Robert Zarinsky (September 2, 1940 November 28, 2008) was a convicted murderer and suspected

serial killer A serial killer is typically a person who murders three or more persons,A * * * * with the murders taking place over more than a month and including a significant period of time between them. While most authorities set a threshold of three ...

from Linden, New Jersey.

Criminal record

After a series of lesser crimes and numerous stays in psychiatric institutions: *In 1975, Zarinsky was sentenced to life imprisonment for the 1969 murder of Rosemary Calandriello, 17, of

Atlantic Highlands, New Jersey Atlantic Highlands is a borough in Monmouth County, New Jersey, in the Bayshore Region. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough's population was 4,385,acquitted In common law jurisdictions, an acquittal certifies that the accused is free from the charge of an offense, as far as criminal law is concerned. The finality of an acquittal is dependent on the jurisdiction. In some countries, such as the ...

of the 1958 murder of

Rahway, New Jersey Rahway () is a city in southern Union County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. A bedroom community of New York City, it is centrally located in the Rahway Valley region, in the New York metropolitan area. The city is southwest of Manhattan ...

police officer Charles Bernoskie. *In 2008, Zarinsky was

indicted An indictment ( ) is a formal accusation that a person has committed a crime. In jurisdictions that use the concept of felonies, the most serious criminal offence is a felony; jurisdictions that do not use the felonies concept often use that of ...

for the 1968 murder of Jane Durrua, 13, of

Middletown, New Jersey Middletown Township is a township in Monmouth County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2020 United States Census, the township had a total population of 67,106, making it the most-populous municipality in the county and the state's 16th ...

, but he died before the trial could begin. *In 2016, it was announced that DNA evidence conclusively linked Zarinsky to the 1965 murder of Mary Agnes Klinsky, 18, of

Raritan High School Raritan High School is a four-year comprehensive public high school serving students in ninth through twelfth grades from Hazlet Township in Monmouth County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey, operating as the lone secondary school of the Hazl ...

. *He was also the prime suspect in the 1969–1974 murders of: ** Linda Balabanow, 17, of

Union Township, Union County, New Jersey Union Township is a township in Union County, New Jersey, United States. In the 18th century, the area that is now Union was then called Connecticut Farms. As of the 2020 United States Census, the township population was 59,728, the highest rec ...

** Doreen Carlucci, 14, and Joanne Delardo, 15, of

Woodbridge Township, New Jersey Woodbridge Township is a township in Middlesex County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. The township is both a regional hub for Central New Jersey and a major bedroom suburb of New York City in the New York metropolitan area located within the ...

** Ann Logan, 19, of Elizabeth, New Jersey Zarinsky repeatedly boasted that he could solve up to ten homicides, hoping to parlay the information into a more-lenient prison sentence.

Calandriello murder

Rosemary Calandriello was a 17-year-old girl from

Atlantic Highlands, New Jersey Atlantic Highlands is a borough in Monmouth County, New Jersey, in the Bayshore Region. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough's population was 4,385,convicted of murder without the victim's body having been found, a conviction upheld on appeal. In 1988, Zarinsky claimed that he had accidentally killed Calandriello and buried her body in northwest New Jersey. He later claimed that he had thrown her body into the Atlantic Ocean.

Bernoskie murder

In 2001, Zarinsky was tried and acquitted of the November 28, 1958, murder of Rahway police officer Charles Bernoskie. Bernoskie happened to come upon a burglary in progress at the Miller Pontiac car dealership in Rahway. He was then shot and killed by one of the burglars, either Zarinsky or his cousin Theodore Schiffer. Although Bernoskie shot both suspects, they were able to elude capture. No one was charged with the murder until 1999. Schiffer left a

fingerprint A fingerprint is an impression left by the friction ridges of a human finger. The recovery of partial fingerprints from a crime scene is an important method of forensic science. Moisture and grease on a finger result in fingerprints on surfac ...

at the scene of the Miller Pontiac burglary, but it was not until 1999 that the fingerprint was matched to him. He had never been fingerprinted and therefore there was no record of his fingerprints. Schiffer pleaded guilty to burglary and served three years in prison. Schiffer was implicated as an accomplice in the burglary and murder, in testimony from Zarinsky's sister, Judith Sapsa, who was under investigation for

embezzling Embezzlement is a crime that consists of withholding assets for the purpose of conversion of such assets, by one or more persons to whom the assets were entrusted, either to be held or to be used for specific purposes. Embezzlement is a type ...

