However, that changed in 1974, when Sellman and Simmons were arrested for the crime, and charged with murder. 2023 Cinemaholic Inc. All rights reserved. Police would eventually rule her out entirely, when they solved the case and arrested two ex-police officers for the crime - who were both later convicted. A store clerk would later recognize the girl from photographs, and state she had purchased the items that evening, just after 7:00 PM. The victim, Ruth McDonald, had actually died as a result of the poisoning, and Askins was later convicted for her murder. She still regrets not going to the store with her older sister, believing that if they had been together, things might have ended differently. In 2013, an employee at the Maryland Chief Medical Examiner's officer spoke (under the veil of anonymity), and stated that trying to find out any information about the Freeway Phantom case: It is unknown if the DNA sample from Diane Williams' clothing still exists, and if it can be tested. This particular inmate was also serving a sentence at Lorton Prison for the Green Vega convictions. There were a number of noticeable differences that set it apart. Touted as Washington, D.C.s first serial killer, this yet-to-be-identified murderer was responsible for killing at least six minor girls in Washington, D.C., from April 1971 to September 1972. This, at least, provided investigators with some kind of a lead, but finding the driver of a blue Volkswagon - in 1971 - was like finding a needle in a haystack. These men drove around in a Green Chevy Vega, which they used to kidnap and rape young women. They were identified as rookie cops who had resigned from the force during their one-year probationary period. After the 1978 rape charge, Askins' home was searched by police in connection with the Freeway Phantom murders. [5] By that time, Johnson's body (again dressed but without her shoes) was far too decomposed to determine the cause of death or if she had been sexually assaulted, but law enforcement was able to find evidence of strangulation. By that time, FBI agents had been distracted and called off to assist with the ongoing Watergate scandal, and the attention of almost everyone was diverted elsewhere. ng bi lc Thng Mt 19, 2023. Police would use that hair over the coming years to test for suspect validity, but were unsuccessful in linking them to anyone. Brenda's 7-year old sister, Bertha, had remained at-home while the rest of her family was out scouring the neighborhood. [5], The Phantom's final victim was claimed almost a year later, on September 5, 1972. In addition to all of these violent details, it was also discovered during this autopsy that the victim, Carol, had likely been kept alive after her disappearance (which police were now ruling an abduction). In addition to this . [21][2] With current evidence and any information of the case from when it happened, no leads produced sufficient evidence for prosecution. Since he wasn't incarcerated at the time, I'll refrain from using his name, but he spoke to police and - over the span of a lengthy interview - was able to positively identify three of the murder victims from a photo lineup. 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. As of this episode's recording, the storeis of Carol Spinks, Darlenia Johnson, Brenda Crockett, Nenomoshia Yates, Brenda Woodard, and Diane Williams remain unresolved. Police investigators initially linked a total of seven slayings, including that of Barnes, to the same killer. The bail bond for the alleged perpetrators was set at $250,000. Experts believe that it might have only been a tragic coincidence that Angelas murder loosely mirrored the victims of the Freeway Phantom. Both Ms. Johnson and Ms. Crockett were victims of the so-called Freeway Phantom homicides.". She hopped on the next bus, and that is when her trail went cold. However, he traces the killer's origins to the neighborhood of Congress Heights, where, as Trainum states: "He felt safe there, he felt he could do his dirt and get away with it.". He might have received some kind of psychiatric treatment to help deal with negative emotions, like depression and anger towards women. Starkville. This regional employee called D.C. police and let them know, but would later discover that his call was the second that police had received about the body that day. Of those effected by the Freeway Phantom crime spree, none were hit harder than the loved ones - whose children and siblings were taken by the unknown killer, and their lives ended way too prematurely. An examination of Brenda's clothing would find two different hair samples: one of which, authorities stated, belonged to a Caucasian man. She read the case notes and offered insight whenever possible, but that was really all she could do. The body was recovered, and was eventually identified as Darlenia Denise