107. Mary Ann Della Salla

107. Mary Ann Della Salla

From Method & Madness by Dawn Cate

April 9, 2026 · 30 min · Season 6 · Episode 107

About this episode

This episode retraces the final days of Mary Ann Della Salla, a victim of serial killer Richard Cottingham, and discusses the chilling details that emerged decades later.

Part 4 of the Richard Cottingham Victim Series A single diary entry, buried inside a police file, may have held the key to stopping a killer. In 1967, 17-year-old Mary Ann Della Salla vanished while walking home from work in Hackensack, New Jersey. Seventy-six days later, she was found nine miles away. Her case went cold, and her name faded, until decades later when a confession brought it all back. In this episode, we retrace Mary Ann’s final days, the overlooked details that sat untouched for years, and the chilling truth that surfaced in 2022 - when serial killer Richard Cottingham finally admitted what he had done. This is the 4th part of a series. Please listen to episodes 104, 105 & 106 first. Thank you to Dr. Peter Vronsky for lending his expertise and for helping to facilitate the closure of Mary Ann Della Salla’s case. Thank you to Jennifer Weiss, late daughter of victim Deedeh Goodarzi. Content Warning: This episode includes discussions of graphic violence. Listener discretion is advised. Method & Madness is researched, written, hosted, & produced by Dawn Cate Music by Tymur Khakimov from Pixabay *** Get in Touch!: methodandmadnesspod@gmail.com CONNECT…

People in this episode

Host: Dawn Cate

Topics covered

  • true crime
  • missing persons
  • serial killers
  • cold cases
  • victim advocacy

Keywords

  • Mary Ann Della Salla
  • Richard Cottingham
  • true crime
  • cold case
  • missing person

Mentioned in this episode

Places: Hackensack, New Jersey

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