Freeway Phantom Killer

Investigative Writer: Kimberly Jones

Imagine walking to a gas station to buy groceries a half a mile from your home. On your way returning home you vanish.. without a trace. That's what happened to 13 year old Carol Denise Sprinks sent to the nearby 7 eleven just across the border in Maryland by her sister. Sprinks disappeared on April 25th, 1971 and her body was discovered 6 days later at 2:46 pm, in a grassy embankment, next to the North bound lanes of I-295 behind St. Elizabeth's Hospital which was just 1,500 feet south of Suitland Parkway. During her examination it was discovered that she had been physically and sexually assaulted and strangled. When her body was found she had only been dead a few days and was fully dressed but her shoes were missing. During the next year and a half this unidentified killer would strike a total of six times killing young girls and teenagers. His killing spree went from April 25, 1971 to September 5, 1972. Darlenia Denise Johnson would be the killers next victim. Johnson was 16 at the time she went missing and was abducted while going to her summer job at Oxon Hill Recreation Center. Johnson would go missing on July 8th, 1971 from Congress Hill. A witness reported seeing Johnson get into an old black car that was driven by an African American man not long after her abduction. Eleven days later, her body would be found only 15 feet from where the first victim Sprinks was located. Per Johnson's murder, police had been notified of where the location of the body was a week earlier by an anonymous caller. The details of this latest find could have only been known by the killer. Johnson's body, which was also dressed and missing her shoes, was so far decomposed that her cause of death could not be determined if she had been sexually assaulted, but police were able to determined that Johnson had been strangled. On July 27th 1971 Brenda Faye Crockett 10 years old would be another victim of the killer. Crockett was from the Northeast area when she failed to return home after she was sent to the store by her mother. Two hours later at 9:20 pm the Crockett residents receives a phone call which was answered by her 7 year old sister who was home while her parents were out searching for Crockett. She was crying on on the other line and stated" A white man picked me up, and I'm heading home in a cab". Crockett also mentioned she believed she was in Virginia before she abruptly said "bye". Not long later the phone rings a second time, this time it was answered by her step father and once again Crockett repeated what she stated earlier but this time stated," did my mom see me"?. Crockett also stated she was alone in a house with a white male, Crockett's stepfather then asked her to put the man on the phone. He then heard heavy footsteps in the background as Crockett said "I'll see you" before hanging up. Authorities now conclude Crockett likely was forced to call her family by the killer and given inaccurate information inorder to mislead authorities and give him time to carry out the murder. Sadly, at 5:50 am the following day a hitchhiker found Crockett's body on US route 50 near the Baltimore Washington Parkway in the Prince George's County in Maryland. She too had been raped and was strangled with a scarf that was knotted around her knock. Not long after Crockett's murder, Nenomoshia Yates was 12 years old when she was murdered. She was walking home from a Safeway store in Northeast on October 1 1971 around 7:00pm. When she was kidnapped and strangled, she was found three hours after she was abducted off the shoulder of Pennsylvania Avenue in Prince George's County Maryland. As per the other murders her shoes, her shoes were also missing and some green fibers were also found on her clothing. A witness did come forward stating they saw her get into a blue Volkswagen. This was also investigated by police but lead nowhere. After this murder took place the "Freeway Phantom " was first used in an article called the Daily News which described all the murders. The Freeway Phantom would go on to kill two final victims. Brenda Denise Woodard who went missing on November 15th 1971. Eighteen at the time of her death. Woodard was found by a police officer to which she had been stabbed multiple times and strangled. She was found in a grassy area near Prince George's County Hospital along Route 202 from the Baltimore-Washington Parkway. She on the other hand still had on her shoes but had her coat neatly placed over her chest. In one of the coat pockets contained a note that read: "This is tAntAmount to my insensitivity (sic) to people especiAlly women. I will Admit the others wheN you cAtch me iF you cAn. FReewAy PhanTom". The final victim was a year later. Seventeen year old Diane Denise Williams was last seen boarding a bus at 11:20 pm near her house going to see her boyfriend. Hours later as she was returning home she was found strangled and dumped alongside I-295 south of the district line. As the other victims, Williams shoes were missing but she had no signs of sexual assault. Semen was found on her(assumed to be her boyfriends). This case has been opened and closed numerous of times with all sorts of reports and no suspects. It remains open as the Freeway Phantom killer has never been apprehended. A reward of $150,000 