The serial killer dubbed the "Freeway Phantom" had strangled and stabbed five young black girls over the span of six months, before disappearing for the better part of a year. 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. Investigators hypothesized that the killer left her shoes because her name was inscribed on the pair. In another striking similarity to the other crimes, green fibers would be found on her clothing. 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. In 2013, an employee at the Maryland Chief Medical Examiner's officer spoke (under the veil of anonymity), and stated that trying to find out any information about the Freeway Phantom case: It is unknown if the DNA sample from Diane Williams' clothing still exists, and if it can be tested. It's not too late to say something. 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. ". especiAlly women. She was heading home from a friend's home late at-night, in the middle of the summer, and her body was discovered the following morning, out in Waldorf, Maryland. Despite being unable to determine the official cause-of-death, the coroner would later state that there was evidence of strangulation, which was loosely applied to the case of the murdered Darlenia Johnson. 43 Winn Street Burlington, MA 01803. Remember, the note from Brenda Woodard's coat pocket had read: "This is tantamount to insensititivity [sic] to people especially women. Brenda then told her younger sister that she was in Virginia, before the call came to an abrupt end. School was out for the summer, and she was occupying her time with her friends, her boyfriend, and her summer job: working as a counselor at a nearby rec center. Neno's stepmother had actually just given birth, so the girl's father ended up juggling his time between being at the hospital (to be with his wife and newborn baby) and being at home (to take care of Neno). Her body was found November 26, 1972, under a bridge in the 4000 block of Bladensburg Road NE. Allenteen spotted her defiant 13-year old daughter, and let her know that her punishment would be waiting for her at home. Like the first four victims, Woodard had been strangled but it appeared that her end had been a much more violent one. [21] Barnes, 14, was at one point thought to be a victim of the serial killings. 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. In the second case - Darlenia Johnson - her remains were too decomposed to tell how quickly she had been killed or disposed of. Quitman. 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. With current evidence and any information of the case from when it happened, no leads produced sufficient evidence for prosecution. Mr .. Tommie Simmons in Connecticut 34 people named Tommie Simmons found in Hartford, New York-Northern New Jersey-Long Island and 2 . He claimed at least one specific gang member in the murders, and began giving details of specific dates, times, and locations. They started a task force, which included more than 100 detectives and federal agents and had involvement from the following law enforcement agencies: the MPDC Homicide Division and Sex Squads, detectives from Maryland's P.G. ", "(Wanted Poster) Up to $150,000 Reward 'Freeway Phantom' Murders", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Freeway_Phantom&oldid=1139343201, CS1 Chinese (Taiwan)-language sources (zh-tw), Wikipedia articles needing rewrite from February 2018, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 14 February 2023, at 17:04. Sadly, Darlenia Johnson never made it to work that day. Here was a lead, that was as promising as any thus far, which had now evaporated into nothing. January 26, 2023 by by Both would eventually be convicted for the crime, and sentenced to lengthy stays in prison. Edward Sullivan and Tommie Simmons. All but one are still considered victims of the "Freeway Phantom Murderer. 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. The Phantom also stabbed his fourth victim and left a taunting note in her coat pocket. 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. [23] Logical investigation and intimate knowledge of the modus operandi of the Green Vega Gang brought them to the forefront. There, she was sexually assaulted and beaten, before being freed by her kidnapper. 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. They believe that the Freeway Phantom was a young black man in his 20's or 30's, and agree with the FBI profile. Read More: Are Green Vega Rapists Freeway Phantom? The 50-year anniversary of the Freeway Phantom's crime spree continues to loom large over the D.C. region, and - despite the efforts of many hardworking investigators - the case is unlikely to be solved anytime soon. They both believe that the killer was a young black man, who was able to fit into the neighborhood he committed his abductions. After the 1978 rape charge, Askins' home was searched by police in connection with the Freeway Phantom murders. 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. Shockingly, this person discovered that the body was still there - roughly a week after they had originally called it in to police. A witness apparently saw her getting into a blue Volkswagen, and although investigated, the lead led nowhere.