Robert Jowaiszas
Rockland Post Desk
What we know, what we don’t — and why the questions still matter
On the evening of October 7, 1974, 15-year-old Lisa Thomas left her Nanuet home for what was expected to be a short walk to the nearby Nanuet Mall. It was a familiar route, one she had taken many times before. She never arrived.
The next morning, her father discovered her body in a wooded area just behind the family home — a narrow shortcut through trees and brush, less than a thousand feet from where she should have been safe.
Lisa had suffered multiple blunt-force injuries to the head, including a fractured skull. She was found blindfolded with cloth taken from her own purse. Her shoes had been removed and placed nearby, but her purse itself was untouched. Nothing appeared stolen.
From the earliest hours of the investigation, those details suggested the crime was not a robbery or a random act. Criminal behavior experts note that when personal items are left behind and a victim is restrained, the motive often involves domination and control rather than opportunity.
A Crime of Its Time
The early 1970s are now widely regarded by criminal historians as a peak era for violent, often unsolved murders of young women in suburban and semi-rural communities. Neighborhoods were expanding into wooded areas, forensic science was limited, and surveillance cameras did not yet exist. Many crimes from that era simply faded into silence.
Lisa Thomas’ murder fits this tragic pattern. More than five decades later, the case remains unsolved — not from lack of effort, but because investigators were working with the tools available at the time.
Clarkstown Police launched an extensive investigation, canvassing neighborhoods, interviewing residents and local teenagers, following dozens of tips, and administering polygraph examinations. Several young people known to have been in the area were questioned, but no arrests were made. As months passed, leads dried up and memories faded.
CBS New York Video Report
https://youtu.be/NwhNh8mv0S8
Community Rumors and Early Suspicions
In the weeks following the murder, rumors spread quickly through Nanuet. Lisa was a high school sophomore, and some local teens known to frequent the wooded path behind the mall became subjects of speculation.
A group of three boys was discussed among classmates and mentioned in newspaper coverage, in part because Lisa had reportedly confronted some youths about a recent burglary at her home. Police interviewed these young men multiple times and administered lie-detector tests. Their alibis were investigated and, at the time, cleared by detectives.
Despite that, tensions ran high. Reports of vigilante threats circulated among students, underscoring how fear and speculation overtook confirmed evidence during the emotional aftermath of the crime.
Investigating in the 1970s
Detectives in 1974 relied almost entirely on human observation and memory. Door-to-door canvassing, handwritten witness statements, and basic forensic testing formed the backbone of investigations.
Fingerprint comparisons were done manually. Blood analysis could identify only general blood types. Hair and fiber testing was limited. Polygraphs were sometimes used to guide inquiries, but criminal profiling was still in its infancy. There were no DNA tests, no computerized databases, no national crime networks, and no surveillance footage.
When early leads failed to pan out, cases often stalled.
How the Case Might Look Today
If Lisa Thomas’ murder were investigated today, detectives would have access to tools unimaginable in 1974. Advanced DNA testing could analyze trace or “touch DNA” from clothing, the blindfold, or other personal items. Fingerprints could be compared instantly through national databases, and genetic genealogy might help identify suspects decades later.
Digital mapping, archived records, and modern re-interviews could reconstruct timelines and reveal patterns that were previously invisible. In recent years, similar cold cases have been solved using these methods, even after half a century.
Behavioral Insights
The nature of Lisa’s murder — occurring so close to her home — suggests the perpetrator may have been familiar with the area and comfortable navigating the wooded paths without detection.
Behavioral analysts note that blindfolding a victim and removing shoes are acts often associated with domination and control. Offenders who leave belongings behind while restraining victims are frequently described as organized and methodical. While profiling cannot identify a specific individual, it can help investigators recognize patterns shared with other unsolved crimes from the era.
A Disputed Confession
Years later, convicted serial killer Richard Cottingham, known as the “Torso Killer,” claimed responsibility for Lisa’s murder. Authorities have never verified the claim, and no physical evidence places him in Nanuet at the time. The case remains officially unsolved.
An Invitation to the Community
Cold cases are sometimes solved because someone recalls a detail that once seemed insignificant — a parked car, an overheard comment, a person who felt out of place.
Did you live in Nanuet in the early 1970s? Do you remember the night Lisa disappeared or the days that followed?
Clarkstown Police Department – Detective Bureau 845-639-5840
Lisa Thomas was more than a headline. She was a daughter, a teenager, and a member of this community. Remembering her story keeps the search for answers alive — because justice has no expiration date.
Anyone with information is encouraged to contact Clarkstown Police or email rpeditorkss@gmail.com.
Related Videos & Resources
CBS New York — “Nanuet Mother Hopes for Justice, 40 Years Later”
Defrosting Cold Cases — Lisa Thomas (archival photo & case summary)
Map: Nanuet, Rockland County, New York