Highway of Lost Souls: The Unsolved Murders of the Freeway Phantom

Carole Spinks, Darlenia Johnson, Brenda Crockett, Nenomoshia Yates, Brenda Woodward, and Diane Williams, all aspirational teenagers with bright futures, were innocent and inculpable young Black girls of 1970’s Washington DC, in the United States of America. Their boundless compassion and limitless potentials were cut short by unexplainable, unsolved murders in the 18 months between April 1971 and September 1972, leaving all who knew them across the nation’s capital and District of Columbia area as a whole grasping for answers in a sea of evidence that drowned us all in doubt…

As a hope to provide more substantial reasoning built upon observable evidence and situational analysis, this is an examination of the Freeway Phantom murders and the confounding mystery along the numerous highways of Washington DC...

This is Cold Case Detective...

Freeway Phantom Case File Photographs:
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1nOX8EPILBPwLu5v1P50wNuaB_93UrAD0?usp=sharing

Additional Reading:

[Main Wiki]

[People Magazine Article]

[Washington Post Story]

[Washington Post Opinion]

[Murder Squad Podcast Episode]

[Reddit Thread]

[2nd Reddit Thread]

[Reddit Thread about Santa Rosa Killer Connection]

[WUSA Article]

[Unresolved Story with image of the note]

[Blog Post with Suspect (Robert Askins) Theory]

Researched and written by TJ Ruesch
Episode narrated by William Earl
Music by CO.AG

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Our episodes deal with serious and often distressing incidents. Listener discretion is advised.

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Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:00

