"From that moment on, our lives were never the same," said Williams, 40, who is a police officer. The killer might have been someone nearby that wanted to dispose of the victim's remains as soon as possible. At least, this is what the victim had claimed, and was reported in the Afro American at the time. I will admit the others when you catch me if you can! Like the first victim, Carol Spinks, experts were able to find small green fibers on the clothing, which hinted at some link between the two cases. Which, as you can guess, has played a major role in the reporting of this story over the years. All of the known members of this gang had been locked up on charges relating to sexual violence at around the time that the Freeway Phantom crime spree came to an end, and had been incarcerated inside Virginia's Lorton Prison. When her mother's boyfriend asked her if she was in Virginia, Brenda replied: This question seemed to confuse everyone, and Brenda's mother's boyfriend could only respond: "How could your mother see you if you're in Virginia?". There were a number of noticeable differences that set it apart. Barnes, 14, was at one point thought to be a victim of the serial killings. He was also a former patient, that had been sent to the hospital in lieu of a prison. It wasn't even a case she investigated at the time, but watched unfold from afar. The killer may have military experience due to the skill displayed during the abductions and the lack of evidence at the crime scenes. County, Maryland. For the first few years of the investigation into the Freeway Phantom, police had linked Barnes' death to the unknown killer targeting young black girls in the D.C. region. 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. As of this episode's recording, the storeis of Carol Spinks, Darlenia Johnson, Brenda Crockett, Nenomoshia Yates, Brenda Woodard, and Diane Williams remain unresolved. In 1971, a town hall was arranged in Congress Heights by a local antipoverty agency. The investigation into the abduction and murder of Neno Yates was just as unsuccessful as the first three murders. I don't believe that police followed the leads they had. They didn't care about us. This case is open as a cold case in the MPDC Homicide Division as of September 2018. It was rumored in the days after Darlenia's disappearance that her mother would receive phone calls at odd hours, with the person on the other end of the line taunting her. Brenda got off to catch a transfer, and said goodbye to her classmate. These differences seemed to point to Brenda being an outlier, perhaps even an incorrectly-labeled victim. Both Trainum and Jenkins stick with this analysis, which provides a small insight into most serial killers - again, most serial killers, not all of them. Today, Williams and other relatives of the victims will hold a memorial service in honor of the girls, whose slayings, with the exception of one, remain unsolved. It's the story of six black girls, who were all abducted and brutally murdered over the span of a year-and-a-half. Edward Sullivan et Tommie Simmons Freeway Phantom taient-ils ? [21] Barnes, 14, was at one point thought to be a victim of the serial killings. They moved their investigation inside Lorton Prison, and began speaking to individual members of the Green Vega gang. One such suspect was the rookie police officers duo Edward Sullivan and Tommie Simmons. The cause-of-death, though, appeared to be strangulation. 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. Quitman. 4 distinct works. saving. A number of these grisly cases were heartbreaking, consuming much of Jenkins' time with tragedy. As you can imagine, both of this leads led nowhere. 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. This was also felt by Patricia Williams, the sister of Diane. 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. Her father had put aside education money for college. All the cases involving white girls still get publicity. He didn't want to risk being exposed to the other gang members, for fear of retribution. This seems to hint at some connection between Reatha, her mother, and the abduction itself. wheN you cAtch me iF you cAn! Twenty of those appearances were included on a DVD titled Muppets Magic from the Ed Sullivan Show in 2003. However, in all of these cases, one kept Romaine Jenkins up at night. The American Jack the Ripper later became known simply as the Atlanta Ripper. The Green Vega Gang members were individually interviewed by MPDC Homicide Detectives Fickling, Irving, and Richardson, atLorton Prisonin Virginia, where the gang members were serving sentences in conjunction with the successful prosecutions of those crimes in theSuperior Court of the District of Columbia. As you can guess, this early nickname would stick and soon, the killer himself seemed to embrace it. Females Vanished in the 70s, The Washington Post - Killings Unsolved 25 Years Later, Ivan Reports - DNA test in Freeway Phantom cold case not confirmed, Washington City Paper - Why the Freeway Phantom Still Hasnt Been Caught, The Washington Post - D.C. Likewise, Lewis Crockett - Brenda's father - states that he was never able to emotionally recover from the death of his daughter. On December 30, only two days later, he stabbed to death another prostitute, 26-year-old Elizabeth Johnson, at the same location. 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. While the Freeway Phantom was never directly mentioned or referenced, he appears to have been an inspiration for the following unsubs: Criminal Minds Wiki is a FANDOM TV Community. Like the other murder victims, Neno had been strangled to death. 