Murder Near The Boardwalk

Summary

48 Hours: Murder Near The Boardwalk – Detailed Summary

Release Date: July 17, 2025
Host/Author: CBS News

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Introduction

The "48 Hours" episode titled "Murder Near The Boardwalk" delves into the harrowing case of four women whose lives were brutally cut short near the iconic Atlantic City Boardwalk. This detailed investigation uncovers the personal histories of the victims, the complexities surrounding the investigation, and the profound impact on their families and the broader community.

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Discovery of the Bodies

On November 20, 2006, a distressing 911 call led police to a secluded drainage ditch near a strip of low-rent motels in Egg Harbor Township, Atlantic City. There, they uncovered the bodies of four women: Barbara Brider, Kim Raffo, Tracy Ann Roberts, and Molly Jean Diltz.

John Kelly, a criminal profiler, explains the significance of the discovery:

"The bodies of four women floating in a ditch." [03:05]

Hugh Oslander, a retired police captain, adds:

"Nothing like that has ever happened." [03:28]

The manner in which the victims were found—barefoot and all facing east—suggested a chilling signature of the killer:

"All facing east, all with no shoes on, no purse, no cell phone, no personal belongings. It appears that these women were killed just for the sake of being killed." [05:25]

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Victims' Personal Stories

Barbara Brider

Barbara was a loving mother struggling with heroin addiction and an abusive relationship. Her sister, Valerie Ann Stay, shares the emotional toll of her loss:

"I went numb. I just went numb and in shock." [02:32]

Despite her challenges, Barbara was deeply affectionate with her nine-year-old daughter, Dominique:

"She was very affectionate and loving." [07:05]

Kim Raffo

Kim moved to Atlantic City in 2003 with her husband, Hugh Oslander, seeking a fresh start. Initially, life seemed promising as they both held steady jobs. However, addiction took hold, leading Kim to engage in prostitution to support her habit.

Hugh Oslander reflects on Kim's descent:

"We started drinking and fell into the crack scene, you know, and started smoking it." [16:38]

Tracy Ann Roberts

Tracy, a 23-year-old medical assistant from Delaware, had recently moved to Atlantic City. Her friends describe her as kind and full of potential:

"Tracy came from a small town in Delaware, went to a good school, went on to be trained as a medical assistant." [09:40]

Unfortunately, her battle with addiction led her into the dangerous streets of Atlantic City.

Molly Jean Diltz

At just 20 years old, Molly's life was marred by personal tragedies, including the loss of her mother and brother during her teenage years. Despite these hardships, she endeavored to build a better future, moving to Atlantic City to escape her past.

John Kelly poignantly states:

"She had a lot of good to spread to the world, and it's just a shame that she won't be able to do that now." [11:02]

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The Investigation

The discovery of the four bodies initiated a massive investigation led by Atlantic City prosecutor Jeffrey Blitz, who formed a special task force to solve the case. Despite their efforts, the investigation faced numerous challenges:

• Lack of Clear Motive:
  As Hugh Oslander notes:

  "Not that we could determine at this point." [27:32]

• Contaminated Crime Scene:
  An FBI source revealed that initial responders had contaminated the scene, limiting forensic evidence:

  "Decomposition occurred, which made it very difficult for investigators to take fingerprints or any other kind of forensic evidence." [27:48]

• Delayed Involvement of Street Experts:
  Retired Captain Jim Hutchins criticizes the delayed involvement of vice cops familiar with the streets:

  "I would have gave them whoever they asked for to help, to knock on doors, to interview witnesses..." [26:53]

These obstacles hindered the ability to pinpoint the exact location of the crimes and establish a connection between the victims and the perpetrator.

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Profiling and Suspects

With the investigation stalling, criminal profiler John Kelly stepped in to create a profile of the suspected serial killer. His analysis provided both conventional and unconventional insights:

• Artistic Traits:
  Kelly suggested the killer might have an artistic side, referencing serial killers like John Wayne Gacy:

  "What we've seen is this underlying artistic nature." [31:05]

• Social Isolation:
  Described as a loner, the killer likely frequented areas where drug-addicted prostitutes operated:

  "A man on a mission. And his mission is to eliminate prostitutes." [32:39]

• Possible Religious Motives:
  The victims facing east could indicate a connection to holy lands, hinting at a possible religious obsession:

  "Whatever the demented message is that he's sending has something to do with the East." [32:46]

Several suspects emerged based on Kelly's profile:

1. Bill Schloo
   Known for organizing wild parties, Schloo was questioned but never arrested. John Kelly remarks:

   "It was one party that never stopped." [32:23]

2. Charles Coles
   A convicted drug abuser with possible religious motives, Coles was also cleared of involvement.

3. Mark Hesse
   An aspiring minister with a known foot fetish, Hesse became a suspect after a prostitute reported his obsession:

   "He's taken their shoes and he's taken their socks. I have to believe we're looking at a serial killer with a foot fetish here." [33:27]

4. Terry Oleson
   A later suspect, Oleson became a focus after a surveillance camera linked him to the area. Despite his involvement in unrelated crimes, DNA evidence did not connect him to the murders:

   "I wish I had some information for everybody. I just have no idea how I got involved in any of this." [41:04]

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Timeline of Events

• September 9, 2006:
  Kim Raffo agrees to leave Atlantic City with her ex-husband Hugh Oslander to recover from addiction.

• October 7, 2006:
  Molly Diltz contacts her family from Atlantic City but never returns.