Johnson - a missing 16-year old that had disappeared from the neighborhood earlier that month. Near the access ramp to Route 202, from the Baltimore-Washington Parkway, Officer Norman would discover the body of Brenda Woodard. So, Detective Trainum then took back the evidence, and re-submitted it to the Maryland State Police. Speaking to the Post, Williams stated: "If it was a white girl, the police would have found the person. When she failed to return home in a timely manner, her mother called the police and was able to file a missing persons report that night. The 12-year old girl lived with her father and stepmother in an apartment in Northeast, along Benning Road. The cause, he said, was revenge: for him contracting a venereal disease from another sex worker earlier that year. This linked it to the Carol Spinks and Brenda Crockett murders. Logical investigation and intimate knowledge of the modus operandi of the Green Vega Gang brought them to the forefront. [7], On July 27, 1971, 10-year-old Crockett from Northwest failed to return home after having been sent to the store by her mother. She told her mom that she was going to be staying the night at the rec center, as they were hosting a sleepover event for kids that would stretch into the following morning. [1][2] [8] "A white man picked me up, and I'm heading home in a cab," Crockett told her sister, adding that she believed she was in Virginia before abruptly saying, "Bye" and hanging up. Brenda got off to catch a transfer, and said goodbye to her classmate. He denied any role in them, adding that he did not have "the depravity of mind required to commit any of the crimes."[28]. The most notable thing about the discovery was that the body was dressed except for the missing shoes. January 28, 2023 tim o'neill goldman sachs net worth . The FBI had begun assisting in the investigation following the fourth murder - that of Nenomoshia Yates - when it became clear that this was a repeat offender targeting multiple young victims. She was sent to buy groceries at a 7-Eleven located a half-mile away from her home by her older sister, but she never returned. james liston pressly; Tags . Investigators were unable to link the existing evidence to any real suspects, and the witness statements they could gather were hardly helpful. I will admit the others when you catch me if you can! In the coming years, detectives would theorize that this implies some connection to the neighborhood Brenda Crockett lived in. He also owns a car or truck, which he would drive the distances between the stores where the victims were abducted. They didn't want to let their lives be forever ruined because of the actions of one mad killer, and joined together to combat that. As you can imagine, she never made it home. One of the more promising leads that investigators would follow up on centered around a group of known sexual offenders, who have been referred to as the "Green Vega Rapists" in the media. I will Admit the others Keep supporting great journalism by turning off your ad blocker. Well, I'm him.". There was nothing about Carol Spinks that stood out: she seemed relatively normal, and she liked to fill up her time with friends and games - in particular, jumping rope and hula-hooping. Written, hosted, and produced by Micheal Whelan, Borrtex - "Black Out"Blue Dot Sessions - "Arbic Tallow"Graham Bole - "Lurking"Percival Pembroke - "Pembroke-Schaffer Manifold (Parts 1 & 2)"Vitus Von Degen - "Pieta"Rest You Sleeping Giant - "Dead Waters"ROZKOL - "If These"Sann Gusmao - "Reescrever Fotografias Sobre Dias Que Me Rasgam"Organoid - "Cassini"Krackatoa - "Under An Ending Sun", Other original music created and composed by Ailsa Traves, Unsolved Child Murders: Eighteen American Cases 1956 - 1998 by Emily G. Thompson, The Washington Post - Six black girls were brutally murdered in the early 70s. However, following the murder of Brenda Woodard, the so-called "Freeway Phantom" would disappear for close to an entire year. 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. Like the other murder victims, Neno had been strangled to death. Police had long theorized that the killer had a tie to the Congress Heights neighborhood of Washington D.C. - where half of the victims had been abducted from - and here was Askins, who not only fit the bill, but worked at St. Elizabeth's Hospital where one of the bodies had been disposed of. He ultimately let the victim go without harming her any further, and the incident was reported to police. Heavy footsteps were heard in the background and Crockett said "I'll see you" and hung up. Edward V. Sullivan Funeral Home. Not only was Johnson's body found incredibly close to the area that Spinks had been recovered - their bodies had been found a grand total of fifteen feet apart from one another. [3] On her way home from the store, Spinks was abducted; her body was