Robert Reldan
“The Charmer”
Information researched and summarized by
Robert Weber, Carl Mocarski, Samantha Moran
Department of Psychology
Radford University
Radford, VA 24142-6946
Date
Age
06/02/1940 0
Born in Brooklyn, New York, as Robert Nadler to William and
Marie Nadler. Robert later changed his last name to Reldan.
1943 3 His sister, Susan Nadler, was born.
1951 11 Family moves from New York to Fort Lee, New Jersey.
01/11/1957 17
Grabbed a woman by the throat and stole her purse outside of her
NY apartment.
03/27/1957 17
Before Judge Joseph Schurman of Manhattan’s General Sessions
Court, Reldan pleads guilty. Reldan is classified as a juvenile
delinquent and placed on indefinite probation.
10/09/1957 - 10/12/1957 17 Committed a series of residential burglaries.
12/19/1957 17
Judge Martin Kole placed Reldan on indefinite probation in regards
to the burglary cases. Psychiatric examinations at Menlo Park State
Psychiatric Hospital a mandate of his probation
01/13/1957 – 01/17/1958 17
Psychiatrists determined that Reldan displayed a narcissistic
character disorder and had strong repressed hostility towards
women.
1958 17 Reldan graduates from high school in Fort Lee, NJ
07/17/1958 18 Reldan is arrested in Closter, NJ for stealing five cars
08/01/1958 18
Reldan is taken to a New Jersey state hospital for observation. The
psychiatrists diagnose Reldan with “sociopathic personality
disturbance with anti-social” reaction.
12/24/1958 18 Reldan is released from the state hospital into his parents’ custody.
01/15/1959 18
Reldan is found guilty of auto theft and is sentenced to indefinite
probation.
February, 1959 18
Reldan is arrested in New York for auto theft but charges are not
filed against him.
03/24/1959 18 Because the auto theft was a parole violation, Reldan is given a
three-year sentence to Great Meadows Reformatory n New York.
January, 1962 21 Reldan is released from Great Meadows on parole.
02/25/1962 21
Reldan sexually assaults A.H. (HF, 14) during a home
invasion/robbery in Fort Lee, NJ
1962 21-22
Reldan leaves New Jersey and travels to Connecticut and New
Jersey before arriving in Florida.
11/30/1962 22
Arrested in Miami Beach for impersonating a police officer. Dade
County authorities allowed Reldan a plea bargain, and his final
sentence was a 90 day suspended jail sentence.
Spring, 1963 22 Reldan returns to New Jersey.
07/27/1963 23
Reldan is arrested by Closter, NJ police for carrying a concealed
weapon
August, 1963 23
Reldan is arrested by North Arlington, NJ police for assault and
breaking and entering
Fall, 1963 23
A Bergan County, NJ grand jury indicts Reldan for the February,
1962 assault of A.H. in Fort Lee, NJ
12/02/1963 23
Reldan’s first criminal trial begins – committing assault with
attempt to rape A.H., breaking and entering, and the theft of
money/jewelry. The trial resulted in a hung jury.
01/03/1964 23
Reldan is arrested for six robberies occurring in New York City
between June 4 and July 23, 1963.
1964
Reldan reaches a plea agreement for the New York robberies and
the two New Jersey charges. Reldan is sentenced to five years in
prison for the crimes. He first served his sentence in New Jersey
and then in New York.
09/15/1966 26
Reldan is paroled early and goes to live with his parents in Closter,
NJ.
04/27/1967 26
Convinced B.C. to allow him entrance into her home in Teaneck,
NJ (Bergan County), and then raped her.
04/29/1967 26
Closter (a town in Bergan County, NJ) Police call Reldan in to
question him in regards to an “unspecified police matter”. B.C.
identifies Reldan as her attacker. Reldan is arrested and accused of
rape.
06/02/1967 27 Bergan County grand jury indicts Reldon for the rape of B.C.
07/13/1967 27 Reldan’s trial begins
07/17/1967 27
Trial for the B.C. case resulted in a hung jury and a mistrial was
declared.
09/25/1967 27
Retrial for the B.C. case began. This trial lasted three days, and
resulted in Reldan’s conviction.
