1 00:00:00,760 --> 00:00:03,680 Speaker 1: You're listening to the Freeway Fanom, a production of iHeartRadio, 2 00:00:03,840 --> 00:00:07,960 Speaker 1: Tenderfoot TV, and Black bar Mitzvah. The views and opinions 3 00:00:08,080 --> 00:00:11,520 Speaker 1: expressed in this podcast are solely those of the podcast 4 00:00:11,640 --> 00:00:15,080 Speaker 1: author or individuals participating in the podcast, and do not 5 00:00:15,120 --> 00:00:19,799 Speaker 1: represent those of iHeartMedia, Tenderfoot TV, Black bar Mitzvah, or 6 00:00:19,840 --> 00:00:24,040 Speaker 1: their employees. This podcast also contains subject matter that may 7 00:00:24,079 --> 00:00:27,640 Speaker 1: not be suitable for everyone. Listener discretion is advised. 8 00:00:32,960 --> 00:00:36,560 Speaker 2: Well, you never know what to expect, to expect the unexpected, 9 00:00:36,680 --> 00:00:39,560 Speaker 2: I guess. I mean, you never know what time you're 10 00:00:39,640 --> 00:00:42,800 Speaker 2: going to be called out for an assignment. It could 11 00:00:42,800 --> 00:00:44,400 Speaker 2: be during the day, it could be in the middle 12 00:00:44,400 --> 00:00:48,080 Speaker 2: of the night. Typically, if you're working day shift or 13 00:00:48,120 --> 00:00:50,720 Speaker 2: second shift, you would just go ahead and work whatever's 14 00:00:50,800 --> 00:00:53,840 Speaker 2: on your caseload. But I remember getting a call. It 15 00:00:54,040 --> 00:00:58,360 Speaker 2: was towards morning. It came over as what we call 16 00:00:58,480 --> 00:01:03,080 Speaker 2: the signal seven eighty one that was a death. It 17 00:01:03,160 --> 00:01:06,840 Speaker 2: was a warm morning and it was pretty dry. When 18 00:01:06,880 --> 00:01:09,679 Speaker 2: I got there, I guess there was a crowd starting 19 00:01:09,720 --> 00:01:13,160 Speaker 2: to come out arriving on a scene. I was directed 20 00:01:13,200 --> 00:01:16,319 Speaker 2: to where this child was laying on the side of 21 00:01:16,360 --> 00:01:20,840 Speaker 2: the road and just making more observations whatever I could 22 00:01:21,040 --> 00:01:24,640 Speaker 2: detect at the scene, which wasn't very much at the time. 23 00:01:25,240 --> 00:01:28,160 Speaker 2: It appeared that she was probably either dragged out of 24 00:01:28,200 --> 00:01:30,600 Speaker 2: the car or thrown out of the car, and I 25 00:01:30,720 --> 00:01:34,000 Speaker 2: just called our ID section and they responded and did 26 00:01:34,040 --> 00:01:38,160 Speaker 2: what they do typically taking pictures and if there's anything 27 00:01:38,160 --> 00:01:41,560 Speaker 2: else at this area. I mean, there was no fingerprints 28 00:01:41,600 --> 00:01:44,600 Speaker 2: to be taken or anything like that, look for tire tracks, 29 00:01:45,120 --> 00:01:48,200 Speaker 2: so there was really nothing to look for except the 30 00:01:48,280 --> 00:01:53,200 Speaker 2: deceased person. Everything happened so quick and just the type 31 00:01:53,200 --> 00:01:56,520 Speaker 2: of crime it was, in the place where it happened 32 00:01:56,560 --> 00:02:00,280 Speaker 2: and everything. I'm sure this happened at someplace house, but 33 00:02:00,440 --> 00:02:03,840 Speaker 2: she was merely dumped in that area another one hundred 34 00:02:03,840 --> 00:02:05,800 Speaker 2: feet it probably would have been in DC, and I 35 00:02:05,800 --> 00:02:12,519 Speaker 2: wouldn't add any involvement at all. 36 00:02:12,560 --> 00:02:16,919 Speaker 3: The homicide detectives termed the cases the little girl case. 37 00:02:17,200 --> 00:02:20,000 Speaker 2: This child was laying on the side of the road. 38 00:02:20,400 --> 00:02:23,680 Speaker 4: I wouldn't go no way, I would call up my house. 39 00:02:24,040 --> 00:02:27,680 Speaker 2: Those first five murderers should have been a huge warning 40 00:02:27,720 --> 00:02:28,640 Speaker 2: bell for the police. 41 00:02:29,000 --> 00:02:30,760 Speaker 5: We just want to know what happened. 42 00:02:30,960 --> 00:02:32,680 Speaker 6: This person must have saw that. 43 00:02:32,720 --> 00:02:35,000 Speaker 3: They were thinking that maybe it's just one person and 44 00:02:35,080 --> 00:02:37,760 Speaker 3: he says, they need to know this is me. 45 00:02:38,840 --> 00:02:41,600 Speaker 2: I thought that they would catch him. I thought it 46 00:02:41,639 --> 00:02:42,840 Speaker 2: was just a matter of time. 47 00:02:43,680 --> 00:02:51,960 Speaker 5: I'm Celeste Headley, and this is Freeway Phantom. The Freeway 48 00:02:52,000 --> 00:02:56,480 Speaker 5: Phantom had already claimed two victims, Carol Spinks and Derlinia Johnson. 49 00:02:57,160 --> 00:03:00,480 Speaker 5: Although Carolyn Darlinia's bodies were dumped fifteen feet from each 50 00:03:00,480 --> 00:03:04,040 Speaker 5: other and were killed the same way, law enforcements still 51 00:03:04,120 --> 00:03:07,919 Speaker 5: hadn't linked the two murders. They'd asked a potential suspect 52 00:03:08,040 --> 00:03:11,600 Speaker 5: in Darlinia's death if he knew Carol Spinks. He didn't, 53 00:03:12,120 --> 00:03:15,440 Speaker 5: so the two murders were still being treated as individual cases. 54 00:03:16,120 --> 00:03:19,640 Speaker 5: But on July twenty seventh, nineteen seventy one, eight days 55 00:03:19,680 --> 00:03:23,960 Speaker 5: after Darlinia's decomposed body was found, the Freeway Phantom's third 56 00:03:24,040 --> 00:03:25,440 Speaker 5: victim would be discovered. 57 00:03:26,520 --> 00:03:30,160 Speaker 2: I remember how she was clad. I remember how she 58 00:03:30,280 --> 00:03:35,200 Speaker 2: was dressed. I remember she had some pink rollers in 59 00:03:35,240 --> 00:03:38,320 Speaker 2: her hair, and she had just a little outfit on 60 00:03:38,400 --> 00:03:40,760 Speaker 2: a little top. But it was it seems to me 61 00:03:40,840 --> 00:03:44,640 Speaker 2: it was a matching outfit. There wasn't really that much 62 00:03:44,720 --> 00:03:48,120 Speaker 2: to see there far as she was concerned. I just 63 00:03:48,320 --> 00:03:52,560 Speaker 2: wrapped her hands in baggies and called for a corner 64 00:03:52,800 --> 00:03:55,520 Speaker 2: to go ahead and transport her or was an ambulance. 65 00:03:55,640 --> 00:03:57,520 Speaker 2: I should say this is. 66 00:03:57,520 --> 00:04:00,680 Speaker 5: A retired detective Hillary Zuklowski, who we heard from at 67 00:04:00,680 --> 00:04:02,880 Speaker 5: the top of this episode. He was one of the 68 00:04:02,920 --> 00:04:04,720 Speaker 5: first to arrive at the crime scene. 69 00:04:05,520 --> 00:04:08,320 Speaker 2: We weren't there very long because there really wasn't much 70 00:04:08,360 --> 00:04:12,880 Speaker 2: evidence together, maybe an hour. I don't think they shut 71 00:04:12,960 --> 00:04:16,120 Speaker 2: down the roads or anything like that because the manner 72 00:04:16,120 --> 00:04:17,720 Speaker 2: of the way she was dumped on the side of 73 00:04:17,760 --> 00:04:18,160 Speaker 2: the road. 74 00:04:19,080 --> 00:04:21,440 Speaker 5: Brenda Crockett was four and a half feet tall and 75 00:04:21,520 --> 00:04:24,760 Speaker 5: weighed only seventy five pounds. She was the youngest victim 76 00:04:24,839 --> 00:04:27,520 Speaker 5: of the Freeway Phantom, and like Carol Spinks and de 77 00:04:27,640 --> 00:04:33,120 Speaker 5: Linia Johnson, she was discovered right off a busy highway. 78 00:04:34,040 --> 00:04:37,919 Speaker 4: She was a child of God. She loved church. She 79 00:04:38,120 --> 00:04:41,359 Speaker 4: was going to refrigerate it eat raw bacon, but you know, 80 00:04:41,440 --> 00:04:46,479 Speaker 4: the pigs were better back then. She had a dimple 81 00:04:46,600 --> 00:04:49,800 Speaker 4: up here in her cheek. She loved bacon and she 82 00:04:49,960 --> 00:04:53,120 Speaker 4: loved the Lord at ten years old, but I do 83 00:04:53,200 --> 00:04:55,280 Speaker 4: remember that I looked up to her that as she 84 00:04:56,200 --> 00:05:03,040 Speaker 4: was cute. My name is Berta Crockett and I am 85 00:05:03,080 --> 00:05:08,760 Speaker 4: the youngest sibling of my family. Brenda was my oldest sister. 86 00:05:09,040 --> 00:05:12,560 Speaker 4: She was four years older. I have a twin brother 87 00:05:12,600 --> 00:05:15,320 Speaker 4: who is deceased now, and we had an older brother. 88 00:05:16,240 --> 00:05:19,839 Speaker 4: We lived on to ours place. It was a beautiful 89 00:05:19,880 --> 00:05:25,440 Speaker 4: community to be honest. As a child, we did everything. 90 00:05:25,560 --> 00:05:29,000 Speaker 4: We had the fire hydrants out in the summertime. We 91 00:05:29,040 --> 00:05:32,400 Speaker 4: had arts and craft. We had a lot going on. 92 00:05:32,520 --> 00:05:36,800 Speaker 4: Because one of the gentlemen that lived in the area, 93 00:05:37,040 --> 00:05:40,080 Speaker 4: he worked for the Department of Rets, so he bought 94 00:05:40,120 --> 00:05:42,520 Speaker 4: all of this activity to our street and we were 95 00:05:42,560 --> 00:05:43,920 Speaker 4: like like a one way street. 