0:00

Carol Spinks , Dar Linea Johnson,

0:03

Brenda Crockett , nano Moshe Yates

0:05

, Brenda Woodward, and Diane

0:08

Williams, all aspirational teenagers

0:10

with bright futures we're innocence

0:13

. And in culpable young black

0:15

women of 1970s,

0:17

Washington DC in the United

0:20

States of America. They're boundless compassion and

0:22

limitless potentials were cut

0:25

shorts by unexplainable unsolved

0:27

murders in the 18 months between

0:30

April, 1971 and

0:32

September,

0:34

1972, leaving all who knew them across the nation's

0:36

Capitol and district of Columbia area

0:39

as a whole grasping for answers

0:41

in a sea of evidence that drowned

0:43

us all in doubt as

0:46

a hope to provide more substantial reasoning

0:48

built upon observable evidence

0:50

and situational analysis. This

0:53

is an examination of the freeway

0:55

Phantom murders and the confounding

0:57

mystery among the numerous highways

1:00

of Washington DC. This

1:03

is cold case detective

1:25

The first soul lost was

1:27

Carol Denise Spinx born

1:30

as one in a pair of twins. She entered

1:32

a family with eight siblings overall,

1:35

as kids Carolyn, her sisters were cared

1:37

for by their mother, Alan teen

1:39

Spinks , a watchful protector over her children

1:42

who always ensured . They behaved well

1:44

and were kept safe at school.

1:46

Carol was bright but shy keeping

1:48

to herself while enjoying outdoor activities.

1:51

At age 13, she excelled

1:54

as a seventh grader at John

1:56

Hayden Johnson junior high school. He

1:58

had always looked forward to returning home where she

2:00

loved spending time with her sisters playing

2:02

jacks or jumping double Dutch rope

2:05

or getting lost in her hula hoop

2:07

routines. Carol was also

2:09

incredibly kind and always looking

2:11

to help her mother or her siblings.

2:14

And sadly, it was nothing more than

2:16

a simple errand to the grocery store

2:19

that would spark the final moments to

2:21

her unknown fate. The

2:24

second loss soul was Darla Linnea

2:26

, Denise Johnson, who grew up

2:28

in the Congress Heights, residential

2:30

neighborhood, which had sadly been

2:33

affected by urban neglect in the years

2:35

directly following the second world war nonetheless

2:39

Delania was a determined young girl with a mindset

2:41

focused on a positive future.

2:43

She provided for her family despite

2:46

her young age and balanced schoolwork

2:48

with both recreation and paid

2:50

work. At the age of 16, she

2:52

obtained a job at the oxen run

2:54

recreation center and newly built

2:56

set of facilities on a 106

2:59

acre municipal park with activities

3:01

for all people around the oxen Hill

3:03

community. She served her fellow

3:06

DC citizens with love and the diligence

3:08

born of a kindred spirits

3:10

. That is of course until July of

3:12

1971, when a routine

3:15

trip to work ended in tragedy.

3:17

The third lost soul was Brenda

3:20

Fe . Crockett's born at the start of the

3:22

1960s and joined by a younger sister

3:25

Bertha three years later, the

3:27

sisters were raised by their fiercely

3:29

independent mother Reetha and

3:31

the little family enjoyed the company of their three

3:34

dogs, Ringo, Rex

3:36

and Romeo. Brenda was a sociable

3:38

and energetic young girl talkative

3:40

with peers at school and constantly making

3:43

new friends. She was known for always

3:45

extending a helpful hand and accepting

3:47

those around her, regardless of what they looked

3:49

like or how they acted. Brenda

3:52

loved taking pictures and getting in front of the camera,

3:54

never turning down an opportunity to smile

3:56

for a photograph. Her spirits always

3:58

shining through a portrait.

4:01

She was also heavily active in attending church

4:03

with her sister and mother spreading her

4:05

infectious charm with the other members of their

4:07

congregation in a heartbreaking

4:10

twist. It was another simple errand,

4:12

like the 1% on Carol Spinks that

4:15

ended Brenda's flourishing young life.