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. Because of this decomposition, authorities had to remove the victim's fingers for fingerprinting to determine her identity. The first victim was 13-year-old Carol Denise Spinks, whose body was found May 1, 1971. Investigators would find defensive marks on her hands and arms, indicating some kind of struggle that ensued between Brenda and the culprit. This hints at some kind of urgency, such as the killer being rushed. After all, Washington D.C. would not establish home rule until 1973, meaning that the local residents had no real representation of their own at the time of the Freeway Phantom murders. FRee-wAy PhanTom. Parents, siblings, and other loved ones have passed away in the years since, but those that remain continue to hope that the case can be solved if not now, then one day. 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. It is her sister, Diane Williams, who -- like the other girls -- was murdered. It is unknown where this piece of evidence now stands. As it was with all of the other murdered girls, she simply did her best to stay in-the-loop, and watched the investigation unfold from afar. godzilla, mothra twins. Askins also seemed to match the criteria that investigators had established the Freeway Phantom would have: he was a middle-aged black man that lived in the neighborhood, had a proclivity for targeting similar victims, and harbored a violent grudge against women. He also could've complained about how society was wronging him, and probably tried contacting a person of power by some means; however, said person presumably refused to listen to him, further fueling his anger and leading to the murders. Want to Read. Jenkins believes that the killer was either in the military, or lived some kind of transient lifestyle. Carol, who knew that she was risking punishment if it was discovered she had left the family's apartment, walked briskly along Wheeler Road. She told the children that they weren't allowed to leave go out, and would stay in until she got home. 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. They said they had arrest warrants for another 26 people. Select the best result to find their address, phone number, relatives, and public records. Starkville. Well, I'm him.". For close to six months - stretching from April to November - the Freeway Phantom had struck almost regularly. Why was this case never solved? However, along the way, she encountered her mother, who just-so-happened to be returning home. When he returned nearly a year later - in September of 1972 - he had lashed out at another victim in the neighborhood of Congress Heights. "You never forget. Following the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. in 1968 - and the subsequent riots, which caused extensive damage to the Washington D.C. region - the area had been left reeling. She had been raped and strangled, and a scarf was knotted around her neck. Span of crimes He ultimately let the victim go without harming her any further, and the incident was reported to police. 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). Criminal profiling was still in its infancy, but the FBI was eager to help solve this case, which they had labeled the work of a "repeat offender.". The prior decade had seen some major pieces federal legislation - such as the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965 - and the racial divide was still fresh in everyone's mind. When Brenda Woodard's body had been found, her coat had been found draped over her body. Angelas body was also wearing her shoes which did not fit the bill of the victims of the concerned serial killer. edward sullivan and tommie simmons. Among those individuals considered suspects were members of a gang known as the Green Vega Rapists. 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. 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. [5] Her stepfather asked her to have the man come to the phone. Her body was discovered behind St. Elizabeths Hospital on a grassy embankment next to the northbound lanes of I-295, about 1,500 feet south of Suitland Parkway. Like the other victims, Diane Williams had been strangled to death, but an autopsy would find no sign of sexual assault. Obituaries can vary in the amount of information they contain, but many of them are genealogical goldmines, including information such as: names, dates, place of birth and death, marriage information, and family relationships. On May 16th, he took them to the areas where Brenda Woodard, a homicide victim, had allegedly been kidnapped, raped, and murdered. Remember, the note from Brenda Woodard's coat pocket had read: "This is tantamount to insensititivity [sic] to people especially women. One of the original Freeway Phantom detectives, who long suspected Askins to be the killer, continued corresponding with the convict until his death in 2010. Carol Denise Spinks body was discovered by the authorities six days later from the day she was reported missing on April 25, 1971. 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. 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. Brenda Faye Crockett was a 10-year old girl that lived with her family in Northwest, about a block away from Cardozo High School. One of the known acquaintances of the Green Vega's was interviewed by police. Brenda then told her younger sister that she was in Virginia, before the call came to an abrupt end. I will Admit the others Unknown In the coming years, detectives would theorize that this implies some connection to the neighborhood Brenda Crockett lived in. After all, Brenda had asked specifically "Did my mother see me?" Like whoever had been carrying them had disappeared into thin air. 