Carol Spinks, Dar Linea Johnson, Brenda Crockett, nano Moshe Yates, Brenda Woodward, and Diane Williams, all aspirational teenagers with bright futures we're innocence. And in culpable young black women of 1970s, Washington DC in the United States of America. They're boundless compassion and limitless potentials were cut shorts by unexplainable unsolved murders in the 18 months between April, 1971 and September, 1972, leaving all who knew them across the nation's Capitol and district of Columbia area as a whole grasping for answers in a sea of evidence that drowned us all in doubt as a hope to provide more substantial reasoning built upon observable evidence and situational analysis. This is an examination of the freeway Phantom murders and the confounding mystery among the numerous highways of Washington DC. This is cold case detective The first soul lost was Carol Denise Spinx born as one in a pair of twins. She entered a family with eight siblings overall, as kids Carolyn, her sisters were cared for by their mother, Alan teen Spinks, a watchful protector over her children who always ensured. They behaved well and were kept safe at school. Carol was bright but shy keeping to herself while enjoying outdoor activities. At age 13, she excelled as a seventh grader at John Hayden Johnson junior high school. He had always looked forward to returning home where she loved spending time with her sisters playing jacks or jumping double Dutch rope or getting lost in her hula hoop routines. Carol was also incredibly kind and always looking to help her mother or her siblings. And sadly, it was nothing more than a simple errand to the grocery store that would spark the final moments to her unknown fate. The second loss soul was Darla Linnea, Denise Johnson, who grew up in the Congress Heights, residential neighborhood, which had sadly been affected by urban neglect in the years directly following the second world war nonetheless Delania was a determined young girl with a mindset focused on a positive future. She provided for her family despite her young age and balanced schoolwork with both recreation and paid work. At the age of 16, she obtained a job at the oxen run recreation center and newly built set of facilities on a 106 acre municipal park with activities for all people around the oxen Hill community. She served her fellow DC citizens with love and the diligence born of a kindred spirits. That is of course until July of 1971, when a routine trip to work ended in tragedy. The third lost soul was Brenda Fe. Crockett's born at the start of the 1960s and joined by a younger sister Bertha three years later, the sisters were raised by their fiercely independent mother Reetha and the little family enjoyed the company of their three dogs, Ringo, Rex and Romeo. Brenda was a sociable and energetic young girl talkative with peers at school and constantly making new friends. She was known for always extending a helpful hand and accepting those around her, regardless of what they looked like or how they acted. Brenda loved taking pictures and getting in front of the camera, never turning down an opportunity to smile for a photograph. Her spirits always shining through a portrait. She was also heavily active in attending church with her sister and mother spreading her infectious charm with the other members of their congregation in a heartbreaking twist. It was another simple errand, like the 1% on Carol Spinks that ended Brenda's flourishing young life. When she went out to the store to buy food for the family, dogs and tragically never returned. The fourth loss soul was Nena Moesha Yates born in the DC metropolitan area in 1958. Her birth parents did not stick together and she lived much of her childhood with her blood father, despite uneven family circumstances. Nano was a well behaved girl who performed well in school and displayed unparalleled maturity for a preteen middle schooler. During the last few days of September, 1971, nano stepmother had a baby girl and she and Nana's father were living with a new born at the hospital. Excited about the prospect of being an older sister and caring for her growing family. Nano gladly accepted, more responsibilities around the Yates apartments, including grocery shopping. And once again, like Carol and Brenda, before her a simple errand, just a block away from her home resulted in cold blooded murder. The fifth lost soul was Brenda Denise Woodward, a beloved member of the Northeast Washington DC community. The neighborhoods on the Northeast side were full of relatives and close friends, all keeping an eye on one another and spending time outdoors in fellowship. Brenda fit right in a great communicator and gentle resident to everyone around her. Like many. She sought a bright future for herself as she made her way throughout our lessons involving herself more and more with academics. As she progressed through Spingarn high school, a famous DC public school in the autumn of 1971 at the beginning of Brenda's senior year, she enrolled in a night school at the nearby Cardozo high school in the Northwest neighborhoods to enhance her shorthand typing abilities. This was to better prepare herself for the professional world. Post-graduation a savvy and intelligent move on her part to create the best path forward yet in an unfortunate series of events. Brenda never got that far as one evening after her night classes, she too disappeared into the dark only to be found murdered six hours later, the sixth and final lost soul was Diane Denise Williams born on February 5th, 1955 to parents, mr. And mrs. Leon and Margaret Williams in the Southeast districts of Holly terrace, Diane