4:17

When she went out to the store to buy food for

4:19

the family, dogs and tragically

4:22

never returned. The

4:24

fourth loss soul was Nena Moesha

4:27

Yates born in the DC metropolitan

4:29

area in 1958. Her

4:31

birth parents did not stick together and

4:33

she lived much of her childhood with her blood

4:35

father, despite uneven family

4:37

circumstances. Nano was a well behaved

4:40

girl who performed well in school and

4:42

displayed unparalleled maturity

4:44

for a preteen middle schooler. During

4:46

the last few days of September,

4:49

1971, nano stepmother had a baby girl

4:51

and she and Nana's father were living with a new

4:54

born at the hospital. Excited about

4:56

the prospect of being an older sister and caring

4:59

for her growing family. Nano gladly

5:01

accepted, more responsibilities around

5:03

the Yates apartments, including grocery

5:05

shopping. And once again,

5:08

like Carol and Brenda, before her a

5:10

simple errand, just a block away from

5:12

her home resulted in cold

5:14

blooded murder. The fifth

5:16

lost soul was Brenda

5:19

Denise Woodward, a beloved member of the Northeast

5:22

Washington DC community. The

5:24

neighborhoods on the Northeast side were full of

5:26

relatives and close friends, all keeping

5:28

an eye on one another and spending time

5:30

outdoors in fellowship. Brenda

5:32

fit right in a great communicator

5:35

and gentle resident to everyone around

5:37

her. Like many. She sought a bright

5:39

future for herself as she made her way

5:41

throughout our lessons involving herself

5:43

more and more with academics. As she

5:45

progressed through Spingarn high school,

5:48

a famous DC public school in

5:50

the autumn of 1971 at

5:52

the beginning of Brenda's senior year, she

5:54

enrolled in a night school at the nearby Cardozo

5:57

high school in the Northwest neighborhoods

6:00

to enhance her shorthand typing abilities.

6:02

This was to better prepare herself for the

6:05

professional world. Post-graduation

6:07

a savvy and intelligent move on

6:09

her part to create the best

6:11

path forward yet

6:14

in an unfortunate series of events. Brenda

6:16

never got that far as one evening

6:18

after her night classes, she too

6:21

disappeared into the dark only

6:23

to be found murdered six hours

6:25

later, the sixth and

6:28

final lost soul was Diane

6:31

Denise Williams born on February

6:34

5th, 1955 to parents, mr. And mrs. Leon

6:36

and Margaret Williams in the Southeast

6:39

districts of Holly terrace , Diane

6:42

much lengthy of a young women we've discussed

6:44

was a leading example within her neighborhood

6:47

and amongst her schoolmates, she was

6:49

equal parts, adventurous and clever

6:51

wielding uncanny intelligence, and

6:53

always making the most out of life.

6:55

Diane loved spending time with her family

6:58

and younger sister, Patricia laughing

7:00

and cooking together regularly when

7:02

she was a junior at Ballou senior high

7:04

school, she devoted even more time

7:06

with a new boyfriend falling under the spell

7:09

of a youthful romance and visiting

7:11

him in the evening each week. That

7:13

is until September of 1972,

7:16

when she was murdered during an innocent trip

7:18

back home from her boyfriends, the

7:21

sixth seed of terror planted

7:23

by a serial killer of the United

7:26

States Capitol. Let's now turn

7:28

to the full timeline of events that

7:30

track the murders of the freeway.

7:32

Phantom the

7:36

freeway Phantoms first confirmed

7:38

strike comes in the evening hours of April

7:42

25th, 1971, Carol Spinks, a 13 year old

7:45

girl living in Wallace place in Southeast

7:47

Washington, DC is sent to a seven

7:49

11 just across the Maryland border

7:52

by her older sister, it's only half

7:54

a mile away and should be a routine

7:56

grocery pickup on her way to the

7:58

store. Carol runs into her mother

8:01

who was returning from visiting a family member

8:03

in Brentwood, Maryland. She chastises

8:05

her daughter for being outside so late and

8:07

defying her stay at home orders.

8:10

Nevertheless, mrs. Spinks allows

8:12

Carol to finish her errands, but implores

8:14

her to return before sundown.

8:17

A few minutes later, Carol arrives at

8:19

seven 11. She buys a few TV

8:21

dinners soda, and Brett Carol

8:24

rings out at the cash register and leaves

8:27

to begin her journey home. At some

8:29

point after leaving the store, Carol Spinks

8:31

is abducted by an unknown

8:33

assailant. She never returned

8:36

home to Wallace place that night and

8:38

her family begins to worry. An

8:40

official missing persons report is filed before

8:42

Dawn and the search goes underway.

8:45

Six days later at 2:46

8:47

PM on may the first 1971,

8:50

a group of children are playing in a grassy

8:52

and bank payments behind the Saint Elizabeth

8:54

hospital building along the North

8:57

bound lanes of the interstate two

8:59

95 highway. When they discovered

9:01

the body of a young black

9:03

girl, they waved down a police officer

9:05

who calls in a team of forensic specialists.

9:08

After the autopsy is carried its analysts

9:11

discover that Carol had bits of citrus

9:13

fruits still in her stomach, theorizing.

