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. You have a whole generation of family members who would like to see someone brought to justice.". Were Edward Sullivan and Tommie Simmons Freeway Phantom? He would spent the next several years inside an actual prison, until he was released in January of 1958 - due not to a completion of his sentence or any kind of parole, but a legal snaffu that resulted in his freedom. Right? Both Ms. Johnson and Ms. Crockett were victims of the so-called Freeway Phantom homicides.". This has yet to be verified. Morbidly, the body of Brenda Woodard had been disposed off of another busy road, near a bus-stop that Brenda's mother used almost every single day. This was beyond the date of the known killer's crime spree, and was ruled out as a possible connection due to a lack of evidence, but remains a real possibility. He ultimately let the victim go without harming her any further, and the incident was reported to police. The first victim was 13-year-old Carol Denise Spinks, whose body was found May 1, 1971. She, however, had been 18 years old, and likely much more aware of what was happening to her. Their resignation came following an incident after their guns went missing after Tommie, 26, claimed they were burglarized from his Temple Hills home in Maryland. However, in the half-mile distance between the 7-Eleven convenience store and her family's apartment, Carol Spinks disappeared. Jim Henson's Muppets made 25 appearances on The Ed Sullivan Show between 1966 and 1971. [21] Barnes, 14, was at one point thought to be a victim of the serial killings. 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. In the most unusual development in the case thus far, investigators discovered what seemed to be a taunt from the culprit - which was found at the scene. 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. Mr .. Tommie Simmons in Connecticut 34 people named Tommie Simmons found in Hartford, New York-Northern New Jersey-Long Island and 2 . FRee-wAy PhanTom. Bertha recalls her sister crying on the other end of the phone, and sounding somewhat distracted. They said they had arrest warrants for another 26 people. 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. A search warrant was eventually obtained, and investigators dug through Askins' backyard. Upon his arrest, Askins declared to police that he was a "woman hater" and was placed under mental observation at Washington, D.C.'s Gallinger Hospital. 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. Because of this decomposition, authorities had to remove the victim's fingers for fingerprinting to determine her identity. 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. Why don't they investigate whites as well?". [21][2] With current evidence and any information of the case from when it happened, no leads produced sufficient evidence for prosecution. wheN you cAtch me iF you cAn! [13], The Freeway Phantom case has seen a myriad of investigators and garnered much interest over the years. 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? [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. "She had the shape and the beauty to be that. It was only know that the nickname "the Freeway Phantom" was given to the unknown killer, who had eluded investigators through the summer and now, into the fall. The Phantom after abducting his victims is assumed to have taken them to abandoned houses where he proceeded to rape the victims multiple times before killing 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. ", "I remember the night that she didn't come home," Williams said, "how hard it was for me to go to sleep.". This boogeyman would become known as the D.C. region's "first profiled serial killer," and their crimes continue to haunt investigators and loved ones close to half-a-century later The Phantom also strangled her with a scarf. Following this casual dinner, they each began heading home. The following day - September 6th, 1972 - the body of Diane Williams was discovered by a trucker along Interstate 295. 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. Brenda got off to catch a transfer, and said goodbye to her classmate. 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 case files had been lost by DC police in the years since, and were nowhere to be found. 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. With the temperature rising, on July 19th, 1971, one of the original callers that had found the body decided to return to the scene, to see if the matter had been dealt with. Edward Sullivan et Tommie Simmons Freeway Phantom taient-ils ? Name Like the other murder victims, Neno had been strangled to death. Brenda Denise Woodard was an 18-year old, that lived with her family in Baltimore, Maryland, along Maryland Avenue. [1][2], On the evening of April 25, 1971, 13-year-old Spinks from Southeast was sent by (Carlo) an older sister to buy groceries at a 7-Eleven located a half-mile away from her home, just across the border in Maryland. You see, not only was he a current employee of St. Elizabeth's Hospital - a psychiatric facility that focused on mental health. This was a vote on "cloture" in the Senate, which means to end debate so that an up-or-down vote can be taken. Her work wasn't too far away - located in Oxon Hill, a neighboring district of Congress Heights - which sat in unincorporated PG (Prince George's) County. No physical evidence was obtained and Askins was not charged in connection with the Freeway Phantom killings. A number of these grisly cases were heartbreaking, consuming much of Jenkins' time with tragedy. She was the region's first female homicide detective - a feat made all the more incredible when you factor in Jenkins' ethnicity. They were all African American females between the ages of 10 and 18 that lived along the Washington Beltway, who had been abducted while walking, and whose bodies had been dumped off of busy roads (such as interstates and freeways). In the fall of 1971, she began taking night classes at Cardozo High School, hoping to improve her working skills (such as typing). 