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. 3.90 avg rating 40 ratings published 2007. 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. The search for Brenda Crockett was - thankfully - not a long way. [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. Another witness would state that they had seen Johnson driving around with an older African-American male, in the time period after her supposed abduction. He seemed to be an amiable man, who was known for his propensity to use the word "tantamount" - seemingly at random - but a further look at Askins revealed a bit of a sketchy past. Now, on the other side of town, another child found themselves walking along the side of the road as evening approached. REAL CRIMINAL On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Police quickly zeroed in on Askins as their suspect, but it wasn't until D.C. detective Lloyd Davis began interviewing Askins, and learned about his past, that he began to connect the man to the unsolved Freeway Phantom murders. She was asking for some groceries - all of which could be picked up from a 7-Eleven convenience store just down the street. Askins remains one of the most popular suspects in the media, and many of the original detectives heavily favored him as the Freeway Phantom. Sullivan and Simmons, two ex-cops, were arrested for the murder of Angela Denise Barnes. james liston pressly; Tags . 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. 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. [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. Lets find out. 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. These differences seemed to point to Brenda being an outlier, perhaps even an incorrectly-labeled victim. On Saturday, May 1st, 1971 - six days after the disappearance of Carol Spinks - a group of kids were playing in a grassy area behind St. Elizabeths Hospital. 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 particular inmate was also serving a sentence at Lorton Prison for the Green Vega convictions. Their apathy would be noted on at least one more occasion. This seems to hint at some connection between Reatha, her mother, and the abduction itself. Now-retired, Musgrove was willing to speak to the Washington Post in 2006, in which he decried the way the victims had been treated in the years since: "Those black girls didn't mean anything to anybody - I'm talking about on the police department. 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. 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). I will Admit the others On September 5th, 1972, Diane cooked dinner for her family, and then set off to visit her boyfriend for the evening - just as she had done several times over the summer. Jenkins believes that the killer was either in the military, or lived some kind of transient lifestyle. Edward Sullivan and Tommie Simmons. Sellman and Simmons, two ex-cops, were arrested for the murder of Angela Denise Barnes. I will admit the others when you catch me if you can! Nenomoshia Yates - nicknamed "Neno" by those that knew her - was a 6th grader at Kelly Miller Junior High School. The inmate being interviewed stipulated that he would provide the information only if he could remain unidentified, which was agreed upon. The killer might have been someone nearby that wanted to dispose of the victim's remains as soon as possible. Angela Denise Barnes was a 14-year old that disappeared on July 12th, 1971, just days after Darlenia Johnson had gone missing. This stood out, because he didn't live with any women - so where had he gotten these scarves? A second call would be received at the family's home a short time later, at around 10:00 PM. She had been sent to buy sugar, flour, and paper plates, and all indications would point to her having done so. Following this alleged sexual assault, the man had then driven the victim away from the scene, telling her at one point: "Have you ever heard of the Baltimore-Washington Expressway Phantom? 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. Brenda then told her younger sister that she was in Virginia, before the call came to an abrupt end. She was the one of the few people to speak to Brenda after her abduction, and hear her crying on the other side. Described as both shy and petite, Carol had just cracked five feet tall, and was near the end of her seventh grade year at Johnson Junior High School. 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. In the coming years, detectives would theorize that this implies some connection to the neighborhood Brenda Crockett lived in. It is unknown where this piece of evidence now stands. Investigators would continue to ponder this theory over the coming months, as they began to inquire into possible leads. [5], The Phantom's final victim was claimed almost a year later, on September 5, 1972. Coroners would later note that the strangulation was excessive, with the girl's esophagus having been broken. They didn't even get out of the car to look for the remains, before using their radio to call in "10-8" (aka "nothing to see here"). She read the case notes and offered insight whenever possible, but that was really all she could do. Before her death, it appeared that the victim had been brutalized, having been hit in the face more than once. Despite being unable to determine the official cause-of-death, the coroner would later state that there was evidence of strangulation, which was loosely applied to the case of the murdered Darlenia Johnson. 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. 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?". The bail bond for the alleged perpetrators was set at $250,000. "This is tantamount to insensititivity [sic] to people especially women. Span of crimes Her mother, Reatha, later stated that she told Brenda to take a friend with her, but it seems like 10-year old Brenda left by herself. [1][2] All suspects are charged with state drug offenses and were cited and released with future dates to appear in the Criminal Division of Vermont Superior Courts across the state. The case of the Freeway Phantom remains open in the MPDC Homicide Division, but it is considered a cold case with no active lines of investigation. especiAlly women. However, other detectives that have handled or examined the case in the years since have pointed out that most of the information Morris Warren provided was all stuff he could have gotten from news coverage of the murders. THOMAS SIMMONS OBITUARY. 