much lengthy of a young women we've discussed was a leading example within her neighborhood and amongst her schoolmates, she was equal parts, adventurous and clever wielding uncanny intelligence, and always making the most out of life. Diane loved spending time with her family and younger sister, Patricia laughing and cooking together regularly when she was a junior at Ballou senior high school, she devoted even more time with a new boyfriend falling under the spell of a youthful romance and visiting him in the evening each week. That is until September of 1972, when she was murdered during an innocent trip back home from her boyfriends, the sixth seed of terror planted by a serial killer of the United States Capitol. Let's now turn to the full timeline of events that track the murders of the freeway. Phantom the freeway Phantoms first confirmed strike comes in the evening hours of April 25th, 1971, Carol Spinks, a 13 year old girl living in Wallace place in Southeast Washington, DC is sent to a seven 11 just across the Maryland border by her older sister, it's only half a mile away and should be a routine grocery pickup on her way to the store. Carol runs into her mother who was returning from visiting a family member in Brentwood, Maryland. She chastises her daughter for being outside so late and defying her stay at home orders. Nevertheless, mrs. Spinks allows Carol to finish her errands, but implores her to return before sundown. A few minutes later, Carol arrives at seven 11. She buys a few TV dinners soda, and Brett Carol rings out at the cash register and leaves to begin her journey home. At some point after leaving the store, Carol Spinks is abducted by an unknown assailant. She never returned home to Wallace place that night and her family begins to worry. An official missing persons report is filed before Dawn and the search goes underway. Six days later at 2:46 PM on may the first 1971, a group of children are playing in a grassy and bank payments behind the Saint Elizabeth hospital building along the North bound lanes of the interstate two 95 highway. When they discovered the body of a young black girl, they waved down a police officer who calls in a team of forensic specialists. After the autopsy is carried its analysts discover that Carol had bits of citrus fruits still in her stomach, theorizing. She was kept alive by her captor. For some time time after she was kidnapped. They also mentioned that her shoes are missing and find bits of green synthetic fibers on her clothing tests are run to determine their origin, but the lacking testing capabilities of the 1970s crime labs means they aren't able to find a solid answer. It is assumed. These are carpet fibers found in the killer premises. Warner then tells police that Carol was both physically and sexually assaulted her cause of death. Strangulation or authorities investigate the neighborhoods around Carol's last known location, but finds no new clues in the middle of that same summer on July 8th, 1971, 16 year old Linnea, Denise Johnson of Congress Heights leaves her home in the evening hours to venture to the oxen run recreation center, where she holds a summer job. She tells her mother she'll be spending the night for a sleep over program. The center is holding on her route. There she too is abducted by an unknown assailant and unidentified witness later recounts that they saw Delania in an old black car driven by an African American male figure of this claim. She was with her boyfriend at the time, but where they went is never clarified. The Johnson family files a missing persons report. The next day on July 9th, the initial search efforts bring no new information. However, three or four days later, an anonymous call of phones, police and tells them of another corpse resting along the interstate two nine, five highway near the location where Carol Spinks was found. This information is later revealed to be full of details. Only the killer could know, but at that moment, the Metro PD shrug off the tip and only pursue along the freeway claiming they couldn't find anything. Nevertheless, 11 days after Delania initially went missing, her body is discovered along interstate two 95, Amir 15 feet from where Carol Spinks his body was Darlene. His corpse is badly decomposed due to its long exposure to the elements. And the autopsy is unable to determine if she was sexually assaulted. The coroner finds her cause of death to be once again, strangulation. And again, announces that her shoes are missing. Like Carol's later that month at around 8:00 PM on July 27th, 1971 Reetha Crockett sends her 10 year old daughter, Brenda Fay to a safe way, convenience store to buy bread and dog food. Thinking that she'll take a friend along with her as the neighborhood was having a community movie night, Brenda leaves alone, walking along the sidewalk, baffled with pink curlers in her hair around an hour passes and with no sign of it. Brenda, the neighborhood searches the area for any sign of the young girl. Uh, bounce. 