[5]. Read. 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. Note: The note left in Woodward's pocket claimed that the Phantom killed additional victims. Not only was Johnson's body found incredibly close to the area that Spinks had been recovered - their bodies had been found a grand total of fifteen feet apart from one another. The Ultimate Weapon: The Race to Develop the Atomic Bomb. Eventually, the FBI would enter the fray once again in 1974. On May 17th, he showed them the alleged locations dealing with Darlenia Johnson, although while showing them where her body was abandoned, he took them to the place where Brenda Crockett's body was found. She was sent to buy groceries at a 7-Eleven located a half-mile away from her home by her older sister, but she never returned. Prosecutors at the time said there was no evidence linking the pair to the other slayings. A number of these grisly cases were heartbreaking, consuming much of Jenkins' time with tragedy. They may be living somewhere else, doing it again. She was sent to buy groceries at a 7-Eleven located a half-mile away from her home by her older sister, but she never returned. Because the body of Diane Williams - the sixth and final victim - had been found near the D.C.-Maryland border, Maryland State Police had initially handled the investigation. Heavy footsteps were heard in the background and Crockett said "I'll see you" and hung up. That is the hope of the families of the other girls who were slain from 1971 to 1972 in a string of killings that stunned the city and sparked an unprecedented police homicide investigation. Nothing seemed to link him to the six victims, and a comparison of the green fibers that had been found on 5 of the 6 victims' clothing didn't match anything that Askins owned. He was also a former patient, that had been sent to the hospital in lieu of a prison. Investigators had created a timeline of events, which they forced themselves to adhere to. Like whoever had been carrying them had disappeared into thin air. Police believed that the culprit of this violent death had fed her in the interim few days. 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. Near the access ramp to Route 202, from the Baltimore-Washington Parkway, Officer Norman would discover the body of Brenda Woodard. Carol was allowed to continue her small grocery run on this Sunday evening. Most unusually, her body appeared to have been washed prior to its abandonment alongside U.S. Route 50. 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. 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. However, in all of these cases, one kept Romaine Jenkins up at night. However, later that night, an employee of Safeway would state that they found those same items outside of the store, scattered along the street. The "Freeway Phantom" was a nickname given by a regional tabloid, but the name seemed to stick. As you can imagine, she never made it home. Three of the victims had been sexually assaulted, including one that was sodomized. 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. 13-year-oldCarol Denise Spinks body was discovered by the authorities six days later from the day she was reported missing on April 25, 1971. [9] As with the other cases, her shoes were missing and unidentified green fibers would also be found on her clothing. The Phantom would abduct them, usually when they were on their way to or returning from work or an errand. Union. Since he wasn't incarcerated at the time, I'll refrain from using his name, but he spoke to police and - over the span of a lengthy interview - was able to positively identify three of the murder victims from a photo lineup. Twenty of those appearances were included on a DVD titled Muppets Magic from the Ed Sullivan Show in 2003. "Signature details," they called them - intimate details that would be known only by the responsible parties and investigators. 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. They were charged with Angelas murder and were held by Washington, D.C. police in Charles County jail in Maryland. [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. Which, as you can guess, has played a major role in the reporting of this story over the years. This inmate - Morris Warren - began feeding investigators information about the Freeway Phantom crimes, which he alleged were perpetrated by a member of the Green Vega's. Robert Askins would later be convicted on kidnapping and rape charges, stemming from two separate incidents - including the one that had put him on the investigators' radar. The Freeway Phantom has been described as a loner motivated by rage that was focused on overall society. 