Update: Highway Killers
November 11, 2009
In the bizarre realm of serial killers possibly working as long-haul truckers being looked at by the FBI in literally hundreds of cases, there does not appear to be an end in sight to the horrors being committed along our nation's highways. Despite the FBI's creation of a database called the Highway Serial Killings Initiative (HSKI) containing information about more than 500 cold cases, some of which date back at least 30 years, the federal law enforcement agency is aware that hurdles still exist in bringing cases together on a local sharing-of-information level. One of the problems that make solving these cases so difficult is the fact that the serial killer truckers are preying on stranded motorists, hitchhikers and prostitutes, who they whisk across state lines either before or after committing their dirty deeds and dump their vulnerable victims' bodies like rubbish along the highways, according to criminologist Steven Spingola.
"They have that easy access, and they probably would appear to be a friendly face," Spingola said recently. "They (the victims) get in the vehicle and they can be transported across state lines where, traditionally, departments do not talk to each other."
Spingola, however, says that the HSKI database is beginning to change the way in which law enforcement agencies communicate with one another. In a nutshell, local cops are now using HSKI as a resource that will, hopefully, connect their cases to other similar cases in other states.
"When you look at what the FBI has done, they've tried to form a line of communication between local, state, and national law enforcement which allows crimes to be compared," Spingola said. "Hopefully, when one crime is solved in Raleigh, North Carolina, there may be a link to Beloit, Wisconsin."
One of many cold cases that law enforcement agencies hope HSKI will help solve is that of the murder of Crystal Linn Soulier, who left her home in Shell Lake, Wisconsin on October 1, 1996 and disappeared—seemingly without a trace. Crystal had left home before, but on this occasion it was different in that no one had heard from her after she left, except on one occasion. In fact, when Crystal's body was found five months later, dumped in a ravine behind an adult bookstore just off Interstate 90 near Beloit, it was a mystery for the Rock County Sheriff's Office that would lay dormant for the next few years all because detectives working the case did not have much to go on besides a dead body. There was no purse, and no identification on the corpse.
The one occasion in which Crystal had been heard from after she left home was a telephone call she made informing relatives that she was in Madison after having gotten that far by bus and was on her way to visit family members in Beloit. She had asked if anyone could come to Madison to pick her up, but unfortunately no one had been able to and police now suspect that she had hitched a ride, possibly with a trucker. Her last words to her relatives were, "I'll see you soon."
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In fact, it was not until August 2000 that investigators got a break in the case. As it turned out, Crystal's sister, Freedom Philippi, happened to see a poster that the sheriff's office had made—it depicted jewelry found at the crime scene. Although a part of her refused to accept her grim discovery as fact for a while, Philippi recognized the jewelry and reported it to detectives.
Now, 13 years later, Crystal's murder is still unsolved. Investigators, however, including Rock County Sheriff's Office Detective Daria O'Connor, believe that whoever killed Crystal had killed before. In 1994, someone had dumped the body of Terryl Stanford, a prostitute from Chicago, behind the same adult bookstore in Beloit, and O'Connor is hopeful that the HSKI database will help solve the two cases. The Rock County Sheriff's Office sent both of the cases to the FBI to see if the two murders might be connected and possibly committed by a serial killer residing somewhere in their database.
So far, however, the HSKI has not provided the break that investigators have been hoping for, but they are confident that the break may still be forthcoming.
"I think it's just a matter of time," O'Connor said. "I think it's talking to the right person, getting the right information."
Information, everyone hopes, that will come about as a result of the HSKI. To date, the FBI's program has helped close 30 murder cases, and has led to 10 arrests. Two of those arrests have included two truckers, so it is apparent that the system is working.
We will look at the progress being made as a result of the HSKI from time to time, and will report about it here.
Photo Credit: ID
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Very interesting report Mr. King, I think such a reform centered around the Unity of Law enforcement across the states is a very Productive idea...IF its only coincidence that two separate Vics were found outside of the same bookstore, I think it's a Heck of A Coincidence at that. If its not against your liberty to Say, I am curious about some things i didnt notice mentioned in the initial report..1) do you know if there was mention of any Similarities in the cause of death of the two women? ( ligature strangulation,manual strangulation, personation/signature elements? 2) if it isnt a coincidence and the same UNSUB, do you think the particular dumpsite was chosen out of convenience, or perhaps maybe the UNSUB used the bookstore to purchase materials there? 3)i realize it mentioned jewelry found at the scene, yet the identification and Purse were removed, this is bizarre somewhat, could that indicate the UNSUB took trophys? or would it be More likely he just took the purse and ID to make it harder to identify her? 4) were the VICS wearing clothing? if you dont feel comfortable discussing such things on an open outlet like this feel free to email me. Good reporting Sir.
Posted by: j.s.h. | November 20, 2009 at 07:03 PM
The crimes are more than likely connected, and I hope that law enforcement checks to see if other areas with Adult bookstores have had bodies showing up near, or around them under similar conditions. It could be something, or nothing. But many fail to realize that Personation/signature DOSENT Always involve personal things done to the body that go beyond whats necessary to commit the crime. There can be Geographical personation also. if The chosen dumpsite has personal meaning to the offender, and they repeatedly go there to dump a body..then its a form of personation too. (personation occurs once, repeated personation becomes Signature, and IF the crimes are both committed by the same offender then the area chosen to dump the bodies is likely to have a special meaning only the killer understands)SO the investigators would benefit from looking for similar cases at ANY adult bookstores...to see if a connection can be made there.
Posted by: unimportant | November 23, 2009 at 02:02 PM