96 00:05:44,960 --> 00:05:47,840 Speaker 5: Brenda lived with her family in Northwest Washington, d C. 97 00:05:48,000 --> 00:05:50,919 Speaker 5: Which was a crosstown from the first two murders. Like 98 00:05:50,960 --> 00:05:54,200 Speaker 5: the neighborhoods where Carol Spinks and Delinia Johnson lived, it 99 00:05:54,279 --> 00:05:57,560 Speaker 5: was tight knit. I briefly visited her neighborhood and found 100 00:05:57,600 --> 00:06:02,039 Speaker 5: where Brenda's house used to be. So we're standing in 101 00:06:02,040 --> 00:06:05,840 Speaker 5: front of the house where Brenda Crockett lived. She would 102 00:06:05,839 --> 00:06:09,920 Speaker 5: have stepped down this step uh to leave her house 103 00:06:09,920 --> 00:06:14,800 Speaker 5: for the last time. We see again this quiet I 104 00:06:14,800 --> 00:06:19,359 Speaker 5: would call it a sweet residential street. And she walked 105 00:06:19,480 --> 00:06:21,680 Speaker 5: just a few blocks. The blocks it's five blocks, but 106 00:06:21,760 --> 00:06:24,279 Speaker 5: The blocks here are quite small. This is not a 107 00:06:24,320 --> 00:06:27,080 Speaker 5: New York block. And she walked just a short way 108 00:06:27,200 --> 00:06:29,839 Speaker 5: to the Safeway and bought what she needed to buy 109 00:06:29,880 --> 00:06:33,880 Speaker 5: and never came home again. How someone can snatch a 110 00:06:34,000 --> 00:06:36,240 Speaker 5: little girl off the street like that, I mean, this 111 00:06:36,279 --> 00:06:40,599 Speaker 5: is not like where Carol Spinks and Derlinia we're living. 112 00:06:40,920 --> 00:06:44,280 Speaker 5: We do not see aunties on the porch. But that 113 00:06:44,360 --> 00:06:47,240 Speaker 5: could also be because the the Gude neighborhood is obviously 114 00:06:47,279 --> 00:06:52,240 Speaker 5: flipped over. This is not a majority black neighborhood anymore. Still, 115 00:06:55,880 --> 00:06:59,880 Speaker 5: leading up to Brenda's murder, fear hadn't infiltrated this community. 116 00:07:00,480 --> 00:07:04,159 Speaker 5: It could be that Carolyn Delini's murders hadn't been connected, 117 00:07:04,360 --> 00:07:06,840 Speaker 5: or that they happened too far away for anyone here 118 00:07:06,880 --> 00:07:10,120 Speaker 5: to notice. Whatever the reason, people here had yet to 119 00:07:10,160 --> 00:07:13,560 Speaker 5: realize that there was a killer targeting young girls. If 120 00:07:13,600 --> 00:07:19,680 Speaker 5: they had, things might have gone differently. It was neighborhood 121 00:07:19,760 --> 00:07:22,640 Speaker 5: movie night on Main Street when Brenda headed to the store. 122 00:07:23,960 --> 00:07:26,640 Speaker 4: All the kids in the neighborhood could watch movies on 123 00:07:26,680 --> 00:07:29,960 Speaker 4: the screen. So in the summertime, you remember, it was 124 00:07:30,200 --> 00:07:35,160 Speaker 4: daylight until about nine o'clock PM. So my mom, my sister, 125 00:07:35,240 --> 00:07:39,560 Speaker 4: being older the store that she went to was literally 126 00:07:39,680 --> 00:07:42,640 Speaker 4: two blocks around the corner and two blocks down the street, 127 00:07:43,680 --> 00:07:45,680 Speaker 4: and because she didn't come back by the time it 128 00:07:45,720 --> 00:07:48,560 Speaker 4: was turning dark, my mom went looking for her because 129 00:07:48,600 --> 00:07:51,640 Speaker 4: we were getting ready to watch the movies on the 130 00:07:51,680 --> 00:07:52,240 Speaker 4: big screen. 131 00:07:53,560 --> 00:07:56,480 Speaker 5: Brenda wore a white and blue plaid halter top with 132 00:07:56,560 --> 00:08:00,000 Speaker 5: matching shorts and had pink rollers in her freshly pressed hair. 133 00:08:00,720 --> 00:08:03,920 Speaker 5: A witness said Brenda had been barefoot. She was headed 134 00:08:03,920 --> 00:08:06,960 Speaker 5: to buy food for Ringo, Rex and Romeo, the family's 135 00:08:07,000 --> 00:08:09,760 Speaker 5: three dogs, along with bread and typing paper. 136 00:08:11,040 --> 00:08:13,680 Speaker 4: When my sister didn't return from the grocery store, my 137 00:08:13,720 --> 00:08:17,040 Speaker 4: mom didn't realize that no one had went with her, 138 00:08:18,200 --> 00:08:21,720 Speaker 4: and so after she didn't come back, because it should 139 00:08:21,720 --> 00:08:25,080 Speaker 4: have been literally a half hour forty five minutes, my 140 00:08:25,160 --> 00:08:30,080 Speaker 4: mom went looking for her and she didn't find her. 141 00:08:30,400 --> 00:08:31,600 Speaker 4: My sister didn't return. 142 00:08:33,240 --> 00:08:36,720 Speaker 5: Here's what Reetha Crockett, Brenda's mother, told the police about 143 00:08:36,720 --> 00:08:40,240 Speaker 5: the night Brenda went missing, as read by a voice actor. 144 00:08:41,880 --> 00:08:43,880 Speaker 7: I sent my daughter to People's drug store to get 145 00:08:43,920 --> 00:08:47,360 Speaker 7: type in paper, also to the Safeway store located at 146 00:08:47,360 --> 00:08:50,360 Speaker 7: fourteenth and U Street's northwest to get some dog food. 147 00:08:51,080 --> 00:08:54,480 Speaker 7: This was about eight o'clock. After a while, she didn't return, 148 00:08:54,520 --> 00:08:56,560 Speaker 7: so I looked at the door for her. I thought 149 00:08:56,559 --> 00:08:58,120 Speaker 7: she went to the store with her brother and sister 150 00:08:58,160 --> 00:09:00,800 Speaker 7: and a friend, like she always does. I went outside 151 00:09:00,840 --> 00:09:03,120 Speaker 7: and it was starting to get dark. I found my 152 00:09:03,120 --> 00:09:05,400 Speaker 7: other two children, Benjamin and Bertha, and asked them if 153 00:09:05,400 --> 00:09:08,120 Speaker 7: they had seen Brendan, and they said no. All three 154 00:09:08,160 --> 00:09:10,520 Speaker 7: of us watched the corner of thirteenth in w streets 155 00:09:10,559 --> 00:09:13,200 Speaker 7: to look for I told Benjamin to return to the 156 00:09:13,200 --> 00:09:14,920 Speaker 7: house to lock the door, and when he didn't return, 157 00:09:14,960 --> 00:09:17,520 Speaker 7: I sent Bertha to get him. She came back and 158 00:09:17,559 --> 00:09:20,319 Speaker 7: said he was going to stay and watch the street movie. 159 00:09:20,760 --> 00:09:22,320 Speaker 7: She said he don't want to go. Mamma, Can I 160 00:09:22,320 --> 00:09:25,640 Speaker 7: stay too? So I said yes. I walked down the 161 00:09:25,679 --> 00:09:27,839 Speaker 7: safeway and it was closed and there were some boys 162 00:09:27,840 --> 00:09:30,680 Speaker 7: sitting outside, and went back home to see you she there, 163 00:09:30,679 --> 00:09:33,560 Speaker 7: but she wasn't. I then asked my neighbor, missed A. Bundy, 164 00:09:33,960 --> 00:09:36,320 Speaker 7: if he had seen her, and he said no. I 165 00:09:36,360 --> 00:09:38,440 Speaker 7: walked back to fourteenth Street, where I seen a police 166 00:09:38,440 --> 00:09:40,000 Speaker 7: car and asked him what to do when your daughter 167 00:09:40,080 --> 00:09:42,680 Speaker 7: goes missing. They told me to stand on the corner 168 00:09:43,200 --> 00:09:45,520 Speaker 7: that they were out at their area. And that they 169 00:09:45,559 --> 00:09:48,280 Speaker 7: would have another policeman come and take a missing person report. 170 00:09:49,000 --> 00:09:51,480 Speaker 7: I was stand there, I see mister Bundy walking out 171 00:09:51,520 --> 00:09:53,800 Speaker 7: Seventh Street, so I ran across the street, thinking she 172 00:09:53,840 --> 00:09:56,559 Speaker 7: had come home. Mister Buddy said she was not home, 173 00:09:57,160 --> 00:09:57,840 Speaker 7: but she called. 174 00:09:59,120 --> 00:10:02,240 Speaker 5: At around nine twenty that night, the phone at Brenda's 175 00:10:02,280 --> 00:10:04,440 Speaker 5: house rang, and Bertha answered. 176 00:10:06,240 --> 00:10:08,679 Speaker 8: I'm in Virginia in a white man's house. 177 00:10:09,760 --> 00:10:12,439 Speaker 9: The witness came a car and cured me. 178 00:10:12,760 --> 00:10:16,800 Speaker 8: To his house. My mother see me. 179 00:10:19,559 --> 00:10:22,080 Speaker 4: I'm seven years old. I remember it like it was yesterday. 180 00:10:22,760 --> 00:10:24,719 Speaker 4: So my sister was ten years old. She was old 181 00:10:24,840 --> 00:10:27,280 Speaker 4: enough and wise enough to remember our home number at 182 00:10:27,280 --> 00:10:30,920 Speaker 4: that time. She called home and she said that somebody 183 00:10:30,920 --> 00:10:33,400 Speaker 4: had picked her up and took her to Virginia. They 184 00:10:33,400 --> 00:10:36,320 Speaker 4: were going to send her home in a cab. And 185 00:10:36,920 --> 00:10:39,800 Speaker 4: I answered the phone the first time. I'm too young 186 00:10:39,880 --> 00:10:44,440 Speaker 4: to even understand what's really going on. So that call 187 00:10:44,600 --> 00:10:47,840 Speaker 4: went out, and then the next call came in. My 188 00:10:47,960 --> 00:10:51,120 Speaker 4: mom's fiance at the time, who became my mom's husband, 189 00:10:51,760 --> 00:10:53,960 Speaker 4: answered the next call and he said, well, Brenda, if 190 00:10:54,000 --> 00:10:55,600 Speaker 4: you tell me where you are, come and get you. 191 00:10:55,800 --> 00:10:58,240 Speaker 4: She says, I'm in Virginia. This man picked me up 192 00:10:58,600 --> 00:11:01,400 Speaker 4: and took me to He's going to put me in 193 00:11:01,440 --> 00:11:03,840 Speaker 4: a cab and send me home. She's ten years old. 194 00:11:04,600 --> 00:11:07,120 Speaker 4: At the same time, my mom went looking for her, 195 00:11:07,880 --> 00:11:12,600 Speaker 4: and she