A 60-year-old New Jersey murder case has finally been closed after a convicted serial killer confessed to the killing of a Fair Lawn teenager six decades ago.
Fair Lawn police say Richard Cottingham admitted responsibility for the murder of 18-year-old Alys Eberhardt, who was found dead inside her family’s home after being stabbed and beaten in 1965. It was the only unsolved homicide in borough history.
The investigation into the murder was reopened in 2021 as part of a renewed cold case review. Detectives reexamined evidence and began new rounds of interviews. Eventually, they turned their focus to Cottingham, who is already serving multiple life sentences for other murders. Detectives Eric Eleshewich and Brian Rypkema led the investigation process.
Police confirmed Cottingham’s confession, stating he provided specific details about the home and crime scene that were never made public. His confession came during interviews conducted late last year as his health declined.
Cottingham has been incarcerated since the early 1980s and remains imprisoned in New Jersey. Authorities said no new charges will be filed because he is already serving multiple life sentences.
The death of Alys Eberhardt, a nursing student, stunned the Fair Lawn community in 1965. Despite years of investigation into the homicide, the case eventually went cold, leaving her family without answers for decades until it was reopened in 2021.
Police officials said solving the case closes a painful chapter in the North Jersey town’s history.
The New Jersey Digest is a new jersey magazine that has chronicled daily life in the Garden State for over 10 years.