• October 17, 2006:
  Barbara Brider departs on a bus to Atlantic City, marking her last known whereabouts.

• November 19, 2006:
  Kim Raffo is last seen with a man fitting the killer's profile before the bodies are discovered the following day.

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Impact on Families and Community

The unsolved murders left deep scars on the victims' families and the Atlantic City community. Valerie Ann Stay shared her anguish:

"Today was my sister Barbara's funeral... I will always love you if you are in heaven." [42:19]

Dominique, Barbara's daughter, found solace after being adopted by Valerie and her husband, showcasing a glimmer of hope amidst the tragedy:

"Dominique's future is very bright. This isn't the end for her at all." [44:25]

Meanwhile, Kristen Press, a survivor and streetwalker, articulates the perpetual struggle and bleak outlook for those trapped in Atlantic City's dark underbelly:

"I'm not going to lie to myself. I'm not going to lie to people. Jail and death." [43:35]

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Current Status and Ongoing Efforts

As of the episode's release, the case remained unsolved, with no definitive evidence pointing to the killer. Prosecutor Jeffrey Blitz maintained that crucial evidence had been recovered, though skepticism remained among retired officers like Jim Hutchins.

The episode concludes without closure, highlighting the enduring pain of the victims' families and the hopeful yet uncertain pursuit of justice:

"There will be no Hollywood endings or cliches about closure for the families of the victims. Precious memories and heartfelt tears will have to suffice." [42:05]

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Conclusion

"Murder Near The Boardwalk" paints a poignant and unsettling picture of a community grappling with senseless violence and the challenges of a stalled investigation. Through personal stories, expert profiling, and a critical examination of the investigative process, the episode underscores the profound human impact of unresolved crimes and the relentless quest for truth and justice.

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Notable Quotes:

• John Kelly:
  "He's local, he's from the area." [30:36]

• Valerie Ann Stay:
  "Today was my sister Barbara's funeral. Dominique is holding up well, considering." [42:19]

• Kristen Press:
  "It's hard. I'm not going to lie to myself. I'm not going to lie to people. Jail and death." [43:35]

---

For more information or tips related to this case, listeners are encouraged to contact the Atlantic County Major Crime Unit at 609-909-7666.

Transcript

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[Kristen Press]

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[Kristen Press]

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[John Kelly]

Hi, you're in Pinky's Corner in WD.

[Jeffrey Blitz]

From the Atlantic City Hilton.

[John Kelly]

Oh, hi, Pinky.

[Hugh Oslander]

Yes, sir. How are you?

[John Kelly]

We're in the midst of rejuvenating Atlantic City.

[Hugh Oslander]

The casinos this past year generated $5 billion. This industry has created over 40,000 job. Come and see for yourself.

[Valerie Ann Stay]

Atlantic City was a great place to work and socialize. Barbara worked at several of the casinos as a cocktail waitress. My name is Valerie Ann Stay, and my sister was Barbara Brider. She was very sensitive. Every time I talked to her, she'd end the conversation with I love you.

[Jeffrey Blitz]

I love you.

[Valerie Ann Stay]

On October 17th, Barbara had gone out, was taking a bus to Atlantic City. That was the last that anyone heard from her. She never answered her phone again.

[Hugh Oslander]

Most likely, Barbara was picked up in Atlantic City, taken somewhere, an unknown location where she was murdered to kill her border back here on this access road. And dumped her body in this drainage ditch.

[Valerie Ann Stay]

I went numb. I just went numb and in shock. I'd have to tell her daughter.

[Kristen Press]

She was very loving and caring. This is a painting I painted for my mom. It says, God bless my mom.

[Valerie Ann Stay]

In 1997, Barbara had a daughter named Dominique.

[Kristen Press]

She was a good woman. She didn't deserve what happened to her at all.

[John Kelly]

The gruesome find has triggered a massive investigation.

[Hugh Oslander]

When police officers searched the area, not only did they find Barbara Brider's body, but they found another three bodies in the same location. Kimberly Raffo. Traci Ann Roberts. Molly Jean Diltz.

[John Kelly]

The bodies of four women are found behind a strip of motels near Atlantic City tonight.

[Hugh Oslander]

In almost the 28 years that I served in that police department. Nothing like that has ever happened.

[John Kelly]

We knew right off the bat that this was a serial killer. He wants to have power and control over the area, over Atlantic City. I am godlike. I have the power over life and death. I'm John Kelly. I'm a criminal profiler. He knows he's crossed that point of no return. And yes, he will kill again. Beyond the boardwalk, tonight's 48 Hours Mystery.

[Jeffrey Blitz]

A few short miles from the glittering casinos of Atlantic City sits this strip of low rent motels. Behind them, a lonely path runs along a drainage ditch.

[Kristen Press]

Hello?

[John Kelly]

Police department. Help you?

[Kristen Press]

Yes. Me and my friend were taking a walk down the path. I look down the water and there's a dead woman down there.

[Jeffrey Blitz]

On November 20, 2006, that 911 call led police in the Atlantic City suburb of Egg Harbor Township to the grisly discovery. Spaced out along that path were four dead women. Captain, what's your theory of what happened here?

[Hugh Oslander]

Most likely there was one killer involved with all four victims.

[Jeffrey Blitz]

At the time, John DeAngelis was a captain on the force. When police examined the first body, they immediately noticed something strange.

[Hugh Oslander]

They had discovered that the victim did not have any shoes on and was barefoot.

[Jeffrey Blitz]

In fact, it turned out that all four victims were methodically positioned in the same bizarre manner.

