catherine was homecoming queen and head cheerleader. She was the kind of pretty, popular, all American girls girl Joel never had a chance with as a teenager. But as an adult, her life took a turn for the worse. She moved to New York to try to break into acting. But things didn't work out. Mary Catherine ended up down on her luck. Separated from her husband and addicted to crack cocaine. She eventually turned to sex work, which is how she crossed paths with Joel Rifkin. He hired her on a couple of occasions and everything had gone fine. So when he hired her again on October 2, 1992, Mary Catherine didn't think anything was amiss. Joel bought her some drugs and she trusted him enough to fall asleep in his car. And that's when he attacked. Like all his other victims, Joel strangled Mary Catherine to death. After the long break between murders, it seems like Joel couldn't help himself any longer. After killing Mary Catherine, he only waited about a month and a half before seeking out his 14th victim, 23 year old Jennie Soto. On November 16, 1992, Joel picked Jenny up in Manhattan near the Williamsburg bridge. After having sex with her in his pickup truck, Joel began to strangle her. But Jenny fought back hard. The struggle was so intense, she broke every single one of her false nails and left deep scratches all over Joel's body before he eventually overpowered her. The experience left Joel feeling shaken up. Plenty of his victims had resisted him before, but Jenny was the first to leave a mark. Now he didn't just have to figure out how to get rid of her body, he had to figure out how to explain those scratches too. He knew that in order to avoid suspicion, he had to take a longer break from killing. But like many people who suffer from addiction, Joel couldn't contain himself. And when he went in search for his next fix, it was deadlier than ever. Thanks so much for listening. We'll be back next time as we discuss Joel Rifkin's last victims and the unlikely event that led to the end of his rampage.

[Narrator]

Mind of a Serial Killer is a Crime House original. Powered by Pave Studios Here at Crime House, we want to thank each and every one of you for your support. If you like what you heard today, reach out on social media at Crime House on Instagram and don't forget to rate, review and follow Mind of a Serial Killer wherever you get your podcasts.

[Dr. Tristan Engels]

And to enhance your listening experience, subscribe to Crime House plus on Apple Podcasts. You'll get every episode of Mind of a Serial Killer ad free, along with early access to each thrilling two part series and exciting bonus content. We'll be back next Monday. Mind of a Serial Killer is hosted by me, Vanessa Richardson and Dr. Tristan Engels and is a Crime House original. Powered by by Pave Studios this episode was brought to life by the Mind of a Serial Killer team Max Cutler, Ron Shapiro, Alex Benedon, Lori Marinelli, Stacy Warrenker, Sarah Carroll, Nani Okwalagu, Sarah Tardif, and Keri Murphy. Of the many sources we use when researching this episode, the one we found the most credible and helpful was Joel Rifkin. The Horrifying and True Story of Joel the Ripper by Jack Rosewood and Rebecca Lowe. Thank you for listening.

[Vanessa Richardson]

Looking for a deep dive into history's most notorious true crime cases? Check out Crime House True Crime Stories. Follow Crime House True Crime Stories now wherever you get your podcasts and for for ad free listening and early access to episodes, subscribe to Crime House plus on Apple Podcasts.