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?". Now, the victim was found just hours after going missing. The bail bond for the alleged perpetrators was set at $250,000. Tommy served on the USS INTREPID CVA-11 US Navy, four years MM3 She was the one of the few people to speak to Brenda after her abduction, and hear her crying on the other side. [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. Despite these numerous sightings of a body along the interstate, police seemed very hesitant to dedicate time to the matter. No physical evidence was obtained and Askins was not charged in connection with the Freeway Phantom killings. He denied any role in them, adding that he did not have "the depravity of mind required to commit any of the crimes."[28]. Sullivan and Simmons, two ex-cops, were arrested for the murder of Angela Denise Barnes. In 1974, two more names were entered into the suspect fray: Edward Sellman - sometimes referred to as Edward Sullivan in reporting of the case - and Tommie Simmons. I will admit the others when you catch me if you can! Dumping his victims next to the freeway . Upon this third - and final - submission, the custody of this evidence became a matter-of-debate. The Phantom also most likely lives in the Washington area, as he seems to have knowledge of the region, especially the local stores. However, despite there being no sign of sexual assault, police would find semen on Diane's clothing. A missing persons report was filed, and Darlenia Johnson's case was tentatively labeled an abduction. Occupation The other, they claimed, belonged to an African American man. 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 . 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. According to at least one person familiar with the family, this unknown caller even made the claim: In the days after the disappearance of Darlenia Johnson, it became apparent that police didn't seem very interested in the case. They didn't even get out of the car to look for the remains, before using their radio to call in "10-8" (aka "nothing to see here"). 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. Were Edward Sullivan and Tommie Simmons Freeway Phantom? edward sullivan and tommie simmons; edward sullivan and tommie simmons. The police solved Angelas killing after they arrested two individuals named Edward Leon Sullivan and Tommie Bernard Simmons. This is the story of Washington D.C.'s first known serial killer, the Freeway Phantom. An examination of Brenda's clothing would find two different hair samples: one of which, authorities stated, belonged to a Caucasian man. Another exception of the modus operandi was the body of 14-year-old Angela Denise Barnes; her bullet-riddled body was found on an abandoned Maryland road in 1971. [4] A reward of $150,000 remains open as well.[5]. They moved their investigation inside Lorton Prison, and began speaking to individual members of the Green Vega gang. 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. These family members banded together in 1973, to form the Freeway Phantom Organization - a grouping of loved ones, who wanted to support one another in the wake of this tragedy. You see, not only was he a current employee of St. Elizabeth's Hospital - a psychiatric facility that focused on mental health. ", Following this development, it was announced that the FBI would be getting involved in the investigation. At least, this is what the victim had claimed, and was reported in the Afro American at the time. Most unusually, three of the victims shared the middle name Denise. 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. Some had been sexually assaulted, and some of whom were found with very little evidence for investigators to chew over. rancho bernardo country club membership cost; About. It's even possible to imply that Brenda's last words in the phone call - the reflexive "I'll see you" comment - were indicative of her being close to home. Despite their differences in beliefs regarding this case, Trainum and Jenkins agree on a number of things regarding the Freeway Phantom. She, like the majority of people in Washington DC, also happens to be black. A short distance down the road, he was able to flag down a police officer, who reported the scene. He was indicted for this murder in 1954, accused of several other assaults of similar circumstance, and re-tried for the 1938 murder, it having been determined that he was indeed sane upon committing the act. Now, on the other side of town, another child found themselves walking along the side of the road as evening approached. The most intriguing testimony they could obtain was that of a neighbor, who saw Neno Yates getting into a blue Volkswagon. During this period, an election was being held in Maryland, and one of the candidates publicly announced to the press that a break had occurred in the Freeway Phantom investigation, and provided that an inmate at Lorton Prison had given the information. That ended up being 13 years later, in 1952, when he was re-indicted and convicted of the murder charges. One of the cases often pointed to as an example of this very behavior is the disappearance of Sheila and Katherine Lyon - two sisters that disappeared from the Washington D.C./Maryland region in 1975. Where Are They Now. Police would eventually rule her out entirely, when they solved the case and arrested two ex-police officers for the crime - who were both later convicted. However, with her body being found