edward sullivan and tommie simmons

He immediately recanted all prior statements and rescinded his prior confessions, calling it an "elaborate hoax" in the process. The inmate being interviewed stipulated that he would provide the information only if he could remain unidentified, which was agreed upon. With current evidence and any information of the case from when it happened, no leads produced sufficient evidence for prosecution. Read More: Are Green Vega Rapists Freeway Phantom? Investigators had created a timeline of events, which they forced themselves to adhere to. "It took maybe up to the fifth victim when they really got the message that there was a problem," Jenkins added. Nothing seemed to link him to the six victims, and a comparison of the green fibers that had been found on 5 of the 6 victims' clothing didn't match anything that Askins owned. He also could've complained about how society was wronging him, and probably tried contacting a person of power by some means; however, said person presumably refused to listen to him, further fueling his anger and leading to the murders. They made appearances at public events, and tried to keep up with the investigation, hoping to bolster one another and present a brave face. Many of the original detectives had been long-retired, or were even deceased, when Trainum took on the case. Mr .. Tommie Simmons in Connecticut 34 people named Tommie Simmons found in Hartford, New York-Northern New Jersey-Long Island and 2 . 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. [22] Members of this gang were collectively responsible for numerous Washington D.C. and surrounding Maryland vicinity rapes and abductions that occurred near the Washington Beltway. [21] Barnes, 14, was at one point thought to be a victim of the serial killings. It wasn't until September of 1972 that investigators would declare him active once again. In addition to all of these violent details, it was also discovered during this autopsy that the victim, Carol, had likely been kept alive after her disappearance (which police were now ruling an abduction). She didn't blink. 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. We found 15 records for Tom Sullivan in Maumee, Holland and 10 other cities in Ohio. On December 28, 1938, Askinsthen a 19-year-old student and member of the science club at Miner Teachers Collegeserved cyanide-laced whiskey to five prostitutes at a brothel, resulting in the death of 31-year-old Ruth McDonald. Brenda Faye Crockett was a 10-year old girl that lived with her family in Northwest, about a block away from Cardozo High School. The remains looked undisturbed, as if nobody had even given the body a glance, but the summer heat was beginning to take its toll. Rhode Island State Police said Thursday that they arrested 62 people in a sweeping investigation into welfare fraud. Investigators were unable to link the existing evidence to any real suspects, and the witness statements they could gather were hardly helpful. Investigators would later theorize that this note was written by Brenda herself; with the FBI later linking it to other writings from her. of Victims Jim Henson's Muppets made 25 appearances on The Ed Sullivan Show between 1966 and 1971. 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. As they spoke, her bus had come and gone, so the man offered to give her a ride home. Both girls went missing just blocks away from one another, and both of their bodies were found just feet away from one another - likely dumped off of a road overlooking the grassy embankment they had been found in. I don't believe that police followed the leads they had. During their correspondence, Askins continued to deny having any part in the Freeway Phantom murders, stating that he did not have: " the depravity of mind required to commit any of the crimes.". This is the story of Washington D.C.'s first known serial killer, the Freeway Phantom. However, authorities would note that her feet seemed to be incredibly clean for someone that had been walking outside, become an odd footnote in the case-file. The 12-year old girl lived with her father and stepmother in an apartment in Northeast, along Benning Road. "You never forget. 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. These were the type of cases that her male colleagues tried to avoid. 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. He retired the next year, 2010, and had received no word in an official capacity from the Maryland Police. Trainum was able to recover many of the documents from the Maryland State Police - who had carefully stored the files - but had no idea what had been lost in the preceding decades. [18] As with other victims, her shoes were missing, but no signs of sexual assault were found although traces of semen (assumed to be from the boyfriend) were found. Investigators and websleuths alike have wondered if Brenda Woodard might have been targeted by a separate killer, who tried to place the blame for her death at the burgeoning "Freeway Phantom" by having the victim write a note saying as much. 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. This linked it to the Carol Spinks and Brenda Crockett murders. 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. However, other detectives that have handled or examined the case in the years since have pointed out that most of the information Morris Warren provided was all stuff he could have gotten from news coverage of the murders. Authorities could never conclusively link Edward and Tommie with the other killings and mark them as the Phantom Freeway killer. [23] Logical investigation and intimate knowledge of the modus operandi of the Green Vega Gang brought them to the forefront. In return, they could pick up a soda for themselves. The body also had a coat on its chest, in the pockets of which was a note with a poem , this is tAntAmount to my Several days passed, and Washington D.C. - already a warm and humid place - began to enter the dog days of summer. No. The most notable case, which police had originally attributed to the Phantom, was the murder of 14-year old Angela Barnes. "From that moment on, our lives were never the same," said Williams, 40, who is a police officer. "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. Starkville. They believe that the Freeway Phantom was a young black man in his 20's or 30's, and agree with the FBI profile. The Freeway Phantom has been described as a loner motivated by rage that was focused on overall society. 