Freeway Phantom

On April 25th, 1971, 13-year-old Carol Spinks mysteriously disappeared from her neighborhood in southeast Washington D.C. Six days later, her body was discovered off a nearby freeway. Investigators assumed this was a one-off murder. Little did they know, Carol was the first victim of D.C.'s first serial killer. 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In early July of 1971, multiple drivers reported seeing a dead body just off a freeway in D.C. Only weeks later was the cadaver recovered. Police eventually discovered it was the body of 16-year-old Darlenia Johnson, who had gone missing weeks earlier. The killer had struck again...

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On July 27th, 1971, 10-year-old Brenda Crockett did not return home from a trip to the grocery store. Hours later, Brenda called home to deliver a cryptic message. And then, the line went dead. Her body was discovered just hours later...

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On October 1st, 1971, a fourth victim was taken and later found dead: 12-year-old Nenomoshia Yates. Finally, news outlets begin to pick up the story of these murdered black girls. And the media gives the killer a name...

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In the early morning hours of November 16th, 1971, police discovered the body of 18-year-old Brenda Woodard. But this time, it's clear that the victim fought back against the killer. And in Brenda's coat pocket, police discover a handwritten note from the Phantom.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

After a hiatus of 10 months, police find the body of 17-year-old Diane Williams on September 6th, 1972. Diane would be the final confirmed victim of the Freeway Phantom. Sadly, police attention would be diverted away from the case by the Watergate Scandal. Plus, a suspect is revealed.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

More suspects come to light. And we learn about two other murdered girls who may have been unconfirmed victims of the Phantom: 18-year-old Teara Bryant and 14-year-old Angela Barnes.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Why was the Phantom never caught? Is it possible he's still alive, walking freely? We explore all evidence pointing to his identity. And we ask: what hope is left?

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We recruit a former FBI profiler to create a new profile of the Freeway Phantom. And we look at the systemic issues that led to the Phantom's success.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Freeway Phantom case is but one example of a wider epidemic of missing black girls in DC who don't get the attention they need. How can we fix this? And how can we finally bring the Phantom to justice?

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We explore an issue deeply connected to the missing persons cases we've disccused this season: domestic trafficking. Tina Frundt of Courtney's House in D.C. takes us through her story as a survivor, and how her nonprofit works to combat the effects of human trafficking. 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Henderson Long has worked on missing persons cases for over a decade. Long was also instrumental in the early stages of our Freeway Phantom investigation. We talk with him about his personal connection to the issue and his work to help families searching for answers in Washington D.C.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.