9:16

She was kept alive by her captor. For some

9:18

time time after she was kidnapped. They

9:20

also mentioned that her shoes are missing

9:23

and find bits of green synthetic fibers

9:25

on her clothing tests are

9:27

run to determine their origin, but

9:29

the lacking testing capabilities of

9:31

the 1970s crime labs means

9:34

they aren't able to find a solid

9:36

answer. It is assumed. These

9:38

are carpet fibers found in

9:40

the killer premises. Warner

10:16

then tells police that Carol was both physically

10:19

and sexually assaulted her

10:21

cause of death. Strangulation

10:23

or authorities investigate the neighborhoods around Carol's

10:26

last known location, but finds

10:28

no new clues in

10:30

the middle of that same summer on July

10:33

8th, 1971, 16 year old Linnea , Denise

10:36

Johnson of Congress Heights leaves her home in the evening

10:38

hours to venture to the oxen run

10:40

recreation center, where she holds

10:43

a summer job. She tells her mother

10:45

she'll be spending the night for a sleep over

10:47

program. The center is holding on

10:49

her route. There she too is

10:51

abducted by an unknown assailant

10:54

and unidentified witness later recounts

10:57

that they saw Delania in an old

10:59

black car driven by an African

11:01

American male figure of this

11:03

claim. She was with her boyfriend at the time,

11:06

but where they went is never clarified.

11:08

The Johnson family files a missing persons

11:10

report. The next day on July

11:12

9th, the initial search efforts bring

11:14

no new information. However,

11:17

three or four days later, an anonymous

11:20

call of phones, police and tells them of another

11:23

corpse resting along the interstate two nine, five

11:25

highway near the location where Carol

11:28

Spinks was found. This information is

11:30

later revealed to be full of details.

11:32

Only the killer could know, but

11:34

at that moment, the Metro PD shrug

11:36

off the tip and only pursue along the freeway

11:39

claiming they couldn't find anything.

11:42

Nevertheless, 11 days after

11:44

Delania initially went missing, her

11:46

body is discovered along interstate two

11:49

95 , Amir 15 feet from

11:51

where Carol Spinks his body was Darlene

11:54

. His corpse is badly decomposed due

11:56

to its long exposure to the elements. And

11:58

the autopsy is unable to determine

12:01

if she was sexually assaulted.

12:03

The coroner finds her cause of death to

12:05

be once again, strangulation.

12:08

And again, announces that her shoes are missing.

12:10

Like Carol's later that month

12:13

at around 8:00 PM on July

12:16

27th, 1971 Reetha Crockett sends her 10 year

12:18

old daughter, Brenda Fay to a safe

12:21

way , convenience store to buy bread and

12:23

dog food. Thinking that she'll take a friend along

12:25

with her as the neighborhood was having a community

12:28

movie night, Brenda leaves alone,

12:30

walking along the sidewalk, baffled with

12:32

pink curlers in her hair around

12:35

an hour passes and with no sign of

12:37

it . Brenda, the neighborhood searches the area

12:39

for any sign of the young girl. Uh

12:42

, bounce . 20 minutes later, the

12:44

Crocket household receives a call at 9:20

12:47

PM. Birth the Crockett's Brenda's seven

12:49

year old sister answers to find

12:51

Brenda on the other line through

12:53

tears, Brenda tells Bertha that she

12:55

was picked up by a white man and

12:57

is somewhere in Virginia. She thinks,

13:00

but the she's about to head home in a cab.

13:02

She ends the conversation with an a bye

13:05

and hands up the line a little later,

13:08

the Crocketts receive another call from Brenda.

13:10

This time Reetha Crockett's live in boyfriend

13:13

answers the phone. Brenda tells him the same

13:15

information. She told her sister that she

13:17

was alone in a house with a white

13:19

man. She also asked if

13:21

her mother had seen her the night after

13:23

she left wreath . His boyfriend asks

13:26

Brender if he can speak to the supposed white man,

13:29

but here's heavy footsteps approaching through

13:31

the phone own followed by Brenda saying,

13:33

I'll see you. Police are

13:35

unable to uncover any clues throughout

13:37

the night until a hitchhiker stumbles upon

13:39

the body of another young black girl

13:42

at five 58 , I am on July

13:45

28th. He finds her along the U S route

13:47

50 highway Prince George's County

13:50

near the Baltimore Washington Parkway.

13:52

Police identify the body as Brenda

13:54

Crockett shortly thereafter and bring her

13:57

in for an autopsy. Again, they

13:59

find she's been raped and strangled

14:01

like the other girl, while picking off more

14:03

green synthetic fibers on the clothing

14:06

while Brenda had left barefoot and

14:08

thus the shoes were never there to be missing. The

14:10

coroner reports that the feet had been washed

14:12

prior to being placed along the highway, a

14:15

very disturbing and peculiar revelation

14:18

in the case, a couple of months

14:20

pass and on October

14:23

1st, 1971, the killer strikes again, 7:00

14:27

PM buddy evening, 12 year old Nana Moshe

14:29

Yates walks home to the four 900

14:31

block Benning road Southeast from

14:33

a different safe convenience store.

