Jury Convicts Man Accused in Green Vega Rapes, Talk Murder With Me - The Freeway Phantom Murders, Baltimore Afro American - Is he the Freeway Phantom (October 21st, 1972 issue), Indiana Evening Gazette - Washington, D.C. Police Seek Clues To Freeway Phantom (November 19th, 1971 issue), Santa Ana Register - 5-Man Gang Tied To Rapes, Killings (July 9th, 1975 issue), Two ex-cops from Washington held for Freeway Phantom murder of girl', Kimberly Riley & Jeremy Britt-Bayinthavong, Paul Skiba, Sarah Skiba, and Lorenzo Chivers, June & Jennifer Gibbons (The Silent Twins). Edward Sullivan and Tommie Simmons. and indicating she was alone in a house with a white male. 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. In the aftermath of this most recent discovery, police struggled to come to terms with the idea that Brenda Woodard had been killed by the same person that murdered Carol Sprinks, Darlenia Johnson, Brenda Crockett, and Nenomoshia Yates. 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. 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. As he later recalled: "I shined my flashlights into her eyes to see if there was life. In 1971, a town hall was arranged in Congress Heights by a local antipoverty agency. As the decades have gone on with no answers, the number of participants in this group have continued to dwindle. Two former police officers, Edward Sullivan and Tommie Simmons, were also questioned, but they were only suspected in the murder of Angela Denise Barnes, a victim not included in the Freeway Phantom series. The investigation into the Freeway Phantom has long been considered a "cold case." Angela Denise Barnes was a 14-year old that disappeared on July 12th, 1971, just days after Darlenia Johnson had gone missing. Signature Various conspiracy lovers later alleged that some of the sympathetic police officers had covered up the evidence; no proof of it was ever recovered. In her teenage years, as a result of her sister and best friend's tragic death, she ended up turning to drugs as an escape - a rabbit hole she would struggle to escape over several years of her life. . The victim, Ruth McDonald, had actually died as a result of the poisoning, and Askins was later convicted for her murder. 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. You see, not only was he a current employee of St. Elizabeth's Hospital - a psychiatric facility that focused on mental health. On April 25th, 1971 - a Sunday, which was described as being unusually warm for the springtime - Carol and her siblings were shut up inside their apartment, in Washington D.C.'s Congress Heights. As of this episode's recording, the storeis of Carol Spinks, Darlenia Johnson, Brenda Crockett, Nenomoshia Yates, Brenda Woodard, and Diane Williams remain unresolved. [16] She was last seen boarding a bus at 11:20 pm near his house. The other, which Detective Romaine Jenkins believes might be related, was the murder of Teara Ann Bryant, who was killed in November of 1972 - two months after the last known Freeway Phantom murder. These men drove around in a Green Chevy Vega, which they used to kidnap and rape young women. [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. While most of the family was out-and-about, looking for the missing 10-year old, trouble began brewing at home. Despite seeming to know specific details about the various murders, this inmate - Morris Warren - had alibis for the days of several crimes, so investigators began to surmise that he had gotten his information from elsewhere. Brenda Denise Woodard was an 18-year old, that lived with her family in Baltimore, Maryland, along Maryland Avenue. Name Eventually, the FBI would enter the fray once again in 1974. He denied any role in them, adding that he did not have "the depravity of mind required to commit any of the crimes."[28]. It had housed everyone from psychotic killers to returning Vietnam veterans suffering from undiagnosed PTSD. Currently Reading. She recalls her mother's devastating sobbing, and the gloom that fell upon the entire neighborhood. THOMAS SIMMONS OBITUARY. In April 1939, Askins was found criminally insane and committed to St. Elizabeths Hospital. In the early morning of November 16th, 1971 - just hours after Brenda Woodard was last seen by her classmate - Cheverly city police officer David Norman happened to be driving in the region near Prince George's County Hospital. 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 . In addition, he owned many photos of unknown girls and young women, and police even found a knife that had been used in another crime. 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. This, at least, provided investigators with some kind of a lead, but finding the driver of a blue Volkswagon - in 1971 - was like finding a needle in a haystack. She felt responsible for the brutal murder of her little sister, and in return, would often end up walking the same route that Carol had simply hoping to be approached by the same mysterious man that had taken her sister. In return, they could pick up a soda for themselves. 