Seven young black girls were mysteriously slain in the national capital by a killer known as the Freeway Phantom. Extensive manhunts were conducted in search of the mysterious assailant since the discovery of the probable first victim of the serial killer. Following the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. in 1968 - and the subsequent riots, which caused extensive damage to the Washington D.C. region - the area had been left reeling. [14][15] They also speculated that, given the absence of indications of duress in the writing, apart from evidence of dysgraphia, she may have known her kidnapper. [7], A short time later, the phone rang again and was this time answered by the stepfather of Crockett. A 1975 memorandum order by D.C. Superior Court Judge Fred B. Ugast read: "On May 16th, Mr. Warren began to direct the government agents to the locations he had described to them regarding two Freeway deaths. Part of me was just killed. Modus Operandi They were all of a similar build - small and petite - which led investigators to believe that the killer might have mistaken all of them for being in the same age range. Detective James Trainum last worked on the case in 2009, and as far as he knew, Maryland State Police had received the evidence but done nothing with it. I have not read anything that indicates she made it to the store, so I can just assume that on her way to Safeway, Brenda was abducted. [24] Barnes, 14, was at one point thought to be a victim of the serial killings. [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. "You never forget. Approximately eight hours after Brenda's disappearance - the early morning hours of July 28th, 1971 - a hitchhiker that was traveling on U.S. Route 50 (near the Baltimore-Washington Parkway in P.G. 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. To this day, many believe that police did not give the investigation the necessary resources or manpower. Occasionally, she flipped through a thick manila folder containing smiling portraits of eight black girls forever frozen in time. All these leads were investigated to their logical conclusion. [20], Common practice at the time was that case files at MPDC Detective Divisions were retained by the detectives assigned to the case. In addition, Allenteen - a single mother of eight - would organize a neighborhood search for the missing teenager that evening, but the volunteers (primarily friends and family members) would be unable to find any trace of Carol Spinks. That was when she learned of her 18-year old daughter's brutal murder. All the nation's press and media, when reporting upon the story, began referring to the killer as such. In the early 1970's, a mysterious killer targeted young black girls along the Washington Beltway. Edward Simmons in North Carolina We found 46 records for Edward Simmons in Charlotte, Tarboro and 29 other cities in North Carolina. It was around 9:20 PM that this call came in, approximately two or so hours after Brenda had left for the store. She reluctantly agreed, only to discover that the the man had no intentions of taking her to her destination. Dumping his victims next to the freeway He owned many scarves which belonged to women, which were described as "soiled." No. 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. [1][2] edward sullivan and tommie simmons edward sullivan and tommie simmons. She, however, was sent by her mother to a nearby Safeway grocery store to pick up some bread and some food for the family's three dogs: Ringo, Rex, and Romeo. Nenomoshia Yates - nicknamed "Neno" by those that knew her - was a 6th grader at Kelly Miller Junior High School. 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. Why was this case never solved? 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. The cause, he said, was revenge: for him contracting a venereal disease from another sex worker earlier that year. 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. Investigators would continue to ponder this theory over the coming months, as they began to inquire into possible leads. Obituaries can vary in the amount of information they contain, but many of them are genealogical goldmines, including information such as: names, dates, place of birth and death, marriage information, and family relationships. This seems to hint at some connection between Reatha, her mother, and the abduction itself. In the middle of July 1971, an employee of the D.C. Department of Highways and Traffic began experiencing car troubles. Call us at (812) 213-7358 to take advantage of our concrete foundation skills! The victim, Ruth McDonald, had actually died as a result of the poisoning, and Askins was later convicted for her murder. The most notable thing about the discovery was that the body was dressed except for the missing shoes. Police were unable to uncover much evidence other than what I've just described, but noted that the victim had been strangled to death, just like the first two cases. 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?". One of the known acquaintances of the Green Vega's was interviewed by police. 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. Quitman. County's State's Attorney Arthur A. Marshall, who was running for reelection at the time. By that time, FBI agents had been distracted and called off to assist with the ongoing Watergate scandal, and the attention of almost everyone was diverted elsewhere. wheN you cAtch me iF you cAn! The most intriguing testimony they could obtain was that of a neighbor, who saw Neno Yates getting into a blue Volkswagon. In the late 1960's and early 1970's, Jenkins joined the Washington D.C. police force. 