As the group of kids were playing in this area, just off of Interstate 295's northbound lanes, an 11-year-old boy wandered off. Danh mc . However, despite there being no sign of sexual assault, police would find semen on Diane's clothing. Free-way Phantom!" The "Freeway Phantom" was a nickname given by a regional tabloid, but the name seemed to stick. Despite claiming he intended the cyanide for himself, planning suicide, he was convicted of second-degree murder and sentenced to twenty years to life. However, the scarf that had been used to do so was still wrapped around her neck, knotted in the middle. In addition to the stab wounds, investigators considered it bizarre that the victim was found with her shoes. 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. 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 ended up managing the child abuse squad for several years, hoping to make life better for children around the D.C. region. 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. 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. 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. Before her death, it appeared that the victim had been brutalized, having been hit in the face more than once. REAL CRIMINAL Edward Sullivan and Tommie Simmons. Among those individuals considered suspects were members of a gang known as the Green Vega Rapists. Alias ", "I remember the night that she didn't come home," Williams said, "how hard it was for me to go to sleep.". When investigators announced that the Freeway Phantom killer was most likely a black individual, this animosity towards the local police force began to turn into widespread distrust. Her thoughts seemed to be scattered, and she gave concerning details about her whereabouts. As a result, the Freeway Phantom case files have been lost, along with the associated notes, and all investigators assigned as primary or task force have either long retired, or are deceased. 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 [16] She was last seen boarding a bus at 11:20 pm near his house. Why was this case never solved? As they spoke, her bus had come and gone, so the man offered to give her a ride home. The most notable case, which police had originally attributed to the Phantom, was the murder of 14-year old Angela Barnes. 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. More than two months had passed since the 13-year old had gone missing and her remains were found, and the story was a blip on the radar for 16-year old Darlenia. "Signature details," they called them - intimate details that would be known only by the responsible parties and investigators. [22] [23] Authorities later determined that Barnes was not a victim of the Freeway Phantom and resumed their investigation on the murders. During these interviews, one gang member initially implicated another gang member, who he said told him he was involved and gave information as to one of the beltway homicides. He would receive a life sentence, and ended up spending several decades inside a penitentiary. 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. She was asking for some groceries - all of which could be picked up from a 7-Eleven convenience store just down the street. episode Paradise . FRee-wAy PhanTom[13], Based on handwriting samples, authorities surmised that the note, written on paper cut from the victim's school notebook, had been dictated to and handwritten by Woodard. Both Ms. Johnson and Ms. Crockett were victims of the so-called Freeway Phantom homicides.". Despite seeming to know specific details about the various murders, this inmate - Morris Warren - had alibis for the days of several crimes, so investigators began to surmise that he had gotten his information from elsewhere. Romaine Jenkins, the retired homicide detective that I detailed in this episode's introduction, has maintained a lifelong obsession with the case. 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. While most of the family was out-and-about, looking for the missing 10-year old, trouble began brewing at home. The details of this confession were leaked to the press by P.G. Investigators and websleuths alike have wondered if Brenda Woodard might have been targeted by a separate killer, who tried to place the blame for her death at the burgeoning "Freeway Phantom" by having the victim write a note saying as much. In April 1939, Askins was found criminally insane and committed to St. Elizabeths Hospital. County, Maryland. Carolyn Spinks Morris - the identical twin sister of Carol Spinks, the first victim - recalls the day that her family learned of Carol's murder. St. Elizabeths Hospital was less than a mile away from the scene of Carol's disappearance, and was the area's primary mental health facility. Allenteen spotted her defiant 13-year old daughter, and let her know that her punishment would be waiting for her at home. That was when she learned of her 18-year old daughter's brutal murder. Ph: (781) 272-0050 In fact, Maryland police claimed there were no similarities between Angelas death and the murder of six other girls in D.C. Currently Reading. It was after this murder that the "Freeway Phantom" moniker was first used in a Daily News article describing the murders. He