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 girls' bodies were dumped near or along freeways in the District and Prince George's County, more than two decades ago. It was around 9:20 PM that this call came in, approximately two or so hours after Brenda had left for the store. They had cataloged the evidence, and kept it all in-storage. 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). Well, I'm him.". The Freeway Phantom has been described as a loner motivated by rage that was focused on overall society. 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. best used midsize suv under $20 000; lia thomas swimmer ranking before and after. Near the access ramp to Route 202, from the Baltimore-Washington Parkway, Officer Norman would discover the body of Brenda Woodard. As of this episode's recording, the storeis of Carol Spinks, Darlenia Johnson, Brenda Crockett, Nenomoshia Yates, Brenda Woodard, and Diane Williams remain unresolved. In fact, Maryland police claimed there were no similarities between Angelas death and the murder of six other girls in D.C. Numerous investigative tips came from the general public by a telephone hotline operated by theMetropolitan Police Department of the District of Columbia(MPDC) and information also came by way of the mail. 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. This case is open as a cold case in the MPDC Homicide Division as of September 2018. That signature information was correct. Despite the bodies of Sheila and Katherine Lyon never being found, a man named Lloyd Welch confessed to their murders, bringing some resolution to the surviving loved ones. We know that this article of clothing was not tested for DNA by either the Maryland State Police or the FBI, but it was last in the possession of the Maryland State Police - who have not confirmed that they actually have the evidence. Shockingly, this person discovered that the body was still there - roughly a week after they had originally called it in to police. This was less than two miles away from Diane's home. Police investigators initially linked a total of seven slayings, including that of Barnes, to the same killer. In 1980, the Washington Post wrote an article about the case, which included statements from two of the victims' family members. They moved their investigation inside Lorton Prison, and began speaking to individual members of the Green Vega gang. Investigators and websleuths alike have wondered if Brenda Woodard might have been targeted by a separate killer, who tried to place the blame for her death at the burgeoning "Freeway Phantom" by having the victim write a note saying as much. The prior decade had seen some major pieces federal legislation - such as the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965 - and the racial divide was still fresh in everyone's mind. The Ed Sullivan Show: With Ed Sullivan, Johnny Wayne, Frank Shuster, Ralph Paul. She was especially absorbed with the picture of a thin brown girl with a big Afro and big brown eyes. The inmate being interviewed stipulated that he would provide the information only if he could remain unidentified, which was agreed upon. edward sullivan and tommie simmons; edward sullivan and tommie simmons. 1971-1972 However, that changed in 1974, when Sellman and Simmons were arrested for the crime, and charged with murder. This was also felt by Patricia Williams, the sister of Diane. Askins remains one of the most popular suspects in the media, and many of the original detectives heavily favored him as the Freeway Phantom. [7], On July 27, 1971, 10-year-old Crockett from Northwest failed to return home after having been sent to the store by her mother. Like the first four victims, Woodard had been strangled but it appeared that her end had been a much more violent one. Despite their differences in beliefs regarding this case, Trainum and Jenkins agree on a number of things regarding the Freeway Phantom. It was only now, following the murder of Nenomoshia Yates, that the deaths of these four young black girls was officially linked. View the profiles of people named Edward Sullivan. 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. Unknown. of Victims Investigators hypothesized that the killer left her shoes because her name was inscribed on the pair. Various conspiracy lovers later alleged that some of the sympathetic police officers had covered up the evidence; no proof of it was ever recovered. [5] Her stepfather asked her to have the man come to the phone. 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?". Gender There were also cuts to various parts of her body: in particular, her face, torso, and arms. This was the rhetoric that seemed to follow around the case in the early years of the investigation: that the police weren't doing enough to catch the killer. Like the first victim, Carol Spinks, experts were able to find small green fibers on the clothing, which hinted at some link between the two cases. He might have received some kind of psychiatric treatment to help deal with negative emotions, like depression and anger towards women. Speaking to the Post, Williams stated: "If it was a white girl, the police would have found the person. Allenteen spotted her defiant 13-year old daughter, and let her know that her punishment would be waiting for her at home. [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. She had been raped and strangled, and a scarf was knotted around her neck. January 26, 2023 by by Despite claiming he intended the cyanide for himself, planning suicide, he was convicted of second-degree murder and sentenced to twenty years to life. All the nation's press and media, when reporting upon the story, began referring to the killer as such. Free-way Phantom!" Regardless, both of these retired homicide detectives continue to stick to their guns. Reports on this seem to vary, with some sources claiming that the call came in three hours after she disappeared, but one record listed the specific time, 9:20, so I'm going to stick with that. 