20 minutes later, the Crocket household receives a call at 9:20 PM. Birth the Crockett's Brenda's seven year old sister answers to find Brenda on the other line through tears, Brenda tells Bertha that she was picked up by a white man and is somewhere in Virginia. She thinks, but the she's about to head home in a cab. She ends the conversation with an a bye and hands up the line a little later, the Crocketts receive another call from Brenda. This time Reetha Crockett's live in boyfriend answers the phone. Brenda tells him the same information. She told her sister that she was alone in a house with a white man. She also asked if her mother had seen her the night after she left wreath. His boyfriend asks Brender if he can speak to the supposed white man, but here's heavy footsteps approaching through the phone own followed by Brenda saying, I'll see you. Police are unable to uncover any clues throughout the night until a hitchhiker stumbles upon the body of another young black girl at five 58, I am on July 28th. He finds her along the U S route 50 highway Prince George's County near the Baltimore Washington Parkway. Police identify the body as Brenda Crockett shortly thereafter and bring her in for an autopsy. Again, they find she's been raped and strangled like the other girl, while picking off more green synthetic fibers on the clothing while Brenda had left barefoot and thus the shoes were never there to be missing. The coroner reports that the feet had been washed prior to being placed along the highway, a very disturbing and peculiar revelation in the case, a couple of months pass and on October 1st, 1971, the killer strikes again, 7:00 PM buddy evening, 12 year old Nana Moshe Yates walks home to the four 900 block Benning road Southeast from a different safe convenience store. After buying sugar, flour and paper plates along the way she is abducted and murdered, not even three hours passed by, but for a 16 year old boy discovers the stills warm body of nano Yates off the side of Pennsylvania Avenue in Prince George's County, Maryland. She's also who have been sexually assaulted before being strangled and the green synthetic fibers a presence on the clothing. Once again, a few days after[inaudible] the media theorizes, the recent rapes and murders of young African American women in the Washington DC area are all at the hands of a single killer, who they call freeway Phantom about a month and a half trickle by, without another incidents until the night of November 15th, 1971, 18 year old high school student, Brenda Denise Woodward eats dinner with her friend at Ben's chili bowl. After a long day of studying and attending night school writing courses, after they say goodbye, Brenda bores, a city bus at 11:30 PM, that will take her back home to Maryland Avenue. She gets off at each streets and this is the last confirmed sighting of Brenda early the next morning on November 16th, six hours after Brenda boarded, that bus and on-duty police officer discovers Brenda's body lying in a grassy area next to Prince George's County hospital near an access ramp to the route two Oh two highway, the cop would later say quotes. I shined my flashlight into her eyes to see if there was any life she didn't blink. She didn't do anything. Brenda had apparently been stopped before she was strangled, but the killer left her with shoes on her shirt, inside outs and a coat draped over her. While at the scene, police searched the coat pockets and discovery handwritten message on a torn piece of spiral notebook paper that says, quote, this is tantamount to my in sensitivity to people, especially women. I will admit the others when you catch me, if you can, it is full of spelling errors on strange grammar, but as signed off by the freeway, Phantom, the killer adopting the name. The media has given him after the coroner releases the reports on Brenda Woodward's autopsy it's revealed. She had been stabbed a few times before being strangled with defensive wounds on her hands, signaling that she tried to fight back. Despite the note, as a major piece of evidence, the investigation stores investigators spend the next 10 months walking in circles, attempting to find the freeway Phantom again, coming up empty handed. That is until September 5th, 1972 around evening time Ballou high school, senior Diane, Denise Williams cooks dinner for her family per their tradition at their Holly terrorists home in Southeast DC, a couple of hours pass and Diane visits her boyfriend, a few towns away when that time together wraps up, Diane walks out with him to the bus stop near his house. She boards the 11:20 PM shuttle and has never seen alive. Again, only a few hours later, an unidentified person discovers Diana's body South of the district of Columbia lines along interstates to nine five. An autopsy reveals a death by strangulation another set of missing shoes and a distinguishable amount of semen on her person. It is however thoughts belong to the boyfriend, but his mother denies him a chance to speak with police while the freeway Phantom never comes out of his hiding place. After September of 1972, the investigation into his identity, never ceases to leave the anxious minds of Washington DC residents. A task force is formed by multiple law enforcement agencies, including the FBI yet, despite all of their resources and manpower available to look into the thousands of tips that come in, or authorities never arrest a prime suspect or major person of interest more recently, almost 50 years after the fact, the case has hit a brick wall in that almost all of its case files have disappeared themselves, mostly destroyed according to local police. It is not being currently investigated by any of the original police departments around the district of Columbia or Merrylands States and the victim's families struggle to find widespread interest by the public in comparison with other high file murder mysteries, the horrifying disturbingly ironic part about the case of the freeway. Phantom murders is actually the lack of case files at all. As previously mentioned, the DC metropolitan police departments have claimed all of their documents associated with the investigation destroyed or lost for good, despite this however, one incredibly important clue left behind at one of