The Cold Case of Katherine Kolodziej
This week on Murder Through the Grapevine, we uncork a bottle of 14 Hands Cabernet Sauvignon and dive into one of New York’s most haunting unsolved cases: the 1974 murder of Katherine Kolodziej, a 17-year-old SUNY Cobleskill student whose life was brutally cut short just two months into her college experience.
Katherine, known to her friends and family as Kathy, was an only child who loved animals—especially horses. After completing a high school program in animal husbandry, she enrolled at SUNY Cobleskill to continue her passion. Her parents even built her a barn at their home. Described as quiet, reliable, and kind, Kathy was also strikingly beautiful—something rarely mentioned in coverage of her case, but something we think mattered.
Halloween, 1974
Kathy went out on Halloween night to The Vault, a local bar in Cobleskill. The drinking age was 18 at the time, and while Kathy was underage, it’s unclear if she had anything to drink—she was known to be a rule follower.
She was last seen around 1:30 a.m. crossing the street, presumably headed back to campus, which was only about a mile away. She never made it. Witnesses later reported seeing a young woman enter a yellow Volkswagen Beetle around 1:45 a.m.—but it was never confirmed if it was Kathy.
The Search & Discovery
For 25 agonizing days, law enforcement, campus security, and volunteers scoured the area. On November 23, 1974, hunters in nearby Richmondville spotted something red through binoculars. It turned out to be Kathy’s coat. Her body was found on a low rock wall, partially covered with her coat and secured with stones—perhaps a sign of remorse.
She had been stabbed seven times with two different knives, something incredibly rare and deeply disturbing. The medical examiner confirmed the details, and state police brought in 20–30 people for polygraph testing—unusual even for that time.
Suspects & Theories
Serial killers like Ted Bundy and John Hopkins (The Mohawk Valley Ripper) were considered. Bundy was ruled out due to a conflicting timeline. Hopkins, who was convicted of two other murders and linked posthumously to a third, never confessed to Kathy’s murder.
There are eerie overlaps between Hopkins and the Adirondack Killer, and many believe there may have been more to the pattern than law enforcement realized at the time.
Premonitions & Family Intuition
One chilling aspect of this case? Kathy’s mother. On the night she disappeared, her mom begged her not to go out. And when she went missing, she told family she knew Kathy was dead and “on the side of the road.”
Why This Case Stays With Us
Kathy is the youngest victim we’ve covered on the podcast—a bright, hopeful young woman with her entire life ahead of her. In the 50 years since her death, both of her parents have passed. But her family—including her cousins Maria and Vickie, her uncle Charles, and her college roommate—continue to push for answers.
If you have any information on the murder of Katherine Kolodziej, please contact New York State Police Crime Stoppers. Even the smallest tip could help bring long-awaited justice. Email Crimetip@troopers.ny.gov or call 518-457-6811.
There’s also a Facebook page dedicated to Kathy’s case, and more information can be found in these links:
🎙️ Listen now wherever you get your podcasts. And don’t forget to grab a glass of 14 Hands Cabernet Sauvignon—you’ll need it for this one.