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. An aspiring model, she had just started her senior year at Ballou High School in Washington D.C. Investigators would theorize that the phone calls made to Brenda's family were facilitated by the kidnapper, who wanted to feed false information to the police. The Phantom also most likely lives in the Washington area, as he seems to have knowledge of the region, especially the local stores. While most of the family was out-and-about, looking for the missing 10-year old, trouble began brewing at home. Shortly after leaving the store, another kid from the neighborhood saw her walking back home, with a bag of groceries in her hands. meadowbrook country club estates; michael mullen obituary; pamela gluckin obituary new york; antonio tonyboy floirendo jr biography 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. 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. chicken of the woods ottawa; how tall was prophet idris; how much money did hercules in new york make Rhode Island State Police said Thursday that they arrested 62 people in a sweeping investigation into welfare fraud. Romaine Jenkins is a retired police officer, who - during her tenure in law enforcement - became a pioneer. Most unusually, her body appeared to have been washed prior to its abandonment alongside U.S. Route 50. Hairs of two unknown males were found on the clothing of Brenda Woodward, hairs whose origin is unknown. The Green Vega Gang members were individually interviewed by MPDC Homicide Detectives Fickling, Irving, and Richardson, atLorton Prisonin Virginia, where the gang members were serving sentences in conjunction with the successful prosecutions of those crimes in theSuperior Court of the District of Columbia. James Groom was later arrested for the incident, and charged with both kidnapping and sexual assault. It wasn't until 2001 that the case was officially re-opened, when Detective James Trainum took it on as a personal challenge. Pathology On May 16th, he took them to the areas where Brenda Woodard, a homicide victim, had allegedly been kidnapped, raped, and murdered. Court documents were found in a desk drawer in which a judge had used the word "tantamount," an uncommon word that had appeared in the note dictated by the killer of Brenda Woodward. This seems to hint at some connection between Reatha, her mother, and the abduction itself. It is unknown where this piece of evidence now stands. However, one of the victims was too decomposed for authorities to rule out it out, and another was found with semen on her clothing - raising the possibility that five had been the victim of sexual assault. and Montgomery Counties, the Maryland State Police, and the FBI itself. I will Admit the others [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. Criminal profiling was still in its infancy, but the FBI was eager to help solve this case, which they had labeled the work of a "repeat offender.". It wasn't even a case she investigated at the time, but watched unfold from afar. Union. Infuriated, this caller called their boss and let them know about the police inactivity. Five months after being released in April 1952, Askins strangled 42-year-old Laura Cook to death. THOMAS SIMMONS OBITUARY. In the middle of July 1971, an employee of the D.C. Department of Highways and Traffic began experiencing car troubles. [22] [23] Authorities later determined that Barnes was not a victim of the Freeway Phantom and resumed their investigation on the murders. Detective Romaine Jenkins would later theorize that the kidnapper was someone that knew Brenda's mother, who wanted to make sure that they had not been spotted with Brenda. [24] Barnes, 14, was at one point thought to be a victim of the serial killings. An autopsy of the victim's body showed that she had been sexually assaulted before her death; in a grisly detail, police also learned that she had been sodomized. Serial KillerSerial RapistAbductorPedophileEphebophile One of its pockets contained a note from the killer:[12], this is tAntAmount to my In December of 1938 - when Askins was a much younger man - he had poisoned a sex worker in Washington D.C with potassium cyanide. [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. "My family was separated and weakened by that loss," said Crockett, who will attend today's service. An examination of Brenda's clothing would find two different hair samples: one of which, authorities stated, belonged to a Caucasian man. The Freeway Phantom targeted female children and teens ranging from 12-17 years of age. Her body was found November 26, 1972, under a bridge in the 4000 block of Bladensburg Road NE. In return, they could pick up a soda for themselves. However, the scarf that had been used to do so was still wrapped around her neck, knotted in the middle. FREEWAY PHANTOM' VICTIMS Carol Denise Spinks May 1, 1971 Nenomoshia Yates October 1, 1971 Teara Ann Bryant November 26, 1972 Diane Williams September 6, 1972 Brenda Denise Woodard November 16, 1971 Darlenia Denise Johnson July 19, 1971 Brenda Fay Crockett July 28, 1971 CAPTION: Teara Ann Bryant CAPTION: Brenda Denise Woodard CAPTION: Carol Denise Spinks CAPTION: Nenomoshia Yates CAPTION: Diane Williams CAPTION: Brenda Fay Crockett CAPTION: Darlenia Denise Johnson. [20], Common practice at the time was that case files at MPDC Detective Divisions were retained by the detectives assigned to the case. They believe that the Freeway Phantom was a young black man in his 20's or 30's, and agree with the FBI profile. 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