the crime scenes is still available for inspection and discussion. That's being the handwritten notes left in the coat pocket of Brenda would-would. The note itself is quite an anomaly only if ever do investigators find clues left intentionally by perpetrators at the scene of a crime. Leaving a note seems quite shortsighted seeing as though handwriting can be professionally analyzed and it gives the authorities one more piece of forensics to use, to find their suspect. But this note in particular was thought out by the killer as a fresh reminder, it reads quotes tantamount to my insensitivity, to people cool, especially women. I will admit the others when you catch me, if you can, freeway Phantom. First thing that investigators looked into was naturally the handwriting. They immediately noticed it was written in a style normally associated with female penmanship, often looking at other samples. It was decided that the killer actually hadn't written the note himself, but rather made Brenda writing before she was killed. I think it was also quite neat, despite a few spelling errors, making police wonder if Brendan knew her killer and was able to write clearly and concisely because of this. The next thing pointed out by authorities was how intelligent the diction came across words like Tanta mounts and in sensitivity, aren't in the everyday lexicon of word choices and hint at the fact that the killer came from a potentially educated background. Thirdly, Laura forcement realized they were dealing with someone who followed the media regarding their own investigation and devoured the attention much like the Zodiac killer before him. He adopted the name freeway Phantom, the Monika used by media outlets and made sure his voice was heard by the general public, a tactic unseen in other murder cases. Sadly, the note did little other than give us a look into the psychology of the killer and a taste of his sick desires. Some sleuths, both amateur and unprofessional have taken deeper dives into the spelling errors and the phrasing to decipher it for possible clues or secret messages. For example, taking the capital letters and spelling them together to give the acronym a AA, N a F a F R a P T. Most people believe the erratic spelling, capitols and phrasing to be mere coincidence and unintentional as there is nothing out there in the world that fits the letter sequence. And to my eyes, at least it looks like nothing more than the rantings of a dangerous mind. However, I am no Codebreaker if there are any professional or amateur Codebreakers who are good with letter patterns and secret messages, check out the copy of the freeway, Phantom notes in our Google drive folder and see if you can identify something of interest. Let us now turn to the most prominent theories in the case of the freeway Phantom in the case of the freeway, Phantom serial killer, one of the first and most popular theory suggested was that he wasn't a serial killer at all, but rather a member or group of members of the notorious green Vega rapists. The GVR was a gang of multiple adult men who would drive around the Washington beltway through the district of Columbia and Maryland enticing young women into their green Chevy Vega and violently assaulting them in 1975. Police recognize the gangs. Modus operandi was very similar to the ammo of the freeway Phantom and so visited a slew of GVR members who were serving sentences in Lorton prison, Virginia. One of the members cooperated with investigators and told them that if he remained anonymous, he would spill the secrets of the other rapists. The cops agreed and the informant told them how former GVR members, Paul Fletcher, Paul Brooks and John Davis were involved in 500 to a thousand assaults over a four year period between 1969 to 1972. He also said that one of those men admitted to being involved with the freeway Phantom murders and new things. Only the killer would know the informant was able to give exact locations and clothing details of the victims as well. Suggesting he really did have valuable Intel. Unfortunately, a local Prince George County attorney accidentally leaked to the informant's name to the media. And he backed out of the investigation entirely refusing to ever talk to the police again, despite his latest silence, this testimony certainly sounds like it comes very close to identifying the freeway Phantom, but it wasn't as simple as it first appeared. It was later revealed to police that the details the informant had been feeding his interviewers were actually revealed in old newspaper articles about the killings are not unknown to the public. It was also learned that the informant was only giving up information in exchange for a lighter sentence, thus creating a conflict of interest and leaving far too much doubt in the minds of authorities. A case was never made against the three other men and the GVR was never seriously considered. Again. Another early suspect arrested in October of 1972 was a known child abductor and rapist. James groom groom was featured in a Baltimore Afro-American regional newspaper article on October 21st detailing his arrest after seducing a 17 year old black waitress from a nearby restaurant, he had found her at a bus stop at about 2:00 AM, tricked her into missing her shuttle and then offered to drive her home only to divert into a secluded part of town and sexually assault. Her groom did not kill her, but instead dropped her off at a different streets and fled the scene. The girl reported him to the police telling them that during their car ride groom looked at her and asked quotes, have you ever heard of the Baltimore Washington expressway

