The Murdered Anne Berolzheimer 

The Murdered 
Anne Berolzheimer 
Manhattan, New York

🌸 Remembering Anne Berolzheimer 🕊️

On May 27 in 1974, 23 year old Anne Berolzheimer, a library researcher for Dell Publishing Company, returned to her second-floor apartment at 488 East 74th Street in Manhattan, New York. The following morning, when she failed to report to work, concern quickly grew among her colleagues. After being unable to reach her by phone, two coworkers went to her apartment and found the door slightly ajar. Inside, police discovered Anne lying on the floor, having been strangled with pantyhose and an electric cord. There were no immediate signs of forced entry into either her apartment or the seven-story building, which required visitors to be buzzed in.

The investigation prompted an intense police response in what was considered one of the quieter neighborhoods on the East Side. Detectives canvassed the area for weeks, knocking on doors and following up on numerous tips, but no clear suspect emerged. The medical examiner later confirmed that Anne died from asphyxiation due to strangulation. Authorities explored the possibility that someone may have followed her from Pennsylvania Station, where she had arrived by train after spending the evening with her parents in Massapequa Park, Long Island.

Friends, neighbors, and coworkers consistently described Anne as “a lovely person,” kind, artistic, thoughtful, and dedicated to her work. A graduate of Windham College, where she studied art and art history, she had recently begun gaining recognition for freelance writing and research projects. She had been excited about a forthcoming illustrated book project shortly before her death. 

The tragedy deeply unsettled the 19th Precinct community, an area statistically known at the time for relatively low crime rates compared to other parts of the city. Despite extensive efforts and public appeals for information, the case remained unsolved, leaving behind grief, unanswered questions, and a neighborhood forever changed by violence. 

If you have any information, please contact the NYPD 19th Precinct at 212-452-0600. 🕯️🤍

Sources:

https://www.nypdcc.org/
https://www.lishk.org/cases.htm

https://www.nytimes.com/1974/05/29/archives/a-researcher-23-is-slain-in-her-east-74th-st-flat-dell-employe-is.html
https://www.nytimes.com/1974/06/08/archives/many-calls-but-no-clues-in-killing-of-library-aide.html
https://www.nytimes.com/1974/05/30/archives/rape-is-indicated-in-a-strangling-medical-examiner-reports-on-east.html