10/18/1967 27
Because Reldan was convicted of a sex crime with the B.C. case,
the State Diagnostic & Treatment Center (in Rahway, NJ) had to
evaluate him to determine his status as a sexual predator
• Results said Reldan “showed a compulsive pattern of
sexual behavior”, and noted that he strived “ingratiating
and manipulative”.
• Reldan was sentenced to an indeterminate term not to
exceed 30 years at the center for treatment of his
“repetitive, compulsive pattern of sexual behavior”.
10/20/1970 30 Reldan is paroled after serving just over three years
03/16/1971 30
William Prendergast (Robert’s friend) is hospitalized for back
surgery. Robert spent much of the day with him in the hospital but
departed mid to late afternoon.
• At approximately 8:00 p.m. Reldan entered B.M.’s (F, 31)
car and held her at knifepoint. B.M. was able to escape
and contact authorities. Reldan was apprehended shortly
thereafter.
03/23/1971 30 Reldan’s parole is revoked and he is returned to Rahway prison.
10/18/1971 31
Reldan appears in court for his assault of B.M.. Initially he pleads
not-guilty, but subsequently accepts a plea bargain and pleads
guilty.
02/14/1972 31
Judge John E. Bachman accepts proposed plea bargain and Reldan
receives five to seven years, to be served in concurrence with the
B.C. rape.
08/10/1974 34
Mary Pryor (17) and Lorraine Kelly (16) reported missing from
North Bergen, NJ.
08/14/1974 34
Bodies of Mary Pryor and Lorraine Kelly are discovered raped and
smothered near Montvale VA.
12/13/1974 34
Doreen Carlucci (14) and Joanne Delardo (15) disappeared from a
church youth center in Woodbridge VA
12/--/1974 34
Approximately two months after the girls were abducted, their
bodies were discovered in Manalapan Township, NJ. One victim
was discovered completely nude, the other wearing only a sweater
and shoes. The weapon, an electrical cord, was still wrapped
around Doreen’s neck.
05/--/1975 34
Reldan appears on David Frost’s television show, The Unspeakable
Crime. Pleads for better understanding and treatment for sex
offenders.
05/30/1975 34
Reldan is once again paroled, four years after the B.M. assault.
(Reldan’s parole date conflicts with the possibility that he could
have been involved in the murders of Mary Pryor, Lorraine Kelly,
Doreen Carlucci, and Joanne Delardo.)
06/17/1975 35
Robert marries his fiancée, Judy Rosenberg. They then move to an
apartment on Central Avenue in Tenafly, New Jersey
10/06/1975 35 Susan Heynes (WF, 26) vanishes from her home in Haworth, NJ.
10/09/1975 35
Susan Haynes’ disappearance is noted in the evening edition of The
Record.
10/10/1975 35
Coverage of the Heynes disappearance increases and kidnapping
possibility is addressed. Heynes’s old contacts in the US, Canada,
England, South Africa are contacted but her whereabouts continue
to be unknown.
10/14/1975 35
Susan Reeves (WF, 22) is abducted walking from the bus stop near
her Demarest, NJ. Reports of a man in a maroon station wagon are
reported having followed Susan Reeves. Interstate toll plaza
attendant Eileen Dalton observes strange activity by a male driver
around 7:30 p.m. She, and another attendant, hear a scream from
the man’s trunk as well as a woman yelling.
10/17/1975 35
Attendant Dalton tentatively identifies Robert Reldan as the male
driver she observed after being given six mug shots of recently
paroled men.
10/21/1975 35
Reldan asked to come to the police department to be questioned in
regards to Reeve’s and Heynes’ disappearances.
10/22/1975 35
Reldan’s interview is recorded, during which Reldan states that he
is in a strong financial position.
• Reldan provides specific details for many of the days
surrounding the days in question, but October 06 was the
only day for which he provided an alibi; the day of the
Haynes disappearance.
• He also provided an alibi for October 14, another day in
question. Upon further investigation this alibi was proven
to be at least partially falsified.