$121,500 from a

mutual fund A mutual fund is a professionally managed investment fund that pools money from many investors to purchase securities. The term is typically used in the United States, Canada, and India, while similar structures across the globe include the SICAV ...

account owned by Zarinsky. Sapsa testified at the Bernoskie murder trial that she had assisted her mother with removing bullets from Zarinsky and Schiffer on the night of the Bernoskie murder. Sapsa also testified that Zarinsky stated to her that "Teddy and I shot a cop." Despite the testimony of Schiffer and Sapsa, their credibility and motives were questioned, and Zarinsky was acquitted of the Bernoskie murder. When Zarinsky was indicted in 2000 for the murder, Bette Bernoskie, the widow of Officer Charles Bernoskie, filed a wrongful-death suit against Zarinsky in

civil court Civil law may refer to: * Civil law (common law), the part of law that concerns private citizens and legal persons * Civil law (legal system), or continental law, a legal system originating in continental Europe and based on Roman law ** Private la ...

. In August 2003, a jury found Zarinsky responsible for the death and awarded Elizabeth Bernoskie $9,500,000 plus interest. In 2004, $154,000 was seized from Zarinsky's assets, and Mrs. Bernoskie divided this award among her legal representatives and her six children. From prison, Zarinsky appealed the verdict; eventually, it was reversed. The court said it overturned the judgment because the lawsuit was not allowed under state law. In July 2007, a New Jersey

Appellate Court A court of appeals, also called a court of appeal, appellate court, appeal court, court of second instance or second instance court, is any court of law that is empowered to hear an appeal of a trial court or other lower tribunal. In much of ...

upheld the decision and ordered the money returned to Zarinsky. Elizabeth Bernoskie no longer had the money and feared losing her home. The New Jersey

Patrolmen's Benevolent Association Police unions in the United States include a large number and patchwork variety of organizations. Of those unions which conduct labor negotiations on behalf of its police members, 80% are independent and have no affiliation to any larger organized ...

then organized efforts to repay it to spare Mrs. Bernoskie and her children from having to give back the award money from their own pockets.

Durrua murder

On March 11, 2008, a grand jury returned an indictment against Zarinsky for the 1968 murder of 13-year-old Jane Durrua, based on DNA evidence. Durrua went missing on the evening of November 4, 1968, and her body was found the next morning in a field in

Klinsky murder

On February 17, 2016, the New Jersey State Police Major Crime Unit and the Monmouth County Prosecutor's Office announced that newly examined DNA evidence linked the 1965 death of Mary Agnes Klinsky to Zarinsky. Klinsky was raped and beaten to death. Her naked body was found near Telegraph Hill Park in

Holmdel, New Jersey Holmdel Township (usually shortened to Holmdel) is a township in Monmouth County, New Jersey, United States. The township is centrally located in the Raritan Valley region, being within the regional and cultural influence of the Raritan Baysh ...

on September 16, 1965.

Zarinsky's death

On November 28, 2008, before he could stand trial for the Durrua murder, Zarinsky died at the

South Woods State Prison South Woods State Prison is a state prison for male offenders located in Bridgeton, Cumberland County, New Jersey, United States. It is operated by the New Jersey Department of Corrections. History In the 1990s state officials planned to open a ...

in Bridgeton, New Jersey, aged 68, of

pulmonary fibrosis Pulmonary fibrosis is a condition in which the lungs become scarred over time. Symptoms include shortness of breath, a dry cough, feeling tired, weight loss, and nail clubbing. Complications may include pulmonary hypertension, respiratory failu ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Zarinsky, Robert 1940 births 2008 deaths American male criminals American murderers of children American people convicted of murder American people who died in prison custody American prisoners sentenced to life imprisonment American rapists American serial killers Deaths from pulmonary fibrosis Murder convictions without a body People convicted of murder by New Jersey People from Linden, New Jersey Prisoners sentenced to life imprisonment by New Jersey Prisoners who died in New Jersey detention Serial killers from New Jersey