[Hugh Oslander]

All facing east, all with no shoes on, no purse, no cell phone, no personal belongings. It appears that these women were killed just for the sake of being killed.

[John Kelly]

A horrible discovery. The bodies of four women floating in a ditch.

[Elspeth Tasioni]

There's a madman out here.

[Jeffrey Blitz]

Fear of a serial killer on the loose. Rocke Atlantic City and the entire northeast. Police had a high profile case on their hands with few clues. And as they began to identify the victims, it took on a new and more troubling dimension. All four murdered women had friends and family who loved and supported them. So why and how did they end up in a place like this?

[Valerie Ann Stay]

I just felt like something horrible happened.

[Jeffrey Blitz]

Barbara's sisters, Francine and Valerie were not surprised when they learned she was one of the victims. Barbara had been missing for weeks and.

[Valerie Ann Stay]

I knew right away we're going to be looking for a body.

[Jeffrey Blitz]

Fran and Val prefer to remember their sister in happier days.

[Valerie Ann Stay]

There's the three of us.

[Jeffrey Blitz]

Growing up in the Philadelphia suburbs, spending summers with Barbara on the Jersey shore.

[Valerie Ann Stay]

Barbara was raised in a very stable, loving home.

[Jeffrey Blitz]

But Barbara had trouble coping with the sudden death of her father.

[Valerie Ann Stay]

Complete devastation. She was depressed.

[Jeffrey Blitz]

After a tough year at Penn State University, Barbara left school and returned to the South Jersey shore. She held several steady jobs and Went on to achieve a lifelong goal. Mother.

[Valerie Ann Stay]

And the way she was with her daughter, she was very affectionate and loving.

[Kristen Press]

I miss her a lot. It's too hard to just let her go.

[Jeffrey Blitz]

Barbara was 42 years old. Dominique is only nine.

[John Kelly]

The post mortem examinations, which are critical, started this morning.

[Jeffrey Blitz]

Solving Barbara's murder and the other three was the job of Atlantic City prosecutor Jeffrey Blitz. He formed a special task force to crack the case.

[John Kelly]

We've already lifted the print from body number one.

[Jeffrey Blitz]

Barbara was not the first body Blitz identified. That was 35 year old Kim Raffo.

[Kristen Press]

I know her kids, her family, her sister, her mother. Gosh, everybody, we're all going to miss her a lot.

[Jeffrey Blitz]

Kim's cousin Juliet remembers the two of them growing up on the streets of Brooklyn.

[Kristen Press]

Always smiling, you know, always happy.

[Jeffrey Blitz]

As Kim grew into a young adult, she seemed to be headed in the right direction.

[Elspeth Tasioni]

She really had it together.

[Kristen Press]

And I was so proud of her.

[John Kelly]

I know. I just felt perfectly at home with her. I could say anything with her.

[Jeffrey Blitz]

Hugh Oslander fell in love with Kim and married her in 1989. The young couple moved to Florida and had two children.

[John Kelly]

She was a perfect stay at home mom.

[Jeffrey Blitz]

Hugh worked a good construction job while Kim devoted herself to the kids.

[John Kelly]

Everything was about as good as it gets.

[Jeffrey Blitz]

But then things began to fall apart. Kim fell in love with another man, a chef she'd met at a cooking class. By 2003, the marriage was over. Kim eventually moved to Atlantic City with her lover. Three years after they arrived in town, Kim Raffo was dead.

[John Kelly]

She died as a result of ligature strangulation.

[Jeffrey Blitz]

Kim was strangled to death. The next victim identified died similarly. She was 23 year old. Tracy Ann Roberts.

[Hugh Oslander]

Tracy came from a small town in Delaware, went to a good school, went on to be trained as a medical assistant.

[Jeffrey Blitz]

Tracy had only moved to Atlantic City within the past year.

[Hugh Oslander]

Everybody that knew her and said that she was a really nice, pretty young person that had her whole future ahead of her.

[Elspeth Tasioni]

Two of the female victims have been confirmed murdered, and the final two bodies are too badly decomposed to determine a cause of death.

[Jeffrey Blitz]

Six days after the bodies were found, Barbara was identified through dental records.

[Elspeth Tasioni]

Now new developments in the investigation of the bodies found. The fourth and final victim was the youngest.

[Jeffrey Blitz]

Identifying the fourth victim was difficult because she had been in that ditch for more than a month. To determine who she was, Blitz's office released images of her tattoos.

[John Kelly]

It was a tattoo of a bulldog, an English bulldog. All the family members recognized it immediately.

[Jeffrey Blitz]

The woman's name Was Molly Diltz just 20 years old.

[John Kelly]

It just. It floors you. There's nothing that can get you ready for this. Nothing.

[Jeffrey Blitz]

Her uncles Steve and Sam Taylor struggled to cope with the loss.

[John Kelly]

She had a lot of good to spread to the world, and it's just a shame that she won't be able to do that now.

[Jeffrey Blitz]

Molly was from Black Lick, Pennsylvania, a mining town where money is tight and family is tighter. She had endured her fair share of hardship, losing both her mother and her brother when she was just a teen.

[John Kelly]

For everything that that poor girl had gone through, she came out pretty damn well.

[Jeffrey Blitz]

Molly had had some minor scrapes with the law, but after she gave birth to her son Jeremiah, she seemed to be getting her act together.

[John Kelly]

Wanted to take care of her baby and get a job.

[Jeffrey Blitz]

But in the summer of 2006, Molly left Jeremiah in the care of her family and left Black Lick behind her.

