Brenda Denise Woodard was an 18-year old, that lived with her family in Baltimore, Maryland, along Maryland Avenue. In return, they could pick up a soda for themselves. The investigation into the Freeway Phantom has long been considered a "cold case." Today, Williams and other relatives of the victims will hold a memorial service in honor of the girls, whose slayings, with the exception of one, remain unsolved. As the group of kids were playing in this area, just off of Interstate 295's northbound lanes, an 11-year-old boy wandered off. [1][2] Allenteen spotted her defiant 13-year old daughter, and let her know that her punishment would be waiting for her at home. She was sent to buy groceries at a 7-Eleven located a half-mile away from her home by her older sister, but she never returned. Investigation revealed that the minor girl was sexually assaulted and strangled to death. The prior decade had seen some major pieces federal legislation - such as the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965 - and the racial divide was still fresh in everyone's mind. Union. A 17-year-old Ballou High School senior, Williams cooked dinner for her family and then visited her boyfriend's house. Unfortunately, this began a really frustrating period of time, in which the Maryland State Police held the item in a backlog, but were unable to test it in a timely manner. 43 Winn Street Burlington, MA 01803. Detective Romaine Jenkins would later theorize that the kidnapper was someone that knew Brenda's mother, who wanted to make sure that they had not been spotted with Brenda. If those girls had been white, they would have put more manpower on it, there's no doubt about that.". While she remains hopeful the killings eventually will be solved, Jenkins believes the passage of time already has diminished the chances of closing the case. The usage of the word 'tantamount' had often stood out to investigators, and here was a prime suspect that seemed to use the word regularly - as verified by his coworkers, who said as much. Warren was taken out of prison to specific locations, and began pointing out where victims had been abducted, killed, assaulted, and then disposed of. Mr .. Tommie Simmons in Connecticut 34 people named Tommie Simmons found in Hartford, New York-Northern New Jersey-Long Island and 2 . "These were probably the first serial cases in the District of Columbia that one can recall," said Romaine Jenkins, a retired D.C. police homicide detective who helped investigate the killings. Following this alleged sexual assault, the man had then driven the victim away from the scene, telling her at one point: "Have you ever heard of the Baltimore-Washington Expressway Phantom? During his trial, it was revealed that he'd been a police informant, aiding law enforcement in the arrests of prostitutes. One of the known victims didn't have green fibers, and because of the investigation's scarce reporting, I have struggled to determine who the outlier is or was. They would be called back later on, but by that time, the case had grown stagnant. To this day, many believe that police did not give the investigation the necessary resources or manpower. These were the type of cases that her male colleagues tried to avoid. "And this is probably one of the most massive and extensive investigations that was ever conducted in D.C.". Investigators would continue to ponder this theory over the coming months, as they began to inquire into possible leads. If that is the case, it perhaps explains the next development in the story. It's a story that continues to haunt her, more than two decades after her retirement. Tommy Musgrove joined the MPDC in 1972, and eventually climbed up the ranks enough to head the entire homicide unit. As you can guess, this early nickname would stick and soon, the killer himself seemed to embrace it. Five months after being released in April 1952, Askins strangled 42-year-old Laura Cook to death. On December 30, only two days later, he stabbed to death another prostitute, 26-year-old Elizabeth Johnson, at the same location. Why don't they investigate whites as well?". Nonetheless, doubt continues to linger over the case, and the potential involvement of the Green Vega Rapists. It had housed everyone from psychotic killers to returning Vietnam veterans suffering from undiagnosed PTSD. The first of which was from Leon Williams, the father of Diane Williams - the sixth and final murder victim of the Freeway Phantom. Carolyn Spinks Morris - the identical twin sister of Carol Spinks, the first victim - recalls the day that her family learned of Carol's murder. The search for Brenda Crockett was - thankfully - not a long way. She didn't do anything.". He was indicted for this murder in 1954, accused of several other assaults of similar circumstance, and re-tried for the 1938 murder, it having been determined that he was indeed sane upon committing the act. The most intriguing testimony they could obtain was that of a neighbor, who saw Neno Yates getting into a blue Volkswagon. James Trainum - the retired homicide detective that resurrected the case more than a decade ago - continues to believe that the killer lived in the neighborhood of the first two victims: Carol Spinks and Darlenia Johnson. This is the story of Washington D.C.'s first known serial killer, the Freeway Phantom. [21][2] With current evidence and any information of the case from when it happened, no leads produced sufficient evidence for prosecution. He ended up walking roughly 1500 feet south of Suitland Parkway, towards a grassy embankment along the Anacostia Freeway, where he discovered the body of a murdered young woman. edward sullivan and tommie simmons edward sullivan