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Barbara Jacobs

Case from New York City, NY dated Jul 13, 1991

Victim Details

Barbara Jacobs

Female

White / Caucasian

New York City

NY

1991-07-13

31

Barbara

Jacobs

07/12/2026

Case Description

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Barbara Jacobs was a 31-year-old White woman from New York City who disappeared into the warm, unsettled hours of July 13, 1991, in a city where people can brush past one another and never be seen again. That night, she crossed paths with Joel Rifkin, a Long Island man who drove the streets looking for women to take home, and Jacobs got into his car in Manhattan believing the ride would end the way so many brief transactions did—quick, forgettable, and over.

Instead, Rifkin brought her ...
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Links to Additional Sources (6)

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  • JACOBS Barbara | Serial Killer Database Wiki - Fandom
  • Working Girls — Joel Rifkin - New York's Most Prolific Serial Killer
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    Forum Posts (2)

    I came across the case of Barbara Jacobs while reading about Joel Rifkin and couldn't help but feel ... ...Read More
    04/10/2025
    Has anyone else been struck by how long it took for Barbara Jacobs to be identified after her tragic... ...Read More
    08/10/2023
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