A kind and artistic young woman with a promising future, Anne Berolzheimer was building a life for herself in New York City in the spring of 1974. At 23 years old, the Windham College graduate had channeled her passion for art and art history into a career as a library researcher for the Dell Publishing Company. Friends and colleagues remembered her as a "lovely person"—thoughtful, dedicated, and talented. She was beginning to gain recognition for her freelance writing and was excited about an upcoming illustrated book project she was involved with.
The Memorial Day weekend of 1974 was a holiday for Anne, and she spent the evening of Monday, May 27, with her parents at their home in Massapequa, Long Island. Later that night, she took a train back to Manhattan, arriving at Penn Station around 9:00 p.m. before heading home to her second-floor apartment at 488 East 74th Street.
It was a seven-story building with a secured entrance, situated in what was considered one of the quieter, lower-crime neighborhoods on the Upper East Side.
When Anne didn't show up for work the next morning, Tuesday, May 28, her coworkers grew concerned. After failing to reach her by phone, two of them went to her apartment to check on her. They found the door slightly ajar. Inside, they made a devastating discovery. Anne was on the floor beside her bed. She had been bound, sexually assaulted, and strangled with a pair of pantyhose and an electric cord. Her apartment was in disarray, but police from the 19th Precinct found no signs of forced entry into the apartment or the building itself, which required visitors to be buzzed in.
The New York City Police Department launched an intense investigation. Detectives canvassed the building and the surrounding neighborhood for weeks, knocking on doors and pursuing any leads they could find. The medical examiner's autopsy confirmed that the cause of death was asphyxiation from strangulation. One theory investigators explored was that the killer had followed Anne from the bustling Penn Station, waiting for an opportunity to strike. Despite their extensive efforts and numerous public appeals for information, no suspect was ever identified.
The brutal crime shocked the residents of the Upper East Side and left Anne’s loved ones grappling with unimaginable grief. The randomness of the attack, and the fact that it occurred behind the locked doors of a secure building, left a lasting sense of fear in the community. The investigation noted that Anne had moved into the apartment just six months before her death; it was previously occupied by a woman who reportedly had frequent male visitors, though it was unclear if this was in any way connected to the crime.
Decades have passed, but the murder of Anne Berolzheimer remains unsolved, a cold case file filled with unanswered questions. As of February 2026, no arrests have been made and no definitive suspects have been named. The case is a painful reminder of a vibrant life cut short and a family left without justice. The New York City Police Department continues to seek information that could finally lead to a breakthrough in this decades-old homicide.
Anyone with information regarding the murder of Anne Berolzheimer is urged to contact the NYPD's 19th Precinct at (212) 452-0600.