was asking my stepfather me or whoever at 196 00:11:12,600 --> 00:11:15,160 Speaker 4: that time did my mom see me? Which led us 197 00:11:15,200 --> 00:11:18,960 Speaker 4: to believe that whoever captured her had her in a 198 00:11:19,080 --> 00:11:24,079 Speaker 4: vehicle or some sort and saw my mom looking for her. 199 00:11:25,120 --> 00:11:27,440 Speaker 4: I thought it was that Mama is out looking for you. 200 00:11:27,520 --> 00:11:31,920 Speaker 4: Where are you? That's my thought, Dan, even now to 201 00:11:31,920 --> 00:11:35,920 Speaker 4: this day, I look at the scenario of where from 202 00:11:36,280 --> 00:11:40,640 Speaker 4: DC from where we grew up to Maryland to Virginia, 203 00:11:40,720 --> 00:11:44,800 Speaker 4: because like, we grew up at twelfth Street Northwest, and 204 00:11:44,840 --> 00:11:48,240 Speaker 4: then I work at twelfth Street Southwest and then right 205 00:11:48,280 --> 00:11:50,440 Speaker 4: around the corner, you just hit that bridge and you're 206 00:11:50,480 --> 00:11:54,880 Speaker 4: at Virginia. So I'm like, was she really familiar with 207 00:11:54,920 --> 00:11:57,120 Speaker 4: where she was going? Did she see a sign that 208 00:11:57,600 --> 00:11:59,560 Speaker 4: says she was going to Virginia? You know, It's like 209 00:11:59,600 --> 00:12:02,760 Speaker 4: all of the questions in my head. I got the 210 00:12:02,760 --> 00:12:05,440 Speaker 4: impression that she was a little frightened, that she was 211 00:12:05,520 --> 00:12:09,440 Speaker 4: like just thinking as whoever it was was gonna put 212 00:12:09,440 --> 00:12:11,560 Speaker 4: her in a cab and send her back home. She 213 00:12:11,679 --> 00:12:14,200 Speaker 4: said I'm in Virginia and he's gonna put me in 214 00:12:14,200 --> 00:12:15,720 Speaker 4: a cabin send me back home. 215 00:12:17,080 --> 00:12:20,280 Speaker 5: This was new. This was a complete change from the 216 00:12:20,280 --> 00:12:23,880 Speaker 5: Freeway Phantom's mo Although there had been reports of him 217 00:12:23,920 --> 00:12:26,520 Speaker 5: calling the families of the first two victims, this is 218 00:12:26,559 --> 00:12:30,640 Speaker 5: the only confirmed contact. What makes this even more strange 219 00:12:31,040 --> 00:12:35,480 Speaker 5: is that Brenda didn't call once, but twice. Theodore Caldwell 220 00:12:35,520 --> 00:12:38,800 Speaker 5: was raythist fiance. In his statement, Caldwell said he met 221 00:12:38,800 --> 00:12:42,040 Speaker 5: Bertha coming up the street. This was right after Brenda 222 00:12:42,040 --> 00:12:45,440 Speaker 5: had called the first time, so Caldwell was aware Brenda 223 00:12:45,480 --> 00:12:48,360 Speaker 5: had said a white man took her to Virginia. When 224 00:12:48,400 --> 00:12:52,120 Speaker 5: Brenda called again around nine forty five, Caldwell picked up 225 00:12:52,160 --> 00:12:55,640 Speaker 5: the receiver. This is a voice actor reading his statement. 226 00:12:56,800 --> 00:13:00,240 Speaker 10: Brenda said, mister Ted, I say, yes, Brenda, are you 227 00:13:00,320 --> 00:13:03,520 Speaker 10: at She said, I'm in Virginia and a white man's house. 228 00:13:04,200 --> 00:13:06,880 Speaker 10: I asked how she got over there. She said the 229 00:13:06,880 --> 00:13:08,640 Speaker 10: white man put her in the car and carried her 230 00:13:08,640 --> 00:13:11,439 Speaker 10: over to his house. I asked her, is there anyone 231 00:13:11,480 --> 00:13:14,960 Speaker 10: there besides you and the man? She said no. I 232 00:13:15,040 --> 00:13:17,280 Speaker 10: told her tell him to come to the phone and 233 00:13:17,320 --> 00:13:19,800 Speaker 10: tell me where you're at, and I'll come pick you up, 234 00:13:20,800 --> 00:13:24,480 Speaker 10: and she said, did my mother see me? I said no, 235 00:13:25,400 --> 00:13:28,480 Speaker 10: how could she see you when you're in Virginia asked 236 00:13:28,480 --> 00:13:31,440 Speaker 10: her again, tell the man to come to the phone. 237 00:13:31,600 --> 00:13:34,240 Speaker 10: I heard someone walk in Heaven. She said, really low, 238 00:13:34,960 --> 00:13:37,320 Speaker 10: I'll see you, and someone just cut the phone. 239 00:13:38,679 --> 00:13:41,520 Speaker 5: There's no definite reason why Brenda went to the store 240 00:13:41,520 --> 00:13:44,320 Speaker 5: alone that night. Eartha thinks it could be because it 241 00:13:44,360 --> 00:13:46,400 Speaker 5: was only two blocks from where they lived at the time, 242 00:13:46,760 --> 00:13:49,720 Speaker 5: and the fact it didn't get dark until nine pm. 243 00:13:50,440 --> 00:13:53,679 Speaker 5: But there was another person to see Brenda before she disappeared. 244 00:13:54,160 --> 00:13:57,559 Speaker 5: Here's how one investigator described their interview with a witness 245 00:13:57,600 --> 00:13:58,960 Speaker 5: named Paulette Johnson. 246 00:14:01,320 --> 00:14:04,000 Speaker 11: Missus Johnson was asked if she could recall the night 247 00:14:04,040 --> 00:14:07,760 Speaker 11: of July twenty eighth, nineteen seventy one, and the incident 248 00:14:07,880 --> 00:14:12,640 Speaker 11: involving Brenda Faye Crockett. Missus Johnson stated she was well 249 00:14:12,679 --> 00:14:15,320 Speaker 11: aware of that evening and the night, and that she 250 00:14:15,360 --> 00:14:18,920 Speaker 11: had become acquainted with the victim, Brenda Crockett, prior to 251 00:14:19,000 --> 00:14:23,040 Speaker 11: her abduction on that night. Missus Johnson stated that at 252 00:14:23,080 --> 00:14:26,400 Speaker 11: approximately eight forty five to nine pm on the night 253 00:14:26,400 --> 00:14:30,000 Speaker 11: of July twenty eighth, nineteen seventy one, She was walking 254 00:14:30,040 --> 00:14:33,960 Speaker 11: from the quarner of Fourteenth and U Street northwest, heading 255 00:14:34,080 --> 00:14:36,920 Speaker 11: south on the east side of fourteenth Street, near the 256 00:14:36,960 --> 00:14:41,440 Speaker 11: Safeway store. Just as she approached the Safeway store, Brenda 257 00:14:41,520 --> 00:14:45,360 Speaker 11: Crockett walked around beside her and passed just in front 258 00:14:45,400 --> 00:14:48,440 Speaker 11: of her, heading toward the door of the Safeway store. 259 00:14:49,200 --> 00:14:53,080 Speaker 11: Missus Johnson stated she knew Brenda Crockett by sight because 260 00:14:53,120 --> 00:14:56,240 Speaker 11: the Crockett Girl's father works for one of her boyfriends, 261 00:14:56,520 --> 00:14:59,120 Speaker 11: and she recalled that Brenda had been to her daughter's 262 00:14:59,160 --> 00:15:03,960 Speaker 11: birthday party a few days before this incident. Missus Johnson 263 00:15:04,080 --> 00:15:07,000 Speaker 11: stated that it was her opinion that Brenda Crockett could 264 00:15:07,040 --> 00:15:09,440 Speaker 11: not have been taken from in front of the Safeway 265 00:15:09,520 --> 00:15:14,400 Speaker 11: store by force without someone seeing and observing the incident. 266 00:15:15,320 --> 00:15:18,480 Speaker 11: She stated that as she turned the corner on Wallick Place, 267 00:15:18,720 --> 00:15:21,840 Speaker 11: she lost sight of the Crockett girl, and shortly thereafter 268 00:15:22,000 --> 00:15:24,880 Speaker 11: when she returned, she did not see her in front 269 00:15:24,920 --> 00:15:28,320 Speaker 11: of the store. She stated that the time elapsing after 270 00:15:28,440 --> 00:15:31,440 Speaker 11: she last saw the Crockett girl and when she returned 271 00:15:31,480 --> 00:15:35,560 Speaker 11: to in front of the Safeway store was approximately five minutes. 272 00:15:37,200 --> 00:15:40,680 Speaker 5: If missus Johnson's timing was accurate, this means Brenda was 273 00:15:40,760 --> 00:15:44,960 Speaker 5: kidnapped within a five minute window. This means missus Johnson 274 00:15:45,000 --> 00:15:47,880 Speaker 5: could possibly be the last person to see Brenda alive 275 00:15:48,360 --> 00:15:51,920 Speaker 5: other than the killer. Police questioned Raytha about the abduction. 276 00:15:53,000 --> 00:15:55,440 Speaker 4: Has your daughter ever told or advised you that men 277 00:15:55,480 --> 00:15:57,520 Speaker 4: were trying to entice her into a vehicle? 278 00:15:58,080 --> 00:15:58,160 Speaker 11: No? 279 00:15:58,880 --> 00:16:00,840 Speaker 8: Did she often go to the door alone? 280 00:16:01,120 --> 00:16:04,040 Speaker 7: Just the star around the corna, not the safety buzz self. 281 00:16:04,960 --> 00:16:06,280 Speaker 1: Is there anyone you suspect? 282 00:16:07,040 --> 00:16:07,240 Speaker 6: No? 283 00:16:08,080 --> 00:16:10,240 Speaker 10: Is there anything else you can add to the statement? 284 00:16:10,960 --> 00:16:11,040 Speaker 7: No? 285 00:16:34,040 --> 00:16:37,440 Speaker 5: As we heard before the break, Brenda called home not once, 286 00:16:37,760 --> 00:16:41,000 Speaker 5: but twice. Brenda had said that a white man abducted 287 00:16:41,000 --> 00:16:44,280 Speaker 5: her and that she was in Virginia. This information seemed 288 00:16:44,320 --> 00:16:47,160 Speaker 5: suspicious and it raised a lot of questions. Was the 289 00:16:47,240 --> 00:16:50,840 Speaker 5: killer feeding Brenda lies to tell her family and. 290 00:16:50,840 --> 00:16:55,280 Speaker 12: Why he was doing a lot of things to deliberately 291 00:16:55,400 --> 00:16:56,920 Speaker 12: mislead the authorities. 