Episode 156: The Freeway Phantom Murders PT 1

On today’s episode, the first part of a double, Paul and Kate travel to 1971 Washington, D.C., where a young girl goes missing after heading to the store. After a string of similar cases emerge, the crimes start to show a pattern.

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Sources:

Ferguson, Malcolm. “The Story Behind DC’s ‘Freeway Phantom’ Serial Killer.” Washingtonian. May 22, 2023. https://www.washingtonian.com/2023/05/22/the-story-behind-dcs-freeway-phantom-serial-killer/

“Five-Man Gang Suspected of Raping 1,000 in D.C.” The Daily Mail. July 10, 1975.

Ford, Kirsten. “Investigating the Vicious Washington D.C. Serial Killer Known as the ‘Freeway Phantom.’” Medium. November 22, 2024. https://medium.com/tftunderworld/investigating-the-vicious-washington-d-c-serial-killer-known-as-the-freeway-phantom-14b4dec3adf6

“‘Freeway Phantom’ Homicide Victims.” Metropolitan Police of Washington D.C. Website. N.d., https://mpdc.dc.gov/publication/%E2%80%9Cfreeway-phantom%E2%80%9D-homicide-victims

Pardoe, Blaine L. Notes from the Bunker. Blog. https://blainepardoe.wordpress.com/category/true-crime/page/2/

“Police Find 7th D.C.-Area Schoolgirl Murdered.” The Indianapolis Star. September 8, 1972.

Ruken, Casey. “The Gruesome Murder Spree of the ‘Freeway Phantom’: D.C.’s First Serial Killer.” Boundary Stones. Blog. May 27, 2025. https://boundarystones.weta.org/2025/05/27/gruesome-murder-spree-freeway-phantom-dcs-first-serial-killer

Smith, Rend. “Mysteriously Missing FBI Report Could Have Helped Solve the Freeway Phantom Cold Case Murders.” Washington City Paper. May 9, 2024. https://washingtoncitypaper.com/article/694427/mysteriously-missing-fbi-report-could-have-helped-solve-the-freeway-phantom-cold-case-murders/

Townsend, Jade. “The Freeway Phantom Killer.” Medium. July 30, 2023. https://medium.com/@jade00townsend/the-freeway-phantom-killer-dd97ffb764d5