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. Here was a lead, that was as promising as any thus far, which had now evaporated into nothing. During her time as a homicide detective, Jenkins mainly investigated the deaths of children and babies. This was roughly a month after the last crime attributed to the Freeway Phantom, and Groom - who lived in Northwest Baltimore - had just been arrested for the kidnapping and sexual assault of a young woman. The other victims had had their shoes taken from them. Touted as Washington, D.C.'s first serial killer, this yet-to-be-identified murderer was responsible for the killing of at least 6 minor girls in Washington, D.C. from April 1971 through September 1972. In the second case - Darlenia Johnson - her remains were too decomposed to tell how quickly she had been killed or disposed of. 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. These differences seemed to point to Brenda being an outlier, perhaps even an incorrectly-labeled victim. 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. Danh mc . [4], 12-year-old Yates was walking home around 7:00 pm from a Safeway store in Northeast on October 1, 1971 when she was kidnapped, raped, and strangled. However, as I already hinted at, the FBI cooperation had quickly evaporated, when it became clear that the Watergate scandal wasn't going away anytime soon. When her mother's boyfriend asked to speak to the other man, he only heard the sound of heavy footsteps on the other end of the line. She had been killed in 1971 - wedged in-between the 2nd and 3rd murders - but unlike the others, she had been murdered via gunshot. 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. He ended up walking roughly 1500 feet south of Suitland Parkway, towards a grassy embankment along the Anacostia Freeway, where he discovered the body of a murdered young woman. [6] Eleven days later, her body was located only 15 feet (4.6 meters) from where Spinks had been found[4] even though police had been notified of the location of the corpse nearly a week earlier by an anonymous caller who had details only her killer could have known. Investigators analyzed the notes handwriting to determine that Brenda herself wrote the message, and the writing showed no signs of distress. 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. That signature information was correct. While she remains hopeful the killings eventually will be solved, Jenkins believes the passage of time already has diminished the chances of closing the case. However, in all of these cases, one kept Romaine Jenkins up at night. 2023 Cinemaholic Inc. All rights reserved. All had been killed by a mysterious killer - or group of killers - who seemed to embrace the nickname that the media gave them. It was a word that had been used in his prior legal paperwork, during his murder trial from the 1950's and subsequent release, but had also been included in the Freeway Phantom's note. Jan, 19, 2023; cemu android apk 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. Post author: Post published: January 24, 2023 Post category: what channel is nbc on directv in arizona Post comments: ae funeral services shawnee ok ae funeral services shawnee ok As the decades have gone on with no answers, the number of participants in this group have continued to dwindle. It was Crockett again, and she merely repeated what she'd said in the last telephone call, adding "Did my mother see me?" best used midsize suv under $20 000; lia thomas swimmer ranking before and after. 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. 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. Due to the brutality of the crimes the police suspected the offender to be a psychopath. lawrence shankland family 8marla commercial e 1 phase 8 bahria town islamabad edward sullivan and tommie simmons. Her education policy was cashed in to bury her.". Winona. Logical investigation and intimate knowledge of the modus operandi of the Green Vega Gang brought them to the forefront. Even though most of the evidence had been poorly-preserved - if it was preserved at all, and wasn't just missing - Trainum hoped that advancements in DNA technology would allow for a closer look at the Freeway Phantom killer. As you can imagine, both of this leads led nowhere. A 17-year-old Ballou High School senior, Williams cooked dinner for her family and then visited her boyfriend's house. 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. The Freeway Phantom case has seen a myriad of investigators and garnered much interest over the years. 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. Listen to "The Freeway Phantom" on Spreaker. I will admit the others when you catch me if you can! Metropolitan Police Department of the District of Columbia, Superior Court of the District of Columbia, List of fugitives from justice who disappeared, List of serial killers in the United States, "DNA discovery could solve 1972 Freeway Phantom slaying", "Up to $150,000 Reward "Freeway Phantom" Murders", "Why the Freeway Phantom Still Hasn't Been Caught", "Black Ex-Cops Arrested In. especiAlly women. Carolyn Spinks Morris - the identical twin sister of Carol Spinks, the first victim - recalls the day that her family learned of Carol's murder. One such suspect was the rookie police officers duo Edward Sullivan and Tommie Simmons. Brenda said, "Well, I'll see you," and the call came to a sudden end. One of the issues I haven't really touched on so far is the topic of race. [5] About two hours later (around 9:20 pm) the Crocketts' phone rang and was answered by her 7-year-old sister, who had waited at home while her family searched the neighborhood. He had pulled over to the side of the road, just south of the border separating Washington D.C. and the state of Maryland. 