Reldan asked to complete a polygraph examination. He stated he
would like to talk to his lawyer before taking a polygraph, but he
never came back.
10/27/1975 35
Body of Susan Haynes is found in Rockland County, NY. She had
been strangled.
10/28/1975 35
Body of Susan Reeve is found in Tallman State Park in New York.
She had been strangled and raped.
10/30/1975 35 Reldan tried to break into a home in Norwood, NJ
10/31/1975 35
Reldan burglarizes a home in Closter. Police are alerted and issue a
warrant for Reldan’s arrest in addition to a search warrant that is
issued for Reldan’s car. Reldan is arrested for attempted burglary.
11/13/1975 35
• Officers execute a search on Reldan’s apartment as well
as his wife Judy’s car. The subject of the search was
jewelry taken from the bodies of the murdered women.
None was found. Police did however find a California
driver’s license with Robert’s picture and a false name.
They also found several blank birth certificates, and
seized Robert’s address book.
• In Reldan’s address book, Roberta Gimble’s name is
discovered. She is later interviewed about her relationship
with Reldan.
11/--/1975 35
Reldan has access to a vacant house that belonged to his aunt,
Lillian Booth. Investigators find evidence in this residence linking
Susan Reeve to it, although this evidence is never utilized in court.
01/02/1976 35
Evidence found in Reldan’s car linking him to the Heynes and
Reeve disappearances (hair samples and scent recognition by
trained dogs).
06/--/1976 36
Reldan sentenced to 2-3 years at Rahway State Prison for home
burglaries.
12/--/1976 36
Reldan opens up about his involvement to the Haynes and Reeves
cases to fellow inmates (Cliff and Allison Williams) also tries to
get them involved in the robbery and murder of his aunt and her
companion.
January, 1977 36
Reldan is indicted by a grand jury for the Reeve and Heynes
murders
03/08/1977 36
Nick Gallo (an undercover police officer), going by Frank Parisi,
met with Reldan where Reldan conspired to have his aunt killed for
$100,000 to $150,000 in jewelry.
03/15/1977 36
Letter from Reldan indicates his plans for his aunt are progressing
smoothly.
03/16/1977 36
Another letter from Reldan discussed progress with his lawyers and
also indicated his progress towards his aunt’s murder.
03/18/1977 36 Authorities place a tap on Judy Reldan’s phone.
03/22/1977 36 Reldan’s lawyers visit him at Trenton State Prison.
03/30/1977 36
Reldan served with an arrest warrant for conspiring to murder his
aunt and her companion, Misha Dabich.
04/08/1977 36 Reldan’s attorney withdraws from the case.
04/11/1977 36
Reldan sends a letter to prosecutor Kohler stating that he will
continue without counsel.
04/14/1977 36
The Williams brothers (will testify against Reldan, about what
Reldan said while in prison about his plans to rob and murder his
aunt and her companion) were transferred for their safety to
Clinton Correctional Facility in New Jersey.
04/21/1977 36
Reldan receives an indictment on 2 counts of advocating the death
of his aunt, 2 counts of advocating the death of her companion, and
1 count of conspiring to kill his aunt, Lillian Booth.
01/20/1977 36 Reldan is indicted for the felony murders of Heynes and Reeves.
01/24/1977 36 Reldan is transferred to Trenton State Prison.
02/22/1977 36
The Williams brothers agree to testify regarding Reldan’s
conspiracy to murder Lillian Booth.
04/10/1978 37
Jury selection begins in the State of New Jersey v Robert Reldan
and Albert Barber trial – conspiracy to murder Lillian Booth.
04/11/1978 37 The trial begins
04/26/1978 37
Reldan found guilty on five counts for which he was indicted, and
is sentenced to 20-25 years for each count.
05/24/1979 38 Trial for the murder of Susan Reeves and Susan Haynes.
06/19/1979 39 Susan Reeves and Susan Haynes murder trail declared a mistrial.
09/19/1979 39
Susan Reeves and Susan Haynes murder trial retrial. During this
trial, Reldan gained Sherry Ann Stevens as a supporter
10/02/1979 39 John Truncali, owner of Cloister Jewelry, testified that Reldan
attempted to sell him a woman’s engagement ring that was very
similar to a sketch of Heynes’ ring. Charles Wolthoff would state
he too had been approached to buy the ring.