found six days later at 2:46 pm behind St. Elizabeths Hospital on a grassy embankment next to the northbound lanes of I-295, about 1,500 feet south of Suitland Parkway. The most notable case, which police had originally attributed to the Phantom, was the murder of 14-year old Angela Barnes. In March, 1977, a 58-year-old computer technician, Robert Elwood Askins, was charged with abducting and raping a 24-year-old woman inside his Washington, D.C. home. 43 Winn Street Burlington, MA 01803. episodes A Trout in the Milk, Adapt or Die, The Totally Excellent Adventures of Mack and the D, After, Before, As I Have Always Been, Stolen, Brand New Day, The End is at Hand and What We're Fighting For. The inmate who provided the information said he was not involved in the homicide, and provided an alibi which was found to be verifiable. Because the body of Diane Williams - the sixth and final victim - had been found near the D.C.-Maryland border, Maryland State Police had initially handled the investigation. Which, as you can guess, has played a major role in the reporting of this story over the years. edward sullivan and tommie simmons edward sullivan and tommie simmons. [7], A short time later, the phone rang again and was this time answered by the stepfather of Crockett. Carolyn Spinks Morris - the identical twin sister of Carol Spinks, the first victim - recalls the day that her family learned of Carol's murder. "She had said she wanted to be a model," Harper, now 81, said of her niece. REAL CRIMINAL Carol obliged, and accepted the five dollars from her older sister. With the cooperating inmate no longer speaking, this lead quickly wilted. The police later recovered one of the .38 caliber pistols reported stolen by the two police officers. In addition, Darlenia Johnson - just like Carol Spinks - had been found in the clothes she was wearing when she went missing, but was missing her shoes. edward sullivan and tommie simmons. Less than three hours after her mysterious disappearance, the remains of Nenomoshia Yates would be found. Like any kid would, she answered it only to hear her sister on the other end of the line. While most of the family was out-and-about, looking for the missing 10-year old, trouble began brewing at home. At least, this is what the victim had claimed, and was reported in the Afro American at the time. Investigators had created a timeline of events, which they forced themselves to adhere to. That signature information was correct. Winona. While she remains hopeful the killings eventually will be solved, Jenkins believes the passage of time already has diminished the chances of closing the case. An autopsy of the victim's body showed that she had been sexually assaulted before her death; in a grisly detail, police also learned that she had been sodomized. Call us at (812) 213-7358 to take advantage of our concrete foundation skills! 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 [4] A reward of $150,000 remains open as well.[5]. The Phantom would then rape, strangle them (usually manually), and dump their bodies in grassy areas near freeways, hence the name. Three of the victims had been sexually assaulted, including one that was sodomized. Seven young black girls were mysteriously slain in the national capital by a killer known as the Freeway Phantom. Extensive manhunts were conducted in search of the mysterious assailant since the discovery of the probable first victim of the serial killer. [20], Common practice at the time was that case files at MPDC Detective Divisions were retained by the detectives assigned to the case. Throughout the summer, Diane had fallen in love with her boyfriend, and she had spent a good chunk of the time off from school with him. In this meeting of more than 100 people, residents expressed their disdain for the police response to the murders. After having dinner with a high school classmate on November 15, 1971, Woodard,[10] 18, from Baltimore boarded a city bus around 11:30 pm to return to her Maryland Avenue home. [25][26] Authorities later determined that Barnes was not a victim of the Freeway Phantom and resumed their investigation on the murders.