[John Kelly]

She was just going out there to pursue a better life.

[Jeffrey Blitz]

In the first week of October, Molly contacted her family, calling collect from a New Jersey number.

[John Kelly]

And they traced it down to a payphone in downtown Atlantic City.

[Jeffrey Blitz]

They would never hear her voice again. Four lives with little apparent connection. But investigators quickly discovered that the four victims did have something in common. They all had a dark side. The hunt for the killer would lead deep into that darkness.

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[Kristen Press]

Mi cuerpo crece a un ridmo alarm.

[John Kelly]

Atlantic City was conceived from the very beginning as a place for fantasy. People came here to play out their fantasy.

[Jeffrey Blitz]

For decades, Atlantic City has been an iconic American vacation land, A powerful magnet for people trying to escape their troubles. Kim, Barbara, Tracy, and Molly were no exception.

[John Kelly]

These are four people who came to Atlantic City to remake themselves.

[Jeffrey Blitz]

Historian Bryant Simon.

[John Kelly]

Something that fantasy cities promise all the time. Summer 1940. It would be wall to wall people. You could not walk a full stride down the boardwalk.

[Jeffrey Blitz]

But in the 1970s, the city's economy collapsed. So New Jersey made the ultimate gamble.

[John Kelly]

Come on.

[Kristen Press]

Six, baby.

[Jeffrey Blitz]

Legalizing casinos. In the 30 years since, the impact has been profound. Kim Rappo took a chance on Atlantic City, moving here in 2003 with her new man, Kenny Bilecki.

[John Kelly]

Things were really good when we got up here. We were making money and we were trying to build a life.

[Jeffrey Blitz]

Kim and Kenny, a trained chef, held steady jobs at a restaurant in the Taj Mahal Casino. Kim became close friends with a local bartender, John Pesch.

[John Kelly]

When I first met her, she had an apartment and a job, and she was just a regular person like everybody else.

[Jeffrey Blitz]

But it didn't take long for Kim to learn that life in Atlantic City changes the second you walk out the casino doors.

[John Kelly]

The wealth generated by the casinos has created a boom outside the city, leaving the core of the city with the least fortunate.

[Jeffrey Blitz]

The result? An almost surreal juxtaposition. Magnificent, opulent casinos surrounded by dead zones of poverty and crime.

[John Kelly]

It's definitely a dichotomy. It's a small town with big city problems.

[Jeffrey Blitz]

Jim Hutchins, a recently retired Atlantic City police captain, took us out on the streets. What is the game? What goes on out here?

[John Kelly]

A little bit of everything out here. There's narcotic activity, there's prostitution activity.

[Jeffrey Blitz]

We cruise Pacific Avenue, known locally as the Track, just a block inland from the boardwalk. What's that on the left? Working girls.

[John Kelly]

They were working girls. I don't think they're selling Girl Scout cookies over there. What's up, baby? Come on.

[Kristen Press]

20.

[Jeffrey Blitz]

It was in this double world of glitz and grime that Kim Raffles struggled to make ends meet.

[John Kelly]

Every time we would leave our building, you know, we would be approached by drug dealers to buy drugs.

[Jeffrey Blitz]

And Kenny says that eventually they both got caught up in the scene.

[John Kelly]

We started drinking and fell into the crack scene, you know, and started smoking it.

[Jeffrey Blitz]

Kim had left her kids with Hugh. John Pesch says that searing regret drove her drug abuse.

[John Kelly]

She was in pain mentally, emotionally. It was important to her to take care of her kids, and when she didn't, it really upset her crack. It makes you escape reality for moments.

[Jeffrey Blitz]

Kim had used drugs socially before, but now she was a full blown addict. How crazy did it get?

[John Kelly]

Absolutely crazy. I thought I was losing my mind mentally, I mean, just losing it.

[Jeffrey Blitz]

Unable to hold their jobs, Kenny launched a new career as a shoplifter, while Kim started turning tricks on the track to support her habit.

[John Kelly]

How that happens is you get involved with drug use to kill the pain, and you make your money however you can make your money.

[Jeffrey Blitz]

Papa Joe Bo runs a cafe just off the track on Tennessee Avenue. What kind of neighborhood is this?

[John Kelly]

Oh, my goodness. Well, first of all you're in the heart of crack city.

[Jeffrey Blitz]

Papa knows all the local hookers, but he says Kim was different.

[John Kelly]

You would think she would be the last person that would be on crack. Kim was too clean cut.

[Jeffrey Blitz]

Kim's murder hit Kenny hard.

[John Kelly]

Got a lot of guilt because she's dead. And I should have watched her a little better. I loved her with all my heart.

[Jeffrey Blitz]

He allowed us to tape him smoking crack.

[John Kelly]

I'm dying. I'm dying a slow death right here.

[Jeffrey Blitz]

Like Kim, Barbara Brighter also worked the casinos. She was a cocktail waitress.

[Valerie Ann Stay]

She was enjoying it, making really good money.

[Jeffrey Blitz]

But she got trapped in an abusive relationship with Dominique's father. How did she end up on the streets of Atlantic City?

[Valerie Ann Stay]

She was a victim, a victim of domestic violence. She ended up self medicating herself with drugs. With drugs.

[Jeffrey Blitz]

Barbara spent years in and out of rehab programs for heroin addiction. But the situation didn't improve, especially for Dominique.

[Kristen Press]

None of my parents watched over me because they had something to do. I was left all alone. My dad locked me out of the house. I called the police because he was trying to beat up my mother and he ripped her hand over.