292 00:16:58,400 --> 00:17:00,800 Speaker 5: This is writer Blaine Pardo, who co wrote a book 293 00:17:00,840 --> 00:17:03,960 Speaker 5: about the Freeway Phantom. He says it didn't make sense 294 00:17:04,080 --> 00:17:06,280 Speaker 5: that a white man would have abducted Brenda as she 295 00:17:06,359 --> 00:17:09,200 Speaker 5: claimed over the phone. When we talked with members of 296 00:17:09,240 --> 00:17:12,400 Speaker 5: the local community, they agreed that a white man would 297 00:17:12,440 --> 00:17:15,240 Speaker 5: have stood out in the congress Heights neighborhood, since the 298 00:17:15,280 --> 00:17:17,639 Speaker 5: area has always been predominantly black. 299 00:17:18,760 --> 00:17:22,400 Speaker 12: Anything he had her say, you have to put under 300 00:17:22,400 --> 00:17:25,359 Speaker 12: a microscope and go Is he trying to throw the 301 00:17:25,440 --> 00:17:26,160 Speaker 12: trail off? 302 00:17:26,280 --> 00:17:27,080 Speaker 2: In this case? 303 00:17:27,720 --> 00:17:30,720 Speaker 12: I definitely think he was in terms of Virginia. I 304 00:17:30,760 --> 00:17:34,840 Speaker 12: don't know for sure on his race, though, very creepy 305 00:17:35,320 --> 00:17:38,919 Speaker 12: and if he was, imagine her knowing that she's lying 306 00:17:39,520 --> 00:17:42,840 Speaker 12: to her family about this. That had to ratchet up 307 00:17:42,880 --> 00:17:43,879 Speaker 12: her terror level. 308 00:17:44,640 --> 00:17:44,840 Speaker 5: Yeah. 309 00:17:45,040 --> 00:17:46,840 Speaker 12: It's one thing. If somebody's holding you and they said 310 00:17:46,880 --> 00:17:49,520 Speaker 12: you could tell him we're in Virginia and you're in Virginia, 311 00:17:49,680 --> 00:17:52,479 Speaker 12: you tell him I'm white because I'm white. But if 312 00:17:52,480 --> 00:17:55,560 Speaker 12: they're telling you things that you know aren't true, you 313 00:17:55,680 --> 00:18:00,000 Speaker 12: got to be more scared. That just ugh scares me 314 00:18:00,240 --> 00:18:01,080 Speaker 12: to think about that. 315 00:18:02,800 --> 00:18:05,199 Speaker 5: Having Brenda call home was a new mo for the 316 00:18:05,240 --> 00:18:08,480 Speaker 5: Freeway Phantom, and it showed that he was starting to escalate. 317 00:18:09,040 --> 00:18:11,560 Speaker 5: In fact, it was only eight hours or so after 318 00:18:11,600 --> 00:18:16,040 Speaker 5: that phone call that Brenda's body was discovered. In the 319 00:18:16,080 --> 00:18:19,120 Speaker 5: early morning hours of July twenty eighth, nineteen seventy one, 320 00:18:19,520 --> 00:18:22,439 Speaker 5: Donald Ray Carter began to head home from work. He 321 00:18:22,480 --> 00:18:25,639 Speaker 5: worked at the Safeway Bakery in Landover, Maryland, but lived 322 00:18:25,680 --> 00:18:29,160 Speaker 5: in Alexandria, Virginia. While he was trying to hitch a ride, 323 00:18:29,440 --> 00:18:32,919 Speaker 5: he spotted Brenda's body in Chevley, Maryland. Carter had the 324 00:18:32,960 --> 00:18:35,120 Speaker 5: cab that had stopped for him take him to Joy 325 00:18:35,160 --> 00:18:38,080 Speaker 5: Donut Shop to call law enforcement and let them know 326 00:18:38,119 --> 00:18:41,280 Speaker 5: about the body. After law officials were on the scene, 327 00:18:41,440 --> 00:18:44,400 Speaker 5: the medical examiner declared Brenda's time of death at six 328 00:18:44,520 --> 00:18:48,439 Speaker 5: fifty five am. Brenda was killed and disposed of in 329 00:18:48,560 --> 00:18:50,360 Speaker 5: less than eight hours. 330 00:18:51,280 --> 00:18:53,639 Speaker 12: It was really sad when we saw the pictures of her. 331 00:18:53,720 --> 00:18:57,280 Speaker 12: I was deeply moved because she's laid on her back 332 00:18:57,320 --> 00:19:01,680 Speaker 12: and her eyes are open, looking up and it's on 333 00:19:01,760 --> 00:19:04,640 Speaker 12: the curve of a cloverleaf exit. 334 00:19:05,840 --> 00:19:09,000 Speaker 5: Blaine tells us he spoke with Carter, you know. 335 00:19:09,119 --> 00:19:10,920 Speaker 12: He said it was the saddest thing because he said, 336 00:19:10,960 --> 00:19:13,000 Speaker 12: she's just laying there, and he said, I just thought 337 00:19:13,160 --> 00:19:17,080 Speaker 12: maybe she's asleep, maybe she's not feeling well, something along 338 00:19:17,119 --> 00:19:19,919 Speaker 12: those lines, And it turns out that's not the case. 339 00:19:23,440 --> 00:19:25,919 Speaker 12: What's interesting, too, is you see a trend with this. 340 00:19:26,400 --> 00:19:29,400 Speaker 12: Her shoes are missing and the killer has taken shoes 341 00:19:29,440 --> 00:19:33,840 Speaker 12: off several of the victims. That's usually a control mechanism. 342 00:19:34,000 --> 00:19:36,040 Speaker 12: You know, if you take someone's shoes, it's harder for 343 00:19:36,080 --> 00:19:39,919 Speaker 12: them to get away or flee or whatever, and he 344 00:19:40,000 --> 00:19:43,800 Speaker 12: may be keeping those things as souvenirs. Also missing from 345 00:19:43,840 --> 00:19:47,480 Speaker 12: her were some pink hair curlers that she had. We 346 00:19:47,600 --> 00:19:50,520 Speaker 12: know it was a fairly narrow window of time, so 347 00:19:50,760 --> 00:19:53,399 Speaker 12: narrow in fact, that it almost rules out when you 348 00:19:53,440 --> 00:19:56,280 Speaker 12: know the geography of dc DC being kind of wedged 349 00:19:56,359 --> 00:20:00,439 Speaker 12: between Virginia and Maryland, the time that her her body 350 00:20:00,520 --> 00:20:04,960 Speaker 12: is found versus the phone calls, etc. And when she disappeared, 351 00:20:05,000 --> 00:20:07,560 Speaker 12: it would have been very difficult for someone to go 352 00:20:08,160 --> 00:20:11,760 Speaker 12: anywhere but other than right across the border into Virginia. 353 00:20:12,000 --> 00:20:15,160 Speaker 12: If indeed the killer was there, the thinking that most 354 00:20:15,240 --> 00:20:18,240 Speaker 12: law enforcement have had is that he had fed her 355 00:20:18,280 --> 00:20:23,040 Speaker 12: that information to deliberately mislead the authorities. We just don't 356 00:20:23,119 --> 00:20:25,600 Speaker 12: know for sure, but you know, the concept of a 357 00:20:25,680 --> 00:20:29,040 Speaker 12: killer taking his victim back and then letting her call 358 00:20:29,119 --> 00:20:34,080 Speaker 12: home twice is very disturbing. It's just incredibly creepy. 359 00:20:35,440 --> 00:20:38,760 Speaker 5: The killer placed Brenda's body along the Prince George's County, 360 00:20:38,800 --> 00:20:42,440 Speaker 5: Maryland line. Here's how the police report describes the scene. 361 00:20:43,840 --> 00:20:47,159 Speaker 11: The body was viewed by this detective and it was 362 00:20:47,200 --> 00:20:50,200 Speaker 11: observed that she was clad in a blue and white halter, 363 00:20:50,960 --> 00:20:55,720 Speaker 11: matching shorts, white cotton underpats, and around her neck was 364 00:20:55,760 --> 00:21:00,439 Speaker 11: an orchid colored silk scarf knotted and a greenish colored 365 00:21:00,480 --> 00:21:04,520 Speaker 11: quarter inch cord attached to which was a silver house key. 366 00:21:05,359 --> 00:21:08,960 Speaker 11: The body was rigor and no visible trauma was present. 367 00:21:09,880 --> 00:21:14,120 Speaker 11: The deceased was laying approximately five feet six inches from 368 00:21:14,119 --> 00:21:18,160 Speaker 11: the curb side, flat on her back with her arms outstretched. 369 00:21:18,800 --> 00:21:21,959 Speaker 11: After the body was removed, it was noted that the 370 00:21:21,960 --> 00:21:27,000 Speaker 11: ground was extremely dry under the deceased, however, around the 371 00:21:27,040 --> 00:21:28,520 Speaker 11: body was wet. 372 00:21:29,560 --> 00:21:33,000 Speaker 5: The orchid scarf was new, Brenda hadn't been wearing it 373 00:21:33,040 --> 00:21:36,000 Speaker 5: when she left for Safeway, and this further added to 374 00:21:36,040 --> 00:21:40,000 Speaker 5: the theory that the Freeway phantom was redressing the girls. 375 00:21:40,720 --> 00:21:43,480 Speaker 5: Brenda's body was taken to the Morgue at Prince George's 376 00:21:43,480 --> 00:21:46,320 Speaker 5: County Hospital. This is her autopsy report. 377 00:21:47,840 --> 00:21:50,880 Speaker 13: Cause of death was ruled to be ligature and manual strangulation. 378 00:21:51,760 --> 00:21:54,600 Speaker 13: She had been vaginally raped and there were ring like 379 00:21:54,680 --> 00:21:58,880 Speaker 13: contusions around her nipples, suggesting they had been bitten. There 380 00:21:58,920 --> 00:22:01,280 Speaker 13: was a small contusion in the left temple region of 381 00:22:01,320 --> 00:22:04,639 Speaker 13: her scalp she was fully clothed, with the exception of 382 00:22:04,680 --> 00:22:08,440 Speaker 13: her shoes. It was noted no soil on her feet. 383 00:22:09,400 --> 00:22:12,159 Speaker 13: On her head were pink plastic hair curlers, several of 384 00:22:12,200 --> 00:22:15,879 Speaker 13: which were missing. A few small hairs of negroid origin 385 00:22:15,960 --> 00:22:18,200 Speaker 13: were found on the palm of her right hand, but 386 00:22:18,320 --> 00:22:22,200 Speaker 13: were too small for any sort of comparison. Synthetic black 387 00:22:22,240 --> 00:22:26,680 Speaker 13: textile fibers were recovered from her scarf. Green synthetic fibers 388 00:22:26,680 --> 00:22:30,840 Speaker 13: were also recovered from her blouse, shorts, and panties. Blood 389 00:22:30,880 --> 00:22:33,480 Speaker 13: mixed with semen was found in the crotch of her panties, 390 00:22:33,600 --> 00:22:35,400 Speaker 13: but could not be conclusively grouped. 