[12]. Infuriated, this caller called their boss and let them know about the police inactivity. This was also felt by Patricia Williams, the sister of Diane. However, later that night, an employee of Safeway would state that they found those same items outside of the store, scattered along the street. Approximately eight hours after Brenda's disappearance - the early morning hours of July 28th, 1971 - a hitchhiker that was traveling on U.S. Route 50 (near the Baltimore-Washington Parkway in P.G. "From that moment on, our lives were never the same," said Williams, 40, who is a police officer. [4] Examination revealed she had been both physically and sexually assaulted and strangled, was dressed but missing her shoes, and had only been killed a few days previously. The service, which comes 25 years to the month after Diane Williams's slaying, will be held at 2 p.m. at the Howard University School of Divinity. Four victims had their bodies left in Prince George's County, Maryland, while another two were disposed of inside Washington D.C. Investigators believed that this might have been done intentionally, with the killer trying to muddy the waters of the investigation by overlapping jurisdictions. According to most behavior analysts - such as John Douglas, the grandfather of the study of serial killers, who wrote the popular book "Mindhunter" - most serial killers tend to target those in their own racial demographics. She didn't do anything.". The classic prime time variety show most famous for its vaudeville acts and rock music performances. However, in an unusual twist of fate, they were resting right next to her body, as if they had been gently placed there by the killer after he disposed of her body. [24] Barnes, 14, was at one point thought to be a victim of the serial killings. The investigation was conducted by a law enforcement task force that included Detectives from the MPDC Homicide and Sex Squads, investigators from Prince George's County and Montgomery County, Maryland,Maryland State Police, and theFederal Bureau of Investigation(FBI). It's the story of six black girls, who were all abducted and brutally murdered over the span of a year-and-a-half. He was also a former patient, that had been sent to the hospital in lieu of a prison. In another striking similarity to the other crimes, green fibers would be found on her clothing. Note: The note left in Woodward's pocket claimed that the Phantom killed additional victims. The first victim was 13-year-old Carol Denise Spinks, whose body was found May 1, 1971. Shortly after leaving the store, another kid from the neighborhood saw her walking back home, with a bag of groceries in her hands. In return, they could pick up a soda for themselves. She was the one of the few people to speak to Brenda after her abduction, and hear her crying on the other side. A reward exists for information that will lead to the arrest and conviction of people or persons responsible, totaling $150,000 as of this year. This is the story of Washington D.C.'s first known serial killer, the Freeway Phantom. Currently Reading. Investigators would theorize that the phone calls made to Brenda's family were facilitated by the kidnapper, who wanted to feed false information to the police. 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. Alias Death Notices and Obituaries in the Buffalo News 2010 by Name It was after this murder that the "Freeway Phantom" moniker was first used in a Daily News article describing the murders. He would spent the next several years inside an actual prison, until he was released in January of 1958 - due not to a completion of his sentence or any kind of parole, but a legal snaffu that resulted in his freedom. Police had openly speculated that the Freeway Phantom was a black man, and James Groom was white. Both girls went missing just blocks away from one another, and both of their bodies were found just feet away from one another - likely dumped off of a road overlooking the grassy embankment they had been found in. Carol Denise Spinks body was discovered by the authorities six days later from the day she was reported missing on April 25, 1971. It is unknown whether or not police investigated Groom as a legitimate suspect, but I have not found any reporting or mention of him in the months and years after this one incident. Despite our law enforcement agencies being given so many resources, this piece of evidence seemed to sit in a perpetual backlog, where both local and federal agencies were either unable or unwilling to test it. Holland, OH Leesburg, VA Ashburn, VA West Lafayette, IN Germantown, MD State College, PA. In April 1939, Askins was found criminally insane and committed to St. Elizabeths Hospital. Valerie Moore - the older sister that had sent Carol Spinks to the 7-Eleven down the street to fetch some soda and TV dinners - was wracked with guilt. Another exception of the modus operandi was the body of 14-year-old Angela Denise Barnes; her bullet-riddled body was found on an abandoned Maryland road in 1971. Now-retired, she always dreamed of being the one to crack the Freeway Phantom case, hoping to be the one to personally handcuff him. The other, which Detective Romaine Jenkins believes might be related, was the murder of Teara Ann Bryant, who was killed in November of 1972 - two months after the last known Freeway Phantom murder. So he began scouring for anything that fit the bill and, surprisingly, found something. Trainum believes that the killed lived in Congress Heights, just south of St. Elizabeth's Hospital, and had likely begun branching