True Crime Society – Truck Driver Serial Killers

In line with the FBI’s former assistant director Frank Figliuzzi, long-haul truckers could also be answerable for over 850 murders in america 

In line with Frank, the FBI obtained a tip in 2004 concerning a sample of unsolved murders that occurred throughout the nation. 

Detectives got here to imagine that one or two serial killer truckers have been selecting off victims alongside I-80. 

“I’ve seen some grotesque issues in 25 years as an FBI agent,” Frank mentioned. “Actually gory crime scenes.”

They’ve been given names just like the “Truck Cease Killer,” who rigged a touring torture chamber within the rear of his truck and is suspected to have killed fifty girls, and “The Interstate Strangler,” who as soon as answered a telephone name from his mom whereas killing one in every of his dozen victims.

At one level, FBI even opened a particular unit known as the Freeway Serial Killings Initiative. In lots of instances, the victims―typically at-risk girls―are picked up at truck stops in a single jurisdiction, sexually assaulted and murdered in one other, and dumped alongside a freeway in a 3rd place. The transient nature of the offenders and a number of jurisdictions concerned make these instances extremely troublesome to resolve.

Frank has mentioned that information signifies there could possibly be 450 long-haul truckers who’re serial killers.   Some are sexual predators, some similar to to kill.  

“One certainly likes to manage the result and loves the ability and can extend [the] torture, rape, and different horrors,” Frank mentioned. “The opposite sort of serial killer merely desires to kill. He enjoys [the] energy of life and demise, and he kills rapidly.”

Essentially the most susceptible pool of targets of such criminals are so-called “lot lizards,” or intercourse employees discovered at lots of the nation’s truck stops. Frank has mentioned educating these girls concerning the risks is hard. A lot of them have drug addictions, poor judgment, transfer round lots, and don’t let their households know the place they’re so nobody is ready to report them lacking.

In 2009, the FBI established a activity drive to take a look at serial killers working as truck drivers.   

Frank has urged all legislation enforcement to enter any unsolved instances into the FBI database in order that comparisons can happen.

“If I’ve one message to any legislation enforcement officer listening, it’s [to] get your unsolved instances, particularly involving roadside killings, into the FBI database,” he mentioned

As there are such a lot of of those alleged instances, we’d do a little bit of a sequence/theme, as we love to do.  In t his submit we’re going to talk about one confirmed trucker serial killer case, in addition to two individuals who disappeared from the identical space inside a 5 yr interval and so they stay lacking.  Might they be victims of an analogous killer?

Robert Ben Rhoades is named the ‘Truck Cease Killer.’  There are 4 people who find themselves confirmed to have been victims of his.  Some studies estimate that he might have really tortured, raped and killed greater than 50 girls between 1975 and 1990.

Robert was born on November 22, 1945.  

As some background into him, he was raised primarily by his mom as a toddler as a result of his father was a soldier within the US Military and was stationed in West Germany.

When Robert was in elementary college, his father returned residence and located work as a firefighter.  

Robert was energetic in extracurricular actions corresponding to soccer, wrestling, choir and French. 

His legal historical past began when he was 16 in 1961.  He was arrested for tampering with a automobile.  When he was 17, he was arrested for public flighting.

Robert graduated from highschool in 1964 and he joined the Marine Corps.  That yr, Robert’s father was arrested for molesting a 12 yr previous woman.  Whereas he was awaiting trial, he killed himself.

Robert ended up being dishonourably discharged from the Marine Corps following a theft.   He enrolled in faculty after that, however ended up dropping out.   He additionally tried to affix a legislation enforcement company however was denied attributable to his legal previous.

Robert would get married 3 times.  He had a son along with his first spouse.   Over time, he labored in random jobs corresponding to in supermarkets and eating places, earlier than finally turning into a protracted haul trucker.

Within the 1980’s, Robert grew to become concerned within the BDSM scene.  BDSM is an abbreviation that stands for bondage and self-discipline, dominance and submission, sadism and masochism.  Presently, Robert was married to his third spouse, Deborah.   It’s mentioned that he abused her, verbally, bodily and sexually.

Robert’s 4 confirmed homicide victims are Patricia Walsh (24) and her husband Douglas Zyskowski (26), in addition to Regina Walters (14) and her boyfriend Ricky Lee Jones (18) – creepy age hole.  

