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 iHeartPodcasts 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.
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.
What listeners say
A curated, balanced selection of Apple Podcasts reviews.
Celeste Headley does outstanding work here. Jam packed with footage from family of 5+ murders from 70’s. Solid facts, shocking details but very well delivered. I enjoyed this podcast so much. My heart breaks for these families. The details are raw, emotional and make you think. But it not disturbing or gory.
I would give it 10 stars if possible! Excellent work. This collaboration absolutely did their homework on this podcast. Bravo! 👏 This kind of devotion to fact, detail and analysis are why I listen to true crime. I certainly hope there will be more like this to come from Celeste Headley,Payne Lindsey, & Black Barmitzvah. (Forgive me if I left anyone out)
Thank you. Birmingham AL
Jennyt0103 · Oct 2024
A must listen. So well done and so important to shed light on the disparity that exists in the media.
Np1912 · Sep 2023
This is one of my favorite. Excellent guest interviews, excellent pacing, great unveiling of the story to really tell us about the girls and their families in an honest and dignified way. Good level of detail about the investigations over the years. This story is really complex but the producers kept the material well organized.
tiger mum2123 · Jul 2023
I’m under 40 yrs old. I have lived in DC my entire life and never heard of these cases. I asked my mom, who was around the age of the girls and she barely remembered. Thank you for sharing this grim DC history and also imparting so much information about communities of the time and the MPD. I spent a great amount of time reading news articles of the time while listening. I hope these families get a resolution.
Ali1234567888 · Jul 2023
there obviously was negligence in the initial investigation but somehow this podcast manages to side step any guilt of the police department in their failures and sweep it under a broad mention of racism. the police being interviewed now claim that there is no longer any racism in the department. using horrific crimes on one of the most marginalized group in america as a back drop of promoting the police who were the ones who failed these girls is extremely bleak and effed up.
Shinyblindness · Jul 2023
Mainly just a series of personal testimony from individuals that were touched by this tragedy. If you’re looking for cold hard facts or interesting details of a mysterious crime (like the amazing Atlanta Monster series), this ain’t that.
jagbeveridge · Jul 2023
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