Buried Bones Podcast: "The Freeway Phantom Murders, Pt. 1"

Hosts: Kate Winkler Dawson & Paul Holes
Date: February 25, 2026
Network: Exactly Right & iHeartPodcasts

Episode Overview

In this gripping two-part episode, Kate Winkler Dawson (journalist, true crime author) and Paul Holes (retired cold case forensic investigator) dig into the harrowing series of unsolved murders known as the "Freeway Phantom" killings, which terrorized Washington, D.C. in 1971 and 1972. Through the lens of modern forensics and deep investigative experience, Paul and Kate reconstruct the timeline, explore the stifling social context of 1970s D.C., dissect victimology, and ponder the limitations of the era's investigative tools—while speculating on the serial offender's patterns and motivations.

Kate provides detailed case summaries, witness accounts, and forensic findings, while Paul offers expert insight into profiling, offender behavior, and investigative strategy.

Trigger Warning: This episode includes discussion of child abduction, sexual assault, and murder.

Setting the Stage: D.C., 1971 ([08:19]–[11:46])

• Historical Context: D.C. was in turmoil: anti-war marches, citywide protests, and police overwhelmed with public disorder. "There are a lot of anti war marches, you know, that are attracting between a quarter of a million and half a million protesters... Police are very, very busy, which is not great news for us." (Kate, [09:01])
• The violence and chaos are presented as a backdrop to the police's slow response and disjointed investigations that follow.
• Jurisdictional Challenges: Victim discoveries straddle both D.C. and neighboring Maryland, causing problems with collaboration and communication across police agencies.

The Murders and Victimology

1. Carol Denise Spinks (Age 13)

Discovered: May 1, 1971 (missing since April 25, 1971)
Details:

• Body found by a young boy behind St. Elizabeth's Mental Hospital, near I-295.
• Fully clothed, no shoes, body notably clean ("She is spick and span" [13:46]).
• Autopsy findings: Cuts on face, neck, and chest; bruises on neck from manual strangulation; evidence she fought back (blood under fingernails).
• Sexual assault: Repeatedly sodomized, but no semen found.
• Trace evidence: Hairs (not hers, but from another Black individual) on clothing and barrette; green synthetic fibers found on shorts and underwear; citrus fruit in stomach, suggesting captor fed her while holding her.
• Insight:

  "This could be something that is left by the offender as the offender is strangling her...often the victims will leave their own fingernail marks as they're trying to fight the offender's hands." (Paul, [16:13])

• Investigative Shortfall: Police initially think she is a runaway; time lost before active search.

2. Darlenia Denise Johnson (Age 16)

Discovered: July 19, 1971
Details:

• Body found 15 feet from where Carol was discovered.
• Last seen July 8, missing for 11 days; heavy decomposition due to outdoor exposure.
• Insights: Unable to determine sexual assault or cause of death due to decomposition. Similarities in dump site, victim age, and shoe removal.
• Family Trauma: Mother receives taunting phone calls ("I killed your daughter"), similar to what is seen in some serial predator profiles.

  "For these offenders...the use of the telephone can be very sexually gratifying...there is a psychological sadism that is occurring. He enjoys instilling fear." (Paul, [34:24])

• Community Impact: Community organizer Dorothy Wheeler receives threats against her own daughter after leading meetings protesting police failures in protecting Black communities ([38:56]).

3. Brenda Faye Crockett (Age 10)

Discovered: July 28, 1971
Details:

• Went missing evening of July 27 after heading to get dog food and a newspaper from Safeway.
• Made two chilling calls home while with her abductor:
  • "A white man had picked her up and driven her to his home in what she says is Virginia." (Kate, [42:41])
  • Asks, "Did my mother see me?" (Kate, [43:20])
• Body found the next day on Route 50, Maryland.
• Autopsy findings: Asphyxiation (scarf knotted around neck); bruises resembling bite marks; blood and semen in underwear; clutching a Black person's hair in her hand; missing curlers; green synthetic fibers found.
• Expert Take:

  "He's allowing Brenda to make this phone call...he's trying to figure things out and having Brenda basically tell the family 'I'm okay, I'll be coming home.'" (Paul, [43:20]) "He's redressing his victims...there is a sexual motivation to these crimes." (Paul, [49:51])

4. Nenomoshia “Nino” Yates (Age 12)

Discovered: October 1, 1971
Details:

• Last seen alive less than 2 hours before her body is found, having just left Safeway to buy groceries.
• Witnesses report seeing her get into a blue Volkswagen with a yellow stripe.
• Body found near Pennsylvania Avenue Southeast, close to D.C./Maryland border.
• Fully clothed, wearing white tennis shoes (remnants from past cases nearby).
• Autopsy findings: Violently raped; fingernail marks (possibly left-handed attacker); semen recovered; green synthetic fibers found on body.
• Expert Insight:

  "This is a more typical type of case that I would generally see versus holding victims captive for a period of time...most offenses against children are committed quickly after abduction." (Paul, [66:12])

• Geographic Clues: Offender appears to adapt strategies, perhaps rushing due to increased attention and community fear.