We’ll talk about these instances first after which will go into the opposite attainable crimes that Robert is linked to.

Patricia and Douglas have been newlyweds once they left Seattle in November 1989.  They deliberate to hitchhike to Georgia (round a 42 hour/ virtually 3000 mile journey) to evangelise the Christian gospel.  

They bought so far as Texas once they encountered Robert.  It’s believed that Robert killed Douglas instantly and dumped his physique in Sutton County, Texas.  He stored Patricia alive for over every week.  It’s mentioned that he tortured and raped her quite a few occasions earlier than murdering her.  He dumped her physique in Millard County, Utah.  

Prosecutors have since mentioned that Robert stored a cell torture chamber within the cab of his long-haul rig.

“There’s this compartment that’s hidden fully from view apart from between the seats,” Steve Smith, first assistant for the 112th District Legal professional’s workplace in Texas, instructed ABCNews.com.

The dungeon-like compartment was described in “Roadside Prey” by Alva Busch, a ebook written about Robert and his crimes. The rig was geared up with handcuffs on the ceiling.  This meant that Robert may chain his feminine victims in order that he may torture them earlier than killing them.

Douglas’ stays have been present in January 1990 and he was recognized in 1992.

Patricia’s stays have been present in October 1990, however she was not recognized till 2003 after authorities used dental information.

One week after Robert killed Patricia, he allegedly kidnapped Shana Holts (18) and stored her in his truck for 2 weeks.  Shana survived the ordeal and instructed police what occurred.  Robert was detained in relation to this case however Shana determined to not press fees.  

“I don’t see any good in submitting fees. It’s simply going to be my phrase towards his. If there was any proof, I might file. I might file fees and sue him.”

The subsequent confirmed victims are Regina and Ricky.  

As talked about, Regina was 14 when she died.   She ran away from her mom’s residence in Pasadena, Texas on February 3, 1990.  

Regina was reported lacking by her mom after she didn’t return residence after a babysitting job on that evening.  She ended up going to the house of a good friend of Ricky Jones.  That is how she met him.  

After police began placing up lacking individual fliers for Regina, Ricky grew to become involved.   He was on probation for auto theft and realized that if he was caught with an adolescent, he would most likely go to jail.   

The 2 determined to hitchhike to Mexico the place they could possibly be collectively.  They didn’t seem to get far earlier than they encountered Robert.   Ricky was shot within the head and his physique was dumped close to Harleton, Texas, round 238 miles/383 kms from Pasadena the place they began their journey.  

Ricky’s physique was discovered on Could 26, 1990.

After Robert killed Ricky, it’s believed that he held Regina hostage for weeks in his ‘torture’ cabin.  He shaved her head and pubic hair and pierced her with fishing hooks.   In March 1990, he stopped at a barn close to I70 in Bond County, Illinois.  He took a number of pictures of Regina presently.  That is an notorious one that you could be acknowledge:

He took pictures of Regina each clothed and nude.   He then made her climb as much as a loft within the barn.  He strangled her utilizing a ligature that he had comprised of a wood beam and wire that he had discovered on the web site.   He twisted the ligature round her neck 16 occasions, virtually decapitating her.  Robert left Regina’s nude physique within the barn and fled the scene.

Robert took Regina’s pocket book with him.  It contained telephone numbers of her family and friends.  Robert allegedly known as her father a number of occasions and taunted him.  He additionally known as Regina’s mom and mentioned he needed to replace her about her daughter in individual.  They organized to satisfy at  a comfort retailer at 6.30am one morning, however Robert didn’t present up.  

On April 1, 1990, an Arizona Freeway Patrol trooper discovered a truck with its hazard lights on close to Casa Grande, Arizona.  The truck was parked on the aspect of I10.  When the trooper regarded within the cab of the truck, he discovered a nude girl, handcuffed and screaming.   Robert was current and mentioned that he was the truck driver.   He gave the trooper a gun that he had.   He was arrested and charged with aggravated assault, sexual assault, and illegal imprisonment.

After this arrest, police made the connection between Robert’s victims.  Once they searched his residence, they discovered the pictures of Regina, in addition to pictures of Patricia. 

In 1994, Robert was convicted of Regina’s homicide.  He was sentenced to life with out parole.  

He was extradited to Utah in 2005 to be tried for Patricia and Douglas’ murders.   On the request of each of the victims’ households, the costs would find yourself being dropped as they didn’t wish to testify a number of occasions.  

