Cold Cases in New York
ColdCaseIndex documents 28 cold cases in New York, spanning 1891–2014. 16 of these cases remain fully unsolved. Each case page includes documented details, status, and information on how to submit a tip.
By Type
By Status
All New York Cases
Eric Garner
Eric Garner died after being placed in a chokehold by NYPD officer Daniel Pantaleo during an arrest in Staten Island. His final words 'I can't breathe' became a rallying cry. A Staten Island grand jury declined to indict
Victoria Santos
Twenty-year-old Victoria Santos was found murdered in a New York City park in June 2014. Despite investigation by NYPD, the case went cold. It remains in New York City Police Department cold case files.
Avonte Oquendo
Fourteen-year-old autistic student Avonte Oquendo disappeared from his Queens school in October 2013. His remains were found in the East River in January 2014. His death was ruled accidental drowning. The case sparked le
Garrett Phillips
Twelve-year-old Garrett Phillips was found strangled in his apartment in Potsdam, New York. His mother's ex-boyfriend, Oral 'Nick' Hillary, was tried for the murder twice but acquitted both times. The case garnered natio
Leiby Kletzky
Eight-year-old Leiby Kletzky was on his first walk home alone in the Borough Park neighborhood of Brooklyn when he got lost. He asked Levi Aron for directions; Aron abducted and killed him. Aron was convicted and sentenc
Long Island Serial Killer Victims
The skeletal remains of 10 people — mostly female sex workers — were found along Ocean Parkway on Long Island, New York. Known as the Gilgo Beach murders, a serial killer dubbed LISK is believed responsible. Rex Heuerman
Henryk Siwiak
Henryk Siwiak, a Polish immigrant, was shot and killed in Brooklyn on the same night as the 9/11 attacks. Because all police resources were diverted to the World Trade Center, the crime scene was not properly processed.
Jill-Lyn Euto
College student Jill-Lyn Euto was found stabbed to death in her Syracuse, New York apartment in May 2001. No arrests were made in the case. Her murder remains open with Syracuse Police.
Valerie Mack
Valerie Mack's remains were found in Manorville, Long Island in 2000 and later in Ocean Parkway among other Gilgo Beach victims. She was identified in 2020 via DNA. She may be a victim of the Long Island Serial Killer. H
Jacqueline Martarella
Nineteen-year-old SUNY Stony Brook student Jacqueline Martarella was found murdered in June 1990. Despite investigation, the case went cold. It remains in Suffolk County cold case files.
Patricia O'Donnell
Thirty-three-year-old Patricia O'Donnell was found murdered in Freeport, New York. Despite investigation, the case went cold. It remains in Nassau County Police Department cold case files.
Lisa Steinberg
Six-year-old Lisa Steinberg was beaten to death by Joel Steinberg, her illegal adoptive father, in their Greenwich Village apartment. Her abuse had been ongoing. Hedda Nussbaum, Steinberg's battered partner who was prese
Jennifer Levin
Jennifer Levin was found strangled in Central Park near the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Her date, Robert Chambers, was suspected in what the tabloids called the 'Preppy Murder.' Chambers pleaded guilty to manslaughter in
Kimberly Dietz
Nineteen-year-old Kimberly Dietz was found murdered in Buffalo, New York in August 1986. Despite investigation, the case went cold. It remains in Erie County cold case files.
Kathleen McCormack Durst
Kathleen McCormack Durst, wife of real estate heir Robert Durst, disappeared from their South Salem home. Robert Durst was investigated but not charged. He later killed a neighbor in Texas and was acquitted of that murde
Tammy Mahoney
Nineteen-year-old Tammy Mahoney disappeared from Oneida, New York on May 8, 1981. She was last seen leaving her boyfriend's home. Despite decades of investigation and FBI involvement, Tammy has never been found and no su
Herman Tarnower
Dr. Herman Tarnower, creator of the Scarsdale Diet, was shot at his Purchase, New York home by his longtime companion Jean Harris. Harris claimed she intended to kill herself but shot him accidentally during a struggle.
Etan Patz
Six-year-old Etan Patz was one of the first missing children to appear on a milk carton when he disappeared walking to school in SoHo. The case transformed child safety in America. Pedro Hernandez confessed to the murder
Bonnie Garland
Twenty-one-year-old Yale student Bonnie Garland was killed with a hammer by her Yale student boyfriend Richard Herrin while she slept at her parents' Scarsdale home. Herrin claimed he was in a dissociative state. He was
Son of Sam Victims
David Berkowitz, known as 'Son of Sam,' murdered six people and wounded seven others in New York City over 13 months. He terrorized the city with taunting letters to police and media. He was caught in August 1977 after a
Alice Crimmins
The two young children of Alice Crimmins, Eddie Jr. (5) and Missy (4), were found dead in Queens, New York. Alice Crimmins was convicted of manslaughter in 1968 in a sensational trial that was heavily influenced by her s
Dorothy Kilgallen
Celebrity journalist Dorothy Kilgallen was found dead of an overdose of alcohol and barbiturates in her New York townhouse. She had been publicly investigating the JFK assassination and the Jack Ruby murder trial. Some r
Kitty Genovese
Kitty Genovese was stabbed to death outside her apartment in Kew Gardens, Queens. The case became famous for the 'bystander effect' theory after news reports claimed 38 neighbors heard or witnessed the attack without cal
Frank Olson
CIA scientist Frank Olson died after falling from a New York hotel window. It was ruled a suicide but his family believed he was killed because he wanted to leave the agency's secret mind control program MKUltra. His bod
Starr Faithfull
Starr Faithfull was found drowned on a Long Beach, New York beach. Her diary revealed an ongoing relationship with politician Andrew James Peters who allegedly abused her. The death was undetermined — possibly homicide,
Judge Joseph Force Crater
New York Supreme Court Justice Joseph Force Crater disappeared in New York City after dining with friends. He hailed a cab and was never seen again. Despite massive investigation, no trace of him was ever found. He was d
Stanford White
Prominent architect Stanford White was shot in front of hundreds of witnesses at Madison Square Garden's rooftop restaurant by millionaire Harry K. Thaw, who was enraged over White's past relationship with his wife Evely
Carrie Brown
Carrie Brown, a prostitute known as 'Old Shakespeare,' was found murdered and mutilated in her New York City hotel room. She was initially suspected as a Jack the Ripper copycat victim but the timing didn't align. Ameer