James Koedatich
James Jerold Koedatich (born June 12, 1948) is an American serial killer who was sentenced to death for the killings of two women in Morris County, New Jersey, which he committed during the final months of 1982, after having been previously paroled for the 1971 murder of his roommate in Florida. Koedatich had killed a fellow inmate in 1973, but that was ruled to be self-defense.[2][3]
James Koedatich | |
|---|---|
| Born | James Jerold Koedatich June 12, 1948[1] New Jersey, U.S. |
| Conviction(s) | Florida Second degree murder New Jersey Murder (2 counts) Aggravated sexual assault Aggravated assault (2 counts) Kidnapping |
| Criminal penalty | Florida 15 years imprisonment New Jersey Death; commuted to life imprisonment |
| Details | |
| Victims | 4 (including one which was ruled to be self-defense) |
Span of crimes | 1971–1982 |
| Country | United States |
| State(s) | Florida, New Jersey |
Date apprehended | May 12, 1983 |
| Imprisoned at | New Jersey State Prison |
Murders
Florida
In 1971, Koedatich was living in Dade County, Florida. On June 13, Koedatich killed his roommate, 40-year-old Robert Anderson. He was quickly arrested and convicted of second degree murder. Koedatich received a 15-year prison sentence and was sent to the Florida State Prison in Raiford.[4] While in prison, he was accused of killing a fellow inmate, but this was ruled as self defense, and Koedatich was not charged.[5] In 1982, having spent eleven years in prison, the Florida Parole Board granted Koedatich parole, and in August he was officially released from prison.[2] After his release he moved to Morristown, New Jersey.[6]
New Jersey
On November 23, 1982, Koedatich came across 18-year-old Amie Hoffman. Hoffman, a cheerleader for Parsippany Hills High School, was leaving her job at a mall in Hanover Township, when Koedatich abducted her and threw her into his vehicle.[6][7] Once in a secluded location, he sexually assaulted Hoffman before stabbing her to death, then disposing of her body in the Mendham Reservoir in Randolph Township. Her body was transported by the naturally moving water into a water holding tank, where it would be found two days later. During the subsequent autopsy, semen belonging to Hoffman's killer was located in her body.[7] There were eyewitnesses who were found in the investigation, and they gave a description of the vehicle that the suspect drove. Police also located tire tracks the killer's car left behind.[8]
On December 5, 1982, Koedatich abducted another woman, this time 25-year-old Deirdre O'Brian at knifepoint after running her off the road. Once at an Interstate 80 rest area, he raped, and stabbed her repeatedly before leaving the area. O'Brian was found alive on the side of the road, and was rushed to the hospital where she died.[5]
Arrest
In January 1983, Koedatich brought himself to the investigators' attention by claiming he was stabbed by a female individual while driving alone at night.[7] As part of regular police procedure, they seized to question him about the attack, at this point realizing there was likely a serial killer active in New Jersey, thinking that Koedatich was a surviving victim. Detectives soon noticed Koedatich's car matched the description of the car seen abducting Hoffman, as well as his tires corresponding with tire tracks found at the scene. At first thinking it might just be a coincidence, they inspected Koedatich's wounds, but in a turn of events, it was found that the wounds were self-inflicted.[7][8] They also found out his original conviction for the 1971 killing of his roommate. Koedatich, now a suspect, claimed that he was driving around the area Hoffman was abducted in the night of her murder, but a few days later on May 12, he was arrested by authorities, and charged with two counts of murder.
Trials and imprisonment
Both trials for Koedatich ended in guilty verdicts, despite his claims of innocence. He was sentenced to death, and resided on New Jersey's death row. However, in 1990, Koedatich's case was brought forward by the Supreme Court of New Jersey, which overturned his original sentence, and he was resentenced to life imprisonment.[3][9] In 2011, Koedatich contacted the heads of the State's Department of Corrections, requesting to be moved to a prison in Illinois to be closer to his family, however Commissioner Gary Lanigan rejected the proposal. In 2017, Koedatich communicated with the Innocence Project, requesting with discovery of new DNA evidence could be used to clear his name.[7] In the meantime, Koedatich remains in a New Jersey prison, with the latest parole date set for 2038, when he would be 90 years old.[3]
In media
Koedatich's crimes are featured in the episode "Fatal Error" on the television show The New Detectives.
References
- "Inmate Lookup". New Jersey Department of Corrections. Retrieved 8 December 2021.
- "Parolee Arrested In Murder Case In Morris County". The New York Times. 19 January 1983. Retrieved 6 December 2021.
- "Man convicted of 2 murders in 1982 seeks DNA test in bid for new trial". NJ.com. 29 November 2017. Retrieved 6 December 2021.
- Ap (1983-12-16). "Jersey Man Charged In 2d Fatal Stabbing". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2022-04-10.
- "Killer's prison-transfer request outrages N.J. victims' families". NJ.com. 1 April 2019. Retrieved 6 December 2021.
- "DNA from Parsippany murder found at convicted killer's request". Daily Record. 7 February 2018. Retrieved 6 December 2021.
- "Convicted killer asks judge for DNA test of evidence 35 years after murder". Daily Record. 3 December 2017. Retrieved 6 December 2021.
- "Man convicted of killing two Morris County women asks for 1982 DNA to be tested". Daily Record. 28 November 2017. Retrieved 6 December 2021.
- "Death Penalty in '82 Murder Voided in Jersey". The New York Times. 4 August 1988. Retrieved 11 December 2021.