Joel Rifkin's East Meadow home sells
Exterior of the home at 1492 Garden Street where Joel Rifkin lived in and is now in contract on Wednesday, January 26, 2011 in East Meadow, New York. (Photo by Howard Schnapp) Credit: Photo by Howard Schnapp
The East Meadow home where serial killer Joel Rifkin may have slaughtered some of his victims, storing at least one body in the garage, recently sold for $322,000, according to real estate records.
The four-bedroom, two-bath expanded ranch first came on the market in May for $424,500, a difference of $102,500.
The buyers, who hope to move in by Thursday, said they are thrilled with the purchase.
“It’s a great house, and we got it for a great price,” said Tracy, a teacher who asked that her last name not be used to protect her and her fiance’s four children.
The 1951 house and its 61-by-109-foot lot came on the market with Howard Kaminowitz of Laffey Fine Homes as a “handyman’s special” shortly after Rifkin’s mother, Jeanne, died. Peter Hirschhorn of Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage represented the buyer.
Rifkin is serving a 203-year sentence in upstate New York for murdering nine women. He admitted to killing 17, many of them prostitutes, some either in his bedroom or in the basement of the house.
His father, Ben, was found unconscious in the kitchen after a failed suicide attempt in 1987, shortly before Rifkin started his killing spree. He had been suffering from prostate cancer, dying four days later in the hospital.
“I’m sure something happened in the house. I just feel bad for the family,” said Jim, Tracy’s fiance who also asked not to have his last name used.
Tracy said that she just wants to live happily ever after there.
“A house is a house. People die all the time in houses. We’re bringing all positive vibes .. no more bad,” Tracy said.
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