Joel Rifkin is an American serial killer. In 1994 he was sentenced to 203 years in prison for the murders of nine women between 1989-93. He is believed to have killed up to 17 victims between 1989-93 in New York City and in Long Island, New York. Although he often hired sex workers in Brooklyn and Manhattan, he lived in East Meadow, a suburban town on Long Island.
He is also suspected to be responsible for some victims whose remains were found in March and April 2011, previously attributed to the Gilgo Beach Killer. In an April 2011 prison interview with Newsday, Rifkin denied having anything to do with the (at the time) recently discovered remains. Experts and victims' rights advocates, however, believe that those denials have no value. During his trial Rifkin was represented by Mineola, New York-based attorney John Lawrence. He was found guilty of nine counts of second-degree murder in 1994 and sentenced to 203 years to life in prison. His first possible parole date is February 26, 2197.