The Freeway Phantom

Unresolved

Unresolved Productions

True Crime, Society & Culture, History

4.5 • 2.6K Ratings

🗓️ 16 December 2018

⏱️ 73 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Between April and November of 1971, five young black women were abducted and murdered along the Washington Beltway. All had been killed by an enigma nicknamed "The Freeway Phantom," who had become known for leaving the bodies alongside major roadways.

The sprawling investigation was headed by the Metropolitan Police Department of the District of Columbia (MPDC) - who were then joined investigators from the Maryland State Police force, as well as Maryland's Montgomery and Prince George's (PG) counties. The FBI even spearheaded a task force.

Investigators believed the Freeway Phantom to be dormant... until he struck again in September of 1972. Ever since, his crimes have continued to haunt the region of Washington DC, and whoever he was, he remains the region's first known serial killer.

Written, hosted, and produced by Micheal Whelan

Learn more about this podcast at unresolved.me

If you would like to support this podcast and others, consider heading to patreon.com/unresolvedpod to become a Patron

Music Credits

Borrtex - "Black Out"

Blue Dot Sessions - "Arbic Tallow"

Graham Bole - "Lurking"

Percival Pembroke - "Pembroke-Schaffer Manifold (Parts 1 & 2)"

Vitus Von Degen - "Pieta"

Rest You Sleeping Giant - "Dead Waters"

ROZKOL - "If These"

Sann Gusmo - "Reescrever Fotografias Sobre Dias Que Me Rasgam"

Organoid - "Cassini"

Krackatoa - "Under An Ending Sun"

Other music written and composed by Ailsa Traves

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0	This episode includes descriptions of physical violence, including violence against children.
0:07.0	Listener discretion is advised.
0:11.0	Romain Jenkins is a retired detective, who, during her tenure in law enforcement, became
0:16.8	a pioneer.
0:18.1	In the late 1960s and early 1970s, Jenkins joined the Washington DC police force.
0:24.8	She was the region's first female homicide detective.
0:28.3	A feat made all the more incredible when you factor in Jenkins' ethnicity.
0:32.7	She, like the majority of people in Washington DC, also happens to be black.
0:38.0	During her time as a homicide detective, Jenkins mainly investigated the deaths of children
0:43.3	and babies.
0:44.6	These were the types of cases that her male colleagues tried to avoid.
0:48.4	A number of these grisly cases were heartbreaking, consuming much of Jenkins' time with tragedy.
0:54.6	However, throughout all of these cases, one kept
0:58.2	Romain Jenkins up at night.
1:00.2	It wasn't even a case that she investigated at the time, but watched unfold from afar.
1:05.4	It's a story that continues to haunt her, more than two decades after her retirement.
1:10.4	It's the story of six black girls who were all abducted and brutally murdered over
1:14.8	the span of a year and a half.
1:16.8	Some had been sexually assaulted, and some were found with a very little evidence for investigators
1:21.5	to chew over.
1:23.0	All had been killed by a mysterious killer, or group of killers, who seemed to embrace
1:28.5	the nickname that the media gave them.
	...

Please login to see the full transcript.

Previous episode | Next episode

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from Unresolved Productions, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of Unresolved Productions and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.