391 00:22:40,200 --> 00:22:43,280 Speaker 5: Brenda's case is different from Carol and Darlinia's in two 392 00:22:43,720 --> 00:22:48,080 Speaker 5: major ways. One is the time period between capture and killing. 393 00:22:48,880 --> 00:22:51,360 Speaker 5: Carol was kept alive and even fed for about a week. 394 00:22:51,920 --> 00:22:55,080 Speaker 5: Authorities weren't able to determine an exact time of Darlinia's 395 00:22:55,119 --> 00:22:57,679 Speaker 5: death due to the decomposition of her body when she 396 00:22:57,760 --> 00:23:00,439 Speaker 5: was found. However, they did confirm that it was a 397 00:23:00,520 --> 00:23:04,520 Speaker 5: shorter interval than the previous murder. The second difference, as 398 00:23:04,560 --> 00:23:08,240 Speaker 5: we mentioned, are the phone calls, but outside of that, 399 00:23:08,800 --> 00:23:12,480 Speaker 5: the similarities remain. How the girls were killed, the killer's 400 00:23:12,520 --> 00:23:16,520 Speaker 5: dump sight and the washed feet. Although Brenda had been barefoot, 401 00:23:16,840 --> 00:23:20,880 Speaker 5: her feet had still been washed. But there's another detail 402 00:23:20,960 --> 00:23:25,320 Speaker 5: in Brenda Crockett's case that wasn't initially noticed. This is 403 00:23:25,400 --> 00:23:29,679 Speaker 5: Romaine Jenkins, the retired Metropolitan Police Department sergeant who investigated 404 00:23:29,720 --> 00:23:32,639 Speaker 5: the freeway phantom cases. We visited her at her home. 405 00:23:34,040 --> 00:23:35,280 Speaker 6: What do you think of her hair? 406 00:23:36,400 --> 00:23:38,840 Speaker 4: Her hair's been washed, thank you very much. 407 00:23:39,119 --> 00:23:42,520 Speaker 6: See, men didn't notice that. I noticed that and me 408 00:23:42,640 --> 00:23:44,720 Speaker 6: all said, oh, the hay has been washed in water 409 00:23:44,840 --> 00:23:49,760 Speaker 6: some way, So how tied up it is? And her 410 00:23:49,800 --> 00:23:52,879 Speaker 6: sister said their hair had just been done. They had 411 00:23:53,400 --> 00:23:56,239 Speaker 6: just been pressed and curled and put on rollers and 412 00:23:56,280 --> 00:24:00,400 Speaker 6: look at it. Now, she's been in water. Yeah, but 413 00:24:00,480 --> 00:24:03,160 Speaker 6: the guys didn't notice that. They did not. I knew 414 00:24:03,200 --> 00:24:04,359 Speaker 6: that when I saw that picture. 415 00:24:05,520 --> 00:24:08,320 Speaker 5: Here's what Bertha Crockett has to say about her sister's 416 00:24:08,359 --> 00:24:10,120 Speaker 5: hair being wet. 417 00:24:10,680 --> 00:24:13,760 Speaker 4: When they found her. I think her hair was wet 418 00:24:13,880 --> 00:24:16,560 Speaker 4: with the rollers in it. If that's the case, I 419 00:24:16,600 --> 00:24:20,720 Speaker 4: think he would have tried to remove evidence. If you're 420 00:24:20,720 --> 00:24:23,720 Speaker 4: gonna wash your victims, you're removed trying to remove evidence. 421 00:24:24,680 --> 00:24:27,560 Speaker 4: And you know, as black women, we don't do wet hair. 422 00:24:28,480 --> 00:24:32,480 Speaker 4: I can't even remember my hair back then, but I 423 00:24:32,560 --> 00:24:36,600 Speaker 4: have one picture of her at Easter and her hair 424 00:24:36,760 --> 00:24:40,080 Speaker 4: was cute, So I guess we would have had to 425 00:24:40,119 --> 00:24:44,280 Speaker 4: been pressing, pressing curl back then. In the seventies, it 426 00:24:44,400 --> 00:24:50,879 Speaker 4: met shampoo, blow dry, iron, curl on the stove and 427 00:24:51,040 --> 00:24:54,480 Speaker 4: press and roll up with rollers. None of this. 428 00:24:54,880 --> 00:24:55,080 Speaker 13: Uh. 429 00:24:56,000 --> 00:25:01,120 Speaker 4: I don't remember curling eyes. I don't remember h flat eyes. 430 00:25:01,160 --> 00:25:03,399 Speaker 4: I don't remember any of that. It's just you press 431 00:25:03,480 --> 00:25:06,439 Speaker 4: it with the straightening comb on the stove and you 432 00:25:06,640 --> 00:25:08,000 Speaker 4: rolled it up with some greeds. 433 00:25:12,119 --> 00:25:15,919 Speaker 5: Reports also showed the negroid headhairs in Brenda's right palm 434 00:25:16,240 --> 00:25:19,680 Speaker 5: were not hers, and for the third time now green 435 00:25:19,960 --> 00:25:25,320 Speaker 5: rayon fibers were found on the body. Here's Blaine Pardo again, So. 436 00:25:25,200 --> 00:25:29,200 Speaker 12: We now know for sure she's linked to Carol Spakes. 437 00:25:29,840 --> 00:25:33,800 Speaker 12: So at that point law enforceman knows they've got somebody 438 00:25:33,880 --> 00:25:37,399 Speaker 12: who's doing this. And more importantly, those fibers are showing 439 00:25:37,480 --> 00:25:40,960 Speaker 12: up under their clothing. If you think about it from 440 00:25:41,680 --> 00:25:45,639 Speaker 12: a perspective of what's happening, if you get your victim 441 00:25:45,720 --> 00:25:49,000 Speaker 12: to disrobe because you're going to sexually assault them, or 442 00:25:49,080 --> 00:25:53,879 Speaker 12: you disrobe them if you're putting their clothes on the 443 00:25:54,040 --> 00:25:58,080 Speaker 12: source of those fibers, You're still kind of laying clothes on. 444 00:25:58,600 --> 00:26:02,159 Speaker 12: Let's say it was a reading blanket out of bed. 445 00:26:02,480 --> 00:26:05,520 Speaker 12: When you're throwing the clothes on there, the fibers are 446 00:26:05,520 --> 00:26:07,880 Speaker 12: still going to be on the outside of the clothing. 447 00:26:08,840 --> 00:26:13,240 Speaker 12: These things are showing up inside. And you know, it's 448 00:26:13,280 --> 00:26:17,320 Speaker 12: a real scary concept of what's happening here as to 449 00:26:17,640 --> 00:26:20,359 Speaker 12: how they're picking these fibers up and from. 450 00:26:20,200 --> 00:26:24,680 Speaker 5: What The Maryland Police Department issued an award for any 451 00:26:24,720 --> 00:26:27,720 Speaker 5: information on the case. And while the police were searching 452 00:26:27,720 --> 00:26:31,200 Speaker 5: for the killer, birth as send. The community changed. 453 00:26:33,520 --> 00:26:41,560 Speaker 4: After that. The community became really strict. Like I was 454 00:26:41,600 --> 00:26:44,440 Speaker 4: in a short block. I mean I'm talking like maybe 455 00:26:44,480 --> 00:26:48,639 Speaker 4: a quarter mile, not even that. When the lights came on, 456 00:26:48,720 --> 00:26:51,320 Speaker 4: you better be in front of your home to go 457 00:26:51,359 --> 00:26:55,600 Speaker 4: in the house. In our neighborhood, the community raised us. 458 00:26:55,880 --> 00:26:59,520 Speaker 4: So if you did anything wrong, the neighbors told your 459 00:26:59,560 --> 00:27:04,760 Speaker 4: parents be for they even got home. So everything. Everybody 460 00:27:04,880 --> 00:27:07,760 Speaker 4: was watching out for everybody. It was so strict, and 461 00:27:07,800 --> 00:27:11,000 Speaker 4: it was just what it was after that, And I 462 00:27:11,040 --> 00:27:15,240 Speaker 4: think I think my sister's death is what sparked such 463 00:27:15,320 --> 00:27:20,879 Speaker 4: a tight knit a lookout for everybody on that block 464 00:27:21,680 --> 00:27:25,120 Speaker 4: and on the next blocks. I I was on twelfth Place, 465 00:27:25,160 --> 00:27:26,879 Speaker 4: so we had Twelfth Street. On the next block we 466 00:27:26,920 --> 00:27:30,840 Speaker 4: had thirteenth Street. So we just kept a tight knit 467 00:27:30,960 --> 00:27:35,439 Speaker 4: community after that. It was so sad, though, because I 468 00:27:35,440 --> 00:27:38,520 Speaker 4: didn't understand the restrictions that I had on me as 469 00:27:38,520 --> 00:27:41,800 Speaker 4: a little child. But my mother didn't want anything to 470 00:27:41,800 --> 00:27:42,879 Speaker 4: happen to me either. 471 00:27:44,640 --> 00:27:46,960 Speaker 5: Here's an excerpt from the book The Mystery of the 472 00:27:47,000 --> 00:27:49,040 Speaker 5: Freeway Phantom by Wilma Harper. 473 00:27:50,760 --> 00:27:52,920 Speaker 9: The death of Brenda had a traumatic effect on the 474 00:27:52,960 --> 00:27:56,440 Speaker 9: neighborhood where she lived. The residents said the area would 475 00:27:56,520 --> 00:28:00,000 Speaker 9: never be the same. In contrast to the usual crowd 476 00:28:00,119 --> 00:28:03,480 Speaker 9: to frolicking youngsters, only a few children were playing ball 477 00:28:03,560 --> 00:28:06,800 Speaker 9: on the block. After Brenda's body was found. An eight 478 00:28:06,920 --> 00:28:08,800 Speaker 9: year old boy refused to go to the store for 479 00:28:08,840 --> 00:28:11,200 Speaker 9: his mother because he was afraid he would be kidnapped. 