Killer Minds: Inside the Minds of Serial Killers & Murderers
Joel the Ripper: Joel Rifkin 1
Mon, 03 Mar 2025
During the 1990s, serial killer Joel Rifkin stalked the streets of New York City. Operating in the shadows, Rifkin targeted vulnerable sex workers and disposed of his victims' bodies with disturbing precision. But his addiction to killing soon spiraled out of control... making him even more dangerous than ever. Mind of a Serial Killer is a Crime House Original. Follow us on Instagram and TikTok @crimehouse for more true crime content. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Chapter 1: What is the focus of Joel the Ripper: Joel Rifkin episode?
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 House 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. I'm Vanessa Richardson.
And I'm Dr. Tristan Ingalls. 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.
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.
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Chapter 2: How did Joel Rifkin's childhood experiences shape him?
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? Throughout his life, Joel Rifkin was always incredibly insecure. Even though he was smart and capable, he felt 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 20th, 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."
I'm not sure what age Joel was in the 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. 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?
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Chapter 3: What role did bullying play in Joel Rifkin's life?
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.
The pressures at home definitely seemed 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, Lardass. 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.
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 described, 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.
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Chapter 4: When did Joel Rifkin's obsession with control begin?
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.
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.
This is a very pivotal moment for Joel in what's to come.
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.
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.
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.
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Chapter 5: How did Joel Rifkin's father's death affect him?
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.'"
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.
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's 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.
We are Theresa and Nemo and that's why we switched to Shopify.
The platform that we used before Shopify needed regular updates, which sometimes led to the shop not working.
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Chapter 6: What triggered Joel Rifkin's first murder?
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.
Dr. 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?
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 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.
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.
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Chapter 7: How did Joel Rifkin dispose of his first victim's body?
And now that Joel had murdered two people with little issue, he was feeling more confident. On July 13th, 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.
Unfortunately, this is not really something new when it comes to the mishandling of cases involving sex workers.
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 1st, 1991, 32-year-old Joel headed to his familiar hunting ground in Manhattan, where he picked up 22-year-old sex 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.
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.
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