Chief DiLuzio states he saw Reldan’s red Opel station wagon in
Susan Heynes’ driveway.
Chief DiLuzio gave extensive testimony stating why he’d seen the
vehicle and why it had taken him so long to realize its significance.
10/09/1979 39 Judge Paul Hout heard testimony from B.C. and B.M. which raised
similarities to the murders through Reldan’s use of a chokehold.
Judge Hout allowed both women’s testimony, stating that the use
of force to the throat was rare enough to constitute a connection.
10/10/1979 39 Judge Paul Hout reveals that a letter was sent to a juror with $100
along with a letter promising $900 more if Reldan was convicted.
10/11/1979 39 Judge Hout meets with each juror to ensure they had not heard
about or seen the bribery letter.
• Another bribery letter is discovered having been delivered
to one of the jurors’ home.
• Five letters total are recovered, only two were seen by
jurors.
10/15/1979 39 Reldan escapes from Bergan County police custody, but is
recaptured later that day. Reldan sprayed Officer Joseph Vuocolo
in the eyes with a chemical substance in order to escape, after
Vuocolo neglected to frisk Reldan once he had dressed for court.
10/17/1979 39 Reldan is found guilty of second degree murder of Susan Heynes
and found guilty of first degree murder of Susan Reeve.
04/08/1980 39 Relden gets indicted for his escape and other crimes committed
during his escape.
04/12/1980 39 Relden is convicted on all counts for his escape.
04/19/1981 40 Sherry Ann Stevens (29) is apprehended while trying to help
Reldan escape from St. Francis Emergency Room. She had in her
possession a bag of extra clothing, and a loaded 20-gague shotgun.
10/27/1981 41 Stevens pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit an escape and
possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, and was
sentenced to 5 years with 3 years of parole ineligibility. Reldan
pleaded guilty to the same two charges, and was sentenced to 15
years with 7.5 years of parole ineligibility.
05/27/1982 41 Appellate Division of the Superior Court ruled that Reldan was
denied a fair trial because of Rule 55 in Reldan II case.
03/13/1986 45 The jury gives the same conviction that the original jury did for
Reeves and Heynes. Two consecutive life terms, plus 30 years.
05/15/1989 48 Reldan was denied the ability to appeal his trial.
12/29/1993 53 Court rules that Reldon cannot legally change his name to Howard
Beyer Junior, which is the name of the prison warden.
11/22/2007 77 Lillian Booth died of a stroke, and left some of her estate to
Reldan’s mother. Since his mother had already passed away, the
estate passed to Reldan. Even after Reldan’s conspiracy to murder
his aunt, she never took any steps to ensure that he was written out
of her will. Reldan inherits $8.9 million.
04/01/2009 78 Reldan is denied parole
10/10/2010 79 Court rules Reldan must pay $10 million to the family of Susan
Reeve. The Reeve family then donated the money to Hollins
University where Susan Reeve had attended college.
General Information
Sex Male
Race White
Number of victims 8 suspected, 2 convicted, none confessed to
Country where killing occurred United States
States where killing occurred New Jersey, New York
Cities where killing occurred North Bergen, Woodbridge, Manlapan, Montvale
Counties where killing occurred Bergen, Hudson, Middlesex, Monmouth, Rockland
Type of killer Serial: Enjoyment - rape
Height 6’2”
Childhood Information
Date of birth June 2, 1940
Location Brooklyn, New York
Birth order 1
st
of 2
Number of siblings 1
XYY? No
Raised by Both parents
Birth category Oldest
Parent’s marital status Married
Did serial killer spend time in an orphanage? No
Did serial killer spend time in a foster home? No
Was serial killer ever raised by a relative? No
Did serial killer ever live with adopted family? No
Did serial killer ever live with a step-parent? No
Family event
Age of family event
Problems in school? Yes
Teased while in school?