14:35

After buying sugar , flour and paper

14:38

plates along the way she

14:40

is abducted and murdered, not

14:42

even three hours passed by,

14:45

but for a 16 year old boy discovers the

14:47

stills warm body of nano Yates off

14:50

the side of Pennsylvania Avenue in

14:52

Prince George's County, Maryland.

14:55

She's also who have been sexually assaulted before

14:57

being strangled and the green synthetic

14:59

fibers a presence on the clothing.

15:01

Once again, a few days after

15:04

[inaudible] the media theorizes, the recent

15:06

rapes and murders of young African

15:08

American women in the Washington DC

15:11

area are all at the hands of a

15:13

single killer, who they call

15:15

freeway Phantom about

15:17

a month and a half trickle by, without another

15:20

incidents until the night of November

15:24

15th, 1971, 18 year old high school

15:26

student, Brenda Denise Woodward eats

15:28

dinner with her friend at Ben's chili

15:30

bowl. After a long day of studying

15:33

and attending night school writing courses,

15:36

after they say goodbye, Brenda bores

15:38

, a city bus at 11:30

15:40

PM, that will take her back home to Maryland

15:42

Avenue. She gets off at each streets

15:45

and this is the last confirmed sighting of

15:47

Brenda early the next morning

15:49

on November 16th, six hours

15:52

after Brenda boarded, that bus and

15:54

on-duty police officer discovers

15:56

Brenda's body lying in a grassy area

15:58

next to Prince George's County hospital

16:01

near an access ramp to the route two

16:03

Oh two highway, the cop would

16:05

later say quotes . I shined

16:08

my flashlight into her eyes to see if there

16:10

was any life she didn't blink.

16:12

She didn't do anything. Brenda

16:15

had apparently been stopped before she was strangled,

16:17

but the killer left her with shoes on her

16:20

shirt, inside outs and a coat

16:22

draped over her. While at

16:24

the scene, police searched the coat pockets

16:26

and discovery handwritten message on

16:28

a torn piece of spiral notebook paper

16:30

that says, quote, this

16:33

is tantamount to my in sensitivity

16:36

to people, especially women. I

16:38

will admit the others when you catch me, if

16:40

you can, it is full of

16:42

spelling errors on strange grammar,

16:45

but as signed off by the freeway, Phantom,

16:47

the killer adopting the name. The media

16:50

has given him after the coroner

16:52

releases the reports on Brenda Woodward's autopsy

16:55

it's revealed. She had been stabbed a few times

16:57

before being strangled with defensive

16:59

wounds on her hands, signaling that she

17:01

tried to fight back. Despite

17:04

the note, as a major piece of evidence,

17:06

the investigation stores investigators

17:09

spend the next 10 months walking in

17:11

circles, attempting to find

17:13

the freeway Phantom again,

17:15

coming up empty handed. That

17:17

is until September

17:20

5th, 1972 around evening time

17:22

Ballou high school, senior Diane , Denise

17:25

Williams cooks dinner for her family per their tradition

17:28

at their Holly terrorists home in Southeast

17:30

DC, a couple of hours pass

17:33

and Diane visits her boyfriend, a few

17:35

towns away when that time

17:37

together wraps up, Diane walks out with

17:39

him to the bus stop near his house. She

17:42

boards the 11:20 PM shuttle and

17:44

has never seen alive. Again, only

17:47

a few hours later, an unidentified

17:49

person discovers Diana's body South

17:51

of the district of Columbia lines along

17:53

interstates to nine five. An

17:56

autopsy reveals a death by strangulation

17:59

another set of missing shoes and

18:01

a distinguishable amount of semen on

18:03

her person. It is however

18:05

thoughts belong to the boyfriend, but his

18:07

mother denies him a chance to speak

18:09

with police while the freeway

18:12

Phantom never comes out of his hiding

18:14

place. After September of 1972,

18:17

the investigation into his identity,

18:19

never ceases to leave the anxious minds

18:21

of Washington DC residents. A

18:24

task force is formed by multiple law enforcement

18:26

agencies, including the FBI

18:29

yet, despite all of their resources

18:32

and manpower available to look into the

18:34

thousands of tips that come in, or

18:36

authorities never arrest a prime suspect

18:39

or major person of interest

18:42

more recently, almost 50 years

18:44

after the fact, the case has hit a brick

18:46

wall in that almost all of its case

18:49

files have disappeared themselves,

18:51

mostly destroyed according to

18:53

local police. It is not being

18:55

currently investigated by any of the

18:57

original police departments around

18:59

the district of Columbia or Merrylands

19:01

States and the victim's families

19:04

struggle to find widespread interest by

19:06

the public in comparison with other

19:09

high file murder mysteries, the

19:13

horrifying disturbingly ironic

19:15

part about the case of the freeway. Phantom

19:17

murders is actually the lack of

19:19

case files at all. As

19:22

previously mentioned, the DC metropolitan

19:24

police departments have claimed all

19:27

of their documents associated with the

19:29

investigation destroyed

19:31

or lost for good, despite

19:33

this however, one incredibly

19:35

important clue left behind at one of

19:37

the crime scenes is still available

19:40

for inspection and discussion.