He was then extradited to Texas for the murders of Regina and Ricky.  In change for having the demise penalty taken off the desk, Robert pleaded responsible and obtained a second life sentence.

Prosecutors imagine Robert might have put many different girls by the cycle of “kidnap, torture, and kill,” however Steve Smith from the DA’s workplace has mentioned they have no idea what number of girls he might have damage, since he traveled a lot.

“That was the issue with him,” Steve Smith mentioned. “He was on the interstate all over the place.”

“I’ve been a prosecutor since 1979 and it was one of many uncommon events after I was within the court docket the place the defendant walked in and also you felt the evil,” Steve Smith mentioned. “The hairs on my arm rise up proper now speaking about it.”

This details about Robert’s attainable different crimes is from a really complete GQ article:

When he was caught, he mentioned that he had been “doing this” for fifteen years, which might put the onset of his murders again into the Seventies. His trucking logs place him within the space of fifty unsolved murders within the three years previous to his arrest alone. Whereas not all fifty instances have been tied to Rhoades but and Rhoades himself has admitted to solely three murders, the FBI has robust motive to imagine that at his peak he was killing one to a few girls a month.

We’ll now talk about two instances of lacking individuals – not tied to Robert.  Each individuals disappeared years aside from the very same location and stay lacking to this present day.

Judith ‘Judy’ Casida was 62 when she went lacking from Nevada.  

She was final seen leaving her Reno, Nevada residence on Valentine’s Day in 2006.  She was driving her white 1991 Mazda pickup truck with the Nevada license plate quantity 920 NRH on the time of her disappearance.

There isn’t an excessive amount of details about Judith’s disappearance out there.

We all know that on March 5, 2006, her truck was discovered deserted on the 205 Pumpernickel Valley exit ramp off Interstate 80 close to Winnemucca, Nevada.

No signal of Judy was ever discovered and she or he has not been seen once more.  There was no exercise on her financial institution accounts since she vanished. 

Judy did depart behind a be aware in her residence, saying that she felt depressed over her life decisions and about how her marriage was going.  

Judy’s disappearance appears more likely to have been a suicide or psychological break, based mostly on her mind-set on the time.

Nonetheless, 5 years later, in April 2011, one other individual would vanish and their truck can be discovered at the very same spot the place Judy’s automobile was discovered.

Patrick Carnes was 86 when he went lacking on April 13, 2011.  He was a WWII veteran who was mentioned to be in good well being.  He had been driving again to his residence in Reno, Nevada after visiting kinfolk in Toledo, Ohio.  

That is principally a straight drive throughout the nation, round 2,144 miles or 3,500 kms.  It could take round 31 hours with out stopping.  

Pat had been making the journey along with his canine, Fortunate.   Household have mentioned that Patrick not often went anyplace with out the canine.  

Patrick was driving a inexperienced Subaru Forester with the Nevada license plate quantity 719 SDN.  There was an internet site for Patrick – patcarnesmissing.com – that’s now defunct however we managed to get a few of this data from the wayback machine.  

In line with the web site, Patrick left Ohio on Tuesday, April 12, 2011.  I do surprise if that is correct as that might imply an 86 yr previous man drove virtually 2000 miles/26 hours of driving in round a day and a half?  However that’s what the Sheriff’s press launch mentioned?  Certainly one of Patrick’s sons additionally corroborated that story in a 2011 article to KTVB.

At 9pm on April 13, the Nevada Freeway Patrol pulled him over for a visitors violation. The trooper had been on a visitors cease with a tractor trailer rig, and Patrick had failed to maneuver to the lane farthest away from the trooper.  That’s the reason why the trooper left that cease and proceeded on to tug Patrick over.

When the trooper spoke to Patrick, he indicated that he had been following a tractor trailer rig.   “I’m solely following him as a result of he’s going to Elko.” Patrick mentioned. He additionally mentioned ‘I’ll by no means drive at evening once more.’  

Fortunate could possibly be seen on the sprint cam footage, sitting within the again seat and wagging his tail.  

Sprint cam video was later reviewed and did seem that Patrick was following instantly behind the tractor trailer rig.  

The next morning, Thursday April 14, 2011, simply earlier than 6am, somebody on their strategy to work noticed a automobile parked in an uncommon spot off of Interstate 80 on the Pumpernickel Valley off-ramp (exit 205). This particular person then contacted the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Workplace to report what she had seen.

