Freeway Phantom

Between 1971 and 1972, six black girls went missing in the Washington D.C. area. Their bodies were discarded alongside DC freeways. And their killer was never found. The media dubbed him “The Freeway Phantom.”   From iHeartRadio and Tenderfoot TV, a new podcast reinvestigates the 50 year old unsolved murders of these young girls. Journalist and Public Radio veteran Celeste Headlee (NPR, PBS, TEDx) examines old case files and interviews the investigators and family members who are still haunted by these killings. Headlee will ask the questions: Why didn’t these murders make the news headlines? Did law enforcement do enough to solve these crimes? And how do racial disparities impact these types of investigations, past and present? Plus, we’ll explore new evidence which may crack the cold case wide open again.   The all new series premieres on May 17, 2023.   If you have any information relating to these unsolved crimes, contact the Metropolitan Police Department at (202) 727-9099. If you have a tip and would like to reach out directly to Tenderfoot TV, email us at tips@tenderfoot.tv.

21 episodes transcribed
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Up and Vanished Returns

Episode Date: February 23, 2024

Payne Lindsey returns to lead a new investigation into the disappearance of Alaska Native Florence Okpealuk, who vanished from the subarctic town of N...

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Introducing The Raven

Episode Date: January 12, 2024

Who is responsible for two deaths hours after Super Bowl XXXIV in Atlanta? An altercation outside of a nightclub left two men stabbed to death in the...

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Introducing: Radical

Episode Date: November 27, 2023

Hi, Freeway Phantom fans! Tenderfoot TV, iHeartPodcasts, and Campside Media have teamed up for a riveting podcast called Radical. Hosted by journalist...

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Introducing The Estate

Episode Date: September 14, 2023

In the early evening on New Year’s Eve, in 1973, a 34 year old man was found bleeding to death on a downtown street in Stockton, California. In his dy...

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BONUS: Courtney's House

Episode Date: July 19, 2023

We explore an issue deeply connected to the missing persons cases we've disccused this season: domestic trafficking. Tina Frundt of Courtney's House i...

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The Epidemic

Episode Date: July 12, 2023

The Freeway Phantom case is but one example of a wider epidemic of missing black girls in DC who don't get the attention they need. How can we fix thi...

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A New Profile

Episode Date: July 5, 2023

We recruit a former FBI profiler to create a new profile of the Freeway Phantom. And we look at the systemic issues that led to the Phantom's success....

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Who is the Phantom?

Episode Date: June 28, 2023

Why was the Phantom never caught? Is it possible he's still alive, walking freely? We explore all evidence pointing to his identity. And we ask: what...

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Green Vega

Episode Date: June 21, 2023

More suspects come to light. And we learn about two other murdered girls who may have been unconfirmed victims of the Phantom: 18-year-old Teara Bryan...

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The Hospital

Episode Date: June 14, 2023

After a hiatus of 10 months, police find the body of 17-year-old Diane Williams on September 6th, 1972. Diane would be the final confirmed victim of t...

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Catch Me If You Can

Episode Date: June 7, 2023

In the early morning hours of November 16th, 1971, police discovered the body of 18-year-old Brenda Woodard. But this time, it's clear that the victim...

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The Moniker

Episode Date: May 31, 2023

On October 1st, 1971, a fourth victim was taken and later found dead: 12-year-old Nenomoshia Yates. Finally, news outlets begin to pick up the story o...

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Did My Mother See Me?

Episode Date: May 24, 2023

On July 27th, 1971, 10-year-old Brenda Crockett did not return home from a trip to the grocery store. Hours later, Brenda called home to deliver a cry...

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Congress Heights

Episode Date: May 17, 2023

In early July of 1971, multiple drivers reported seeing a dead body just off a freeway in D.C. Only weeks later was the cadaver recovered. Police even...