A to Z Challenge: J (serial killers)

Joel Rifkin — The Drifter

Fast Facts:

  • Born in 1959 in New York
  • Killed 17 women after childhood bullying and a fascination with Alfred Hitchcock’s Frenzy
  • He was caught when police pulled him over for a missing licence plate and discovered the body of a victim in the car
  • He was charged with 9 murders and reckless endangerment for a car chase
  • He was found guilty and sentenced to 203 years in prison

Rifkin was born to two unwed college students and was put up for adoption at three weeks. A few years later the family adopted a girl. He had trouble fitting in at school and was bullied. He had poor posture and a slow way of walking so was excluded from sport. Desperate to fit in and make friends he tried to join school activities but was excluded. Even though he had a high IQ he suffered from undiagnosed dyslexia and struggled at school.

Eventually Rifkin retreated into his own world and began daydreaming of killing and raping women. Inspired by Alfred Hitchcock’s Frenzy he began using prostitutes, fixated on the idea of strangling them. He attended community college, but his obsession for prostitutes meant he regularly skipped class and his part-time work, eventually dropping both.

Unable to control his fantasies, he picked up a prostitute and bludgeoned her then strangled her to death. He cut up her body and disposed of body in woods and a river. The victim’s head was found, however she couldn’t be identified and there were no other clues.

Rifkin started his own landscaping business, using the job site to hide corpses until he could dispose of them.  One day, when he was taking a body to dispose of it, police tried to pull him over for a missing licence plate. When they tried to pull him over he panicked and led police on a high speed chase before crashing. Police could smell the decomposing body and he was arrested.

Under interrogation Rifkin confessed to all 17 murders and directed police to the missing bodies. However, he pled not guilty and sent to trial. He was convicted and sentenced to 25 years to life for murder and reckless endangerment for the car chase. He continued to be charged for the other murders, eventually sentenced to found guilty of 9 murders and sentenced to 203 years in the Clinton Correctional Facility.

19 comments on “A to Z Challenge: J (serial killers)

  1. This one’s hitting close to home, AJ. I’m a Canadian and, as you probably know, we’ve got our own alleged serial killer right now – Bruce McArthur. He hasn’t had his day in court yet, but it’s a bit creepy to see the similarities in occupation -both landscapers, and in method of disposal – both hiding bodies on job sites. In McArthur’s case, the bodies were found in concrete planters.

    The other thing that caught my attention re Joel Rifkin is your fast fact about him being charged with reckless endangerment for the car chase. When nine murders give you 203 years in prison, the addition of the reckless endangerment charge brings real meaning to the phrase “throw the book at him.”

    J is for Journal of a Solitude

    • I have heard of the Canadian case, Karen, and I agree the similarities are creepy! I guess they threw the book to make sure he didn’t wiggle out of anything.

  2. Gosh, another one caught by way of something as simple as a missing license plate.

    • Lynda, it seems quite a few are caught by small things like this. I guess they cover their big tracks but it’s the minutae they miss (just as well!).

  3. It’s interesting how with a lot of these murderers (and other criminals) who go to great lengths to cover up their crimes, it’s a simple, stupid mistake that’s their downfall. The one that impresses me most is the way they caught the Yorkshire Ripper. A stroke of police ingenuity and on-the-spot quick-thinking. I won’t spoil it in case AJ plans on covering him for Y… 🙂

    • Actually, I haven’t included Peter Sutcliffe (the Yorkshire Ripper) although I have read a lot about him. If memory serves (and this is what Colin was alluding to), he was caught because he had false number plates and police realised he had a lot of physical similarities to the Yorkshire Ripper.

      Based on the number of simple, stupid mistakes I make on a daily basis I don’t think I should ever consider a life of crime. I wouldn’t get very far!

  4. It baffles me how he could have shown the police to where he buried the bodies, and yet he still pleads not guilty.

    Just Walk Away by Celine Dion

    • The mind boggles, doesn’t it, Lauren. Can you imagine it…
      Judge: How did you know where the bodies were buried?
      Rifkin: I just stumbled across them during work.

  5. I was half expecting Jack the Ripper, but Joel Rifkin isn’t far behind. What’s startling is his story. An intelligent human being hounded out for being different and ending up a killer. I don’t condone his actions but the society needs to take a good, long look at itself.

    • Being bullied as a child seems to be a common backstory to serial killers. Totally agree society needs to learn some manners – thank goodness not all kids who are bullied grow up to be serial killers!

  6. You have to wonder what underlying factors make someone become a serial killer when others who have had similar circumstances become good people.
    Tasha
    Tasha’s Thinkings – Movie Monsters

  7. He pled not guilty…? How in h***?
    As I told you earlier, in one of the previous years an A-Z blogger wrote about serial killers as well, and I am pretty sure this landscaper who disposed of his victims “at work” was among her posts.
    How long can you keep a body in your trunk before the smell is noticeable?

    • It’s nice to know we have doubled up on some serial killers – that there aren’t that many out there we could have two exclusive lists!

  8. Oh my. this should frighten anyone from adopting. Another amazing, miscreant for your collection!

  9. I cannot fathom how he can enter a not guilty plea. What was he thinking…then again, why would I think he would have rational thoughts after what he did. So sad and so deeply disturbing.

    Elsie

    • I think you are right, Elsie. Why should we be surprised at just one more irrational action?

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