[Jeffrey Blitz]

Her father ended up in prison. Dominique was taken away from her mother and briefly put into foster care.

[Kristen Press]

My life was hard with a capital H.

[Jeffrey Blitz]

Alone in Atlantic City, Barbara sank into the dark world of the track. Tracy Roberts, herself a young mother, had developed a bad drug habit back in Delaware.

[John Kelly]

Tracy gave me the impression that she was a street girl.

[Jeffrey Blitz]

Friends in Atlantic City say Tracy worked for a time at a local strip joint and was then out on the track with the other working girls.

[Kristen Press]

I knew Tracy the best. We shared rooms together, we went shopping together.

[Jeffrey Blitz]

22 year old Kristen is a 5 year veteran of the Atlantic City streets. Her daily struggle mirrors what Tracy and the other victims were living through shortly before they were killed.

[Kristen Press]

I gotta go out and make some money.

[Jeffrey Blitz]

Driven by a $200 a day heroin habit, Kristen is constantly working.

[Kristen Press]

I don't do anything under 100 for six.

[Jeffrey Blitz]

Soliciting John's on the track or in the casinos.

[Kristen Press]

Walk to the casino, you know, like say you play slot machine or something, somebody's gonna say something to you.

[Jeffrey Blitz]

The streets make anyone tough.

[Kristen Press]

I've been almost killed three times, raped, beaten.

[Jeffrey Blitz]

But Kristen's pain is never far from the surface.

[Kristen Press]

You just miss everything. I have a little sister. I miss her growing up, you know, it's hard. I can't get out of this damn place. Though.

[Jeffrey Blitz]

Kim, Barbara and Tracy were deep into the street life.

[Kristen Press]

I have to support a drug habit Killer. No killer.

[Jeffrey Blitz]

Kristen is still out there and so is the killer.

[Kristen Press]

Looking for any company Tonight.

[Jeffrey Blitz]

As investigators learn more about the troubled lives of Kim, Barbara, Tracy and Molly, a picture of their final days during the fall of 2006 begins to emerge. The timeline is a heartbreaking history. September 9th. While Kim Raffo's boyfriend Kenny is in jail for shoplifting, her ex husband Hugh Oslander arrives in Atlantic City. Hugh's goal, to find and maybe rescue the mother of his children. What steps did you take to get her out of this world?

[John Kelly]

Well, quite simply, I just came up there and I said, look, here's your opportunity. I'm more than happy to help you out of here and get you re established to being a normal person.

[Jeffrey Blitz]

Kim says yes. Just before she leaves, she records this message for her friend, bartender John Pesch.

[Kristen Press]

Hi John, it's Kim.

[John Kelly]

I'm getting the hell out of garage.

[Kristen Press]

And I would really like to say goodbye.

[John Kelly]

Thanks for everything and I love you. I just miss her so much.

[Kristen Press]

Shrimp.

[John Kelly]

I'd do anything to talk to.

[Jeffrey Blitz]

Kim spends the next several weeks clean and sober with Hugh in Long Island.

[John Kelly]

She was doing very well.

[Jeffrey Blitz]

In the meantime, women back in Atlantic City start to disappear. On October 7th, 20 year old Molly Diltz calls her family and then vanishes.

[John Kelly]

She didn't belong. I think that made her an easier target and more gullible and more trusting of somebody who knew how to lay that tripod.

[Jeffrey Blitz]

Molly's uncle Sam Taylor points out that she had no prostitution arrests. But several people on the street, including Papa Joe, say she'd fallen into the life. Tell us about Molly Jean Dilch.

[John Kelly]

Molly, a new kid on the block. She was here about maybe four or five different times with some of the girls.

[Jeffrey Blitz]

October 17th, Barbara Brighter leaves the house in nearby Vintner where she was living with a friend. When she never returns, her sisters Fran and Val eventually tried to file a missing persons report. They say they get the runaround, especially after police discover a past prostitution arrest. Do you think it would have made a difference if they had taken it seriously?

[Valerie Ann Stay]

It would have had it been put out in the newspaper. It could have scared him away. I believe that there was enough time to maybe save the last two victims.

[Jeffrey Blitz]

Sometime in mid November, a street hustler named Dante says he goes clothes shopping with Tracy Roberts. She buys the outfit she's wearing. When her body is found.

[John Kelly]

She'll be back in like an hour. She never came back.

[Jeffrey Blitz]

As the days passed, Kristen starts to worry.

[Kristen Press]

It's not like her. So we knew something was wrong.

[Jeffrey Blitz]

During this time Kim Raffo, unaware of what's happening, makes a tragic decision to leave Hugh and return to Atlantic City for good. Why did she go back? What was it that pulled her on?

[John Kelly]

The streets were calling her name.

[Jeffrey Blitz]

Papa Joe may be the last person to see her. Early in the Morning on Sunday, November 19, you said you saw her get into a car.

[John Kelly]

Yes, I literally threw out of here after I fed her and opened the car door and she said hi to the guy or whatever and he said hello. Then they left.

[Jeffrey Blitz]

Sources tell 48 Hours that RAFO then goes with the John to the Taj Mahal, but leaves him around 5am to score drugs. The very next day, Kim and the other women are found barefoot facing east in the drainage ditch. That scenario fits the toxicology reports, which revealed large amounts of cocaine in Kim and Tracy's bodies, alcohol in Molly and a potentially lethal dose of heroin in Barbara. That raised the theory that the killer sedated his victims with alcohol or drugs.

