Her thoughts seemed to be scattered, and she gave concerning details about her whereabouts. Brenda got off to catch a transfer, and said goodbye to her classmate. Three of the victims had been sexually assaulted, including one that was sodomized. No physical evidence was obtained and Askins was not charged in connection with the Freeway Phantom killings. It's even possible to imply that Brenda's last words in the phone call - the reflexive "I'll see you" comment - were indicative of her being close to home. Like the other victims, Diane Williams had been strangled to death, but an autopsy would find no sign of sexual assault. Edward V. Sullivan Funeral Home. This inmate - Morris Warren - began feeding investigators information about the Freeway Phantom crimes, which he alleged were perpetrated by a member of the Green Vega's. Note: The note left in Woodward's pocket claimed that the Phantom killed additional victims. Experts believe that it might have only been a tragic coincidence that Angelas murder loosely mirrored the victims of the Freeway Phantom. Support Center. A witness apparently saw her getting into a blue Volkswagen, and although investigated, the lead led nowhere.[5]. He replaced Joel Dabney Courtney, who portrayed Nathaniel Malick in the Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Darlenia Denise Johnson was a 16-year old girl that lived in Congress Heights - the same neighborhood that Carol Spinks and her family had been living in. Freeway Phantom Unfortunately, an autopsy of the remains wouldn't be very efficient at locating any specific details. Type Shockingly, this person discovered that the body was still there - roughly a week after they had originally called it in to police. The fact that this victim had been stabbed multiple times pointed to this being a separate incident - perhaps one perpetrated by an individual that wasn't connected to the first four crimes. As you can imagine, both of this leads led nowhere. In attendance was a local resident named Glendora Thomas, who stated: "The police are committing crimes by not taking care of our children.". As you can imagine, she never made it home. The usage of the word 'tantamount' had often stood out to investigators, and here was a prime suspect that seemed to use the word regularly - as verified by his coworkers, who said as much. The cause-of-death, though, appeared to be strangulation. 7 The Alphabet Killer Photo Credit: calafellvalo / Flickr Like the case of Dr. Touted as Washington, D.C.'s first serial killer, this yet-to-be-identified murderer was responsible for the killing of at least 6 minor girls in Washington, D.C. from April 1971 through September 1972. This boogeyman would become known as the D.C. region's "first profiled serial killer," and their crimes continue to haunt investigators and loved ones close to half-a-century later Death Notices and Obituaries in the Buffalo News 2010 by Name Unfortunately, this began a really frustrating period of time, in which the Maryland State Police held the item in a backlog, but were unable to test it in a timely manner. The next morning police found the 17-year-old's lifeless body in blue jeans and a gold sweater. Not only were the case files lost - they were altogether missing. how many inches of rain did lincoln nebraska get; jojo script in japanese; 21 day weather forecast lanzarote puerto del carmen; Span of crimes During his trial, it was revealed that he'd been a police informant, aiding law enforcement in the arrests of prostitutes. He tried to be more forceful on the phone than Bertha had been, but received most of the same information from Brenda: that a white man had picked her up, and she was going to head home in a cab. 13-year-oldCarol Denise Spinks body was discovered by the authorities six days later from the day she was reported missing on April 25, 1971. The name was coined by reporters at the now-defunct tabloid, the Daily News, who noted that all of the victims had been disposed of alongside major roads and freeways. The killer might have been someone nearby that wanted to dispose of the victim's remains as soon as possible. The Freeway Phantom case has seen a myriad of investigators and garnered much interest over the years. Brenda said, "Well, I'll see you," and the call came to a sudden end. By the time the 1980's had come around, the case was already dormant, and it would remain that way for more than two decades. She had also been fully clothed, minus her shoes (which were missing). The victim, Ruth McDonald, had actually died as a result of the poisoning, and Askins was later convicted for her murder. This seems to hint at some connection between Reatha, her mother, and the abduction itself. [4], 12-year-old Yates was walking home around 7:00 pm from a Safeway store in Northeast on October 1, 1971 when she was kidnapped, raped, and strangled. However, along the way, she encountered her mother, who just-so-happened to be returning home. He was born in Concord, Massachusetts, the son of a Unitarian minister. Through the 1960's and 1970's, more than 70% of the region's population was African American, who had had to endure an entire lifetime of racial tension and struggles. The most notable thing about the discovery was that the body was dressed except for the missing shoes. Now-retired, she always dreamed of being the one to crack the Freeway Phantom case, hoping to be the one to personally handcuff him. Near the access ramp to Route 202, from the Baltimore-Washington Parkway, Officer Norman would discover the body of Brenda Woodard. Diane would spent the next few hours with her boyfriend, before the time came to head home. A search of Robert Askin's vehicle the next month ended up raising some more alarms, when police found two buttons and a gold earring underneath his back seat. Gender Edward Sullivan et Tommie Simmons Freeway Phantom taient-ils ? [16] She was last seen boarding a bus at 11:20 pm near his house. They dedicated many more man-hours to political scandals and dealing with Vietnam protests - and to the loved ones left