19:42

That's being the handwritten notes left

19:45

in the coat pocket of Brenda

19:47

would-would . The note itself is

19:49

quite an anomaly only if

19:51

ever do investigators find clues left

19:54

intentionally by perpetrators

19:56

at the scene of a crime. Leaving a

19:58

note seems quite shortsighted

20:00

seeing as though handwriting can be professionally

20:03

analyzed and it gives the authorities

20:05

one more piece of forensics to

20:07

use, to find their suspect

20:09

. But this note in particular was thought

20:11

out by the killer as

20:14

a fresh reminder, it reads

20:16

quotes tantamount

20:18

to my insensitivity, to people

20:20

cool , especially women. I will

20:22

admit the others when you catch me, if

20:25

you can, freeway Phantom.

20:28

First thing that investigators looked into was

20:31

naturally the handwriting. They

20:33

immediately noticed it was written in a style

20:36

normally associated with female

20:38

penmanship, often looking at

20:40

other samples. It was decided that the killer

20:43

actually hadn't written the note himself,

20:45

but rather made Brenda writing before

20:47

she was killed. I think it was also

20:49

quite neat, despite a few spelling errors,

20:52

making police wonder if Brendan knew her

20:54

killer and was able to write clearly

20:56

and concisely because of this. The

20:58

next thing pointed out by authorities was

21:00

how intelligent the diction came

21:02

across words like Tanta mounts

21:04

and in sensitivity, aren't in the everyday

21:07

lexicon of word choices and

21:09

hint at the fact that the killer came from a

21:11

potentially educated background.

21:14

Thirdly, Laura forcement realized

21:16

they were dealing with someone who followed the media

21:18

regarding their own investigation

21:21

and devoured the attention much

21:23

like the Zodiac killer before him. He

21:25

adopted the name freeway Phantom,

21:28

the Monika used by media outlets

21:31

and made sure his voice was heard by

21:33

the general public, a tactic unseen

21:35

in other murder cases. Sadly,

21:38

the note did little other than give us a look into

21:40

the psychology of the killer and

21:42

a taste of his sick desires.

21:45

Some sleuths, both amateur and

21:48

unprofessional have taken deeper dives into the spelling

21:50

errors and the phrasing to decipher it

21:52

for possible clues or secret messages.

21:55

For example, taking the capital letters

21:57

and spelling them together to give the acronym

22:00

a AA, N a

22:02

F a F R a P

22:04

T . Most people

22:06

believe the erratic spelling, capitols

22:08

and phrasing to be mere coincidence

22:11

and unintentional as there is nothing out

22:13

there in the world that fits the letter sequence.

22:15

And to my eyes, at least

22:18

it looks like nothing more than the rantings

22:20

of a dangerous mind. However,

22:23

I am no Codebreaker if

22:25

there are any professional or amateur

22:27

Codebreakers who are good with letter patterns and

22:29

secret messages, check out the copy

22:31

of the freeway, Phantom notes in our Google

22:33

drive folder and see if you can identify

22:36

something of interest. Let

22:39

us now turn to the most prominent theories

22:41

in the case of the freeway Phantom

22:46

in the case of the freeway, Phantom serial

22:48

killer, one of the first and most

22:50

popular theory suggested was that

22:53

he wasn't a serial killer at all,

22:55

but rather a member or group of members

22:58

of the notorious green Vega

23:00

rapists. The GVR

23:02

was a gang of multiple adult men who

23:05

would drive around the Washington beltway

23:07

through the district of Columbia and Maryland

23:09

enticing young women into their green

23:11

Chevy Vega and violently

23:14

assaulting them in 1975.

23:16

Police recognize the gangs. Modus operandi

23:18

was very similar to the ammo

23:21

of the freeway Phantom and so visited

23:23

a slew of GVR members who

23:25

were serving sentences in Lorton prison,

23:28

Virginia. One of the members

23:30

cooperated with investigators and told

23:32

them that if he remained anonymous, he would

23:34

spill the secrets of the other rapists.

23:37

The cops agreed and the informant told

23:39

them how former GVR members, Paul

23:42

Fletcher, Paul Brooks and John Davis were

23:44

involved in 500 to a thousand

23:46

assaults over a four year period

23:48

between 1969 to

23:51

1972. He also

23:53

said that one of those men admitted

23:55

to being involved with the freeway Phantom

23:57

murders and new things. Only

23:59

the killer would know the informant

24:01

was able to give exact locations and

24:03

clothing details of the victims as well.

