Heidi Balch (January 7, 1964 - c. February 20, 1989) was a young woman whose severed cranium was found on a golf course in 1989. Additional remains were also recovered. Joel Rifkin, a New York-based serial killer, confessed to murdering her, along with sixteen others. She is believed to be the first victim in his murder spree.
In 2013, Balch was identified. Two victims of Rifkin remain unidentified, and another, Mary Williams, went unidentified for months after her discovery.
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- Balch’s case was mentioned in an episode of the miniseries The Killing Season, which followed the unrelated Long Island Serial Killer.
- The case was discussed in the 2023 two-part series Cold Case Files: The Rifkin Murders.
Sources[]
- Joel Rifkin on Wikipedia
- Times of Trenton
- Cold Case Files: The Rifkin Murders