Speaker 2: 25:16

Phantom? Well I'm him.

Speaker 1: 25:19

So we must ask, could James groom actually have been the Phantom? It sounds intriguing, but is highly unlikely. First off James groom was white and both law enforcement and criminal analysts who have studied the case. Agree that the real killer is most likely an African American male. Their reasoning is that it would be unbelievably difficult for a white man to drive around in a black majority neighborhood in the early 1970s and managed to kidnap children without being spotted or noticed. It is akin to many of the theories in the Atlanta child murders case. Police also agree that the phone call made by Brenda Crockett in which she tells her family. She is with a white man, was a misdirection thought of by the killer using it as a red herring to fool investigators.

Speaker 2: 26:09

You must remember that

Speaker 1: 26:10

All the eye witnesses saw Dar Linea Johnson get into a car driven by an African American male and the actual freeway Phantom reported by the Baltimore Afro-American newspaper listed him as a five foot seven black man. James groom also exhibited other in consistencies. First off, he only assaulted his victim before letting her go alive. Whereas the freeway Phantom strangled all of his to death groom. Also miss identified himself as the Baltimore Washington expressway Phantom, even though by this point in time, the killer had identified and accepted the name freeway Phantom as his Monica. It should be noted. However that after groom was arrested, the freeway Phantoms activity also halted, but overall, the other anomalies loom too large for him to be seriously considered. Another theory revolved around two ex cops, Edward Sullivan, and Tommy Simmons who were convicted of murdering Angela Denise Barnes, a 14 year old black girl from the Washington DC area. The murder had happened between the freeway Phantom second and third killings and Angela fit the description of the other victims. However, she had been killed via gunshot wound and the crime was soon debunked from being one of the Phantoms. Despite this, there are still many who wonder if there was police involvement with the case, besides the rampant ignorance and investigative malpractice shown by law enforcement. There are those who wonder if the evidence was slowly misplaced and destroyed by guilty cops who wanted to erase proof that had ever existed. These theorists point to the fact that the fifth victim Brenda Woodward was found by a police officer and this just so happens to be the body holding the freeway Phantom note. However, it should be noted that coincidence does not indicate guilt. And just because the police in this instance are undoubtedly guilty of negligence in the case, it doesn't mean they were physically complicit in the murders. Other theories regarding the freeway, Phantoms identity, belonging to other well known serial killers have been discussed around the internet. Two, the two most frequently mentioned high profile cases are those of the Zodiac killer and the center Rosa killer because they're known timelines fit in with the killings in Washington DC. The Zodiac killer is considered because he was also one of the very few murderers to relish the media attention on a grand scale. The note that was left with Brenda also mirrored, the Zodiac's own letters are narcissistic tendencies as did the use of telephone calls to spook his victims. In addition, sleuths, like to point to the time a supposedly Zodiac letter mentioned the Zodiac killer thoughts about moving from the Bay area to quotes work in the government. If true, he may have departed Northern California to Washington DC, but never let up from his murderous tendencies. After all his touted body count was much higher than the deaths attributed to his crime spree. Most agree. However, these connections are likely stretches of the imagination. The Zodiac killer is confirmed to be a Caucasian male. Unlike the suspected freeway Phantom figure, the Zodiac's emo was also different in that he only killed white adults and use weaponry such as firearms and knives, a similar campaign to link the Santa Rosa hitchhiker murderer or the SRK is equally discussed. Again, their timeline of killings could also fit in with the six murders associated with the Phantom. The girls in the SRK case were also assaulted and strangles. However, one of them died of poisoning and witnesses in the investigation profile, the SRK as a white male to like the Zodiac it's unreasonable to assume either of these killers would both know the Northern California territory and urban sprawl of Washington DC neighborhoods well enough to become invisible in both situations. Also neither of them ever targeted young African American girls and an abrupt change in victim demographics is abnormal in serial murder cases, certainly from a surface level vantage point to that are curious connections or vague overlaps. That could mean something. But the reality is that could be said about almost all serial killer cases. Before we dive bulge our hypothesis for the freeway Phantoms unsolved serial murder, we want to make it known that our conclusions presented in cold case detective are purely logical speculation based on evidence circumstance and factual subtext. We are only privy to the same information presented in each video, and we do not attempt to promise certainty or an expert guarantee on the findings. We reach in close. We simply observe research and reports. In the case of the six women left slain along the highways in Washington, DC, we believe they were a victim of a true and unique serial