480 00:28:12,240 --> 00:28:15,359 Speaker 9: Neighbors and friends along twelfth Place, which is just behind 481 00:28:15,440 --> 00:28:19,040 Speaker 9: Cardoza High School, described Brenda as a bright fifth grade 482 00:28:19,080 --> 00:28:24,560 Speaker 9: student at nearby Harrison Elementary School. Missus Eva Artist, a 483 00:28:24,600 --> 00:28:26,680 Speaker 9: neighbor who cared for the children when their mother was 484 00:28:26,720 --> 00:28:29,720 Speaker 9: at work, said we usually have lots of games going 485 00:28:29,760 --> 00:28:33,520 Speaker 9: on the street, but nobody's been acting right today. I 486 00:28:33,560 --> 00:28:35,119 Speaker 9: think everyone is disturbed. 487 00:28:37,520 --> 00:28:39,960 Speaker 5: But Bertha Crockett says the death of her sister had 488 00:28:39,960 --> 00:28:42,440 Speaker 5: an even bigger impact on her immediate family. 489 00:28:44,520 --> 00:28:46,480 Speaker 4: I know it took a lot on my mom, though 490 00:28:46,840 --> 00:28:54,840 Speaker 4: I saw my mom just appreciate from that. But she 491 00:28:56,280 --> 00:29:00,400 Speaker 4: just wasn't her stuff anymore. It's like life went out her. 492 00:29:02,280 --> 00:29:05,800 Speaker 4: And so then that's when you that's when you you say, well, 493 00:29:05,800 --> 00:29:08,719 Speaker 4: why wasn't it me? Why would God take that Anchel? 494 00:29:09,640 --> 00:29:13,040 Speaker 4: Because she had going no way better than me, even 495 00:29:13,080 --> 00:29:15,280 Speaker 4: at seven years old. You want to think that, like 496 00:29:15,560 --> 00:29:17,880 Speaker 4: I know her, I knew her. I didn't, you know 497 00:29:17,920 --> 00:29:22,240 Speaker 4: what I'm saying. I didn't. I wasn't on her level 498 00:29:22,400 --> 00:29:25,320 Speaker 4: because she had her own girlfriendstead of friends at ten 499 00:29:25,440 --> 00:29:30,800 Speaker 4: years old, she had a whole school of girlfriend that 500 00:29:30,880 --> 00:29:38,960 Speaker 4: loved her. I went to the cemetery about a month ago, 501 00:29:39,640 --> 00:29:42,240 Speaker 4: but I could not find her, and I couldn't. My 502 00:29:42,280 --> 00:29:44,840 Speaker 4: mama is in the same place, the same cemetery, but 503 00:29:44,880 --> 00:29:47,360 Speaker 4: I couldn't. So I will have to literally go back 504 00:29:47,480 --> 00:29:50,120 Speaker 4: and ask them to show me the plot, because it's 505 00:29:50,160 --> 00:29:54,320 Speaker 4: been fifty years to show me where my sister I 506 00:29:54,400 --> 00:30:00,600 Speaker 4: know she's located in Hilltop Garden of Roses. That the 507 00:30:00,720 --> 00:30:03,600 Speaker 4: name of the place where they, you know, have her 508 00:30:04,320 --> 00:30:07,320 Speaker 4: laid to rest. But my mom is in the same place. 509 00:30:07,480 --> 00:30:11,600 Speaker 4: My mom is on that big tree. But yeah, it's 510 00:30:11,640 --> 00:30:14,720 Speaker 4: said that, you know, having a sister that I really 511 00:30:14,880 --> 00:30:17,920 Speaker 4: didn't get to know because she got taken away at 512 00:30:17,960 --> 00:30:22,440 Speaker 4: such a young age, growing up without a sister, and 513 00:30:22,480 --> 00:30:26,240 Speaker 4: then like in my early twenties, I lost my mom, 514 00:30:26,440 --> 00:30:30,640 Speaker 4: so I mean out here forever, and so some things 515 00:30:31,600 --> 00:30:33,200 Speaker 4: just bring emotion back. 516 00:30:39,520 --> 00:30:42,720 Speaker 5: Well. Bertha and her family were grieving Brenda's death. The 517 00:30:42,800 --> 00:30:45,440 Speaker 5: police had begun to suspect that her murder might be 518 00:30:45,520 --> 00:30:50,120 Speaker 5: connected to Carol and Derlinia, and months later those suspicions 519 00:30:50,120 --> 00:31:14,600 Speaker 5: were finally confirmed when another girl was found dead. Sixteen 520 00:31:14,640 --> 00:31:18,200 Speaker 5: year old Stephen James Potopio was watching TV when he 521 00:31:18,240 --> 00:31:21,040 Speaker 5: decided to go visit his friend Chuck. On his way 522 00:31:21,080 --> 00:31:23,840 Speaker 5: to Chuck's house, he passed by a broken down pontiac 523 00:31:23,920 --> 00:31:26,960 Speaker 5: on the shoulder of Pennsylvania Avenue near a sign that 524 00:31:27,040 --> 00:31:30,840 Speaker 5: said Upper Harborough twelve. Stephen said he heard a man 525 00:31:30,880 --> 00:31:32,880 Speaker 5: holler a girl's name and told her to cut the 526 00:31:32,960 --> 00:31:36,040 Speaker 5: lights on. He described the woman as young and white, 527 00:31:36,280 --> 00:31:39,280 Speaker 5: no older than nineteen or twenty. The man was also 528 00:31:39,320 --> 00:31:43,400 Speaker 5: white and well dressed, with brownish blonde hair, glasses, and 529 00:31:43,520 --> 00:31:47,400 Speaker 5: about five foot ten inches. Stephen said he noticed the 530 00:31:47,440 --> 00:31:50,320 Speaker 5: guy was staring at him, so when Stephen was about 531 00:31:50,320 --> 00:31:52,960 Speaker 5: twenty feet from the car, he jumped the bank to 532 00:31:52,960 --> 00:31:56,400 Speaker 5: cut across the cemetery to Chuck's house. When he got there, 533 00:31:56,920 --> 00:32:00,160 Speaker 5: nobody was home, so Stephen decided to head back to 534 00:32:00,240 --> 00:32:03,680 Speaker 5: his house. This next part is an excerpt from Stephen's 535 00:32:03,720 --> 00:32:05,880 Speaker 5: statement to the police. 536 00:32:06,120 --> 00:32:08,600 Speaker 8: I then left and headed home the identical where I came. 537 00:32:09,040 --> 00:32:11,920 Speaker 8: As I was walking up Pennsylvania Avenue toward Maryland, I 538 00:32:11,960 --> 00:32:15,880 Speaker 8: started walking backwards, shying the thumb hitchhike. I noticed a 539 00:32:15,880 --> 00:32:18,440 Speaker 8: box sitting off the shoulder on the grass. I walked 540 00:32:18,440 --> 00:32:20,920 Speaker 8: over to the box and saw glass in it. I 541 00:32:20,960 --> 00:32:22,880 Speaker 8: turned and saw something in the grass, but right then 542 00:32:23,000 --> 00:32:25,719 Speaker 8: I didn't know what it was. I walked up to it, 543 00:32:25,880 --> 00:32:27,480 Speaker 8: but I didn't know if it was a man or 544 00:32:27,520 --> 00:32:30,240 Speaker 8: a girl. I stood there a couple seconds to see 545 00:32:30,240 --> 00:32:32,640 Speaker 8: if you wuld move. I took my right foot and 546 00:32:32,760 --> 00:32:34,680 Speaker 8: kicked it two or three times, and the body seemed 547 00:32:34,680 --> 00:32:37,320 Speaker 8: to wiggle. I stood there a couple seconds, and it 548 00:32:37,400 --> 00:32:39,400 Speaker 8: felt the body under the ribs to see if the 549 00:32:39,440 --> 00:32:42,760 Speaker 8: heart was beating. The body felt cold, and then something 550 00:32:42,840 --> 00:32:44,720 Speaker 8: hit me, maybe it was dead. 551 00:32:46,240 --> 00:32:49,720 Speaker 5: Stephen had found the body of twelve year old Ninamosha Yates, 552 00:32:50,080 --> 00:32:53,280 Speaker 5: a sixth grader at Kelly Miller Junior High She was 553 00:32:53,320 --> 00:32:56,640 Speaker 5: a well behaved, quiet child, and now she was the 554 00:32:56,640 --> 00:33:01,920 Speaker 5: fourth victim of the Freeway phantom. Ninamosha lived with her 555 00:33:02,000 --> 00:33:05,880 Speaker 5: father and stepmother in the Benning Heights neighborhood in southeast Washington, 556 00:33:05,960 --> 00:33:10,120 Speaker 5: d C. Benning Heights is about six miles from Congress Heights, 557 00:33:10,400 --> 00:33:12,800 Speaker 5: a completely different area on the other side of d 558 00:33:12,960 --> 00:33:17,120 Speaker 5: C from the first three murders. It was Friday, October first, 559 00:33:17,360 --> 00:33:21,240 Speaker 5: nineteen seventy one. Ninomosha's stepmother had just given birth and 560 00:33:21,360 --> 00:33:24,800 Speaker 5: was at the hospital with Nina's dad. About seven p m. 561 00:33:25,080 --> 00:33:27,920 Speaker 5: Ninomosha was given five dollars and sent to Safeway to 562 00:33:27,920 --> 00:33:32,040 Speaker 5: buy sugar, flour, and paper plates. The grocery store was 563 00:33:32,080 --> 00:33:35,760 Speaker 5: located at forty eight oh one Benning Road Southeast. That's 564 00:33:35,800 --> 00:33:38,800 Speaker 5: the same road Ninomosha lived on. Although the store was 565 00:33:38,840 --> 00:33:42,080 Speaker 5: only about a block away, her father had instructed her 566 00:33:42,200 --> 00:33:46,760 Speaker 5: not to talk to strangers. According to witnesses, Ninamosha made 567 00:33:46,800 --> 00:33:49,920 Speaker 5: it to the grocery store, but she never made it back. 568 00:33:50,960 --> 00:33:53,600 Speaker 5: Here's Victoria Hester, who co wrote a book about the 569 00:33:53,600 --> 00:33:56,000 Speaker 5: Freeway Phantom with her father, Blaine Pardo. 570 00:33:57,360 --> 00:33:59,760 Speaker 14: We know that for sure she was at the Safeway. 571 00:34:00,160 --> 00:34:03,400 Speaker 14: The store manager confirmed on October first. It would have 572 00:34:03,440 --> 00:34:06,680 Speaker 14: been pretty dark at that time. It was normal to 573 00:34:06,720 --> 00:34:09,040 Speaker 14: go down the street to a Safeway at nine o'clock 574 00:34:09,080 --> 00:34:11,440 Speaker 14: at night in DC at that time. 575 00:34:12,640 --> 00:34:15,719 Speaker 5: It wasn't until the next day, October second, that a 576 00:34:15,760 --> 00:34:19,240 Speaker 5: Safeway employee found the items nan Emosha had purchased. 