and tommie simmons. edward sullivan and tommie simmons. ", "I remember the night that she didn't come home," Williams said, "how hard it was for me to go to sleep.". We know that Carol made it to the store - a 7-Eleven along Wheeler Road - because a clerk working that evening later told police that they sold the girl some items - TV dinners, bread, and some soda - before watching her leave. "This is tantamount to insensititivity [sic] to people especially women. This returned him to the scene of the first two crimes, and police would determine that this most recent victim, Diane Williams, had been abducted not too far away from where Carol Spinks and Darlenia Johnson had been kidnapped from. ", "(Wanted Poster) Up to $150,000 Reward 'Freeway Phantom' Murders", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Freeway_Phantom&oldid=1139343201, CS1 Chinese (Taiwan)-language sources (zh-tw), Wikipedia articles needing rewrite from February 2018, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 14 February 2023, at 17:04. All but one are still considered victims of the "Freeway Phantom Murderer. However, one of the victims was too decomposed for authorities to rule out it out, and another was found with semen on her clothing - raising the possibility that five had been the victim of sexual assault. Throughout the summer, Diane had fallen in love with her boyfriend, and she had spent a good chunk of the time off from school with him. Heavy footsteps were heard in the background and Crockett said "I'll see you" and hung up. In this meeting of more than 100 people, residents expressed their disdain for the police response to the murders. The body was too severely decomposed by the time officials got to it, and medical examiners would be unable to determine if the victim had been sexually assaulted before her death. . The most notable thing about the discovery was that the body was dressed except for the missing shoes. He may have begun with a series of attacks dubbed the "Green Vega Rapes" which occurred from 1968 to 1970. Note: The note left in Woodward's pocket claimed that the Phantom killed additional victims. That was when she learned of her 18-year old daughter's brutal murder. They dedicated many more man-hours to political scandals and dealing with Vietnam protests - and to the loved ones left without any answers - it seemed like detectives cared very little about six dead black girls. She was sent to buy groceries at a 7-Eleven located a half-mile away from her home by her older sister, but she never returned. Investigators would theorize that the phone calls made to Brenda's family were facilitated by the kidnapper, who wanted to feed false information to the police. Investigators were unable to link the existing evidence to any real suspects, and the witness statements they could gather were hardly helpful. You see, not only was he a current employee of St. Elizabeth's Hospital - a psychiatric facility that focused on mental health. They said they had arrest warrants for another 26 people. One of its pockets contained a note from the killer:[12], this is tAntAmount to my Why was this case never solved? To residents, the murder of six girls in their community was a travesty. After kissing her boyfriend goodbye, Diane Williams was last seen boarding a city bus, directed towards her family's home in Halley Terrace. [14][15] They also speculated that, given the absence of indications of duress in the writing, apart from evidence of dysgraphia, she may have known her kidnapper. In fact, Maryland police claimed there were no similarities between Angelas death and the murder of six other girls in D.C. Nenomoshia Yates had been sent by her family to a Safeway grocery store, which was just down the street from their apartment - literally less than a block away. [5] About two hours later (around 9:20 pm) the Crocketts' phone rang and was answered by her 7-year-old sister, who had waited at home while her family searched the neighborhood. Bertha recalls her sister crying on the other end of the phone, and sounding somewhat distracted. The victim, a 17-year old waitress, had been waiting at a bus stop when a young white man pulled up in his vehicle and asked for directions. [25][26] Authorities later determined that Barnes was not a victim of the Freeway Phantom and resumed their investigation on the murders.[12]. [7], A short time later, the phone rang again and was this time answered by the stepfather of Crockett. The service, which comes 25 years to the month after Diane Williams's slaying, will be held at 2 p.m. at the Howard University School of Divinity. All of this created a lot of animosity towards the local police department - the MPDC - who hired almost exclusively white officers. The FBI had begun assisting in the investigation following the fourth murder - that of Nenomoshia Yates - when it became clear that this was a repeat offender targeting multiple young victims. In December of 1938 - when Askins was a much younger man - he had poisoned a sex worker in Washington D.C with potassium cyanide. He seemed to be an amiable man, who was known for his propensity to use the word "tantamount" - seemingly at random - but a further look at Askins revealed a bit of a sketchy past. Alias As you can imagine, she never made it home. One of the issues I haven't really touched on so far is the topic of race. Hours after the body had been discovered, when police had roped off the scene, she would unknowingly stumble upon the commotion. These family members banded together in 1973, to form the Freeway Phantom Organization - a grouping of loved ones, who wanted to support one another in the wake of this tragedy. jennifer 8 filming locations; what