United States of America
RODRIGUEZ
Antonio
Active in 2010 in Pennsylvania
DID YOU KNOW...
Stupid Fact
Rodriguez knew police were on to his DNA so he used a condom. Which he then left at the scene of the crime.
Interesting Fact
A backlog in DNA testing meant Rodriguez was still free when Mahoney was killed.
Location Fact
All victims were found within a 10 block radius of each other.
THE DISPATCH
The Beginning
As a child, Antonio Rodriguez was adopted by a white family. As an adult, he became addicted to drugs and alcohol. He was arrested on June 5, 2010 on drug charges, and pleaded guilty October 21. He also provided a DNA sample, part of a standard routine for all felons. Rodriguez was immediately given one year probation and released on parole. Then the killings began.
The Murders
Elaine Goldberg
- November 03, 2010
- 2800 block of Ruth Street
Twenty-one year old Elaine Goldberg was found murdered on November 3, 2010. She was found in a weedy vacant lot used for sexual encounters and drug use. It was located near “The Stroll”. Goldberg was a nursing student who used drugs and sometimes did sex work. She had been raped, strangled and left in a sexually suggestive pose.
Nicole Piacentini
- November 12, 2010
- 1900 block of East Cumberland Street
Police located the semi-nude body of Nicole Piacentini on November 12. She was found in a vacant lot, near where Goldberg was found. It was a hangout for addicts. The drug user and sex worker was found sexually assaulted, strangled and posed. She was 35.
Casey Mahoney
- December 15, 2010
- 100 block of Tusculum Street
Casey Mahoney was the last of Rodriguez’s victims to be found. Like the other women, Mahoney was a drug addicted sex worker. She was found in a vacant lot in the Kensington area of Philadelphia, near some train tracks. She was just a few blocks from the previous two victims. Mahoney was 27. Rodriguez had used a condom when he sexually assaulted Mahoney, knowing the police were linking the crimes by DNA. However, he left the condom at the scene.
Reward and Community Action
- December 2010
- Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
All three women were sexually assaulted after death. Prior to leaving the scenes of his crimes he would position the victims’ bodies such that their buttocks were placed in an upright position.
Police offered a $37,000 reward for information that would lead to the capture and conviction of the suspected serial killer and rapist, dubbed The Kensington Strangler. The three murders and three other rapes had spurred the community into action. Neighbors in the crime-ridden Kensington neighborhood began to hunt the unidentified serial killer. Area residents had taken to social media to “Catch the Kensington Strangler, before he catches someone you love.”
DNA Testing Complete
- January 03, 2011
- Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Police had gathered DNA from all three crime scenes, and submitted it for testing. A backlog for testing at the lab was created because of computer upgrades and insufficient staff. Police obtained his DNA as a requirement for his release from prison on a drug crime. It was uploaded to the police database on October 25. Testing began on December 21, 2010 but took until January 3, 2011 to complete. A match was made to Antonio Rodriguez.
Arrest & Trial
Rodriguez Arrested
- January 17, 2011
- Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Rodriguez was arrested on an unrelated bench warrant on January 17, 2011. Someone had called in a tip regarding where to find him after he missed a court appearance. Along with his confessions, prosecutors said DNA evidence links him to the crimes.
Rodriguez Convicted and Sentenced
- August 16, 2012
- Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
On August 16, 2012, Rodriguez was convicted of 3 counts of murder. Three days later, he received 3 life terms. As of January 2022, Antonio Rodriguez remains incarcerated in a Pennsylvania prison. He has lost multiple appeals over the years.
VIDEOS & PODCASTS
Homicide City – S3 E9, Kensington Strangler (buy on YouTube)
Martinis & Murder – Episode #28, The Kensington Strangler
TwistedPhilly – Episode #68, The Kensington Strangler
THE STATS
Statistical table for Antonio Rodriguez
| Killer Name | Rodriguez, Antonio |
| Killer AKA | Kensington Strangler, Black |
| Gender | M |
| Arrest Date | January 17, 2011 |
| Conviction Date | August 16, 2012 |
| Sentence | 3 life terms |
| Birth Date | October 28, 1988 |
| Status | Alive or Unknown |
| Height | 175 |
| School Grade | Gr. 12 |
| Killer Type | Sexual/Sadistic, Spree, Territorial |
| Drug Abuse | yes |
| Alcohol Abuse | yes |
| Psychology | history of mental illness |
| comment1 | Along with his confessions, prosecutors said DNA evidence links him to the crimes |
| comment2 | An innocent man, Noel Quintana, was found guilty of the Kensington strangulations and jailed for 4 years before being released |
| Total Dead Victims | 3 |
| Victims (Convicted) | 3 |
| Victim Gender | F |
| Victim Race | White |
| Victim Age | 21, 27, 35 |
| Victim Type | drug addicts |
| Victim Type 2 | sex workers |
| Method of Killing | strangulation |
| Sex Assault | Yes |
| Necrophilia | Yes |
| Pose Bodies | Yes |
| Body - Left, Not Hidden | Yes |
| Previous Crimes | Yes |
| Previous Prison Time | yes |
Killer Rating
RESOURCES
- The Philadelphia Inquirer (Nov 6, 2010)
- The Philadelphia Inquirer (Nov 16, 2010)
- The Daily Item (Nov 24, 2010)
- The Philadelphia Inquirer Pt. 1 (Dec 18, 2010)
- The Philadelphia Inquirer Pt. 2 (Dec 18, 2010)
- The Philadelphia Inquirer (Dec 18, 2010)
- The Philadelphia Inquirer Pt. 1 (Jan 18, 2011)
- The Philadelphia Inquirer Pt. 2 (Jan 18, 2011)
- Courier-Post (Jan 18, 2011)
- Philadelphia Daily News (Feb 10, 2011)
- The Philadelphia Inquirer Pt. 1 (Feb 20, 2011)
- The Philadelphia Inquirer Pt. 2 (Feb 20, 2011)
- The Philadelphia Inquirer Pt. 3 (Feb 20, 2011)
- The Sentinel (Jan 14, 2012)
- Citizens' Voice (Aug 14, 2012)
- Philadelphia Daily News (Aug 17, 2012)
- Superior Court Of Pennsylvania Appeal No. J-S26005-14 (Jun 17, 2014)