577 00:34:21,000 --> 00:34:24,560 Speaker 14: We know wherever she went she was either forcibly taken 578 00:34:25,120 --> 00:34:27,479 Speaker 14: only because the bag of sugar that she had bought 579 00:34:27,520 --> 00:34:30,360 Speaker 14: from Safeway was found in the parking lot of Safeway, 580 00:34:30,680 --> 00:34:34,040 Speaker 14: so she didn't get very far. She wouldn't have left 581 00:34:34,160 --> 00:34:36,960 Speaker 14: that bag of sugar. If she was getting a ride 582 00:34:37,120 --> 00:34:40,880 Speaker 14: home or getting a ride to somewhere else by someone 583 00:34:40,960 --> 00:34:43,479 Speaker 14: driving by, she would have taken that with her, which 584 00:34:43,560 --> 00:34:46,680 Speaker 14: kind of leads us to believe it was forcibly. But 585 00:34:47,040 --> 00:34:49,600 Speaker 14: at the same time, with it being a well lit 586 00:34:49,640 --> 00:34:52,760 Speaker 14: parking lot, she would have screamed. She would have made 587 00:34:52,760 --> 00:34:55,640 Speaker 14: some sort of noise and a area I she was 588 00:34:55,680 --> 00:34:59,759 Speaker 14: being forcibly taken, so it gets kind of tricky and 589 00:34:59,800 --> 00:35:03,320 Speaker 14: that sense because of her age too, she was twelve. 590 00:35:04,160 --> 00:35:06,360 Speaker 14: Was she easy to convince to get in a vehicle? 591 00:35:07,239 --> 00:35:07,680 Speaker 4: Just to me? 592 00:35:07,800 --> 00:35:10,960 Speaker 14: It makes it look forcible since her bag of groceries 593 00:35:10,960 --> 00:35:14,760 Speaker 14: that she went out to get was left behind. Another 594 00:35:15,160 --> 00:35:19,160 Speaker 14: important thing about it was her body was found dry 595 00:35:19,360 --> 00:35:22,920 Speaker 14: on wet grass, so we know she wasn't killed where 596 00:35:22,960 --> 00:35:26,719 Speaker 14: she was dumped, and she wasn't killed outside or she 597 00:35:26,760 --> 00:35:30,759 Speaker 14: would have been wet. She was wearing her clothes that 598 00:35:30,840 --> 00:35:34,240 Speaker 14: she was wearing when she disappeared. The cause of death 599 00:35:34,480 --> 00:35:37,560 Speaker 14: was known to be strangulation and she was sexually assaulted. 600 00:35:38,600 --> 00:35:42,799 Speaker 14: She also had fingernail marks on her neck, so either 601 00:35:42,840 --> 00:35:46,000 Speaker 14: from being strangled or trying to fight back and getting 602 00:35:46,360 --> 00:35:47,160 Speaker 14: marks on her neck. 603 00:35:48,520 --> 00:35:51,400 Speaker 5: Ninemosha was found in cut off brown shorts, a white 604 00:35:51,400 --> 00:35:55,480 Speaker 5: sweatshirt with green lettering that spelled Randall, Highland hornets, and 605 00:35:55,560 --> 00:36:00,000 Speaker 5: white zips tennis shoes. Autopsy reports indicated her a soft 606 00:36:00,520 --> 00:36:04,040 Speaker 5: was crushed. Not only did Ninomosha have more wounds than 607 00:36:04,080 --> 00:36:08,399 Speaker 5: previous victims, but the killer had accelerated his timeline. She'd 608 00:36:08,440 --> 00:36:11,640 Speaker 5: left home around seven pm and her body was found 609 00:36:12,040 --> 00:36:16,840 Speaker 5: around nine fifteen pm. This means she was taken, murdered, 610 00:36:16,880 --> 00:36:21,280 Speaker 5: and disposed of in roughly two hours. Like the others, 611 00:36:21,360 --> 00:36:24,640 Speaker 5: green fibers were found on the body, Negroid hairs from 612 00:36:24,680 --> 00:36:28,080 Speaker 5: a person's head were on her panties, brazier, sweatshirt, cut 613 00:36:28,120 --> 00:36:31,759 Speaker 5: off jean shorts, and shoes. At the time of her disappearance, 614 00:36:31,920 --> 00:36:35,719 Speaker 5: Ninomosha was wearing a sanitary napkin. Semen was found in 615 00:36:35,800 --> 00:36:39,840 Speaker 5: that napkin. Additionally, two dollars ninety one cents and a 616 00:36:39,880 --> 00:36:42,799 Speaker 5: grocery list were found in her pocket, along with two 617 00:36:42,840 --> 00:36:46,120 Speaker 5: house keys. Attached to a string. Near her body were 618 00:36:46,160 --> 00:36:50,400 Speaker 5: several items, including a single woman's loafer. Police considered the 619 00:36:50,440 --> 00:36:53,200 Speaker 5: loafer was dragged out of the vehicle with Ninomosha's body 620 00:36:53,200 --> 00:36:58,000 Speaker 5: because it was also dry. Remember Darlinia Johnson was missing 621 00:36:58,120 --> 00:37:02,160 Speaker 5: loafers when she was found. There were also drag marks 622 00:37:02,160 --> 00:37:05,920 Speaker 5: from Ninamosha's heels in the wet dirt. The police report 623 00:37:05,960 --> 00:37:09,239 Speaker 5: noted that tire tracks created by a small vehicle were 624 00:37:09,239 --> 00:37:13,640 Speaker 5: found near the body and had been photographed. Later. Another 625 00:37:13,680 --> 00:37:17,000 Speaker 5: witness told police they'd seen Ninamosha get into a blue 626 00:37:17,080 --> 00:37:20,440 Speaker 5: Volkswagen with a yellow stripe down the side headed in 627 00:37:20,520 --> 00:37:23,320 Speaker 5: the direction of the safeway. The witness assumed it was 628 00:37:23,360 --> 00:37:25,800 Speaker 5: her mom, since she drove a similar car. 629 00:37:27,320 --> 00:37:30,000 Speaker 14: Kind of sent a wild goose chase on the Volkswagen 630 00:37:30,480 --> 00:37:33,520 Speaker 14: issue with a witness thinking that they saw her get 631 00:37:33,520 --> 00:37:36,920 Speaker 14: into a Volkswagen. It kind of created this, well, now 632 00:37:36,920 --> 00:37:39,560 Speaker 14: we've got to find this car that happens to be 633 00:37:39,600 --> 00:37:42,640 Speaker 14: one of the most popular cars right now, and it 634 00:37:42,719 --> 00:37:46,680 Speaker 14: really went nowhere. It's kind of unfortunate. It's nice that 635 00:37:46,760 --> 00:37:49,040 Speaker 14: the witness thought they saw something, but at the same time, 636 00:37:49,120 --> 00:37:53,040 Speaker 14: it created a lot of misleading information about who they 637 00:37:53,080 --> 00:37:55,520 Speaker 14: were looking for, and it wasted a lot of police 638 00:37:55,520 --> 00:37:58,680 Speaker 14: time running all these plates and trying to identify all 639 00:37:58,719 --> 00:37:59,320 Speaker 14: these cars. 640 00:38:04,160 --> 00:38:08,400 Speaker 5: Later, investigators interviewed Stephen again. This time he added to 641 00:38:08,440 --> 00:38:11,240 Speaker 5: a statement The following is from that report. 642 00:38:12,680 --> 00:38:15,560 Speaker 11: He advised he furnished what he thought was the full 643 00:38:15,680 --> 00:38:18,560 Speaker 11: facts of what he had seen that evening, but he 644 00:38:18,600 --> 00:38:21,360 Speaker 11: has since recalled he had seen another car in the 645 00:38:21,440 --> 00:38:26,239 Speaker 11: vicinity of where he discovered the body Potopia related after 646 00:38:26,280 --> 00:38:29,719 Speaker 11: he left his residence and turned east toward Washington d C. 647 00:38:30,120 --> 00:38:33,960 Speaker 11: On Pennsylvania Avenue in the right hand lane, he observed 648 00:38:33,960 --> 00:38:38,439 Speaker 11: a Volkswagen in the westbound lane. This Volkswagen pulled off 649 00:38:38,480 --> 00:38:41,200 Speaker 11: onto the side of the road and parked about twenty 650 00:38:41,280 --> 00:38:46,400 Speaker 11: five feet west of where Potopia discovered the body. Potopia 651 00:38:46,480 --> 00:38:48,920 Speaker 11: looked back after he had seen the car park and 652 00:38:49,040 --> 00:38:52,640 Speaker 11: observed two men get out of the Volkswagen, a white 653 00:38:52,680 --> 00:38:55,319 Speaker 11: from the driver's side and a Negro man from the 654 00:38:55,360 --> 00:38:59,160 Speaker 11: passenger side. The two men walked along the side of 655 00:38:59,200 --> 00:39:03,480 Speaker 11: the road distance and then went down the embankment, and 656 00:39:03,560 --> 00:39:08,000 Speaker 11: she no longer thought anything about it. Potopia then crossed 657 00:39:08,040 --> 00:39:12,040 Speaker 11: the westerly lane the median and then in the westerly 658 00:39:12,120 --> 00:39:15,319 Speaker 11: lane observed the other car with the hood up, which 659 00:39:15,320 --> 00:39:17,920 Speaker 11: he had put into the signed statements. 660 00:39:19,200 --> 00:39:21,319 Speaker 5: The car with the hood up belonged to the young 661 00:39:21,360 --> 00:39:28,320 Speaker 5: couple we heard earlier. Police were now investigating two sets 662 00:39:28,360 --> 00:39:32,960 Speaker 5: of individuals, one a young Caucasian couple, the other a 663 00:39:33,000 --> 00:39:36,680 Speaker 5: black man and Caucasian man, but this didn't last long. 664 00:39:37,400 --> 00:39:40,120 Speaker 5: Shortly after the news broke about Nina Moosha Yates, a 665 00:39:40,200 --> 00:39:44,160 Speaker 5: witness came forward. Here's what James Richard Lloyd told police, 666 00:39:44,560 --> 00:39:45,880 Speaker 5: as read by a voice actor. 667 00:39:47,120 --> 00:39:49,920 Speaker 15: I was with Jay Robinson in his nineteen seventy one 668 00:39:49,960 --> 00:39:52,680 Speaker 15: Pontiac Laman, which is brown in color, and we were 669 00:39:52,680 --> 00:39:56,000 Speaker 15: coming from the Fairfax Village in Washington, d C. Jay 670 00:39:56,040 --> 00:39:58,080 Speaker 15: heard a noise coming from the engine, so we stopped 671 00:39:58,080 --> 00:40:01,200 Speaker 15: along Pennsylvania Avenue, just passed the gates to the cemetery. 