is a state vendor for nj familycare; the vintage new orleans happy hour menu Sellman and Simmons, two ex-cops, were arrested for the murder of Angela Denise Barnes. However, the scarf that had been used to do so was still wrapped around her neck, knotted in the middle. On September 5th, 1972, Diane cooked dinner for her family, and then set off to visit her boyfriend for the evening - just as she had done several times over the summer. It was surmised that the body had only been decomposing for 2-3 days, despite her body being found close to a week after her abduction. The remains looked undisturbed, as if nobody had even given the body a glance, but the summer heat was beginning to take its toll. She was found wearing the clothing she had disappeared in, but her shoes had been removed. He would receive a life sentence, and ended up spending several decades inside a penitentiary. insensititivity [sic] to people FRee-wAy PhanTom[13], Based on handwriting samples, authorities surmised that the note, written on paper cut from the victim's school notebook, had been dictated to and handwritten by Woodard. Police investigators initially linked a total of seven slayings, including that of Barnes, to the same killer. After that announcement, the inmate who provided the information declined any further interviews, and denied that he had ever provided any information. Police were unable to uncover much evidence other than what I've just described, but noted that the victim had been strangled to death, just like the first two cases. In addition, Darlenia Johnson - just like Carol Spinks - had been found in the clothes she was wearing when she went missing, but was missing her shoes. Want to Read. In the early 1970's, a mysterious killer targeted young black girls along the Washington Beltway. One of which began talking: Morris Joseph Warren, who had begun to grow fearful that another member of the gang would turncoat before he did. The other, they claimed, belonged to an African American man. [4] A reward of $150,000 remains open as well.[5]. "It's in the past, plus personnel in the police department has changed. Brenda Denise Woodard, whose body still had the shoes worn. [7], On July 27, 1971, 10-year-old Crockett from Northwest failed to return home after having been sent to the store by her mother. Read. [22] [23] Authorities later determined that Barnes was not a victim of the Freeway Phantom and resumed their investigation on the murders. Angela Denise Barnes was a 14-year old that disappeared on July 12th, 1971, just days after Darlenia Johnson had gone missing. In 1983, Harper and Helen B. Collins wrote and published a book called "The Mystery of the Freeway Phantom," which details the killings. One suspect that I haven't seen discussed in any major publications was a young man named James Groom, whose name was mentioned in the October 21st, 1972 edition of the Baltimore Afro American - a regional newspaper. Brenda Faye Crockett was a 10-year old girl that lived with her family in Northwest, about a block away from Cardozo High School. In addition, he owned many photos of unknown girls and young women, and police even found a knife that had been used in another crime. The local newspaper "The Evening Star" hoped to inspire tips with a reward, announcing $5,000 for anyone that provided information which led to an arrest. Edward Sullivan and Tommie Simmons. With current evidence and any information of the case from when it happened, no leads produced sufficient evidence for prosecution. The cause-of-death, though, appeared to be strangulation. Investigation Discoverys People Magazine Investigates: The Freeway Phantom chronicles the crimes of a serial murderer self-proclaimed as the Freeway Phantom. Carol, who knew that she was risking punishment if it was discovered she had left the family's apartment, walked briskly along Wheeler Road. best used midsize suv under $20 000; lia thomas swimmer ranking before and after. [21] Barnes, 14, was at one point thought to be a victim of the serial killings. [5] Her body was found within three hours of her abduction, just off the shoulder of Pennsylvania Avenue in Prince George's County, Maryland. This hints at some kind of urgency, such as the killer being rushed. This was, truthfully, based off of statistical analysis at the time - which did show that killers tend to target their own racial demographic, more often than not - but had come after months of inactivity and perceived apathy. She was asking for some groceries - all of which could be picked up from a 7-Eleven convenience store just down the street. He had pulled over to the side of the road, just south of the border separating Washington D.C. and the state of Maryland. I will admit the others when you catch me if you can! Hence their nickname, the "Green Vega's.". "From that moment on, our lives were never the same," said Williams, 40, who is a police officer. Well, I'm him.". "It took maybe up to the fifth victim when they really got the message that there was a problem," Jenkins added. Two shared the first name Brenda. Eventually, the FBI would enter the fray once again in 1974. On the evening July 27th, 1971, at around 8:00 PM, many of the kids in Brenda's neighborhood were settling in for a movie night. Unknown In the fall of 1971, she began taking night classes at Cardozo High School, hoping to improve her working skills (such as typing). edward sullivan and tommie simmons. After that announcement, the inmate who provided the information declined any further interviews, and denied that he had ever provided the information. UNION, S.C.