[John Kelly]

I'm not prepared really to comment, not.

[Jeffrey Blitz]

Wanting to tip the killer. Atlantic county prosecutor Blitz has remained tight lipped since his first and last press conference. But retired Atlantic City police captain Jim Hutchins thinks the prosecutor should do some explaining. How long after the bodies were found did they contact you?

[John Kelly]

I was thinking three days.

[Jeffrey Blitz]

Three days. Was that quick enough?

[John Kelly]

No.

[Jeffrey Blitz]

Hutchins says his former squad, the Atlantic City vice cops who actually knew the streets and the girls were not brought into the investigation until precious time had been lost.

[John Kelly]

I would have gave them whoever they asked for to help, to knock on doors, to interview witnesses, neighbors, the neighborhood where the girls lived, and I wasn't.

[Jeffrey Blitz]

Asked to do that, hutchins says. That may be why to this day, investigators still don't know if the murders occurred right where the bodies were found or another location, such as a hotel room or a car. No one knows where the crime scene is.

[John Kelly]

Correct?

[Jeffrey Blitz]

Retired Egg Harbor Township Police Captain John DeAngelis points out another problem. No motive. Did any want these women dead?

[Hugh Oslander]

Not that we could determine at this point.

[Jeffrey Blitz]

On top of all that, an FBI source tells 48Hours that the scene at the ditch was contaminated by some of the first responders, limiting the amount of forensic evidence that could be retrieved.

[Hugh Oslander]

Decomposition occurred, which made it very difficult for investigators to take fingerprints or any other kind of forensic evidence.

[Jeffrey Blitz]

The prosecutor denies Hutchins claims and has recently stated that crucial evidence was recovered from the victim's clothes and bodies. Still, with few signs of progress, we.

[John Kelly]

Can infer from maybe the lack of information that's being put out that the Investigation is stalled.

[Jeffrey Blitz]

Some in law enforcement started paying attention to this man, a profiler named John Kelly.

[John Kelly]

The profile's goal is to flush the person out to try and inform the public to help stimulate the investigation.

[Jeffrey Blitz]

Could he bring the portrait of the killer into focus.

[Elspeth Tasioni]

On WhatsApp, no one can see or hear your personal messages. Whether it's a voice call message or sending a password to WhatsApp, it's all just this. So whether you're sharing the streaming password in the family chat or trading those late night voice messages that could basically become a podcast, your personal messages stay between you, your friends and your family. No one else, not even us. WhatsApp message privately with everyone. I'm Kristen Press. And I'm Tobin Heath. We're World cup winners, Olympians, and the hosts of the recap show. Every week we sit down with the icons, disruptors and game changers on the field and beyond it to talk victories, heartbreaks and everything in between. We've built a space where athletes, change makers and people creating the future of women's sports can show up and show off as their full unapologetic selves. Follow and listen to the recap show wherever you get your podcasts.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Hey, it's Ryan Reynolds here for Mint Mobile. Now, I was looking for fun ways to tell you that Mint's offer of unlimited Premium Wireless for $15 a month is back. So I thought it would be fun if we made $15 bills, but it turns out that's very illegal. So there goes my big idea for the commercial. Give it a [e-mail] Switch upfront payment.

[Elspeth Tasioni]

Of $45 for a three month plan equivalent to $15 per month required new customer offer for first three months only. Speed slow after 35 gigabytes of network's busy. Taxes and fees extra see mintmobile.com.

[John Kelly]

He'S very comfortable with this area.

[Jeffrey Blitz]

Criminal profiler John Kelly thinks he can get inside the mind of the Atlantic City killer. So, John, this is the area where the killer dumped all four bodies. What does this say about the killer?

[John Kelly]

He's local, he's from the area.

[Jeffrey Blitz]

Kelly, a psychotherapist, runs Stalk Incorporated, an organization of former cops and mental health professionals. They created this profile on their own to help the investigation. Some people look at the work of profilers as some kind of voodoo or something. Does it really work?

[John Kelly]

Certainly it works. It works in many cases, but it should be used as a tool. It's not the answer. All end all.

[Jeffrey Blitz]

Certain aspects of the profile are rather exotic. Kelly thinks the killer may be into photography or another visual art.

[John Kelly]

In watching many of these serial killers, what we've seen is this underlying artistic nature. John Wayne Gacy was into painting. Henry Lee Lucas, another serial killer, was constantly painting.

[Jeffrey Blitz]

Other elements are more predictable. For instance, the profile describes the killer.

[John Kelly]

As a social misfit, Very shy, more to himself.

[Jeffrey Blitz]

He's a loner and a patron of prostitutes.

[John Kelly]

The straw areas are his hunting grounds, and drug addicted prostitutes are his prey.

[Jeffrey Blitz]

Pursuing the theory that the killer knew the streets, police took an interest in an ex con named Bill Schloo. Tell me what kind of parties Schloo would have. Wild parties, man.

[John Kelly]

Wow, pops, man.

[Jeffrey Blitz]

Dante, the street hustler, and his buddy Smiley say they hooked Slu up with drugs and hookers, among others, Kim Raffo and Tracy Roberts. So he would have these binges with these women for days, days, nights.

[John Kelly]

We spent hundreds of thousands of dollars, guys. You're saying parties? It was one party that never stopped.

[Jeffrey Blitz]

Slew was questioned by police but never arrested. He has denied any involvement with the murders. What kind of man committed this crime?

[John Kelly]

A man on a mission. And his mission is to eliminate prostitutes.