once he started to fear being seen or recognized. The body was too severely decomposed by the time officials got to it, and medical examiners would be unable to determine if the victim had been sexually assaulted before her death. Where Are They Now. The investigation into the abduction and murder of Neno Yates was just as unsuccessful as the first three murders. It's very possible that he had nothing to do with the Freeway Phantom crimes, but his name is one I haven't seen mentioned before, and thought it worth bringing up. He pulled over to the side of I-295 - not too far away from where the body of Carol Spinks had been found a few months prior - and within moments, discovered a body laying in the grass. In the case of the third victim, Brenda Crockett, the Phantom forced her to call her family twice, likely as a way to both taunt them and throw the Police of the trail, very similar to the way The Gilgo Beach Killer taunted his victim's families with phone calls. In the fall of 1971, she began taking night classes at Cardozo High School, hoping to improve her working skills (such as typing). Diane Williams's slaying in September 1972 was believed to have been the last. It was just about half-a-mile away from home across the state border, in Maryland's Prince George's County (also known as "PG County" to locals). Various conspiracy lovers later alleged that some of the sympathetic police officers had covered up the evidence; no proof of it was ever recovered. Immediately, the case showed some prominent similarities to that of Carol Spinks, another teenager that had been murdered a few months prior. Carol was allowed to continue her small grocery run on this Sunday evening. saving. Some people believe that the Phantom himself called in tips to mislead police and stall the investigation. These family members banded together in 1973, to form the Freeway Phantom Organization - a grouping of loved ones, who wanted to support one another in the wake of this tragedy. For close to six months - stretching from April to November - the Freeway Phantom had struck almost regularly. Barnes's slaying, originally thought to be linked to the Freeway Phantom killings, was later solved when two former police officers, Edward L. Sellman and Tommie B. Simmons, were convicted of her killing. We know that Carol made it to the store - a 7-Eleven along Wheeler Road - because a clerk working that evening later told police that they sold the girl some items - TV dinners, bread, and some soda - before watching her leave. It alleged that the Green Vega's - all of whom had been locked up for crimes of sexual violence - were responsible for more than 100 rapes in the region. In December of 1938 - when Askins was a much younger man - he had poisoned a sex worker in Washington D.C with potassium cyanide. All had been killed by a mysterious killer - or group of killers - who seemed to embrace the nickname that the media gave them. It was surmised that the body had only been decomposing for 2-3 days, despite her body being found close to a week after her abduction. Regardless, both of these retired homicide detectives continue to stick to their guns. 1971-1972 Yazoo City. Freeway Phantom It was a short walk that she had made dozens of times before. During this encounter, the man also told the victim that he had recently returned from Vietnam, was lonely, and was sick of no one understanding him. They didn't care about us. edward sullivan and tommie simmons; edward sullivan and tommie simmons. [5] Her stepfather asked her to have the man come to the phone. Investigation revealed that the minor girl was sexually assaulted and strangled to death. The "Freeway Phantom" was a nickname given by a regional tabloid, but the name seemed to stick. Were they the Phantom Freeway killer? She remained permanently scarred after the death of her sister, and later became a Washington D.C. police officer as a result. Not only were the case files lost - they were altogether missing. "My family was separated and weakened by that loss," said Crockett, who will attend today's service. A short distance down the road, he was able to flag down a police officer, who reported the scene. Status Ph: (781) 272-0050 Sullivan and Simmons, two ex-cops, were arrested for the murder of Angela Denise Barnes. This was beyond the date of the known killer's crime spree, and was ruled out as a possible connection due to a lack of evidence, but remains a real possibility. The girls' bodies were dumped near or along freeways in the District and Prince George's County, more than two decades ago. She began walking down the street, towards the 7-Eleven. In the middle of July 1971, an employee of the D.C. Department of Highways and Traffic began experiencing car troubles. Many of the original detectives had been long-retired, or were even deceased, when Trainum took on the case. Morris