Case 121
The Freeway Phantom
*** Warning: This case involves a child victim ***
During the early 1970s in Washington, D.C, six black girls aged between 10 and 18 were abducted and murdered in separate brutal attacks. The bodies of Carole Spinks, Darlenia Johnson, Brenda Crockett, Nenomoshia Yates, Brenda Woodard and Diane Williams were all found alongside busy roads, with most showing evidence of strangulation and sexual assault. The unidentified perpetrator, thought to be Washington’s first serial killer, became known as The Freeway Phantom.
CREDITS
EPISODE:
Research – Anonymous Host
Writing – Elsha McGill
Narration – Anonymous Host
MUSIC:
‘Flatline intro’ and ‘Come play with me’ intro and outro – www.dl-sounds.com
Audio production – Mike Migas
Scoring – Mike Migas and Andrew Joslyn
OTHER:
Logo and website design – Paulina Szymanska
RESOURCES
FREEWAY PHANTOM MAP
The map for this episode can be found here.
BOOK:
‘The mystery of the Freeway Phantom’ – Wilma Harper and Helen Collins, (1983)
INTERVIEW:
Casefile interview with Patricia Williams
COURT DOCUMENTS:
WASHINGTON POST NEWSPAPER ARCHIVES:
SE Groups, police, hunt missing girl, April 28, 1971
Body of SE girl, 14, found near Suitland Parkway, May 2, 1971
Girl’s body is identified, July 21, 1971
Girl’s deaths ead to protest in SE, July 22, 1971
District girl found slain on highway, July 29, 1971
Body of SE girl, 12, found in county, October 3, 1971
Gang rapes increase sharply in DC, October 13, 1971
Body of slain DC girl found, 6th since May, November 17, 1971
Victims life was changed by wrong type of people, November 17, 1971
Pubic help asked to solve murders, November 18, 1971
Callers try to help police solve slayings, November 19, 1971
Police get over 1000 calls in slaying, November 20, 1971
Sex assault of 6th victim confirmed, November 23, 1971
Mannequin built to aid slayer hunt, December 3, 1971
Reward total 9 thousand dollars in slayings of 6 girls, August 31, 1972
Body of SE girl found in area of 6 murders, September 7, 1972
Bus driver tells of seeing girl before she was slain, September 8, 1972
SE girl’s death linked to others, September 9, 1972
Suddenly, one of Diane’s four sisters wailed, September 13, 1972
DC police feel 2 involved in slaying of seven girls, September 21, 1972
Police plead for public’s help in search for freeway killer, October 14, 1972
$1000 added to reward for slayer, February 21, 1973
Landover man held in 2 rapes, February 24, 1973
Higher reward sought for freeway slayer, July 23, 1973
District’s biggest rape case begins, September 22, 1973
2 guilty in series of rapes, October 6, 1973
Green car rapist gets life in jail, December 19, 1973
The Freeway murders, police up against a stone wall, February 18, 1974
Freeway murders: The people affected, February 19, 1974
Judge orders silence on murder investigation, April 6, 1974
Hearing in slaying case set, April 8, 1974
Phantom suspects held again, April 23, 1974
Jury in DC indicts 2 in girl’s slaying, May 1, 1974
Prosecutor criticized in phantom slayings, June 6, 1974
Ex officer denies rile in killing, June 28, 1974
Ex officer guilty of killing, June 29, 1974
Most Simmons jurors sure he was not insane, July 1, 1974
2 ex policeman guilty of murder, July 26, 1974
Sex assault suspect is convicted, August 16, 1974
Ex policeman gets 20 years to life in slaying of DC girl, August 24, 1974
7 suspects probed in freeway deaths, August 30, 1974
Court orders slay suspects into lineup, October 24, 1974
3 accused in rape of 13, kidnapping, November 2, 1974
Tears, tussle erupt at police lineup, December 11, 1974
Rape-Kidnap case hits a snag, March 25, 1975
Vega case man acquitted, May 23, 1975
Gang linked to hundreds of rapes, July 19, 1975
Victims detail rape gang’s methods, July 13, 1975
Jailed rapist: I’m going through hell, July 13, 1975
Green vega figure sentenced for role in 1973 Md. slaying, July 18, 1975
Jailed rapist gets 1 case dismissed, July 31, 1975
Freeway phantom suspect admits tie under drug, October 16, 1975
Alleged murder witness won’t aid prosecutors, November 4, 1975
Obstacles fail to daunt detective, January 5, 1976
Suspect disrupts hearing, January 13, 1976
Vega rape conviction is upset, December 31, 1976
DC judge frees rape victim from testifying again, May 31, 1978
DC jury convicts man accused in green vega rapes, November 1, 1978
1978 conviction is overturned in green vega assault cases, October 10, 1981
Vega suspect changes story at trial, March 5, 1983
Green vega rapist convicted for third time, March 8, 1983
Ex policeman sentenced in check kiting scheme, December 16, 1983
Group comforts those united by tragedy, February 5, 1987
Freeway phantom slayings haunt police, families: 6 young DC females vanished in the 70’s, June 26, 2006
ONLINE NEWSPAPER ARTICLES:
Six black girls were brutally murdered in the early 70’s. Why was this case never solved? – The Washington Post
1968 riots: Four days that reshaped DC – The Washington Post
DNA discovery could solve 1972 Freeway slaying – Washington Examiner
Why the freeway phantom still hasn’t been caught – Washington City Paper