[Jeffrey Blitz]

Could the killer be on a religious mission? Kelly thinks the strange fact that all the victims faces were turned to the east could be a sign of reverence for the holy lands of Jerusalem or Mecca.

[John Kelly]

Whatever the demented message is that he's sending has something to do with the East.

[Jeffrey Blitz]

That's how a Muslim named Charles Coles, a convicted drug abuser and a friend of Kim Raffo, says he also wound up being questioned and released. Whatever the killer's religion, Kelly feels strongly he's left a more important clue by leaving all the victims barefoot.

[John Kelly]

He's taken their shoes and he's taken their socks. I have to believe we're looking at a serial killer with a foot fetish here.

[Jeffrey Blitz]

The foot fetish theory reportedly led police and us to this man, an ex con named Mark Hesse, who's now an aspiring minister.

[John Kelly]

My ministry is Global Evangelistic Ministries, given to me by the Holy Spirit.

[Jeffrey Blitz]

At the time of the murders, Hesse was living at this flop house on the track, the Fox Manor Hotel. He once offered a woman there a foot massage. Do you think you became a suspect because they heard about you massaging someone's feet?

[John Kelly]

Yeah. When I see a woman in sandals and her toes are all painted up and her feet are taken care of, I will compliment her.

[Jeffrey Blitz]

During his stay at the Fox Manor, Hesse crossed paths with Barbara Brighter and Kim Raffo. He remembers trying to unsuccessfully to get Kim to give up prostitution.

[John Kelly]

And that's what bothers me the most is these people that are not ready to come to the Lord and walk away. A lot of them end up dead.

[Jeffrey Blitz]

Did you kill those four women?

[John Kelly]

No, I didn't. I can't kill anybody. I never have. Never will.

[Jeffrey Blitz]

Hesse is apparently not the only man in town with a thing for feet.

[Kristen Press]

Were you looking for any company tonight?

[Jeffrey Blitz]

Denise Hill, an experienced prostitute.

[Kristen Press]

What are you doing?

[Jeffrey Blitz]

Told police she had a close personal encounter with the foot freak at this Best Western the same week the bodies were discovered.

[Kristen Press]

He was talking about my shoes. He liked my shoes. But at this time, I didn't know anything about the murders. But he was so obsessed with my shoes.

[Jeffrey Blitz]

Denise says she even gave the john a pair of her shoes.

[Kristen Press]

I got him the shoes. So they were just like this color, Same color.

[Jeffrey Blitz]

But then the date went from strange to terrifying.

[Kristen Press]

He was talking about, like, really bizarre stuff, like he's killed some people.

[Jeffrey Blitz]

If Denise had seen the killer, what did he look like? To find out, we hired criminal image profiler Gene Boylan, who frequently works with the FBI.

[Kristen Press]

Hi, how you doing? Hi. I'm Jeannie.

[Jeffrey Blitz]

Boylan is the artist behind several famous sketches, most notably the Unabomber.

[John Kelly]

Would you see the cheekbones from the side?

[Jeffrey Blitz]

Denise told Jean she spent several hours with the man, and though he was wearing glasses and a hat the entire time, she claims his face is seared in her mind.

[Kristen Press]

I see him every night in my head.

[Jeffrey Blitz]

Getting that image on paper takes all day. But by nightfall, the sketch reveals what has been locked into niece's memory for months. Is this the man that you spent time with in this hotel?

[Kristen Press]

Definitely.

[Jeffrey Blitz]

Yep, that's him.

[Kristen Press]

Mm.

[Jeffrey Blitz]

We sent the sketch to investigators, but prosecutor Blitz would not comment on Denise's story. Still, Boylan thinks it can be useful despite its limitations.

[John Kelly]

The likelihood is that this is a.

[Jeffrey Blitz]

Common outfit for him and that something.

[John Kelly]

That might trigger a memory with a. With a landlady or a neighbor.

[Jeffrey Blitz]

In fact, the sketch caught the eye of Barbara Brighter's daughter, Dominique. She thinks this man may have come by her parents house years ago.

[Kristen Press]

When I was in the middle of playing with my mom, she opened the door. He tried to sell her something. I don't know. I've just seen him, and I'm pretty sure it is him.

[Jeffrey Blitz]

Still, as the months roll on, none of these leads pan out. Slew, Coles and Hesse are never charged with the murders. And some of the victims families grow frustrated.

[John Kelly]

I don't think they're doing squat as far as the investigation's going. I don't call it investigation. I call it a lot of hearsay mumbo jumbo.

[Jeffrey Blitz]

But soon and suddenly a new suspect is about to emerge.

[John Kelly]

Foreign.

[Ryan Reynolds]

This episode is brought to you by Progressive Insurance. Do you ever find yourself playing the budgeting game? Well, with the name your price tool from Progressive you can find options that fit your budget and potentially lower your bills. Try [e-mail] Progressive Casualty Insurance Company and affiliates Price and coverage match limited by state law. Not available in all states.

[John Kelly]

Now Streaming. Hi again, TV's quirkiest crime solver.

[Elspeth Tasioni]

I'm Elspeth Tasioni.

[John Kelly]

I work with the police is on the case.

[Kristen Press]

I like my outlandish theories.

[Jeffrey Blitz]

With a heavy dose of evidence and.

[John Kelly]

Ready to go toe to toe with a cavalcade of guest stars.

[Jeffrey Blitz]

Are you saying that this is now a murder investigation?

[Elspeth Tasioni]

It's starting to look that way.