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. Carol, who knew that she was risking punishment if it was discovered she had left the family's apartment, walked briskly along Wheeler Road. Coroners would later note that the strangulation was excessive, with the girl's esophagus having been broken. The following day - September 6th, 1972 - the body of Diane Williams was discovered by a trucker along Interstate 295. She was asking for some groceries - all of which could be picked up from a 7-Eleven convenience store just down the street. Not only were the case files lost - they were altogether missing. He wanted to tout his record for voters, and announced to the media that he was closing in on an arrest for the Freeway Phantom cold case. Bryant, of Maryland, was the only victim not from the District. There were long gaps between the crimes (sometimes as long as 2.5 months between each), but five young women had been killed over the span of 1971. St. Elizabeths Hospital was less than a mile away from the scene of Carol's disappearance, and was the area's primary mental health facility. edward sullivan and tommie simmons. She had been raped and strangled, and a scarf was knotted around her neck. The bottom of her shoes bore her first name, "DIANA," in big bold letters. Her father had put aside education money for college. This boogeyman would become known as the D.C. region's "first profiled serial killer," and their crimes continue to haunt investigators and loved ones close to half-a-century later She ended up managing the child abuse squad for several years, hoping to make life better for children around the D.C. region. [21][2] With current evidence and any information of the case from when it happened, no leads produced sufficient evidence for prosecution. 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. Why do they think the person was black? There is no closure," Williams said. A privilege that the family members of the Freeway Phantom victims have been waiting for for close to half-a-century. In the most unusual development in the case thus far, investigators discovered what seemed to be a taunt from the culprit - which was found at the scene. This stood out, because he didn't live with any women - so where had he gotten these scarves? Edward Sullivan and Tommie Simmons. Brenda Denise Woodard was an 18-year old, that lived with her family in Baltimore, Maryland, along Maryland Avenue. I have not read anything that indicates she made it to the store, so I can just assume that on her way to Safeway, Brenda was abducted. A police department spokesman said the cases have been assigned to the cold case squad, which will review the files periodically and investigate any new leads actively. 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? The killer may have military experience due to the skill displayed during the abductions and the lack of evidence at the crime scenes. He graduated from Harvard College in 1874, and was a pupil of Lefebvre and Boulanger in Paris, where he took a gold medal. She was found wearing the clothing she had disappeared in, but her shoes had been removed. Why don't they investigate whites as well?". However, as I already hinted at, the FBI cooperation had quickly evaporated, when it became clear that the Watergate scandal wasn't going away anytime soon. Touted as Washington, D.C.'s first serial killer, this yet-to-be-identified murderer was responsible for the killing of at least 6 minor girls in Washington, D.C. from April 1971 through September 1972. Want to Read. We know that this article of clothing was not tested for DNA by either the Maryland State Police or the FBI, but it was last in the possession of the Maryland State Police - who have not confirmed that they actually have the evidence. . He was born in Concord, Massachusetts, the son of a Unitarian minister. The cause-of-death, though, appeared to be strangulation. With the cooperating inmate no longer speaking, this lead quickly wilted. County, Maryland) discovered the body of the missing 10-year old. 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. Barnes, 14, was at one point thought to be a victim of the serial killings. ". She was the region's first female homicide detective - a feat made all the more incredible when you factor in Jenkins' ethnicity. The perpetrator might have served in the Army during the Vietnam War and may have been responsible for some war crimes such as rape and murder during massacres. ", Following this development, it was announced that the FBI would be getting involved in the investigation. especiAlly women. Jury Convicts Man Accused in Green Vega Rapes, Talk Murder With Me - The Freeway Phantom Murders, Baltimore Afro American - Is he the Freeway Phantom (October 21st, 1972 issue), Indiana Evening Gazette - Washington, D.C. Police Seek Clues To Freeway Phantom (November 19th, 1971 issue), Santa Ana Register - 5-Man Gang Tied To Rapes, Killings (July 9th, 1975 issue), Two ex-cops from Washington held for Freeway Phantom murder of girl', Kimberly Riley & Jeremy Britt-Bayinthavong, Paul Skiba, Sarah Skiba, and Lorenzo Chivers, June & Jennifer Gibbons (The Silent Twins). Furthermore, colleagues at the National Science Foundation where Askins was employed reported that "tantamount" was a word that frequently cropped up in his speech. The killer might have been someone nearby that wanted to dispose of the victim's remains as soon as possible. However, despite there being no sign of sexual assault, police would find semen on Diane's clothing. He would probably be masked and not want to show his victims his face. One witness reported having seen Johnson in an old black car, driven by an African-American male, shortly after her abduction. If that is the case, it perhaps explains the next development in the story. That ended up being 13 years later, in 1952, when he was re-indicted and convicted of the murder charges. Valerie Moore - the older sister that had sent Carol Spinks to the 7-Eleven down the street to fetch some soda and TV dinners - was wracked with guilt. Due to the brutality of the crimes the police suspected the offender to be a psychopath. It stuck with him forever - a sentiment shared by Margaret Williams, the mother of Diane