Patterns and Profiling Insights

• Victimology: All girls were Black, ages 10–16, abducted while alone, typically performing an errand for family. Perpetrator's age preference seems to be "puberty or post-pubescence."
• Dump Sites: Multiple victims were found in close proximity, mainly along highways (I-295, Route 50), supporting the “Freeway Phantom” moniker.
• Forensic Evidence: Recurrent green synthetic fibers across multiple victims. Black male hair (not from victims), semen traces—potential for modern-day DNA, if preserved.
• Behavioral Shifts: Timeline shows rapid escalation and adaptation (e.g., shorter captivity, changes in victim redressing, and possibly more hurried kills).

  "He's redressing his victims. I mean, there's no question there's a sexual motivation for these crimes…sometimes, the offender is eliminating a witness." (Paul, [49:51])

Notable Quotes & Moments

• On law enforcement’s slow response:
  "When you have a parent reporting her daughter missing that quickly, this should be a red flag to law enforcement." (Paul, [18:51])
• On redressing and evidence handling in the 1970s:
  "Back in the 1970s…they didn't put a lot of relevance on [semen evidence], because they couldn't do anything with it at the time." (Paul, [49:51])
• On the unique details of Brenda's abduction and calls:
  "He's allowing Brenda to make this phone call, or he's made the phone call and is forcing Brenda to communicate…The offender is a little paranoid." (Paul, [43:20])
• On the significance of green synthetic fibers:
  "What kind of fibers are these? What kind of product is it on?...does he live close enough by?" (Paul, [67:42])
• On linking the cases geographically:
  "Sometimes what you see…is what's called this smokestack…cases that are all around the circle, but nothing in the middle…the anchor point for the offender." (Paul, [68:49])
• On exhibitionism as a behavioral link:
  "Offenders that are at least, you know, reasonably got their act together, they're going to try to do things to minimize their risk…But there's also this risk reward aspect…" (Paul, [74:16])

Geographic Profiling & Mapping ([46:37], [68:49])

• Kate shares a simplified map marking victims’ homes, last seen locations, and body dump sites along major highways, showing cluster patterns and helping with geographic profiling.
• Paul weighs in on patterns, suggesting that absence of crimes in certain D.C. zones may signal where the offender lives or works ("smokestack" phenomenon). Offender possibly has close familiarity with the area, and perhaps a connection to Safeway stores.

Theories, Speculation & Unanswered Questions

• Could the offender have impersonated a police officer? (Carol's mother’s suspicion, [26:13])
• Is the blue car/Volkswagen and the man exposing himself connected to the main offender?
• Was Darlenia’s mother’s harassing caller the actual killer, or someone exploiting the news coverage?
• Have potential sources of critical evidence (semen, fibers, hair) survived in police evidence rooms, and could modern DNA analysis finally solve the case?
• Does the escalation in killing frequency, the decreasing captivity duration, and the shift in methods reveal the killer’s growing confidence or fear of being caught?
• Is the shoe motif intentional (possible taunt) or just practical evidence handling?

Case Break and Next Steps

• The episode closes with police and FBI finally connecting cases across D.C. and Maryland, naming the Freeway Phantom as the likely perpetrator.
• Kate assigns Paul (and listeners) to consider, for next week: How can a series like this be definitively linked—with so many copycat risks and limitations on DNA and survivor testimony in play? ([77:24])

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Setting the 1971 D.C. scene & protest chaos: [08:19]–[11:46]
• Details of Carol Denise Spinks’s murder and investigation: [12:10]–[18:51]
• Victimology and runaways discussion: [18:51]–[23:40]
• Discovery and investigation of Darlenia Denise Johnson: [29:54]–[34:24]
• Mother receives harassing phone calls: [34:24]
• Community organizer threatened, broader fear: [38:56]
• Brenda Crockett’s abduction, calls, and body discovery: [41:23]–[52:23]
• Autopsy finding discussion (Brenda): [52:23]
• Suspect Jesse Tobin incident: [53:23]–[56:21]
• Nenomoshia “Nino” Yates abduction and forensic evidence: [66:12]–[68:49]
• Geographic profiling, area patterns, Safeway speculation: [68:49]–[71:27]
• Closing summary and next episode set-up: [77:22]–[77:58]

Tone and Dynamic

Paul and Kate maintain their signature balance of precise, methodical true crime exploration and empathetic storytelling, with Paul providing expert forensic and behavioral analysis and Kate weaving the victims’ stories and period context. Their conversational style, interspersed with respectful banter and memorable tidbits, brings out the humanity in the victims and the frustration with the investigation’s historical limitations.

For Further Engagement

• See maps, evidence photos, and case notes on Instagram: @buriedbonespod
• Books referenced: Blaine Pardo and Victoria Hester's Tantamount (main source), Patricia Cornwell’s Scarpetta series (inspiration)

To be continued in Part 2…