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. 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. [8] "A white man picked me up, and I'm heading home in a cab," Crockett told her sister, adding that she believed she was in Virginia before abruptly saying, "Bye" and hanging up. 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. especiAlly women. 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. 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. 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. 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. Investigators would later theorize that this note was written by Brenda herself; with the FBI later linking it to other writings from her. edward sullivan and tommie simmons. [5], The Phantom's final victim was claimed almost a year later, on September 5, 1972. They didn't want to let their lives be forever ruined because of the actions of one mad killer, and joined together to combat that. An examination of Brenda's clothing would find two different hair samples: one of which, authorities stated, belonged to a Caucasian man. Furthermore, colleagues at the National Science Foundation where Askins was employed reported that "tantamount" was a word that frequently cropped up in his speech. It was Crockett again, and she merely repeated what she'd said in the last telephone call, adding "Did my mother see me?" Right? To this day, many believe that police did not give the investigation the necessary resources or manpower. "And this is probably one of the most massive and extensive investigations that was ever conducted in D.C.". Detective John Rossi, when speaking to the media about the most recent murder and its possible connection to abductions from earlier that year, stated: " there is some reason to believe that there is some connection to some similar deaths. They had done the brunt of the early investigation, such as speaking to key witnesses and canvassing the neighborhoods of the abductions, but were unable to advance the case in any major way. A number of these grisly cases were heartbreaking, consuming much of Jenkins' time with tragedy. Her education policy was cashed in to bury her.". Vicksburg. It was discovered that the victim had been found in the same clothing that she had disappeared in - a red sweater, blue shorts, and brown socks - but most unusually, her shoes were missing. "It took maybe up to the fifth victim when they really got the message that there was a problem," Jenkins added. "I think what has happened is the community has forgotten, the police department has forgotten," Jenkins said. January 19, 2023 . Serial KillerSerial RapistAbductorPedophileEphebophile Ed Sullivan's show, which aired on CBS from 1948 to 1971, was straight out of old vaudeville, featuring brief acts of every description, from slapstick comedy to operatic arias. The Phantom also stabbed his fourth victim and left a taunting note in her coat pocket. In addition, Darlenia Johnson - just like Carol Spinks - had been found in the clothes she was wearing when she went missing, but was missing her shoes. 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. It's really infuriating, knowing that investigators might have come so close to solving at least one of the major mysteries in this case, but it got lost in a sea of bureaucracy and legalities. Prosecutors at the time said there was no evidence linking the pair to the other slayings. Sadly, Darlenia Johnson never made it to work that day. Like any kid would, she answered it only to hear her sister on the other end of the line. An aspiring model, she had just started her senior year at Ballou High School in Washington D.C. In fact, Maryland police claimed there were no similarities between Angelas death and the murder of six other girls in D.C. Carol was allowed to continue her small grocery run on this Sunday evening. Bertha recalls Brenda stating: "A white man picked me up, and I'm heading home in a cab.". He may have begun with a series of attacks dubbed the "Green Vega Rapes" which occurred from 1968 to 1970. In the first murder attributed to this spree - that of Carol Spinks - it was discovered that she had been held captive for some time before her death. [5] Her stepfather asked her to have the man come to the phone. Regardless, both of these retired homicide detectives continue to stick to their guns. She had also been fully clothed, minus her shoes (which were missing). 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. Females Vanished in the 70s, The Washington Post - Killings Unsolved 25 Years Later, Ivan Reports - DNA test in Freeway Phantom cold case not confirmed, Washington City Paper - Why the Freeway Phantom Still Hasnt Been Caught, The Washington Post - D.C. She had been sent to buy sugar, flour, and paper plates, and all indications would point to her having done so. With the cooperating inmate no longer speaking, this lead quickly wilted. As it was with all of the other murdered girls, she simply did her best to stay in-the-loop, and watched the investigation unfold from afar. The most notable thing about the discovery was that the body was dressed except for the missing shoes. 