Physically attractive? Yes
Physical defect? No
Speech defect? No
Head injury? Not available
Physically abused? Not available
Psychologically abused? N/A
Sexually abused? N/A
Father’s occupation N/A
Mother’s occupation N/A
Father abused drugs/alcohol N/A
Mother abused drugs/alcohol N/A
Cognitive Ability
Highest grade in school 12
th
, but was enrolled in college for a less than two years
Highest degree High School Diploma
Grades in school Graduated 91
st
out of 128
IQ N/A
Source of IQ information N/A
Work History
Served in the military? No
Branch N/A
Type of discharge N/A
Saw combat duty: N/A
Killed enemy during service? N/A
Applied for job as a cop? N/A – But was arrested for impersonating an officer.
Worked in law enforcement? No
Fired from jobs? N/A, but his jobs usually ended when he stopped coming
to work.
Types of jobs worked Series of low end jobs which generally ended when he
simply stopped coming to work. Ex, worked for a while
as a convenience store clerk. Also at the time of the
Reeves abduction, had a self-employed construction
agency.
Employment status during series Around that time period he had been in and out of prison,
so he was being supported by his aunt and his parents.
Relationships
Sexual preference Heterosexual
Marital status Married
Number of children 0 (Wife had one child before they were married named
Eddie)
Lives with his children Not available
Living with Spouse, and possibly son of spouse
Triad
Animal torture No
Fire setting No
Bed wetting No
Killer Psychological Information
Abused drugs? N/A
Abused alcohol? N/A
Been to a psychologist (prior to killing)? Many times, especially as a condition of probation while
a juvenile.
Time in forensic hospital (prior to killing)? Yes
Diagnosis Revealed narcissistic personality disorder and a strong
repressed hostility towards women. Had compulsive
sexual behavior and was frequently manipulative.
Killer Criminal History (Prior to the series)
Committed previous crimes? Yes
Spent time in jail? Yes
Spent time in prison? Yes
Killed prior to series? Age? Potentially.
Serial Killing
Number of victims (suspected of) 8
Number of victims (confessed to) 0
Number of victims (convicted of) 2
Victim type Young women, in their teens or early twenties.
Killer age at start of series 34 suspected, 35 confirmed
Killer age at end of series 35
Date of first kill in series 08/10/1974
Date of final kill in series 10/14/1975
Gender of victims Female
Race of victims White
Age of victims 14, 15, 15, 15, 16, 17, 22, 26
Type of victim Stranger, victim of opportunity.
Method of killing Typically strangulation or suffocation.
Weapon Killer utilized items (pantyhose, electrical wires) that
were already at the scene
Was gun used? Yes
Type Not available
Did killer have a partner? No
Name of partner N/A
Sex of partner N/A
Relationship of partner N/A
How close did killer live? Drove to and from abductions and crime scenes, but
murders generally occurred in New Jersey, around where
Reldan lived.
Location of first contact Generally, on the street or during a home invasion.
Location of killing Not available
Killing occurred in home of victim? No
Killing occurred in home of killer?
No
Victim abducted or killed at contact? Abducted
Behavior During Crimes
Rape? Yes
Tortured victims? N/A
Intentionally went out that day to kill? N/A
Overkill? N/A
Quick & efficient? No – strangulation
Used blindfold? No – but in at least one case tried to keep his victim from
seeing his face by covering her face with her shirt.
Bound the victims? Some were, like Hernandez, but some were not.
After Death Behavior
Sex with the body? No
Mutilated body? No
Ate part of the body? No
Drank victim’s blood? No
Posed the body? No
Took totem – body part No
Took totem – personal item No
Robbed victim or location Yes, especially of jewelry.