-- Mr. Thomas David 'Tommy' Simmons, age 68, husband of Suzette Lancaster Simmons of 179 Pinedale Court, Prosperity, passed away at his home, July 31, 2018. Both were ex-cops that were arrested in relation to the 1971 murder of Angela Barnes. Despite being unable to determine the official cause-of-death, the coroner would later state that there was evidence of strangulation, which was loosely applied to the case of the murdered Darlenia Johnson. Brenda then told her younger sister that she was in Virginia, before the call came to an abrupt end. No. This time, the call would be answered by Brenda's mother's boyfriend, who had returned to the news of the first call. Court documents were found in a desk drawer in which a judge had used the word "tantamount," an uncommon word that had appeared in the note dictated by the killer of Brenda Woodward. The "Freeway Phantom" was a nickname given by a regional tabloid, but the name seemed to stick. Police would eventually rule her out entirely, when they solved the case and arrested two ex-police officers for the crime - who were both later convicted. In addition to the stab wounds, investigators considered it bizarre that the victim was found with her shoes. These members included men such as Morris Joseph Warren, Paul Fletcher, John Davis, and Paul Brooks - whose exploits you can find in detailed newspaper archives. All of the known members of this gang had been locked up on charges relating to sexual violence at around the time that the Freeway Phantom crime spree came to an end, and had been incarcerated inside Virginia's Lorton Prison. [1][2], On the evening of April 25, 1971, 13-year-old Spinks from Southeast was sent by (Carlo) an older sister to buy groceries at a 7-Eleven located a half-mile away from her home, just across the border in Maryland. As of this episode's recording, the storeis of Carol Spinks, Darlenia Johnson, Brenda Crockett, Nenomoshia Yates, Brenda Woodard, and Diane Williams remain unresolved. A 1975 memorandum order by D.C. Superior Court Judge Fred B. Ugast read: "On May 16th, Mr. Warren began to direct the government agents to the locations he had described to them regarding two Freeway deaths. Twenty of those appearances were included on a DVD titled Muppets Magic from the Ed Sullivan Show in 2003. During these interviews, one gang member initially implicated another gang member, who he said told him he was involved and gave information as to one of the beltway homicides. A reward exists for information that will lead to the arrest and conviction of people or persons responsible, totaling $150,000 as of this year. More than two months had passed since the 13-year old had gone missing and her remains were found, and the story was a blip on the radar for 16-year old Darlenia. One of the cases often pointed to as an example of this very behavior is the disappearance of Sheila and Katherine Lyon - two sisters that disappeared from the Washington D.C./Maryland region in 1975. Common practice at the time was that case files at MPDC Detective Divisions were retained in files maintained by the detectives assigned to the case. He walked her to a bus stop nearby, along Martin Luther King Avenue. [8] "A white man picked me up, and I'm heading home in a cab," Crockett told her sister, adding that she believed she was in Virginia before abruptly saying, "Bye" and hanging up. Early 1970's newspaper reports hint at a perceived hatred of those names by the killer, but police have not stated that this was a belief of theirs. When investigators announced that the Freeway Phantom killer was most likely a black individual, this animosity towards the local police force began to turn into widespread distrust. It was only now, following the murder of Nenomoshia Yates, that the deaths of these four young black girls was officially linked. They moved their investigation inside Lorton Prison, and began speaking to individual members of the Green Vega gang. He also owns a car or truck, which he would drive the distances between the stores where the victims were abducted. Through the 1960's and 1970's, more than 70% of the region's population was African American, who had had to endure an entire lifetime of racial tension and struggles. However, along the way, she encountered her mother, who just-so-happened to be returning home. Were Edward Sullivan and Tommie Simmons Freeway Phantom? This linked it to the Carol Spinks and Brenda Crockett murders. Edward Emerson Simmons (October 27, 1852 - November 17, 1931) was an American Impressionist painter, remembered for his mural work. The Green Vega Gang members were individually interviewed by MPDC Homicide Detectives Fickling, Irving, and Richardson, at Lorton Prison in Virginia, where the gang members were serving sentences in conjunction with the successful prosecutions of those crimes in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. In the aftermath of this most recent discovery, police struggled to come to terms with the idea that Brenda Woodard had been killed by the same person that murdered Carol Sprinks, Darlenia Johnson, Brenda Crockett, and Nenomoshia Yates. The investigations resulted in 53 individual charges of selling heroin, and 43 individual charges of selling crack cocaine, among other charges. Logical investigation and intimate knowledge of the modus operandi of the Green Vega Gang brought them to the forefront. [11] Unlike the other victims, she was still wearing her shoes, and a coat had been placed over her chest. He claimed at least one specific gang member in the murders, and began giving details of specific dates, times, and locations. In the coming years, detectives would theorize that this implies some connection to the neighborhood Brenda Crockett lived in. 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