Williams, who was not the same following the 1972 murder. She reluctantly agreed, only to discover that the the man had no intentions of taking her to her destination. It was a short walk that she had made dozens of times before. episode Paradise . The investigators agreed. Considr comme le premier tueur en srie de Washington, D.C., ce meurtrier qui n'a pas encore t identifi tait responsable du meurtre d'au moins 6 filles mineures Washington, D.C. d'avril 1971 septembre 1972. On December 30, only two days later, he stabbed to death another prostitute, 26-year-old Elizabeth Johnson, at the same location. Morbidly, the body of Brenda Woodard had been disposed off of another busy road, near a bus-stop that Brenda's mother used almost every single day. 13-year-oldCarol Denise Spinks body was discovered by the authorities six days later from the day she was reported missing on April 25, 1971. Diane would spent the next few hours with her boyfriend, before the time came to head home. This has yet to be verified. It's not too late to say something. This leads us to the events of October 1st, 1971. Listen to "The Freeway Phantom" on Spreaker. However, the scarf that had been used to do so was still wrapped around her neck, knotted in the middle. Nonetheless, doubt continues to linger over the case, and the potential involvement of the Green Vega Rapists. The girls' bodies were dumped near or along freeways in the District and Prince George's County, more than two decades ago. Carol obliged, and accepted the five dollars from her older sister. Ph: (781) 272-0050 Holland, OH Leesburg, VA Ashburn, VA West Lafayette, IN Germantown, MD State College, PA. It was a word that had been used in his prior legal paperwork, during his murder trial from the 1950's and subsequent release, but had also been included in the Freeway Phantom's note. This statement seems to imply that the investigators had either not properly expressed their investigation to the loved ones of the victims, or had simply failed to take their feelings into account. "She had the shape and the beauty to be that. In 1983, Harper and Helen B. Collins wrote and published a book called "The Mystery of the Freeway Phantom," which details the killings. In 1971, a town hall was arranged in Congress Heights by a local antipoverty agency. Since he wasn't incarcerated at the time, I'll refrain from using his name, but he spoke to police and - over the span of a lengthy interview - was able to positively identify three of the murder victims from a photo lineup. It alleged that the Green Vega's - all of whom had been locked up for crimes of sexual violence - were responsible for more than 100 rapes in the region. While the Freeway Phantom was never directly mentioned or referenced, he appears to have been an inspiration for the following unsubs: Criminal Minds Wiki is a FANDOM TV Community. Perhaps she knew her abductor, and wasn't too far away from her family's home at the time of the call. Speaking to the Post, Williams stated: "If it was a white girl, the police would have found the person. You have a whole generation of family members who would like to see someone brought to justice.". Remember when I told you that police had initially found semen on Diane Williams' clothing, and ruled it out as her boyfriend's? Among those individuals considered suspects were members of a gang known as the Green Vega Rapists. Their apathy would be noted on at least one more occasion. The Freeway Phantom is an unidentified pedophilic and ephebophilic serial killer, rapist, and abductor active in Washington, D.C. from April 1971 through September 1972. In the early 1970's, a mysterious killer targeted young black girls along the Washington Beltway. Unknown For the next twenty or so years, Askins seemed to make a conscious effort to become a productive member of society. The Ed Sullivan Show: With Ed Sullivan, Johnny Wayne, Frank Shuster, Ralph Paul. Carol was allowed to continue her small grocery run on this Sunday evening. The remains of this young victim were brought in for an evaluation and autopsy. She had also been fully clothed, minus her shoes (which were missing). This was beyond the date of the known killer's crime spree, and was ruled out as a possible connection due to a lack of evidence, but remains a real possibility. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Experts believe that it might have only been a tragic coincidence that Angelas murder loosely mirrored the victims of the Freeway Phantom. The case files had been lost by DC police in the years since, and were nowhere to be found. Likely, it had been dictated to her by the killer. She told her mom that she was going to be staying the night at the rec center, as they were hosting a sleepover event for kids that would stretch into the following morning. Gender Investigators hypothesized that the killer left her shoes because her name was inscribed on the pair. Unfortunately, they would be unable to link these to any particular victims. A short distance down the road, he was able to flag down a police officer, who reported the scene. West Point. O 'cine d'aventuras ye un chenero cinematografico caracterizau por a presencia d'un heroi (ficticio u real) inspirador d'un mito, a on gosa haber-ie scenas d'aventuras y batallas, asobn de tipo caballeresco y que gosa tamin estar ambientau en epocas pasadas que se presentan de forma exalzadora, en presentando sin profundizar masiau o scenario de l'accin d'a cinta, que mesmo puet estar . Black girls along the Washington Beltway a scarf was knotted around her neck have only been a tragic coincidence Angelas... Made 25 appearances on the case fifth victim when they really got the message that was... Only victim not from the Maryland police the shape and the beauty to be a victim of the detectives! Case from when it happened, no leads produced sufficient evidence for.! Sign of sexual assault, police would have found the person were altogether missing girl that lived her. Victims his face had been long-retired, or were even deceased, when Trainum on. 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Coincidence that Angelas murder loosely mirrored the victims of the Freeway Phantom '' on Spreaker that. Be found and a scarf was knotted around her neck perhaps explains the next development in the investigation also.

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