24:06

Suggesting he really did have valuable

24:08

Intel. Unfortunately,

24:11

a local Prince George County attorney

24:13

accidentally leaked to the informant's name

24:15

to the media. And he backed out of the investigation

24:18

entirely refusing to ever talk

24:20

to the police again, despite

24:22

his latest silence, this testimony

24:24

certainly sounds like it comes very close

24:26

to identifying the freeway Phantom,

24:29

but it wasn't as simple as it first appeared.

24:32

It was later revealed to police that the details

24:34

the informant had been feeding his interviewers

24:36

were actually revealed in old

24:38

newspaper articles about the killings are

24:41

not unknown to the public. It

24:43

was also learned that the informant was only

24:45

giving up information in exchange

24:47

for a lighter sentence, thus creating

24:50

a conflict of interest and leaving

24:52

far too much doubt in the minds of

24:54

authorities. A case was never

24:56

made against the three other men and

24:59

the GVR was never seriously considered.

25:01

Again. Another early

25:03

suspect arrested in October of 1972

25:07

was a known child abductor and rapist.

25:09

James groom groom was

25:11

featured in a Baltimore Afro-American

25:13

regional newspaper article on October

25:16

21st detailing his arrest after

25:18

seducing a 17 year old black waitress

25:21

from a nearby restaurant, he had found

25:23

her at a bus stop at about 2:00 AM, tricked

25:26

her into missing her shuttle and then offered

25:28

to drive her home only to divert

25:30

into a secluded part of town and

25:32

sexually assault. Her groom

25:34

did not kill her, but instead

25:36

dropped her off at a different streets and fled

25:39

the scene. The girl reported him to the

25:41

police telling them that during their car ride

25:43

groom looked at her and asked quotes, have

25:46

you ever heard of the Baltimore Washington

25:48

expressway

25:49

Phantom? Well I'm

25:51

him.

25:52

So we must ask, could James

25:54

groom actually have been the Phantom? It

25:57

sounds intriguing, but is highly

25:59

unlikely. First off James

26:02

groom was white and both law enforcement

26:04

and criminal analysts who have studied the case.

26:06

Agree that the real killer is most likely

26:09

an African American male. Their

26:11

reasoning is that it would be unbelievably

26:14

difficult for a white man to drive

26:16

around in a black majority neighborhood

26:18

in the early 1970s and

26:20

managed to kidnap children without

26:22

being spotted or noticed. It

26:25

is akin to many of the theories in the

26:27

Atlanta child murders case. Police

26:30

also agree that the phone call made by Brenda

26:32

Crockett in which she tells her family. She is with a white

26:35

man, was a misdirection thought

26:37

of by the killer using it as a red

26:39

herring to fool investigators .

26:42

You must remember that

26:43

All the eye witnesses saw Dar Linea Johnson

26:46

get into a car driven by an African

26:48

American male and the actual

26:50

freeway Phantom reported by the Baltimore

26:53

Afro-American newspaper listed

26:55

him as a five foot seven black

26:57

man. James groom also

26:59

exhibited other in consistencies.

27:01

First off, he only assaulted his

27:04

victim before letting her go alive.

27:06

Whereas the freeway Phantom strangled

27:08

all of his to death groom. Also

27:10

miss identified himself as the Baltimore

27:13

Washington expressway Phantom,

27:15

even though by this point in time,

27:17

the killer had identified and accepted

27:19

the name freeway Phantom as

27:21

his Monica . It should be noted.

27:23

However that after groom was arrested,

27:26

the freeway Phantoms activity also

27:28

halted, but overall, the other

27:30

anomalies loom too large for him to

27:32

be seriously considered. Another

27:35

theory revolved around two ex

27:37

cops, Edward Sullivan, and

27:40

Tommy Simmons who were convicted

27:42

of murdering Angela

27:44

Denise Barnes , a 14 year old black girl from

27:46

the Washington DC area. The

27:49

murder had happened between the freeway Phantom

27:51

second and third killings and

27:53

Angela fit the description of the other

27:55

victims. However, she had been

27:57

killed via gunshot wound and the

27:59

crime was soon debunked from being one

28:01

of the Phantoms. Despite this,

28:03

there are still many who wonder if there was

28:06

police involvement with the case,

28:08

besides the rampant ignorance and investigative

28:11

malpractice shown by law enforcement.