6+ killed On December 28, 1938, Askinsthen a 19-year-old student and member of the science club at Miner Teachers Collegeserved cyanide-laced whiskey to five prostitutes at a brothel, resulting in the death of 31-year-old Ruth McDonald. Now, on the other side of town, another child found themselves walking along the side of the road as evening approached. 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. REAL CRIMINAL At least, this is what the victim had claimed, and was reported in the Afro American at the time. We do know that several investigators were working hard on the case, but simply had very little to work with - this was the 1970's, after all, and barring some kind of explosive eyewitness testimony, there was little for detectives to work with. Most unusually, her body appeared to have been washed prior to its abandonment alongside U.S. Route 50. Powered by WordPress.com VIP. edward sullivan and tommie simmons. If those girls had been white, they would have put more manpower on it, there's no doubt about that.". edward sullivan and tommie simmons. This was, truthfully, based off of statistical analysis at the time - which did show that killers tend to target their own racial demographic, more often than not - but had come after months of inactivity and perceived apathy. Namely, the fact that this was the first case that the victim had been stabbed multiple times, but investigators excused this with the notion that the victim was much older - the killer had almost exclusively targeted children prior to Brenda Woodward. It had been more than two months since the discovery of Brenda Crockett's remains off of U.S. Route 50. 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). 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 . Where Are They Now. However, later that night, an employee of Safeway would state that they found those same items outside of the store, scattered along the street. 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. However, police struggled to come to grips with some other differences: such as the note found in Brenda's coat pocket - which seemed to taunt investigators - and the fact that Brenda was found still wearing her boots. One of its pockets contained a note from the killer:[12], this is tAntAmount to my Yazoo City. They believe that the Freeway Phantom was a young black man in his 20's or 30's, and agree with the FBI profile. Bryant, of Maryland, was the only victim not from the District. 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. Of those effected by the Freeway Phantom crime spree, none were hit harder than the loved ones - whose children and siblings were taken by the unknown killer, and their lives ended way too prematurely. Organized This angry sentiment was also shared by the sister of Carol Spinks, Evander Spinks, who stated: "You better bet that if these had been white girls, the police would have solved the cases. A number of these grisly cases were heartbreaking, consuming much of Jenkins' time with tragedy. The children knew that failure to comply would result in a severe punishment - such as being hit with a switch or a belt - but that did not deter young Carol Spinks. This was also supported by the contents of her stomach, which included some kind of citrus fruit. The Phantom would abduct them, usually when they were on their way to or returning from work or an errand. [25][26] Authorities later determined that Barnes was not a victim of the Freeway Phantom and resumed their investigation on the murders.[12]. [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. 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. Join Facebook to connect with Edward Sullivan and others you may know. Want to Read. This regional employee called D.C. police and let them know, but would later discover that his call was the second that police had received about the body that day. Remember when I told you that police had initially found semen on Diane Williams' clothing, and ruled it out as her boyfriend's? The first of which was from Leon Williams, the father of Diane Williams - the sixth and final murder victim of the Freeway Phantom. After all, Washington D.C. would not establish home rule until 1973, meaning that the local residents had no real representation of their own at the time of the Freeway Phantom murders. If he was as young as investigators believe, he would now be entering his twilight years - of retirement age, at least, or quickly approaching it. County, Maryland. Investigators hypothesized that the killer left her shoes because her name was inscribed on the pair. During this encounter, the man also told the victim that he had recently returned from Vietnam, was lonely, and was sick of no one understanding him. Perhaps she knew her abductor, and wasn't too far away from her family's home at the time of the call. Shortly after leaving the store, another kid from the neighborhood saw her walking back home, with a bag of groceries in her hands. 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. This linked it to the Carol Spinks and Brenda Crockett murders. Barnes, 14, was at one point thought to be a victim of the serial killings. Romaine Jenkins, the retired homicide detective that I detailed in this episode's introduction, has maintained a lifelong obsession with the case. Number of these cases, one kept edward sullivan and tommie simmons Jenkins up at night which to. American at the time of the serial killings upon the story, referring. Consuming much of Jenkins ' time with tragedy suspected the offender to be a victim of road... Tommie Simmons cooked dinner for her murder brutal murder intentions of taking her edward sullivan and tommie simmons her.. No intentions of taking her to her destination the topic of race as approached... 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