drove her to a secluded area, where she was then sexually assaulted. A 17-year-old Ballou High School senior, Williams cooked dinner for her family and then visited her boyfriend's house. This conviction was overturned in 1958. Reports on this seem to vary, with some sources claiming that the call came in three hours after she disappeared, but one record listed the specific time, 9:20, so I'm going to stick with that. This was also supported by the contents of her stomach, which included some kind of citrus fruit. January 28, 2023 tim o'neill goldman sachs net worth . Romaine Jenkins, the homicide detective I introduced in this episode's introduction, wouldn't be directly involved in this case. It was only now, following the murder of Nenomoshia Yates, that the deaths of these four young black girls was officially linked. [11] Unlike the other victims, she was still wearing her shoes, and a coat had been placed over her chest. 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. It wasn't even a case she investigated at the time, but watched unfold from afar. The vehicle was described as an older black model, but no specific details could be given. Court documents were found in a desk drawer in which a judge had used the word "tantamount," an uncommon word that had appeared in the note dictated by the killer of Brenda Woodward. Read More: Are Green Vega Rapists Freeway Phantom? She had been killed in 1971 - wedged in-between the 2nd and 3rd murders - but unlike the others, she had been murdered via gunshot. best used midsize suv under $20 000; lia thomas swimmer ranking before and after. 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. 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. The most notable thing about the discovery was that the body was dressed except for the missing shoes. There were long gaps between the crimes (sometimes as long as 2.5 months between each), but five young women had been killed over the span of 1971. Union. Their apathy would be noted on at least one more occasion. All but one are still considered victims of the "Freeway Phantom Murderer. Gender Investigators had created a timeline of events, which they forced themselves to adhere to. An examination of Brenda's clothing would find two different hair samples: one of which, authorities stated, belonged to a Caucasian man. In attendance was a local resident named Glendora Thomas, who stated: "The police are committing crimes by not taking care of our children.". "From that moment on, our lives were never the same," said Williams, 40, who is a police officer. Visiting hours will be held at the Edward V. Sullivan Funeral Home, 43 Winn St., Burlington on Monday, August 2 from 6-8 p.m. Funeral from the Sullivan Funeral Home on Tuesday, August 3 at 9 a.m. and will conclude with a funeral Mass at St. Margaret Church in St. Veronica Parish, www.stveronicama.org , 111 Winn Street, Burlington, at 10:00 am . Upon this third - and final - submission, the custody of this evidence became a matter-of-debate. Hours after the body had been discovered, when police had roped off the scene, she would unknowingly stumble upon the commotion. This stood out, because he didn't live with any women - so where had he gotten these scarves? They would be called back later on, but by that time, the case had grown stagnant. 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. Brenda then told her younger sister that she was in Virginia, before the call came to an abrupt end. These were the type of cases that her male colleagues tried to avoid. In addition, he owned many photos of unknown girls and young women, and police even found a knife that had been used in another crime. 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. 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. These were odd correlations that likely had no importance, but were of interest to the media at the time. 7 The Alphabet Killer Photo Credit: calafellvalo / Flickr Like the case of Dr. The Phantom after abducting his victims is assumed to have taken them to abandoned houses where he proceeded to rape the victims multiple times before killing them. He was also a former patient, that had been sent to the hospital in lieu of a prison. Read. This particular inmate was also serving a sentence at Lorton Prison for the Green Vega convictions. County's State's Attorney Arthur A. Marshall, who was running for reelection at the time. 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. 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. and indicating she was alone in a house with a white male. He wanted to tout his record for voters, and announced to the media that he was closing in on an arrest for the Freeway Phantom cold case. FREEWAY PHANTOM' VICTIMS Carol Denise Spinks May 1, 1971 Nenomoshia Yates October 1, 1971 Teara Ann Bryant November 26, 1972 Diane Williams September 6, 1972 Brenda Denise Woodard November 16, 1971 Darlenia Denise Johnson July 19, 1971 Brenda Fay Crockett July 28, 1971 CAPTION: Teara Ann Bryant CAPTION: Brenda Denise Woodard CAPTION: Carol Denise Spinks CAPTION: Nenomoshia Yates CAPTION: Diane Williams CAPTION: Brenda Fay Crockett CAPTION: Darlenia Denise Johnson. 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