28:13

There are those who wonder if the evidence was slowly

28:15

misplaced and destroyed by guilty

28:17

cops who wanted to erase proof

28:20

that had ever existed. These

28:22

theorists point to the fact that the fifth victim

28:24

Brenda Woodward was found by

28:26

a police officer and this

28:29

just so happens to be the body holding

28:31

the freeway Phantom note. However,

28:33

it should be noted that coincidence

28:35

does not indicate guilt. And

28:38

just because the police in this instance

28:40

are undoubtedly guilty of

28:42

negligence in the case, it

28:44

doesn't mean they were physically complicit

28:46

in the murders. Other

28:48

theories regarding the freeway, Phantoms identity,

28:51

belonging to other well known serial

28:53

killers have been discussed around the internet.

28:56

Two , the two most frequently mentioned

28:58

high profile cases are those of the Zodiac

29:00

killer and the center Rosa killer

29:03

because they're known timelines fit in

29:05

with the killings in Washington DC.

29:08

The Zodiac killer is considered because he was

29:10

also one of the very few murderers to

29:12

relish the media attention on

29:14

a grand scale. The note that

29:16

was left with Brenda also mirrored,

29:18

the Zodiac's own letters are narcissistic

29:21

tendencies as did the use of

29:23

telephone calls to spook his victims.

29:25

In addition, sleuths, like to point

29:28

to the time a supposedly Zodiac letter

29:30

mentioned the Zodiac killer thoughts about

29:32

moving from the Bay area to quotes

29:35

work in the government. If true,

29:37

he may have departed Northern California to

29:39

Washington DC, but never let

29:42

up from his murderous tendencies.

29:44

After all his touted body count was

29:46

much higher than the deaths attributed

29:48

to his crime spree. Most

29:51

agree. However, these connections are

29:53

likely stretches of the imagination.

29:55

The Zodiac killer is confirmed to be

29:57

a Caucasian male. Unlike the suspected

30:00

freeway Phantom figure, the Zodiac's

30:02

emo was also different in that he only

30:04

killed white adults and use weaponry

30:06

such as firearms and knives,

30:09

a similar campaign to link the Santa

30:11

Rosa hitchhiker murderer or the SRK

30:14

is equally discussed. Again,

30:16

their timeline of killings could also fit

30:19

in with the six murders associated

30:21

with the Phantom. The girls in the SRK

30:23

case were also assaulted and strangles

30:26

. However, one of them died of poisoning

30:28

and witnesses in the investigation profile,

30:30

the SRK as a white male

30:33

to like the Zodiac it's unreasonable

30:35

to assume either of these killers would both

30:37

know the Northern California territory

30:40

and urban sprawl of Washington DC

30:42

neighborhoods well enough to become invisible

30:44

in both situations. Also

30:47

neither of them ever targeted young

30:49

African American girls and

30:52

an abrupt change in victim demographics

30:54

is abnormal in serial murder

30:56

cases, certainly from

30:58

a surface level vantage point to that are

31:01

curious connections or vague overlaps.

31:03

That could mean something. But

31:05

the reality is that could be said

31:08

about almost all serial killer

31:10

cases. Before

31:13

we dive bulge our hypothesis for

31:15

the freeway Phantoms unsolved serial

31:17

murder, we want to make it known that our conclusions

31:19

presented in cold case detective are

31:22

purely logical speculation

31:24

based on evidence circumstance

31:26

and factual subtext. We

31:29

are only privy to the same information presented

31:31

in each video, and we do not

31:33

attempt to promise certainty or an expert

31:36

guarantee on the findings. We reach

31:38

in close . We simply observe

31:41

research and reports. In

31:44

the case of the six women left slain

31:46

along the highways in Washington, DC,

31:48

we believe they were a victim of a true

31:51

and unique serial killer. One

31:53

never discussed the general public. We

31:56

do not. I believe this was just a string

31:58

of coincidental assaults or a

32:00

few random victims of the green

32:03

Vega gang, but rather the methodical

32:05

slang of young black girls

32:08

by a pathological murderer

32:10

who it could have been is still

32:13

anyone's guess. But we are fairly

32:15

certain. The killer was local to the Washington

32:17

DC Metro area, and more specifically

32:20

a well known residence to the specific

32:22

communities his victims were from

32:24

while he may not have been an extrovert or

32:27

friendly neighborhood socialites, he was

32:29

able to blend into his surroundings,

32:31

never appearing to be up to no good while

32:34

staying invisible, amidst the streets.

32:36

There is a high possibility. He even

32:38

knew some of the victims prior to kidnapping

32:41

them. Particularly when we consider the

32:43

note written by Brenda Woodward and the phone

32:45

call privileges he gave to Brenda Crockett

32:48

. He also kept Carol Spinx

32:50

alive longer than the other girls.

