While she had money problems, police initially thought she might have left on her own. But this didn’t fit: her purse, keys, and other important things were left behind, and she left her cat outside in the cold. Her family didn’t believe she left willingly. A neighbor even heard a scream and noises from her apartment the night she disappeared.

A maintenance worker at her apartment complex, Charles Reddish (also known as “Crazy Eddie”), was later convicted of ax murdering his girlfriend and raping her daughter. While in jail for that crime, he confessed to killing Rosenthal. He claimed he broke into her apartment to steal, but she woke up. He said he beat and suffocated her, then stole a small amount of money and disposed of her body a few days later in a remote area.

Reddish initially pleaded guilty to manslaughter, but only if he helped police find the body. He refused, so he was tried for murder, convicted, and sentenced to death. His sentence was changed to 60 years in prison when the death penalty was abolished in New Jersey. He’s still in prison.

Because Reddish’s confession and her belongings being left behind, police believe Rosenthal was murdered. However, her body has never been found.