Case overview
Between April 1971 and September 1972, six Black girls and young women were abducted, sexually assaulted, and killed in Washington, DC. Their bodies were found near freeways in the District and Prince George’s County, Maryland, leading investigators to conclude the murders were connected. The case remains unsolved.
The first victim and the pattern that followed
On April 25, 1971, thirteen-year-old Carol Denise Spinks disappeared while walking to a 7-Eleven near her home in Greenleaf Gardens, a public housing complex in Southeast Washington. Six days later, her body was discovered on the southbound side of Interstate 295, near the Suitland Parkway in DC. She had been sexually assaulted and strangled.
Less than two months later, on July 8, 1971, sixteen-year-old Darlenia Denise Johnson vanished while returning home from summer school. Her body was found along Interstate 295 on July 19. The location, method of death, and victim profile mirrored the Spinks case. Both girls lived in the same Southeast DC neighborhood and had been abducted during daylight hours.
Brenda Fay Crockett, ten years old, was reported missing on July 27, 1971, after leaving a friend’s apartment in Northwest DC. Her body was found the next day on a grassy embankment along Route 202 in Prince George’s County, Maryland. She had been strangled. Before her death, Crockett made a brief phone call home, telling her family she had been abducted but that her captor had promised to release her. She did not describe her location or provide enough detail for police to intervene.
The note and the shift in evidence
The fourth victim, twelve-year-old Nenomoshia Yates, disappeared on October 1, 1971, while walking home from a Safeway in Northeast DC. Her body was located on Pennsylvania Avenue near the Suitland Parkway on October 12. Investigators found a handwritten note inside one of her shoes. The note, written in block letters, read: “This is tantamount to my insensitivity to people especially women. I will admit the others when you catch me if you can!”
The note was the first direct communication attributed to the offender. Handwriting analysis confirmed it was likely written by the same individual responsible for the crimes. The reference to “the others” reinforced investigators’ belief that a single offender was responsible for multiple homicides.
On November 15, 1971, eighteen-year-old Brenda Denise Woodard disappeared from her home in Northeast DC. Her body was found the following day near a Maryland Route 202 access road. She had been strangled. Woodard was the oldest victim at the time and fit the established victim profile: a young Black female abducted from Southeast or Northeast DC.
The final known victim
The sixth and final confirmed victim was seventeen-year-old Diane Williams. She was last seen boarding a bus on September 5, 1972, after visiting her boyfriend in Northwest DC. Her body was discovered the next day off Interstate 295, near the same area where Carol Spinks had been found more than a year earlier. Williams had been strangled. Her death marked the last known killing attributed to the Freeway Phantom.
The murders stopped abruptly after September 1972. No additional cases matching the pattern were documented. Investigators considered multiple theories for the cessation, including the possibility that the offender had been incarcerated, relocated, or died.
Investigative efforts and challenges
The Freeway Phantom investigation involved multiple jurisdictions, including the Metropolitan Police Department of the District of Columbia, the Maryland State Police, and the Prince George’s County Police Department. Coordination between agencies was inconsistent, and evidence sharing faced procedural delays. Public interest in the case was significant, but media coverage diminished as leads stalled.
Physical evidence collected from the crime scenes included fibers, trace materials, and the handwritten note. Forensic capabilities in the early 1970s were limited. DNA testing was not available, and much of the biological evidence could not be analyzed with the technology of the time.
Investigators developed a psychological profile based on victim selection, geographic patterns, and the method of disposal. The profile suggested a male with familiarity in Southeast and Northeast DC, access to a vehicle, and knowledge of roadways and secluded areas. The offender likely lived or worked in the District and selected victims opportunistically.
Multiple suspects were questioned over the years, but no charges were filed. In the 1970s, investigative attention focused on individuals with prior convictions for sexual assault or abduction. None of the early suspects could be conclusively linked to the murders through physical evidence.
Robert Askins and the Green Vega connection
In the mid-1970s, investigators examined a potential connection between the Freeway Phantom murders and a criminal group known as the Green Vega Rapists. The Green Vega Rapists were a gang operating in Washington, DC, during the same period as the Freeway Phantom killings. The group was responsible for multiple abductions and sexual assaults.
One member of the Green Vega Rapists, Robert Askins, became a person of interest in the Freeway Phantom case. Askins was convicted of rape and murder in a separate case involving the death of a woman in Maryland. Some investigators believed Askins or other members of the gang may have been involved in the Freeway Phantom murders, but no evidence directly tied him to the victims.
In 2010, the case was reexamined by the Metropolitan Police Department’s Cold Case Homicide Unit. Advances in forensic DNA testing allowed investigators to re-test evidence collected from the crime scenes. The testing yielded partial DNA profiles, but no matches were found in national databases.
Victim families and public advocacy
Family members of the victims have maintained public efforts to keep the case in the public record. Some families have criticized the initial investigation, citing delays in response time and inadequate resource allocation. Advocacy groups have argued that the victims’ race and socioeconomic background influenced the level of investigative effort and media attention.
In 2020, renewed interest in the case emerged following the release of investigative podcasts and articles that examined the murders in detail. The renewed attention led to public calls for additional forensic testing and re-evaluation of archived evidence.
Current status and ongoing review
The Freeway Phantom case remains open and unsolved. The Metropolitan Police Department continues to review evidence and pursue leads when they arise. Investigators have encouraged anyone with information related to the case to contact the department’s Cold Case Unit.
Advances in genetic genealogy have provided new investigative tools for cold cases nationwide. The Metropolitan Police Department has not publicly confirmed whether genetic genealogy methods have been applied to the Freeway Phantom evidence, but the technology remains a viable option for future testing.
The case stands as one of the most significant unsolved serial murder investigations in Washington, DC history. The geographic clustering of the victims, the consistency of the offender’s method, and the abrupt cessation of the murders continue to generate investigative and academic interest.
Where to look next
- Documentary: “The Freeway Phantom” (Discovery+)
- Book: “Tantamount: The Pursuit of the Freeway Phantom Serial Killer” by Blaine Pardoe and Victoria Hester
- Podcast: “The Freeway Phantom” (“The Opportunist”, Kast Media)
