The Dark Secrets Behind Barbara Kuklinski and The Iceman
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Chapter 1: The Troubling Marriage
Barbara Kuklinski was well aware of her husband Richard's violent nature. He had a troubling history of abuse, having caused her broken nose on multiple occasions. However, what she remained oblivious to was the fact that Richard had purportedly taken 65 lives before their paths crossed and would continue his deadly ways thereafter. Known as the "Iceman," Richard was alleged to be a mafia hitman. Although he was eventually convicted for only five murders, he later claimed that his true count could be as high as 200.
In 1986, Richard's sudden arrest came as a shock to Barbara. For 25 years, she had been raising their three children alongside him in a suburban neighborhood in New Jersey. When detectives revealed the extent of the charges against her husband, everything about their life together began to make sense.
How Their Story Began
Barbara was just 18 when she met Richard Kuklinski in 1961. Fresh out of high school, she found a secretarial job at a trucking company in New Jersey where Richard, a married man seven years her senior, worked in a different capacity.
Richard quickly became enamored with Barbara. After their initial date, he began lavishing her with gifts and flowers, waiting for her outside work every evening with a bouquet in hand. Despite his relentless pursuit, Barbara was hesitant to commit and wanted to explore other options.
One fateful day, while they were sitting in his car, Barbara expressed her intention to date others. Richard's reaction was frightening; he brandished a hunting knife and stabbed her in the back, drawing blood. He then ominously declared that she belonged to him and threatened her family’s safety before choking her until she lost consciousness.
The next day, Richard expressed remorse, claiming his violent outburst stemmed from his deep affection for her, and proposed marriage. Despite her fears, Barbara reluctantly agreed.
Unbeknownst to her, by the time they exchanged vows, Richard Kuklinski had allegedly already claime