32:52

A conclusion reached based on the

32:54

citrus fruits found in her stomach

32:57

during the autopsy, thus, he

32:59

may have known Carol and was this able

33:01

to entice her into his vehicle or home

33:03

easier than the other victims, regardless

33:06

of who he knew on a personal basis

33:08

or not. He was hungry for attention

33:11

and obsessed how the media and other

33:13

onlookers viewed him embracing

33:15

the freeway. Phantom nickname, lets

33:17

us know. He wasn't just some average criminal

33:20

or hapless lowlife . He planned

33:22

with precision. He was determined

33:24

to shine a spotlight on himself and

33:26

he wanted to be remembered for the crimes

33:29

he committed. It's probable the

33:31

attention he received from the murders meant more

33:33

to him than the acts of killing themselves

33:36

as did the acts of cleaning the feet and

33:38

bodies before placing them alongside

33:40

the highway and keeping mementos

33:42

of the girls who were never recovered from

33:45

the scenes of the crimes. Remember

33:47

these are key facts that might help

33:49

someone recollect a memory or hone

33:52

in on someone who fits these descriptions.

33:54

Besides the shoes, the killer also kept

33:57

textbooks, curlers and shoelaces

33:59

that belonged to the young women. If

34:01

anyone out there has any information

34:03

related to these touchpoints , reach

34:05

out to the proper authorities as soon

34:08

as you are safe to do so for

34:11

all we know the perpetrator could have been caught

34:13

and arrested years ago for separate crimes

34:16

and simply never admitted to the freeway Phantom

34:18

slangs. It is notable that

34:20

he only killed one more time after

34:22

leaving the famous notes . And

34:24

just because he said he would admit his

34:27

true body count when he was caught, doesn't

34:29

mean he followed through with it. It is

34:31

impossible to know for sure if he was ever caught

34:33

for an unrelated crime as the DNA

34:36

evidence was seemingly destroyed. So

34:38

his identity isn't in any

34:40

database, we have only

34:42

the metropolitan police department of the district

34:45

of Columbia to thank for that one,

34:47

without a doubt, the MPD C

34:49

completely fumbled this investigation.

34:53

Not only did they misplace vital DNA

34:55

strands from one of the crime scenes, but

34:57

they're slow and plodding investigative

34:59

pace let so much valuable

35:01

evidence dissolve before it was ever

35:03

discovered to top it all off

35:06

because of the loss of the case documents. In

35:08

the past few years, the MPD

35:10

C has stated that they are no longer

35:12

even investigating the freeway

35:15

Phantom murders as an active case,

35:17

citing a lack of leads. This

35:20

is disturbing not only because there is

35:22

no statute of limitations on murder investigations,

35:25

but because there are six victims, families

35:27

who are still waiting for answers

35:30

left alone in the dark while

35:32

other equally as horrific serial

35:34

killer crimes are constantly evaluated

35:36

and investigated with modern technology

35:39

and special units. It

35:41

is infuriating negligence

35:43

to the highest degree. And unfortunately,

35:46

just one more example of how black

35:48

women are forgotten about in unsolved

35:50

cold cases when compared to other

35:52

high profile mysteries. So

35:56

we will do our parts to fight for the justice

35:58

that Carol Spinks , Dar Linea Johnson,

36:01

Brenda Crockett's Nanna , Moshe Yates

36:03

, Brenda Woodwards , and Diane Williams, all

36:06

righteously deserve. They

36:08

were all only making their first

36:11

in the grand totality of life

36:13

and had so much potential before

36:15

them. They were leading examples to their

36:17

fellow peers, constantly displaying

36:20

undying compassion, and never afraid

36:22

to lift their family and friends on their

36:24

shoulders. They were all courageously

36:26

seeking a bright future and

36:29

were on their way to changing their communities,

36:31

their cities, and their worlds

36:33

for the better they had hopes

36:35

and dreams and wishes like URI

36:38

with skills and talents and abilities that

36:40

were going to help them reach such aspirations.

36:43

They will not be remembered merely as

36:46

the six victims of the freeway Phantom

36:48

for it is not his legacy that matters.

36:51

Instead they will be remembered as

36:53

six young women who may have been ignored

36:55

by some, but will not be

36:57

forgotten by all honored

37:00

by those who walked down. The highways of darkness,

37:02

shining a light in the hope of one

37:04

day, bringing them justice.

37:08

This is cold case detective,

37:14

thank you for listening to this episode of the

37:16

cold case detective podcast, should

37:18

you wish to delve deeper into the mystery?

37:21

You can follow the case file link

37:23

included in the show notes, which contains

37:25

important photographs, documents,

37:27

maps, and further reading relevance

37:29

to the case. If you would like to support the show

37:32

you can do so by leaving a five star

37:34

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37:41

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37:43

perhaps even one close to home or that

37:45

of a loved one, please fill out the submission form

37:48

in the show notes. Thank you for listening.

37:50

And I'll see you in a fortnight with

37:52

a new episode.