THE FREEWAY PHANTOM (Washington, D.C.)

Between 1971 and 1972, Washington, D.C. was terrorized by

a killer the media would call The Freeway Phantom. Six young Black girls vanished,

most while running errands close to home. They were found murdered along highways

and abandoned buildings. And the killer didn’t just disappear. He taunted police. One victim’s body

was discovered with a handwritten note left behind, mocking investigators for failing to stop

him. The murders followed a pattern. Same locations. Same age range.

Same cruelty. But the case was plagued by mistakes. Evidence was mishandled.

Witnesses weren’t taken seriously. And leads that could’ve stopped the killer were ignored.