In the quiet town of Wayne, New Jersey, a horrifying chain of events unfolded on October 9, 1991, forever altering the lives of many. Cornelius 'Corky' Kasten Jr., a 36-year-old male, was tragically killed in his own home. He and his fiancée, Carol A. Ott, became the first victims in a violent rampage carried out by Joseph Harris, a disgruntled former postal worker.
Harris, who had been fired from his job at the Ridgewood post office, harbored a deep-seated grudge against his former
supervisor, Carol Ott, whom he blamed for his dismissal. Fueled by a desire for revenge, Harris, dressed in a black ninja-style outfit, forced his way into the couple's home. There, he brutally attacked Ott with a samurai sword. After killing her, he found Cornelius Kasten Jr. in a chair in front of a television set and shot him once in the head.
The night of terror did not end there. After murdering Kasten and Ott, Harris proceeded to the Ridgewood post office. Armed with a machine gun, grenades, and the same samurai sword, he ambushed his former coworkers as they arrived for their early morning shifts. He killed two mail handlers, Joseph M. VanderPaauw and Donald McNaught, before barricading himself inside the post office. A tense standoff with police ensued, lasting for four and a half hours before Harris finally surrendered.
Joseph Harris was arrested and charged with four counts of murder, as well as attempted murder and weapons charges. His rampage was a stark example of workplace violence that drew national attention. During the investigation, it was discovered that Harris had a history of threatening behavior. His defense attorneys argued that he was insane, claiming he was driven by a 'ninja spirit.' However, a jury found him guilty, and he was sentenced to death. Before the sentence could be carried out, Harris died of natural causes in prison in September 1996.
