Buried Bones - a historical true crime podcast with Kate Winkler Dawson and Paul Holes The Freeway Phantom Murders PT 1
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Feb 25, 2026 They reconstruct a string of 1971 Washington, D.C. child abductions and the chaotic policing of the time. Forensic details and troubling scene evidence are described in grisly detail. Witness reports, taunting phone calls, and a survivor’s lead that produced an arrest are examined. Geographic patterns and theories about the perpetrator’s behavior and movements are mapped out.
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Runaway Assumption Delayed Search For Carol
- Carol Spinks was 13 and last seen at a nearby 7-Eleven, but police initially treated her as a likely runaway.
- Paul notes quick dismissal of missing teens as runaways was common then and likely delayed search efforts.
Clustered Dump Sites Point To Local Predator
- A second body (Darlene Johnson) was found near the first with similar dump location and missing shoes, reinforcing a possible single offender.
- Both victims lived in Congress Heights and were last seen close to home, pointing to a local predator hunting nearby.
Killer's Terror Extended To Community Leaders
- Community organizers like Dorothy Wheeler mobilized residents and then received threatening calls, showing community activism and the killer's desire to terrorize beyond direct victims.
- The caller threatened to rape and murder Wheeler's daughter, amplifying local fear.