6+ killed Following this casual dinner, they each began heading home. She was asking for some groceries - all of which could be picked up from a 7-Eleven convenience store just down the street. Both would eventually be convicted for the crime, and sentenced to lengthy stays in prison. All suspects are charged with state drug offenses and were cited and released with future dates to appear in the Criminal Division of Vermont Superior Courts across the state. His information seemed legitimate, albeit somewhat scattered, and investigators took his words seriously. 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. The Freeway Phantom case has seen a myriad of investigators and garnered much interest over the years. Early 1970's newspaper reports hint at a perceived hatred of those names by the killer, but police have not stated that this was a belief of theirs. Investigation revealed that the minor girl was sexually assaulted and strangled to death. 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. In addition to all of these violent details, it was also discovered during this autopsy that the victim, Carol, had likely been kept alive after her disappearance (which police were now ruling an abduction). She had been killed in 1971 - wedged in-between the 2nd and 3rd murders - but unlike the others, she had been murdered via gunshot. They would be called back later on, but by that time, the case had grown stagnant. In addition to the stab wounds, investigators considered it bizarre that the victim was found with her shoes. They may be living somewhere else, doing it again. 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. He tried to be more forceful on the phone than Bertha had been, but received most of the same information from Brenda: that a white man had picked her up, and she was going to head home in a cab. In the fall of 1971, she began taking night classes at Cardozo High School, hoping to improve her working skills (such as typing). 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. Modus Operandi 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. "From that moment on, our lives were never the same," said Williams, 40, who is a police officer. Valerie, Carol's 24-year old sister that lived across the hall in the apartment building, asked the kids if any of them would walk down to a nearby store for her. 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. [21][2] With current evidence and any information of the case from when it happened, no leads produced sufficient evidence for prosecution. Logical investigation and intimate knowledge of the modus operandi of the Green Vega Gang brought them to the forefront. D.C. Phantom Murder", "Six black girls were brutally murdered in the early '70s. Edward Sullivan and Tommie Simmons Sullivan and Simmons, two ex-cops, were arrested for the murder of Angela Denise Barnes. edward sullivan and tommie simmonsmark anthony ontario. Investigators would continue to ponder this theory over the coming months, as they began to inquire into possible leads. She had been sexually assaulted and strangled, her body dumped about 200 yards south of the Suitland Parkway near Interstate 295. 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. "She had said she wanted to be a model," Harper, now 81, said of her niece. There were also cuts to various parts of her body: in particular, her face, torso, and arms. 7 The Alphabet Killer Photo Credit: calafellvalo / Flickr Like the case of Dr. Bryant, of Maryland, was the only victim not from the District. James Groom was later arrested for the incident, and charged with both kidnapping and sexual assault. Bertha Crockett, the younger sister of Brenda Crockett, had been the one to pick up the phone on the night she was abducted. 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. wheN you cAtch me iF you cAn! County's State's Attorney Arthur A. Marshall, who was running for reelection at the time. It's the story of six black girls, who were all abducted and brutally murdered over the span of a year-and-a-half. I will Admit the others Perhaps she knew her abductor, and wasn't too far away from her family's home at the time of the call. Both Ms. Johnson and Ms. Crockett were victims of the so-called Freeway Phantom homicides.". 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. These were odd correlations that likely had no importance, but were of interest to the media at the time. ", Following this development, it was announced that the FBI would be getting involved in the investigation. If the killer fit this profile, and was in his 20's or 30's, it is possible that he is still alive. However, following the murder of Brenda Woodard, the so-called "Freeway Phantom" would disappear for close to an entire year. edward sullivan and tommie simmons; edward sullivan and tommie simmons. 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