Today is Sunday, October 11, 2020. On this day in 2002, a black businessman named Kenneth

Bridges died in a random shooting. His murderers came to be known as the Beltway Snipers for

their senseless three-week killing spree.

Welcome to today in True Crime, a podcast original. Due to the graphic nature of today's crimes,

listener discretion is advised. Extreme caution is advised for listeners under 13. Today we're

covering the murder of Ken Bridges. Let's go back to the Washington DC area's Southern suburbs.

On October 11, 2002, shortly after 9 a.m.

Washington DC was brimming with energy. True, it had changed in the past year. The 9-11 World Trade

Center attacks were 13 months in the past, but the city was still on edge. A recent spade of random

killings had only made things worse. Ken Bridges had seen on TV that local schools had cancelled

all outdoor activities. Even so, the nation's capital practically crackled with promise for the

future. Bridges had good reason to feel optimistic. He was in town to finalize a contract. His

company, Mata, was one of the only places in America where black manufacturers could sell their goods

in black-owned stores catering to black customers. Bridges knew he could help his people take back

their financial power. The latest step was finalizing a $10 million deal with a nutmeg

manufacturer and supplier. That's why he'd come to the DC area. Now that the negotiations were

settled, he couldn't wait to get back home to Philadelphia. He wanted to tell his wife,

Joycelin, about his new contract. But first, he had to fill up his rental. As he rolled down the

road, the gas gauge inched toward empty. Bridges scanned the practically deserted gas stations that

lined the street. He remembered his colleagues warnings to be careful in the DC area. Someone in a

white van-like vehicle had been randomly shooting people. Seven people had already died. Two more

survived their gunshot injuries. But Bridges wasn't going to live in fear, especially not on a

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