Authorities would note that her crime scene was incredibly gruesome - with her clothing being stained with blood - and she had six stab wounds to various parts of her body. For the next twenty or so years, Askins seemed to make a conscious effort to become a productive member of society. He identified the man who gave him the information, the date and location of the crime, and signature detail which was not provided to the public, but which was known only to the perpetrator, and to detectives. "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. Investigators analyzed the notes handwriting to determine that Brenda herself wrote the message, and the writing showed no signs of distress. The body was found by a 16-year old hitchhiker, that had stumbled upon it through mere happenstance. At 5:50 am the next day, a hitchhiker discovered Crockett's shoeless body in a conspicuous location on U.S. Route 50, near the Baltimore-Washington Parkway in Prince George's County, Maryland. Serial KillerSerial RapistAbductorPedophileEphebophile She had been raped and strangled, and a scarf was knotted around her neck. That ended up being 13 years later, in 1952, when he was re-indicted and convicted of the murder charges. However, the scarf that had been used to do so was still wrapped around her neck, knotted in the middle. The girls' bodies were dumped near or along freeways in the District and Prince George's County, more than two decades ago. 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). However, despite there being no sign of sexual assault, police would find semen on Diane's clothing. THOMAS SIMMONS OBITUARY. The most intriguing testimony they could obtain was that of a neighbor, who saw Neno Yates getting into a blue Volkswagon. In another striking similarity to the other crimes, green fibers would be found on her clothing. A couple of beat cops would be sent out to investigate the scene, but made very little attempt to locate the body. . On July 8th, 1971, Darlenia said goodbye to her mother, and began walking to work. 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). Danh mc . Detectives John Moriarty and Roy Lamb were called to the scene, amidst Vietnam War protests, and began canvassing the neighborhood. He identified the man who gave him the information, the date and location of the crime, and signature detail which was not provided to the public, but which was known only to the perpetrator, and to detectives. Warren was taken out of prison to specific locations, and began pointing out where victims had been abducted, killed, assaulted, and then disposed of. Brenda Faye Crockett was a 10-year old girl that lived with her family in Northwest, about a block away from Cardozo High School. It had been more than two months since the discovery of Brenda Crockett's remains off of U.S. Route 50. "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. Some people believe that the Phantom himself called in tips to mislead police and stall the investigation. Five months after being released in April 1952, Askins strangled 42-year-old Laura Cook to death. Prosecutors at the time said there was no evidence linking the pair to the other slayings. Angela Denise Barnes was a 14-year old that disappeared on July 12th, 1971, just days after Darlenia Johnson had gone missing. 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. Mr .. Tommie Simmons in Connecticut 34 people named Tommie Simmons found in Hartford, New York-Northern New Jersey-Long Island and 2 . Bertha recalls Brenda stating: "A white man picked me up, and I'm heading home in a cab.". 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. Coroners would later note that the strangulation was excessive, with the girl's esophagus having been broken. Remember when I told you that police had initially found semen on Diane Williams' clothing, and ruled it out as her boyfriend's? This neighbor had thought nothing of it at the time, since one of her family's friends drove a similar car. Infuriated, this caller called their boss and let them know about the police inactivity. 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. 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. Now, the victim was found just hours after going missing. 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. He graduated from Harvard College in 1874, and was a pupil of Lefebvre and Boulanger in Paris, where he took a gold medal. [21] Barnes, 14, was at one point thought to be a victim of the serial killings. He immediately recanted all prior statements and rescinded his prior confessions, calling it an "elaborate hoax" in the process. 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. After kissing her boyfriend goodbye, Diane Williams was last seen boarding a city bus, directed towards her family's home in Halley Terrace. [16] She was last seen boarding a bus at 11:20 pm near his house. 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 semen sample would remain untested for several decades, but needless to say that would come up much later. rancho bernardo country club membership cost; About. 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. Ph: (781) 272-0050 Organized One witness reported having seen Johnson in an old black car, driven by an African-American male, shortly after her abduction. However, it's end was just as tragic as the first two abductions. insensititivity [sic] to people Unlike the rest of the Freeway Phantom victims, she had been shot in the head, but her case was linked to the others in the immediate aftermath. 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. Name Investigators would continue to ponder this theory over the coming months, as they began to inquire into possible leads. The local newspaper "The Evening Star" hoped to inspire tips with a reward, announcing $5,000 for anyone that provided information which led to an arrest. When he returned nearly a year later - in September of 1972 - he had lashed out at another victim in the neighborhood of Congress Heights. West Point. He didn't want to risk being exposed to the other gang members, for fear of retribution. Before her death, it appeared that the victim had been brutalized, having been hit in the face more than once. Occupation Investigators had now followed up several leads at this point - including Robert Askins and the Green Vega's - but had little to show for 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. Likely, it had been dictated to her by the killer. He was afraid that more details of his cooperation would be leaked to the media, and he refused to give any more statements. Unknown These differences seemed to point to Brenda being an outlier, perhaps even an incorrectly-labeled victim. [22] Members of this gang were collectively responsible for numerous Washington D.C. and surrounding Maryland vicinity rapes and abductions that occurred near the Washington Beltway. It's the story of six black girls, who were all abducted and brutally murdered over the span of a year-and-a-half. 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. [5] Her body was found within three hours of her abduction, just off the shoulder of Pennsylvania Avenue in Prince George's County, Maryland. Early 1970's newspaper reports hint at a perceived hatred of those names by the killer, but police have not stated that this was a belief of theirs. As a result, the Freeway Phantom case files are now incomplete - some have been discarded entirely and others are incomplete with pages or articles of evidence having been lost, along with their associated notes, and all the primary or task force investigators have either long retired, or are deceased. [7], A short time later, the phone rang again and was this time answered by the stepfather of Crockett. Both were ex-cops that were arrested in relation to the 1971 murder of Angela Barnes. especiAlly women. Rhode Island State Police said Thursday that they arrested 62 people in a sweeping investigation into welfare fraud. The perpetrator might have served in the Army during the Vietnam War and may have been responsible for some war crimes such as rape and murder during massacres. 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. 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. However, in all of these cases, one kept Romaine Jenkins up at night. She had been sexually assaulted and strangled, her body dumped about 200 yards south of the Suitland Parkway near Interstate 295. Carolyn Spinks Morris - the identical twin sister of Carol Spinks, the first victim - recalls the day that her family learned of Carol's murder. However, upon receiving the case, Trainum realized how much of an uphill battle it would be. 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. Modus Operandi 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. 43 Winn Street Burlington, MA 01803. Call us at (812) 213-7358 to take advantage of our concrete foundation skills! 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 the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). 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. "It took maybe up to the fifth victim when they really got the message that there was a problem," Jenkins added. They were a small gang that had operated in the region around Washington D.C. - primarily along the Washington Beltway, but extending out into Maryland. One such suspect was the rookie police officers duo Edward Sullivan and Tommie Simmons. 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