On this day, Dec. 17, in 1986, Richard “The Iceman” Kuklinski, one of the most diabolical self-confessed contract killers, was arrested at a New Jersey truck stop and charged with five counts of murder.
Kuklinski has taken credit for more than 200 murders, including that of teamster boss Jimmy Hoffa, whose body has never been found.
Kuklinski earned the nickname “Iceman” for making it difficult for authorities to determine time of death of his victims by freezing their corpses in an industrial freezer before dumping the bodies. Police learned of the method when they found a body whose heart was still frozen.
Once behind bars, Kuklinski made many wild claims. He said he tested a crossbow by driving up to a random man and shooting an arrow into his head. He videotaped one victim being eaten alive by rats as proof of the murder.
He was convicted of five murders and sentenced to life. He died in prison in 2006.
— Scott McCabe