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. "You never forget. On May 17th, he showed them the alleged locations dealing with Darlenia Johnson, although while showing them where her body was abandoned, he took them to the place where Brenda Crockett's body was found. It was after this murder that the "Freeway Phantom" moniker was first used in a Daily News article describing the murders. One of the few pieces of evidence that police would find, during a thorough examination of Carol Spinks' remains, were small green fibers that were found on her clothing. In the cases of all the Freeway Phantom victims, the girls were stabbed or strangled, and in some cases had been sexually assaulted, according to police. The other victims had had their shoes taken from them. To police, this explained the defensive wounds on her hands, and the stab wounds themselves. When Brenda Woodard's body had been found, her coat had been found draped over her body. It's not too late to say something. She hopped on the next bus, and that is when her trail went cold. The first of which was from Leon Williams, the father of Diane Williams - the sixth and final murder victim of the Freeway Phantom. In her teenage years, as a result of her sister and best friend's tragic death, she ended up turning to drugs as an escape - a rabbit hole she would struggle to escape over several years of her life. To this day, many believe that police did not give the investigation the necessary resources or manpower. To residents, the murder of six girls in their community was a travesty. Diane Denise Williams was a 17-year old was known for her impeccable fashion sense. It appeared to be in her own handwriting, written in pencil, and seemed to be written on a piece of paper that had been torn out from her notebook. He replaced Joel Dabney Courtney, who portrayed Nathaniel Malick in the Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. He mentioned a cooperating inmate at Lorton Prison, who had recently confessed to investigators, and was currently singing like a bird. The remains looked undisturbed, as if nobody had even given the body a glance, but the summer heat was beginning to take its toll. One of the known acquaintances of the Green Vega's was interviewed by police. In face, the case of the Lyon sisters was reported on frequently in the media, and in 2017 - just a year or so ago - the case was finally resolved after more than 40 years. Robert Askins would later be convicted on kidnapping and rape charges, stemming from two separate incidents - including the one that had put him on the investigators' radar. 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. She, however, had been 18 years old, and likely much more aware of what was happening to her. After all, Brenda had asked specifically "Did my mother see me?" He was able to get close to his victims, and then overpower them. It wasn't until September of 1972 that investigators would declare him active once again. This did inspire plenty of tips - primarily through telephone hotlines and mail correspondence - but none of them would prove useful to investigators. Follows the Sullivan family during the Second World War. This linked it to the Carol Spinks and Brenda Crockett murders. The Phantom would abduct them, usually when they were on their way to or returning from work or an errand. With the cooperating inmate no longer speaking, this lead quickly wilted. Brenda was still wearing her black boots, which stood in direct contrast to the first few victims. 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. The victim, Ruth McDonald, had actually died as a result of the poisoning, and Askins was later convicted for her murder. "She had the shape and the beauty to be that. The victim, a 17-year old waitress, had been waiting at a bus stop when a young white man pulled up in his vehicle and asked for directions. A 17-year-old Ballou High School senior, Williams cooked dinner for her family and then visited her boyfriend's house. She still regrets not going to the store with her older sister, believing that if they had been together, things might have ended differently. Hours after the body had been discovered, when police had roped off the scene, she would unknowingly stumble upon the commotion. Unknown. So, Trainum took back the evidence, and submitted it to the FBI forensic database where the same thing happened. 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.". 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. Common practice at the time was that case files at MPDC Detective Divisions were retained in files maintained by the detectives assigned to the case. Crockett was on the other line, crying. They noted that both calls seemed to insist upon the kidnapper being a white man, who had taken Brenda to Virginia. 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 2001 that the case was officially re-opened, when Detective James Trainum took it on as a personal challenge. Angelas body was also wearing her shoes which did not fit the bill of the victims of the concerned serial killer. 43 Winn Street Burlington, MA 01803. However, despite there being no sign of sexual assault, police would find semen on Diane's clothing. and indicating she was alone in a house with a white male. Eventually, the FBI would enter the fray once again in 1974. edward sullivan and tommie simmons. In the first murder attributed to this spree - that of Carol Spinks - it was discovered that she had been held captive for some time before her death. By that point, investigators admitted that the Barnes case was not connected to the other six murders, and they did not believe that Sellman or Simmons had anything to do with the crime spree. "Whoever did it has gotten away. Percival Pembroke - "Pembroke-Schaffer Manifold (Parts 1 & 2)", Sann Gusmao - "Reescrever Fotografias Sobre Dias Que Me Rasgam", Indiana Evening Gazette - Washington, D.C. Police Seek Clues To Freeway Phantom. "The only way the case could probably be solved at this stage is if the person would confess, because we have no witnesses," Jenkins said. Like the other victims, Diane Williams had been strangled to death, but an autopsy would find no sign of sexual assault. Status However, it's end was just as tragic as the first two abductions. Unfortunately, their questions regarding her fate would be answered less than a week later. She began walking down the street, towards the 7-Eleven. [17] A few hours later, her strangled body was discovered dumped alongside I-295, just south of the District line. 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. But ours have been forgotten.". The Freeway Phantom has been described as a loner motivated by rage that was focused on overall society. They may be living somewhere else, doing it again. 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. This particular inmate was also serving a sentence at Lorton Prison for the Green Vega convictions. 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. They operated in Washington, D.C., between April 1971 and September 1972 and claimed at least six victims. I will admit the others when you catch me if you can! Romaine Jenkins, the homicide detective I introduced in this episode's introduction, wouldn't be directly involved in this case. As you can imagine, this was as frustrating to the victims' loved ones as it was to the investigators. 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. 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. 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