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. She recalls her mother's devastating sobbing, and the gloom that fell upon the entire neighborhood. A vote in favor is a vote to end debate and move to a vote on the issue itself, while a vote against is a vote to prolong debate or to filibuster. It stuck with him forever - a sentiment shared by Margaret Williams, the mother of Diane Williams, who was not the same following the 1972 murder. Most of the people in the homicide unit now would know nothing at all about the Freeway Phantom." [19] All these leads were investigated to their logical conclusion. 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. Her education policy was cashed in to bury her.". The FBI profile of the Phantom Killer stated that the killer would likely: - Have at least a high school education, with either "average or above-average intelligence", - Be a charming young man, who often struggled to maintain healthy relationships, - Likely lived alone or with an older woman (creating some kind of resentment towards females), - Having known the neighborhood that he committed his crimes in. It wasn't until the following day that her absence was truly noted, and suspicions began to be raised about her whereabouts. Tommy served on the USS INTREPID CVA-11 US Navy, four years MM3 County, Maryland) discovered the body of the missing 10-year old. 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 Despite their differences in beliefs regarding this case, Trainum and Jenkins agree on a number of things regarding the Freeway Phantom. It was a word that had been used in his prior legal paperwork, during his murder trial from the 1950's and subsequent release, but had also been included in the Freeway Phantom's note. [5] About two hours later (around 9:20 pm) the Crocketts' phone rang and was answered by her 7-year-old sister, who had waited at home while her family searched the neighborhood. No. Investigators eventually obtained a search warrant for Askins' home, and a search revealed many tantalizing clues about the man. Yazoo City. They may be living somewhere else, doing it again. REAL CRIMINAL Some leads were easily proven not to be viable, while others required substantial investigation. Bertha recalls Brenda stating: "A white man picked me up, and I'm heading home in a cab.". insensititivity [sic] to people 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. Likely, it had been dictated to her by the killer. The body also had a coat on its chest, in the pockets of which was a note with a poem . I will admit the others when you catch me if you can! [1][2], On the evening of April 25, 1971, 13-year-old Spinks from Southeast was sent by (Carlo) an older sister to buy groceries at a 7-Eleven located a half-mile away from her home, just across the border in Maryland. Heavy footsteps were heard in the background and Crockett said "I'll see you" and hung up. The same coroner would state that she had been sexually assaulted before her death. This semen sample would remain untested for several decades, but needless to say that would come up much later. "These were probably the first serial cases in the District of Columbia that one can recall," said Romaine Jenkins, a retired D.C. police homicide detective who helped investigate the killings. Mr .. Tommie Simmons in Connecticut 34 people named Tommie Simmons found in Hartford, New York-Northern New Jersey-Long Island and 2 . Modus Operandi They operated in Washington, D.C., between April 1971 and September 1972 and claimed at least six victims. ". Their apathy would be noted on at least one more occasion. It was only now, following the murder of Nenomoshia Yates, that the deaths of these four young black girls was officially linked. 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. Numerous investigative tips came from the general public by a telephone hotline operated by the Metropolitan Police Department of the District of Columbia (MPDC) and information also came by way of the mail. 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. Shortly after leaving the store, another kid from the neighborhood saw her walking back home, with a bag of groceries in her hands. However, with her body being found not too far away, just eight hours after her abduction, we can reasonably surmise that wasn't the case. Unknown One of the issues I haven't really touched on so far is the topic of race. Approximately six hours later, a police officer discovered her body, which had been stabbed multiple times and strangled, in a grassy area near Prince George's County Hospital, along an access ramp to Route 202 from the BaltimoreWashington Parkway. However, it's end was just as tragic as the first two abductions. She still regrets not going to the store with her older sister, believing that if they had been together, things might have ended differently. According to investigators at the time, Warren had begun providing details beyond what was reported in the media. 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. 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Cashed in to bury her. `` and September 1972 and claimed at least six victims open a. Said they had arrest warrants for another 26 people n't allowed to leave go,. The Atlanta Ripper clues about the man believe that police followed the leads they had a year-and-a-half ',. Had begun providing details beyond what was reported in the background and Crockett ``.

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