672 00:40:01,680 --> 00:40:04,040 Speaker 15: We got out and opened the hood. Jay was trying 673 00:40:04,040 --> 00:40:06,640 Speaker 15: to find where the noise was coming from. About that time, 674 00:40:06,719 --> 00:40:09,480 Speaker 15: someone walked past us. I first saw him walking up 675 00:40:09,520 --> 00:40:12,239 Speaker 15: the road as we pulled off. He was walking toward DC. 676 00:40:13,040 --> 00:40:15,239 Speaker 15: While we stopped, I saw two cars stopped along the 677 00:40:15,320 --> 00:40:17,319 Speaker 15: road in front of us, about one hundred yards up 678 00:40:17,440 --> 00:40:19,759 Speaker 15: the road from us. They were close together, but I 679 00:40:19,800 --> 00:40:21,960 Speaker 15: don't know what type of cars they were. We got 680 00:40:22,000 --> 00:40:23,279 Speaker 15: back in our car and drove off. 681 00:40:24,520 --> 00:40:26,719 Speaker 5: James told police he came to speak with them after 682 00:40:26,880 --> 00:40:29,680 Speaker 5: Jerry's mother had read about the news. It had been 683 00:40:29,719 --> 00:40:32,080 Speaker 5: only him and Jerry in the car when they stopped 684 00:40:32,280 --> 00:40:35,680 Speaker 5: just pass the entrance to the cemetery along Pennsylvania Avenue. 685 00:40:36,360 --> 00:40:39,000 Speaker 5: He said he saw both cars the entire time he 686 00:40:39,040 --> 00:40:41,880 Speaker 5: and Jerry were pulled over. This was about three to 687 00:40:41,920 --> 00:40:45,759 Speaker 5: four minutes. James also told police the cars were there 688 00:40:45,760 --> 00:40:48,720 Speaker 5: when he and Jerry left, and he didn't see anyone 689 00:40:48,840 --> 00:40:53,280 Speaker 5: or anything else as they drove off. With James's statement, 690 00:40:53,520 --> 00:40:57,359 Speaker 5: both sets of suspects were ruled out. Authorities were back 691 00:40:57,360 --> 00:41:01,360 Speaker 5: to square one. There were now four young dead black girls, 692 00:41:01,960 --> 00:41:05,279 Speaker 5: girls that were from tight knit neighborhoods, places where the 693 00:41:05,280 --> 00:41:08,840 Speaker 5: community kept an eye on children, places that were meant 694 00:41:08,920 --> 00:41:13,120 Speaker 5: to be safe, Yet the police had no leans. Here's 695 00:41:13,200 --> 00:41:13,719 Speaker 5: Romain again. 696 00:41:14,880 --> 00:41:19,200 Speaker 3: Whoever grabbed these young ladies grabbed them right in their 697 00:41:19,239 --> 00:41:22,480 Speaker 3: own neighborhood. Nina Mostates went to the grocery store in 698 00:41:22,520 --> 00:41:25,959 Speaker 3: the forty eight hundred block of Benning Road. She's picked 699 00:41:26,040 --> 00:41:28,920 Speaker 3: up that she she's grabbed in the forty nine hundred block, 700 00:41:29,239 --> 00:41:31,960 Speaker 3: and nobody sees anything. All the people out there, I 701 00:41:31,960 --> 00:41:34,000 Speaker 3: don't care. When you go out there. You have East 702 00:41:34,040 --> 00:41:37,960 Speaker 3: Capitol Street there, it's always people because you're close to 703 00:41:38,000 --> 00:41:41,480 Speaker 3: the district line. People are doing shopping. She's grabbed at 704 00:41:41,480 --> 00:41:44,000 Speaker 3: a time when there are lots of people out, kids 705 00:41:44,040 --> 00:41:46,320 Speaker 3: are out, and nobody. 706 00:41:45,920 --> 00:41:48,799 Speaker 6: Sees the thing. Because he fit in with the community, 707 00:41:49,480 --> 00:41:50,719 Speaker 6: nobody was suspicion. 708 00:41:52,280 --> 00:41:55,000 Speaker 5: What happened to Ninemosha was also true in the case 709 00:41:55,040 --> 00:41:59,320 Speaker 5: of Brenda Crockett. Both girls had been snatched in broad Daylight. 710 00:42:00,160 --> 00:42:03,200 Speaker 5: As Romaine has said, it's very likely the killer was 711 00:42:03,239 --> 00:42:06,920 Speaker 5: somebody from the neighborhood. I asked Bertha Crockett if she 712 00:42:06,960 --> 00:42:09,879 Speaker 5: had any suspicions about who the killer could be. 713 00:42:11,040 --> 00:42:13,399 Speaker 4: Back then, we used to have officer friendlies that came 714 00:42:13,440 --> 00:42:16,280 Speaker 4: to our school and they got to know the kids. 715 00:42:16,880 --> 00:42:19,800 Speaker 4: That means officers that used to come to your school 716 00:42:19,840 --> 00:42:23,080 Speaker 4: and make sure that the kids feel safe. Like right 717 00:42:23,120 --> 00:42:27,040 Speaker 4: now they have patrol officers or officers in the school 718 00:42:27,080 --> 00:42:29,440 Speaker 4: and make sure kids are not doing the violence stuff 719 00:42:29,480 --> 00:42:32,799 Speaker 4: that they've been doing lately. But back then they were 720 00:42:32,840 --> 00:42:37,000 Speaker 4: called officer friendlies and they would come to your school 721 00:42:37,040 --> 00:42:39,560 Speaker 4: and have like little conversations with you and and it 722 00:42:39,640 --> 00:42:42,840 Speaker 4: always made me feel like an officer friendly was somebody 723 00:42:42,880 --> 00:42:58,640 Speaker 4: that saw different girls and he selected them. 724 00:42:58,840 --> 00:43:01,200 Speaker 5: Next time on Freeway Phantom. 725 00:43:01,320 --> 00:43:04,520 Speaker 3: DC had never had a serial killing before, and so 726 00:43:04,600 --> 00:43:06,480 Speaker 3: it wasn't something not that you ever get used to it, 727 00:43:06,480 --> 00:43:09,400 Speaker 3: but it wasn't something they were familiar with. The fourth 728 00:43:09,600 --> 00:43:13,880 Speaker 3: body that brought more people in because where's the body found. 729 00:43:14,360 --> 00:43:18,200 Speaker 3: You're talking about PG County, right, You're talking about crossing 730 00:43:18,520 --> 00:43:23,320 Speaker 3: jurisdictional lines, So then he is PG County coming into play? 731 00:43:23,480 --> 00:43:27,440 Speaker 13: All of these girls were not from runaway families. 732 00:43:27,560 --> 00:43:30,239 Speaker 5: These girls, they were good families. 733 00:43:30,719 --> 00:43:34,560 Speaker 10: And if they do investigate, they don't investigate when it 734 00:43:34,560 --> 00:43:38,000 Speaker 10: comes to black people, you know, unless it's something that's juicy. 735 00:43:38,480 --> 00:43:40,200 Speaker 7: And all of a sudden, the guy, he comes out 736 00:43:40,200 --> 00:43:42,680 Speaker 7: of the driverside and he comes around the front of 737 00:43:42,760 --> 00:43:43,560 Speaker 7: the car. 738 00:43:43,640 --> 00:43:44,560 Speaker 3: And snatches me. 739 00:43:45,120 --> 00:43:49,400 Speaker 4: There's no emotion on his face. None. 740 00:43:53,560 --> 00:43:57,120 Speaker 1: Freeway Fantom is a production of iHeartRadio, Tenderfoot TV and 741 00:43:57,160 --> 00:44:00,800 Speaker 1: Black Bar Mitslaw. Our host is Teless Hilly. The show 742 00:44:00,960 --> 00:44:03,800 Speaker 1: is written by Trevor Young, Jamie Albright, and CELESE. 743 00:44:03,840 --> 00:44:04,080 Speaker 2: Hidley. 744 00:44:04,520 --> 00:44:08,400 Speaker 1: Executive producers on behalf of iHeartRadio include Matt Frederick and 745 00:44:08,480 --> 00:44:12,520 Speaker 1: Alex Williams, with supervising producer Trevor Young. Executive producers on 746 00:44:12,560 --> 00:44:16,360 Speaker 1: behalf of Tenderfoot TV include Donald Albright and Payne Lindsay, 747 00:44:16,520 --> 00:44:20,840 Speaker 1: with producers Jamie Albright and Tracy Kaplan. Executive producers on 748 00:44:20,880 --> 00:44:24,440 Speaker 1: behalf of Black Bar Mitzvah include myself, Jay Ellis and 749 00:44:24,520 --> 00:44:29,360 Speaker 1: Aaron Bergman, with producer Sidney Foods. Lead researcher is Jamie Albright. 750 00:44:29,680 --> 00:44:33,399 Speaker 1: Artwork by Mister Soul two one six, original music by 751 00:44:33,600 --> 00:44:37,640 Speaker 1: Makeup and Vanity set special thanks to a teammate, Uta 752 00:44:37,960 --> 00:44:41,439 Speaker 1: Beck Media and Marketing and the Nord Group. Tenderfoot TV 753 00:44:41,800 --> 00:44:44,920 Speaker 1: and iHeartMedia, as well as Black Bar Mitzvah, have increased 754 00:44:44,960 --> 00:44:48,080 Speaker 1: the reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction 755 00:44:48,239 --> 00:44:51,399 Speaker 1: of the person or persons responsible for their Freeway Fan 756 00:44:51,440 --> 00:44:54,800 Speaker 1: of murders. The previous reward of up to one hundred 757 00:44:54,800 --> 00:44:58,080 Speaker 1: and fifty thousand dollars offered by the Metropolitan Police Department 758 00:44:58,360 --> 00:45:00,920 Speaker 1: has been matched a new toe A reward of up 759 00:45:00,920 --> 00:45:04,080 Speaker 1: to three hundred thousand dollars is now being offered. If 760 00:45:04,120 --> 00:45:07,560 Speaker 1: you have any information relating to these unsolved crimes, contact 761 00:45:07,560 --> 00:45:10,799 Speaker 1: the Metropolitan Police Department at area code two zero two 762 00:45:11,320 --> 00:45:15,480 Speaker 1: seven two seven nine zero ninety nine. For more information, 763 00:45:15,680 --> 00:45:20,359 Speaker 1: please visit Freeway dashfanom dot com. For more podcasts from 764 00:45:20,480 --> 00:45:25,280 Speaker 1: iHeartRadio and Tenderfoot TV, visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple podcast, 765 00:45:25,440 --> 00:45:28,280 Speaker 1: or wherever you listen to your favorite shows. Thanks for listening.