[John Kelly]

Don't miss a moment of the critically acclaimed hit Elsbeth. All episodes now streaming on Paramount plus and returns CBS fall. That sounds like fun.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Obviously, murder's not fun.

[John Kelly]

There are developments tonight in the investigation into the murder of four prostitutes.

[Jeffrey Blitz]

After five months of dead ends, the harsh spotlight of the investigation turns toward this man, 35 year old Terry O. Oleson. On April 3, 2007, police acting on a tip search Oleson's home in rural southwest New Jersey. They discover a surveillance camera inside this bird feeder. Oleson comes in for questioning. He was the maintenance guy.

[Kristen Press]

He was the maintenance guy.

[Jeffrey Blitz]

As it turns out, in the fall of 2006, Oleson was doing odd jobs at the Golden Key Motel just steps from where the bodies were found. He stayed in this corner room. Fellow guests say he was a loner.

[John Kelly]

He never said nothing to me. It was like cold. He was cold.

[Jeffrey Blitz]

Relatives say Oleson was estranged from his family for years and had been having domestic difficulties with a long term girlfriend. That seems to match the trait of social alienation mentioned on John Kelly's profile.

[John Kelly]

Mr. Olson comes across as being a very non social shy person.

[Jeffrey Blitz]

Days after the search, Oleson is charged with an unrelated offense.

[Hugh Oslander]

Mr. Olson is charged with invasion of.

[Jeffrey Blitz]

Privacy, videotaping a minor in the nude with a hidden camera. He's being held on $100,000 bail.

[John Kelly]

He is charged ultimately with being a peeping Tom. Yet they're treating him like he's Jack the Ripper.

[Jeffrey Blitz]

Oleson's attorney, James Leonard Terry Olson is.

[John Kelly]

Not a serial killer. He is not a monster.

[Jeffrey Blitz]

He points out that his client, a divorced father, has no felony convictions and is supported by his family.

[John Kelly]

In our opinion, he is an innocent man who has been caught in this tangled web of an investigation.

[Jeffrey Blitz]

But Oleson's alleged interest in surveillance video is consistent with another trait on Kelly's profile, visual artistry.

[John Kelly]

If that's enough to call someone a serial killer, then that list of suspects is certainly going to grow a lot longer.

[Jeffrey Blitz]

Leonard says Oleson actually helped investigators search for evidence back when the bodies were first found. And so far, there's nothing to suggest he's ever had a foot fetish or any kind of contact with the victims.

[John Kelly]

I did ask him very candidly if he knew any of these women, and he answered me very adamantly, no.

[Jeffrey Blitz]

A clean cut. Oleson, out on bond, recalled how he was questioned by police.

[John Kelly]

We know you did it. That was their exact words. And I'm like, you knew what? How did you get from this to this? That's it. I'm done.

[Jeffrey Blitz]

Atlantic county authorities took a hard look at Terry Oleson, even getting him to give a DNA sample to compare with evidence from the victims. But so far, they have not charged him with anything related to the four murders.

[John Kelly]

I wish I had some information for everybody. I just. I have no idea how I got involved in any of this, but I hope they find whoever did this.

[Jeffrey Blitz]

The identity of the man in the sketch still remains a mystery.

[John Kelly]

Dear Kim, I never realized it was possible to miss someone as much as I miss you now.

[Jeffrey Blitz]

For now, there will be no Hollywood endings or cliches about closure for the families of the victims. Precious memories and heartfelt tears will have to suffice.

[Valerie Ann Stay]

Today was my sister Barbara's funeral. Dominique is holding up well, considering. Remember this letter that you wrote to your mom? It says, dear Mom, I miss you very much. I will always love you if you are in heaven. Please read this letter. Love your daughter, Dominique.

[Jeffrey Blitz]

Like Barbara, Tracy, Molly, and Kim, sadly all left young children behind. In the meantime, in Atlantic City, tourists swarm the boardwalk. The working girls on the track maintain their wretched routine.

[Kristen Press]

I make some money and then I go get some drugs. And then when the drugs are going to make more money, I'm a good person. I'm just stuck in a bad life.

[Jeffrey Blitz]

For Kristen, the young drug addicted streetwalker, the future is painfully clear.

[Kristen Press]

It's hard because party wants to get better and party is sick. You know, it's hard. I know what's going to happen. I'm not going to lie to myself. I'm not going to lie to people. Jail and death.

[Jeffrey Blitz]

But for all the lost souls trapped on Atlantic City streets, there is one ray of hope.

[Valerie Ann Stay]

I'm so glad that Dominique got out.

[Jeffrey Blitz]

Val and her husband have adopted Dominique. They are raising her with their two sons in Florida.

[Valerie Ann Stay]

I will continue to just love her and support her.

[Jeffrey Blitz]

Dominique's home life is stable. She's getting counseling, and she's performing superbly in school.

[Kristen Press]

I plan to go to college, all the way up to college and stay in College for 10 years.

[Valerie Ann Stay]

Dominique's future is very bright. This isn't the end for her at all.

[Ryan Reynolds]

If you have information about this case, please call the Atlantic County Major crime unit at 609-909-7666.

[Jeffrey Blitz]

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[John Kelly]

Are you not entertained?

[Jeffrey Blitz]

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[John Kelly]

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[John Kelly]

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[John Kelly]

We're gonna love this.

[Jeffrey Blitz]

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[John Kelly]

Whoa.

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[John Kelly]

Looking forward to it.

[Jeffrey Blitz]

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