killer. One never discussed the general public. We do not. I believe this was just a string of coincidental assaults or a few random victims of the green Vega gang, but rather the methodical slang of young black girls by a pathological murderer who it could have been is still anyone's guess. But we are fairly certain. The killer was local to the Washington DC Metro area, and more specifically a well known residence to the specific communities his victims were from while he may not have been an extrovert or friendly neighborhood socialites, he was able to blend into his surroundings, never appearing to be up to no good while staying invisible, amidst the streets. There is a high possibility. He even knew some of the victims prior to kidnapping them. Particularly when we consider the note written by Brenda Woodward and the phone call privileges he gave to Brenda Crockett. He also kept Carol Spinx alive longer than the other girls. A conclusion reached based on the citrus fruits found in her stomach during the autopsy, thus, he may have known Carol and was this able to entice her into his vehicle or home easier than the other victims, regardless of who he knew on a personal basis or not. He was hungry for attention and obsessed how the media and other onlookers viewed him embracing the freeway. Phantom nickname, lets us know. He wasn't just some average criminal or hapless lowlife. He planned with precision. He was determined to shine a spotlight on himself and he wanted to be remembered for the crimes he committed. It's probable the attention he received from the murders meant more to him than the acts of killing themselves as did the acts of cleaning the feet and bodies before placing them alongside the highway and keeping mementos of the girls who were never recovered from the scenes of the crimes. Remember these are key facts that might help someone recollect a memory or hone in on someone who fits these descriptions. Besides the shoes, the killer also kept textbooks, curlers and shoelaces that belonged to the young women. If anyone out there has any information related to these touchpoints, reach out to the proper authorities as soon as you are safe to do so for all we know the perpetrator could have been caught and arrested years ago for separate crimes and simply never admitted to the freeway Phantom slangs. It is notable that he only killed one more time after leaving the famous notes. And just because he said he would admit his true body count when he was caught, doesn't mean he followed through with it. It is impossible to know for sure if he was ever caught for an unrelated crime as the DNA evidence was seemingly destroyed. So his identity isn't in any database, we have only the metropolitan police department of the district of Columbia to thank for that one, without a doubt, the MPD C completely fumbled this investigation. Not only did they misplace vital DNA strands from one of the crime scenes, but they're slow and plodding investigative pace let so much valuable evidence dissolve before it was ever discovered to top it all off because of the loss of the case documents. In the past few years, the MPD C has stated that they are no longer even investigating the freeway Phantom murders as an active case, citing a lack of leads. This is disturbing not only because there is no statute of limitations on murder investigations, but because there are six victims, families who are still waiting for answers left alone in the dark while other equally as horrific serial killer crimes are constantly evaluated and investigated with modern technology and special units. It is infuriating negligence to the highest degree. And unfortunately, just one more example of how black women are forgotten about in unsolved cold cases when compared to other high profile mysteries. So we will do our parts to fight for the justice that Carol Spinks, Dar Linea Johnson, Brenda Crockett's Nanna, Moshe Yates, Brenda Woodwards, and Diane Williams, all righteously deserve. They were all only making their first in the grand totality of life and had so much potential before them. They were leading examples to their fellow peers, constantly displaying undying compassion, and never afraid to lift their family and friends on their shoulders. They were all courageously seeking a bright future and were on their way to changing their communities, their cities, and their worlds for the better they had hopes and dreams and wishes like URI with skills and talents and abilities that were going to help them reach such aspirations. They will not be remembered merely as the six victims of the freeway Phantom for it is not his legacy that matters. Instead they will be remembered as six young women who may have been ignored by some, but will not be forgotten by all honored by those who walked down. The highways of darkness, shining a light in the hope of one day, bringing them justice. This is cold case detective, thank you for listening to this episode of the cold case detective podcast, should you wish to delve deeper into the mystery? You can follow the case file link included in the show notes, which contains important photographs, documents, maps, and further reading relevance to the case. If you would like to support the show you can do so by leaving a five star rating wherever you listen, it really helps us expand our reach and bring awareness to the cases we cover. If you would like us to investigate a specific case, perhaps even one close to home or that of a loved one, please fill out the submission form in the show notes. Thank you for listening. And I'll see you in a fortnight with a new episode.