When a deputy arrived, Patrick’s Subaru was discovered to be deserted, barely excessive centered and caught in sage brush.  The automobile was dealing with the improper path however was in working situation.   Police ran the plate on the automobile and tried to name Patrick’s residence telephone.  No one answered. 

Two days later, on April 17, 2011, the automobile was nonetheless in the identical spot.  The Reno PD have been contacted and requested to do a welfare examine at Patrick’s residence.  On the similar time, two of Patrick’s sons had arrived to examine on their dad to verify he had gotten again from his Ohio journey as that they had not heard from him.  

When it was decided that Patrick was not at his residence, a lacking individual report was taken.  

“What occurred? The place is he? He simply vanished,” mentioned Patrick’s son, Jim. 

When his Subaru was searched, all of Patrick’s belongings have been within the automobile, together with his checkbook.  There have been reportedly a single set of footprints main away from the automobile. 

The realm across the automobile was searched.  Roughly 600 to 700 man hours have been expended on this search. The search included canines, ATV’s, Jeeps, floor groups, and several other aerial flights over the world.

Later searches have been carried out in the course of the summer time that included the exploration (through digital camera tools) of quite a few mine shafts within the common space of the place the automobile was discovered.  

No hint of Patrick or Fortunate have been discovered. 

“We simply assume there was foul play concerned, we don’t have any proof of that, but it surely’s resulting in that as a result of the place else would he be?” mentioned Patrick’s son Jim in 2011.

Humboldt County Undersheriff Curtiss Kull agreed. 

“Our primary idea is in actual fact that one thing very dangerous occurred to him by the hands of any individual,” mentioned Kull.

In 2011, there have been apparently a string of people that went lacking whereas driving.   This data is from KVTB:

On March 2 Grant Moedl vanished whereas driving from Rexburg to Boise.

Two weeks later Albert and Rita Chretien, a Canadian couple, vanished. Their final recognized location was in Baker Metropolis, Oregon. Rita Chretien was present in Nevada on March 6 by hunters on ATVs, however Albert Chretien continues to be lacking.

Kull says it’s exhausting to say whether or not the three instances are linked, however the disappearances are eerily comparable.

“You’re speaking a month time period for 4 individuals to only vanish, and when you additionally plot these out on a map, like I mentioned, it actually grabs your consideration,” mentioned Kull.

We did search for the individuals talked about by the sheriff on the time, to see if there was any decision of their instances.

Grant Moedl’s physique was discovered inside his automobile in a reservoir in June 2011.   “On June 27, 2011, an post-mortem was carried out by the Ada County Coroner’s Workplace on Mr. Grant X. Moedl,” a information launch from Detective Clint Andrus of the Elmore County Sheriff’s Workplace mentioned. “Upon additional investigation, there have been no indications of foul play. It seems Mr. Moedl drove off of (U.S.) Freeway 20 to the Mountain Dwelling Reservoir for unknown causes. Elmore County Sheriff’s Workplace is checking into the chance that Mr. Moedl’s automobile broke by the ice and trapping Mr. Moedl within the automobile. This incident continues to be below investigation.”

Albert Chretien’s physique was discovered 7 miles from his automobile, over a yr after he disappeared.  Plainly his and Rita’s automobile had damaged down and he tried to get assist.  Canadian businessman Albert Chretien was wearily slogging by 8-foot-deep snow in a thick forest close to the Nevada-Idaho border in March 2011 when he collapsed and died of obvious exhaustion and hypothermia.

So none of these instances have been most likely homicide.  

(Again to the story)

One idea is that as a result of Patrick had beforehand labored as a truck driver, he might have been trusting of one other trucker.  

“We bought into the situation with truckers. Pat, previous to stepping into computer systems, was a trucker in southern California and had an admiration for truckers, trusted truckers,” mentioned Kull.

It has now been over 14 years since Patrick disappeared, and 19 years since Judy disappeared.   

SOURCE LIST

https://www.newsnationnow.com/crime/truck-driving-serial-killers

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Ben_Rhoades

https://abcnews.go.com/US/texas-trucker-traveling-torture-chamber-admits-murders/story?id=16037743

https://unidentified-awareness.fandom.com/wiki/Regina_Walters

https://www.gq.com/story/truck-stop-killer-gq-november-2012