without any answers - it seemed like detectives cared very little about six dead black girls. In addition, Allenteen - a single mother of eight - would organize a neighborhood search for the missing teenager that evening, but the volunteers (primarily friends and family members) would be unable to find any trace of Carol Spinks. He ultimately let the victim go without harming her any further, and the incident was reported to police. They were identified as rookie cops who had resigned from the force during their one-year probationary period. FRee-wAy PhanTom. Carol Denise Spinks body was discovered by the authorities six days later from the day she was reported missing on April 25, 1971. After that announcement, the inmate who provided the information declined any further interviews, and denied that he had ever provided the information. Were they the Phantom Freeway killer? So, Trainum took back the evidence, and submitted it to the FBI forensic database where the same thing happened. An examination of Brenda's clothing would find two different hair samples: one of which, authorities stated, belonged to a Caucasian man. Signature They were all of a similar build - small and petite - which led investigators to believe that the killer might have mistaken all of them for being in the same age range. He also owns a car or truck, which he would drive the distances between the stores where the victims were abducted. The only notable exception wasBrenda Denise Woodard, whose body still had the shoes worn. Angela fitted seamlessly into the victim profile of the Freeway Phantom she was a minor, African American, and her body was found near an abandoned road. [6] Eleven days later, her body was located only 15 feet (4.6 meters) from where Spinks had been found[4] even though police had been notified of the location of the corpse nearly a week earlier by an anonymous caller who had details only her killer could have known. One of the cases often pointed to as an example of this very behavior is the disappearance of Sheila and Katherine Lyon - two sisters that disappeared from the Washington D.C./Maryland region in 1975. Lewis Crockett, 39, was 14 when his 10-year-old sister, Brenda Fay Crockett, disappeared and was found dead a day later. Maryland State Police have not admitted they have the evidence, but they also refuse to comment about it outright. These men drove around in a Green Chevy Vega, which they used to kidnap and rape young women. Coroner reports of the Freeway Phantom's victims tell us that the victims were brutally raped with penetration up to 9 inches deep, with both anal and vaginal assaults taking place. On July 8th, 1971, Darlenia said goodbye to her mother, and began walking to work. Occasionally, she flipped through a thick manila folder containing smiling portraits of eight black girls forever frozen in time. This returned him to the scene of the first two crimes, and police would determine that this most recent victim, Diane Williams, had been abducted not too far away from where Carol Spinks and Darlenia Johnson had been kidnapped from. The bottom of her shoes bore her first name, "DIANA," in big bold letters. Their resignation came following an incident after their guns went missing after Tommie, 26, claimed they were burglarized from his Temple Hills home in Maryland. The American Jack the Ripper later became known simply as the Atlanta Ripper. But he began working his way backwards, hoping to recreated the investigation that had long since remained inactive. Following this casual dinner, they each began heading home. In 1971, Carol Denise Spinks was a thirteen-year old that lived in Washington, DC. Heavy footsteps were heard in the background and Crockett said "I'll see you" and hung up. To this day, many believe that police did not give the investigation the necessary resources or manpower. [20], Common practice at the time was that case files at MPDC Detective Divisions were retained by the detectives assigned to the case. godzilla, mothra twins. Pathology The investigation into the Freeway Phantom has long been considered a "cold case." However, by the time the 1980's had rolled around, the case was still unsolved. Now, the victim was found just hours after going missing. "You never forget. The classic prime time variety show most famous for its vaudeville acts and rock music performances. Unknown. One suspect that I haven't seen discussed in any major publications was a young man named James Groom, whose name was mentioned in the October 21st, 1972 edition of the Baltimore Afro American - a regional newspaper. [5] Her body was found within three hours of her abduction, just off the shoulder of Pennsylvania Avenue in Prince George's County, Maryland. According to at least one person familiar with the family, this unknown caller even made the claim: In the days after the disappearance of Darlenia Johnson, it became apparent that police didn't seem very interested in the case. I have not read anything that indicates she made it to the store, so I can just assume that on her way to Safeway, Brenda was abducted. THOMAS SIMMONS OBITUARY. Post author: Post published: January 28, 2023 Post category: kennings for tree kennings for tree Like whoever had been carrying them had disappeared into thin air. Why don't they investigate whites as well?". This stood out, because he didn't live with any women - so where had he gotten these scarves? Want to Read. Metropolitan Police Department of the District of Columbia, Superior Court of the District of Columbia, List of fugitives from justice who disappeared, List of serial killers in the United States, "DNA discovery could solve 1972 Freeway Phantom slaying", "Up to $150,000 Reward "Freeway Phantom" Murders", "Why the Freeway Phantom Still Hasn't Been Caught", "Black Ex-Cops Arrested In. This linked it to the Carol Spinks and Brenda Crockett murders. A store clerk would later recognize the girl from photographs, and state she had purchased the items that evening, just after 7:00 PM. 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