not too far away, just eight hours after her abduction, we can reasonably surmise that wasn't the case. During these interviews, one gang member initially implicated another gang member, who he said told him he was involved and gave information as to one of the beltway homicides. This was just a stone's throw away from the first two abduction scenes - those of Carol Spinks and Darlenia Johnson - from more than a year beforehand. You have a whole generation of family members who would like to see someone brought to justice.". The police later recovered one of the .38 caliber pistols reported stolen by the two police officers. She had been sexually assaulted and strangled, her body dumped about 200 yards south of the Suitland Parkway near Interstate 295. During these interviews, one gang member initially implicated another gang member, who he said told him he was involved and gave information as to one of the beltway homicides. 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. 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 body was recovered, and was eventually identified as Darlenia Denise Johnson - a missing 16-year old that had disappeared from the neighborhood earlier that month. She remained permanently scarred after the death of her sister, and later became a Washington D.C. police officer as a result. All of this created a lot of animosity towards the local police department - the MPDC - who hired almost exclusively white officers. They were giving the Freeway Phantom credit for six murders: those of Carol Spinks, Darlenia Johnson, Brenda Crockett, Nenomoshia Yates, Brenda Woodard, and now Diane Williams (in that order). Askins remains one of the most popular suspects in the media, and many of the original detectives heavily favored him as the Freeway Phantom. Carol obliged, and accepted the five dollars from her older sister. Investigation revealed that the minor girl was sexually assaulted and strangled to death. Now, she continues to ponder over the case, which still haunts her. and indicating she was alone in a house with a white male. 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. Former Washington police officers, Edward Sullivan and Tommie Simmons, were convicted of murdering Angela Denise Barnes, age 14. It is unknown where this piece of evidence now stands. He died in April of 2010, at the ripe old age of 91, outliving his 1938 murder victim by close to a century. 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 Brenda Denise Woodard was an 18-year old, that lived with her family in Baltimore, Maryland, along Maryland Avenue. 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. He also owns a car or truck, which he would drive the distances between the stores where the victims were abducted. The same coroner would state that she had been sexually assaulted before her death. Edward V. Sullivan Funeral Home. However, in the half-mile distance between the 7-Eleven convenience store and her family's apartment, Carol Spinks disappeared. Unfortunately, their questions regarding her fate would be answered less than a week later. Numerous investigative tips came from the general public by a telephone hotline operated by the Metropolitan Police Department of the District of Columbia (MPDC) and information also came by way of the mail. However, authorities would note that her feet seemed to be incredibly clean for someone that had been walking outside, become an odd footnote in the case-file. The cause, he said, was revenge: for him contracting a venereal disease from another sex worker earlier that year. Join Facebook to connect with Edward Sullivan and others you may know. They said they had arrest warrants for another 26 people. 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. Perhaps he was a Vietnam veteran suffering with some untreated PTSD, or perhaps he was someone with a vicious grudge against law enforcement. Support Center. The investigators agreed. Winona. The Freeway Phantom is an unidentified pedophilic and ephebophilic serial killer, rapist, and abductor active in Washington, D.C. from April 1971 through September 1972. His information seemed legitimate, albeit somewhat scattered, and investigators took his words seriously. He would probably be masked and not want to show his victims his face. By that point, investigators admitted that the Barnes case was not connected to the other six murders, and they did not believe that Sellman or Simmons had anything to do with the crime spree. 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. [21][2] With current evidence and any information of the case from when it happened, no leads produced sufficient evidence for prosecution. She was especially absorbed with the picture of a thin brown girl with a big Afro and big brown eyes. Crockett was on the other line, crying. 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). Unfortunately, they would be unable to link these to any particular victims. On May 16th, he took them to the areas where Brenda Woodard, a homicide victim, had allegedly been kidnapped, raped, and murdered. 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