Press Release Issued by: Chief Joseph Dawicki
Alys
Eberhardt was 18 years old when she was stabbed
and bludgeoned to death at her family’s home in the Borough. Her killer
evaded capture for decades, despite the assistance of county, state and
federal partners. In the spring of 2021, the case was re-opened at the
direction of then Chief Glen Cauwels. Det. Eric Eleshewich and Det. Brian
Rypkema were assigned and tasked with reviewing the files of the initial
investigation.
The FLPD investigated persons of interest as they surfaced through the
years, but they were ultimately cleared of involvement. In the spring of
2021, convicted serial killer Richard Cottingham from River Vale, New
Jersey, made admissions to authorities as to his involvement in several
murders in the Bergen County area in the 1960’s and 1970’s. As the Fair Lawn
Detectives examined him as a person of interest, the possibility surfaced
that Eberhardt’s murder could have been one of his earliest crimes.
Cottingham has remained incarcerated with the New Jersey Department of
Corrections since July of 1981 and is serving three life sentences at South
Woods State Prison in Bridgeton, NJ. He is also being held on three
out-of-state murder detainers. When the case was re-opened, the decision was
made in conjunction with the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office not to pursue
additional criminal charges in the event a confession was obtained.
Fair Lawn Detectives Eleshewich and Rypkema began interviewing Cottingham in
2021, and started the process of building a rapport. Shortly thereafter, the
Detectives also met and forged relationships with two confidants of
Cottingham, Dr. Peter Vronsky and Jennifer Weiss. Both Dr. Vronsky and
Weiss, until her passing in 2023, have been a constant source of assistance
with the FLPD in facilitating communication with Cottingham.
Over the course of the next four years, many in-person interviews were
conducted with Cottingham by Fair Lawn Detectives and Detectives from the
New Jersey State Police and the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office. In
November of 2025, Dr. Vronsky advised Fair Lawn Detectives that Cottingham’s
health was failing and he wanted to speak with them. Two additional
interviews took place with Sgt. Eleshewich and Det. Rypkema, with the final
interview occurring in December of 2025. During the final interview,
Cottingham made a full verbal and later provided a written confession where
he admitted to killing Eberhardt. In these admissions, he provided
cooberating details about the circumstances leading up to the crime, the
house, and details about the murder which were not publically known.
Chief Joseph Dawicki stated that “Alys was a vibrant young nursing student
who was taken from our community and we never got to see the great things
she could accomplish.” He further added that “I am extremely proud of the
work Sgt. Eleshewich and Det. Rypkema put into this case. Closing Fair
Lawn’s sole outstanding unsolved homicide is a tremendous accomplishment and
shows the community our officers’ level of dedication. While we cannot bring
Alys back, I am hopeful that her family can find some peace knowing her
killer confessed to the crime and is behind bars not able to harm anyone
else. Law enforcement does not give up in the search for justice for
victims.”
Michael Smith, on behalf of the family of Alys Eberhardt stated the
following:
"Our family has waited since 1965 for the truth. To receive this news during
the holidays—and to be able to tell my mother, Alys’s sister, that we
finally have answers—was a moment I never thought would come. As Alys’s
nephew, I am deeply moved that our family can finally honor her memory with
the truth. On behalf of the Eberhardt family, we want to thank the entire
Fair Lawn Police Department for their work and the persistence required to
secure a confession after all this time. Your efforts have brought a
long-overdue sense of peace to our family and prove that victims like Alys
are never forgotten, no matter how much time passes. Richard Cottingham is
the personification of evil, yet I am grateful that even he has finally
chosen to answer the questions that have haunted our family for decades. We
will never know why, but at least we finally know who.”
We would like to remind our residents if you see something, say something.
Always be on the lookout for your neighbors.
The Fair Lawn Police Department would like to thank the following people and
agencies for their unrelenting commitment and unwavering assistance in
closing this case:
Alys’ siblings and family members who provided insight into the case
Ret. FLPD Chief Robert Van Houten, the lead case detective in 1965
Ret. FLPD Chief Glen Cauwels, who reopened the case in 2021
FLPD Sgt. Eric Eleshewich and FLPD Det. Brian Rypkema who worked tirelessly
over the past nearly five years on this case
Dr. Peter Vronsky, Author and Investigative Historian, from Toronto, Canada
The late Jennifer Weiss, daughter of Deedeh Goodarzi, a Cottingham murder
victim
The New York City Police Department, Ret. Det. William Simon
The New Jersey State Police Cold Case unit
The Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office Cold Case unit
Fair Lawn Police Department, New Jersey,
Public Information Office