Disposal of Body
Left at scene, no attempt to hide No
Left at scene, hidden No
Left at scene, buried No
Moved, no attempt to hide No
Moved, hidden Yes
Moved, buried No
Cut-op and disposed of No
Burned body No
Dumped body in lake, river, etc. Dumped in wooded areas, or along water (ex, along a
river bed)
Moved, took home No
Sentencing
Date killer arrested 10/31/1975
Date convicted 10/17/1979
Sentence Two consecutive life sentences, plus 30 years
Killer executed? No
Did killer plead NGRI? No
Was the NGRI plea successful? N/A
Did serial killer confess? No
Name and state of prison Trenton State Prison, New Jersey
Killer committed suicide? No
Killer killed in prison? No
Date of death Still alive as of November, 2012
Cause of death
Victim 1
Name Susan Heynes
Date killed Between October 6
th
and 9
th
1975
Date body was found October 27
th
1975
Gender Female
Race White
Age 22
How killed Strangled
State killed NJ
City killed N/A
County killed Rockland
Type of target Stranger/opportunity
Did killer confess to this murder? No
Was killer convicted of this murder? Yes
Victim 2
Name Susan Reeve
Date killed October 14, 1975
Date body was found October 28, 1975
Gender Female
Race White
Age 22
How killed Strangulation
State killed Abducted in New York
City killed Abducted around Demarest, kill site unknown
County killed N/A
Type of target Stranger/opportunity
Did killer confess to this murder? Eventually alluded that he had committed the murder in
February 2009.
Was killer convicted of this murder? Yes
Victim 3
Name Mary Pryor
Date killed Between 8/10/1974 & 8/14/1974
Date body was found 8/14/1974
Gender Female
Race White
Age 17
How killed Suffocation
State killed New Jersey
City killed Abducted in North Bergen, found in Montvale, kill site
unknown
County killed Hudson or Bergen
Type of target Stranger-suspected she was hitchhiking
Did killer confess to this murder? No
Was killer convicted of this murder? No
Victim 4
Name Lorraine Kelly
Date killed Between 8/10/1974 & 8/14/1974
Date body was found 8/14/1974
Gender Female
Race White
Age 16
How killed Suffocation
State killed New Jersey
City killed Abducted in North Bergen, found in Montvale, kill site
unknown
County killed Hudson or Bergen
Type of target Stranger-suspected she was hitchhiking
Did killer confess to this murder? No
Was killer convicted of this murder? No
Victim 5
Name Doreen Calucci
Date killed Between 12/13/1974 & 12/27/1974
Date body was found 12/27/1974
Gender Female
Race White
Age 14
How killed Strangulation
State killed New Jersey
City killed Abducted in Woodbridge, found in Manlapan Township,
kill site unknown
County killed Middlesex or Monmouth
Type of target Stanger
Did killer confess to the murder? No
Was killer convicted of the murder? No
Victim 6
Name Joanne Delardo
Date killed Between 12/13/1974 & 12/27/1974
Date body was found 12/27/1974
Gender Female
Race White
Age 15
How killed Strangulation
State killed New Jersey
City killed Abducted in Woodbridge, found in Manlapan Township,
kill site unknown
County killed Middlesex or Monmouth
Type of target Stranger
Did killer confess to the murder? No
Was killer convicted of the murder? No
Victim 7
Name Denise Evans
Date killed Between 10/24/1975 & 10/25/1975
Date body was found 10/25/1975
Gender Female
Race White
Age 15
How killed Shot execution style
State killed Delaware or New Jersey
City killed Abducted in Wilmington, Delaware, found in Salem
County New Jersey, kill site unknown
County killed N/A
Type of target Stranger
Did killer confess to the murder? No
Was killer convicted of the murder? No
Victim 8
Name Carolyn Hedgepeth
Date killed Between 10/24/1975 & 10/25/1975
Date body was found 10/25/1975
Gender Female
Race White
Age 15
How killed Shot execution style
State killed Delaware or New Jersey
City killed Abducted in Wilmington Delaware, found in Salem
County New Jersey, kill site unknown
County killed N/A
Type of target Stranger
Did killer confess to the murder? No
Was killer convicted of the murder? No
References
Blanco, J. I. (Unknown). Robert R. Reldan. Retrieved from http://www.murderpedia.org/male.R/r/reldan-robert.htm
Buckley, C., Muti, R. (2012). The charmer: the true story of Robert Reldan. Green Bay, WI: TitleTown Publishing,
LLC.
Wetsch. E. (2005). Reldan Robert R. Retrieved from
http://www.crimezzz.net/serialkillers/R/RELDAN_robert_r.php
