DC DC - Freeway Phantom Haunts police

[dotr]

Being that the motives in the first 4 homicides were indeed sexual , not apparently anger motivated , and that this victim, who receives the most violent trauma of all 6 is not sexually assaulted, as with the previous 4 victims, where their shoes were missing, and not this victim, I'm inclined, based on these factors to say perhaps this killer was not involved in the first 4 and that the note claiming to be the same killer may just be throw LE off, but given what we are working with I could be wrong

The 5th victim (Brenda Woodward) also the oldest victim at 18 is interesting and different, in which this victim is not sexually assaulted and is stabbed, now perhaps this was because she was older, stronger, and perhaps struggled with her killer, and he did what he needed to to control the situation, but theres no sexual assault listed, and unlike the other victims, she was covered up indicating perhaps remorse, or discomfort with this particular victim. But it can also have another meaning , in which the victim knows the killer

The lack of sexual assault is also interesting, was she too old for his liking? if that's the case, then why even abduct this particular victim, most Child killers abduct their victims based, on their apparent age , size, and lack of an adult presence, but the motive , is OVERWHELMINGLY sexual in those cases, this case at least to me seems out of sorts with the first 4, but we can only base this on what we know from the media .

Rsbbm.
Maybe the reason the perp took shoes from the SA young girls and not from the 18 year old, came down to the size of the shoe?
He might have been only sexually attracted to little feet/ shoes and repulsed by the (presumed) larger feet of the older girl (or whatever they represent to him) he brutally murders her and covers her up because he ''made a mistake''.
complete speculation, imo

 

[Richard]

The removal of the shoes could indicate that he had some kind of "foot fetish" or need to keep the shoes as trophies.

But it might also have been part of his killing routine/ritual to deprive his victims of shoes for some quasi religious or superstitious belief that they couldn't depart for heaven, and remained in his power on earth.

Alternatively, the killer might have kept their shoes in the belief that he was freeing their souls.

 

[Kell1]

Rsbbm.
Maybe the reason the perp took shoes from the SA young girls and not from the 18 year old, came down to the size of the shoe?
He might have been only sexually attracted to little feet/ shoes and repulsed by the (presumed) larger feet of the older girl (or whatever they represent to him) he brutally murders her and covers her up because he ''made a mistake''.
complete speculation, imo

I cant say definitively No but the other behaviors indicate a different offender, the lack of sexual assault apparent n the other attacks , the rage and undoing "covering of the victim" seems to indicate familiarity with the victim, with this particular one id look close

This last victim, seems to be someone who knew them.

If the offender was indeed fetish driven (Aka "Lust Killing") those types usually wont attack a victim they know doesn't possess the physical attributes they desire... Now its important to note, we are speaking specifically about Lust killers , but without that fetish component which is usually pretty well defined , theres no motive to commit their crimes.

Jerome Brudos , was a Fetish motivated serial killer, he only killed women to fulfill his fantasies of seeing them in women's high heels, if you removed that aspect Brudos couldn't even become aroused .

Sadists report that without the act of inflicting pain, they don't even become aroused, sexually , in some cases, the sadistic need, overtakes the need for sexual gratification altogether , and they get off simply torturing the victim,

With Sociopaths, we often see the "shoot first ask questions later" kind of behaviors, they may rob a store, and kill everyone inside for no apparent reason, etc...with Psychopaths, theres usually a specific need they are looking to fill, which is often indicated by the level of planning involved.

When theres a string of homicides, attributed to one perpetrator going on, its not uncommon for random killings to fall under the umbrella of suspicion

Serial Killers may change the means but they never change the "why" hence why we call it a "signature"

 

[Hockeyfan158]

I heard about this case on the podcast unresolved police have said over the last 50 years they believe the killer was a black male in his 20s i wonder if by a small chance the killer may have been Thomas Brooks a man who was a look out after him and three other teenagers robbed and murdered a man in Newport News Virginia in April of 1968 because of this Brooks was sentenced to 20 years in prison but escaped in August 1970 and has never been apprehended. While i have some doubts its Brooks the fact that these murders were so close to DC, Virginia and Maryland and that Brooks escaped in 1970 makes me think he might be responsible but again when he escaped he probably got the hell out of Virginia and its neighboring states as fast as possible so they couldn’t find him.

Thomas Brooks III - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org

 

[Richard]

I heard about this case on the podcast unresolved police have said over the last 50 years they believe the killer was a black male in his 20s i wonder if by a small chance the killer may have been Thomas Brooks a man who was a look out after him and three other teenagers robbed and murdered a man in Newport News Virginia in April of 1968 because of this Brooks was sentenced to 20 years in prison but escaped in August 1970 and has never been apprehended. While i have some doubts its Brooks the fact that these murders were so close to DC, Virginia and Maryland and that Brooks escaped in 1970 makes me think he might be responsible but again when he escaped he probably got the hell out of Virginia and its neighboring states as fast as possible so they couldn’t find him.

Thomas Brooks III - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org

Doubtful that Brooks would escape only to become a serial killer. Here is a "Missing in the 70's" thread for him:

VA - Thomas Brooks III, Escaped convict, Missing 24 August 1970, from Wight County, Virginia

Thomas Brooks III, Convicted of Murder in 1968. Escaped 1970. Thomas Brooks III (born August 8, 1948) is a convicted American murderer and fugitive who is wanted by the Virginia Department of Corrections (VADOC). On April 3, 1968, Brooks and three other teenagers participated in the robbery...

www.websleuths.com

 

[Soulmagent]

Doubtful that Brooks would escape only to become a serial killer. Here is a "Missing in the 70's" thread for him:

VA - Thomas Brooks III, Escaped convict, Missing 24 August 1970, from Wight County, Virginia

Thomas Brooks III, Convicted of Murder in 1968. Escaped 1970. Thomas Brooks III (born August 8, 1948) is a convicted American murderer and fugitive who is wanted by the Virginia Department of Corrections (VADOC). On April 3, 1968, Brooks and three other teenagers participated in the robbery...

www.websleuths.com

I doubt he even left the area ..his story probably ends like this ..

 

[Nina Michigan]

Mysteriously Missing FBI Report Could Have Helped Solve the Freeway Phantom Cold Case Murders

Six young Black girls were abducted and killed in the early 1970s. Their bodies were left along the freeway. Their killer, known as the Freeway Phantom, has never been caught.

washingtoncitypaper.com

 

[dotr]

Mysteriously Missing FBI Report Could Have Helped Solve the Freeway Phantom Cold Case Murders

Six young Black girls were abducted and killed in the early 1970s. Their bodies were left along the freeway. Their killer, known as the Freeway Phantom, has never been caught.

washingtoncitypaper.com

Awesome article, lots of information to unpack, ty!