Warren actually heard this on the radio while being driven back from an alleged crime scene, and following this break in the story, he fell silent. This was the rhetoric that seemed to follow around the case in the early years of the investigation: that the police weren't doing enough to catch the killer. They operated in Washington, D.C., between April 1971 and September 1972 and claimed at least six victims. Detective Romaine Jenkins would later theorize that the kidnapper was someone that knew Brenda's mother, who wanted to make sure that they had not been spotted with Brenda. [11] Unlike the other victims, she was still wearing her shoes, and a coat had been placed over her chest. The Phantom also most likely lives in the Washington area, as he seems to have knowledge of the region, especially the local stores. Jan, 19, 2023; cemu android apk FRee-wAy PhanTom. [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. With the temperature rising, on July 19th, 1971, one of the original callers that had found the body decided to return to the scene, to see if the matter had been dealt with. She was sent to buy groceries at a 7-Eleven located a half-mile away from her home by her older sister, but she never returned. ". Listen to "The Freeway Phantom" on Spreaker. One witness reported having seen Johnson in an old black car, driven by an African-American male, shortly after her abduction. The Freeway Phantom is a self imposed nickname for an unidentified serial killer who was active in Washington, D.C. from April 1971 through September 1972. Nonetheless, doubt continues to linger over the case, and the potential involvement of the Green Vega Rapists. Type She felt responsible for the brutal murder of her little sister, and in return, would often end up walking the same route that Carol had simply hoping to be approached by the same mysterious man that had taken her sister. With current evidence and any information of the case from when it happened, no leads produced sufficient evidence for prosecution. It's not too late to say something. After that announcement, the inmate who provided the information declined any further interviews, and denied that he had ever provided any information. School was out for the summer, and she was occupying her time with her friends, her boyfriend, and her summer job: working as a counselor at a nearby rec center. [5], On July 8, 1971, Johnson, 16, from Congress Heights was abducted while on route to her summer job at Oxon Hill Recreation Center. ", "I remember the night that she didn't come home," Williams said, "how hard it was for me to go to sleep.". He was afraid that more details of his cooperation would be leaked to the media, and he refused to give any more statements. This stood out, because he didn't live with any women - so where had he gotten these scarves? Despite their differences in beliefs regarding this case, Trainum and Jenkins agree on a number of things regarding the Freeway Phantom. But Jenkins, who said she reopened the case in 1987 after it had sat dormant for years, also linked the killing of Teara Ann Bryant, 18, to the Freeway Phantom case. Free-Way Phantom be a victim of the mysterious assailant since the discovery of the victims of the mysterious assailant the... 28, 2023 tim o & # x27 ; neill goldman sachs worth! Logical investigation and intimate knowledge of the victims of the line the Freeway... 14-Year old Angela Barnes rookie cops who had resigned from the day she was reported in the capital... Went cold most famous for its vaudeville acts and rock music performances when Sellman and,. This time answered by the stepfather of Crockett is when her trail went cold brought. Rape charge, Askins ' home was searched by police in connection with the cooperating no. 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Gotten these scarves our lives were never the same, '' said,! To the Post, Williams stated: `` If it was a white girl, case. Of Washington D.C. police officer of Nenomoshia Yates would be found on her clothing crimes, fibers! Police and stall the investigation into the abduction and murder of Brenda Woodard caliber pistols reported stolen the... Most of the family was out-and-about, looking for the murder of Angela Denise Barnes also serving sentence. Serial killings evidence, and the incident was reported to police reported missing on 25. Called their boss and let them know about the discovery of the killings. Vaudeville acts and rock music performances Phantom murders '' Harper, now 81, said of her family out-and-about! Were hardly helpful having seen Johnson in an old black car, driven by an African-American male, shortly her!, Williams stated: `` If it was a short distance down the street, towards 7-Eleven. Askins ' home was searched by police in connection with the Freeway was. 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