also remains at this present time. Imagine walking to a gas station to buy groceries a half a mile from your home. On your way returning home you vanish.. without a trace. That's what happened to 13 year old Carol Denise Sprinks. Sent to the near by 7 eleven just across the border in Maryland by her sister. Sprinks disappeared on April 25th 1971 and her body was discovered 6 days later at 2:46 pm in a grassy embankment next to the North bound lanes of I-295 behind St. Elizabeth's Hospital which was just 1,500 feet south of Suitland Parkway. During her examination it was discovered that she had been physically and sexually assaulted and strangled. When her body was found she had only been dead a few days and was fully dressed but her shoes were missing. During the next year and a half this unidentified killer would strike a total of six times killing young girls and teenagers. His killing spree went from April 25, 1971 to September 5, 1972. Darlenia Denise Johnson would be the killers next victim. Johnson was 16 at the time she went missing and was abducted while going to her summer job at Oxon Hill Recreation Center. Johnson would go missing on July 8th 1971 from Congress Hill. A witness reported seeing Johnson get into an old black car that was driven by an African American man not long after her abduction. Eleven days later, her body would be found only 15 feet from where the first victim Sprinks was located. Per Johnson's murder, police had been notified of where the location of the body was a week earlier by an anonymous caller. The details of this latest find could have only been known by the killer. Johnson's body, which was also dressed and missing her shoes was so far decomposed that her cause of death could not be determined if she had been sexually assaulted, but police were able to determined that Johnson had been strangled. On July 27th, 1971 Brenda Faye Crockett 10 years old would be another victim of the killer. Crockett was from the Northeast area when she failed to return home after she was sent to the store by her mother. Two hours later at 9:20 pm the Crockett residents receives a phone call which was answered by her 7 year old sister who was home while her parents were out searching for Crockett. She was crying on on the other line and stated" A white man picked me up, and I'm heading home in a cab". Crockett also mentioned she believed she was in Virginia before she abruptly said "bye". Not long later the phone rings a second time, this time it was answered by her step father and once again Crockett repeated what she stated earlier but this time stated," did my mom see me?". Crockett also stated she was alone in a house with a white male, Crockett's stepfather then asked her to put the man on the phone. He then heard heavy footsteps in the background as Crockett said "I'll see you" before hanging up. Authorities now conclude Crockett likely was forced to call her family by the killer and given inaccurate information inorder to mislead authorities and give him time to carry out the murder. Sadly, at 5:50 am the following day a hitchhiker found Crockett's body on US route 50 near the Baltimore Washington Parkway in the Prince George's County in Maryland. She too had been raped and was strangled with a scarf that was knotted around her knock. Not long after Crockett's murder, Nenomoshia Yates was 12 years old when she was murdered. She was walking home from a Safeway store in Northeast on October 1 1971 around 7:00pm. When she was kidnapped and strangled, she was found three hours after she was abducted off the shoulder of Pennsylvania Avenue in Prince George's County Maryland. As per the other murders her shoes, her shoes were also missing and some green fibers were also found on her clothing. A witness did come forward stating they saw her get into a blue Volkswagen. This was also investigated by police but lead nowhere. After this murder took place the "Freeway Phantom " was first used in an article called the Daily News which described all the murders. The Freeway Phantom would go on to kill two final victims. Brenda Denise Woodard who went missing on November 15th 1971. Eighteen at the time of her death. Woodard was found by a police officer to which she had been stabbed multiple times and strangled. She was found in a grassy area near Prince George's County Hospital along Route 202 from the Baltimore-Washington Parkway. She on the other hand still had on her shoes but had her coat neatly placed over her chest. In one of the coat pockets contained a note that read: "This is to Amount to my insensitivity (sic) to people especiAlly women. I will Admit the others wheN you cAtch me iF you cAn. FReewAy PhanTom". The final victim was a year later. Seventeen year old Diane Denise Williams was last seen boarding a bus at 11:20 pm near her house going to see her boyfriend. Hours later as she was returning home she was found strangled and dumped alongside I-295 south of the district line. As the other victims, Williams shoes were missing but she had no signs of sexual assault. Semen was found on her(assumed to be her boyfriends). This case has been opened and closed numerous of times with all sorts of reports and no suspects. It remains open as the Freeway Phantom killer has never been apprehended. A reward of $150,000 also remains at this present time.