The Freeway Phantom // 496

In January of 2025, a 14-year-old Indigenous girl went missing without a trace from her home in Mesa, Arizona. Just weeks later, her dismembered remains were discovered on the side of a highway a few hours away. Investigators began to dive into a devastating homicide investigation, but it is still very much underway. This is the murder of Emily Pike.Sources:Blasius, Melissa, et al. “What Led up to Emily Pike’s Placement in Foster Care?” ABC15 Arizona in Phoenix (KNXV), ABC15 Arizona in Phoenix (KNXV), 15 Apr. 2025, https://www.abc15.com/news/local-news/what-led-up-to-emily-pikes-placement-in-foster-care.DeYoung, Lauren, and Robert Anglen. AZ Central, 15 Apr. 2025, https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/arizona/2025/04/15/emily-pike-san-carlos-apache-tribe-homicide-investigation/83016994007/?utm_campaign=trueanthem&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook&fbclid=IwY2xjawJyC_tleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHq6CGD6NvXUs6oNFiGUTdzJ.Grace, Nancy. Horrifying Discovery: Emily Pike’s Body Found Off US 60. YouTube, 24 Mar. 2025, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xAz9Sz83Kok.Holden, Ashley. “New Reports: Emily Pike Didn’t Want to Return to Group Home.” ABC15 Arizona in Phoenix (KNXV), ABC15 Arizona in Phoenix (KNXV), 24 Mar. 2025, https://www.abc15.com/news/region-southeast-valley/mesa/new-reports-emily-pike-didnt-want-to-return-to-group-home.Krasean, Nicole. “Family of Emily Pike Says Murdered 14-Year-Old Was a Sexual Assault Victim before the Murder Occurred | FOX 10 Phoenix.” FOX 10 Phoenix, FOX 10 Phoenix, 16 Apr. 2025, https://www.fox10phoenix.com/news/family-emily-pike-says-murdered-14-year-old-was-sexual-assault-victim-before-murder-occurred.“Family of Emily Pike Says Murdered 14-Year-Old Was a Sexual Assault Victim before the Murder Occurred | FOX 10 Phoenix.” FOX 10 Phoenix, 16 Apr. 2025, https://www.fox10phoenix.com/news/family-emily-pike-says-murdered-14-year-old-was-sexual-assault-victim-before-murder-occurred.The Interview Room. EMILY PIKE: IS THIS A SERIAL KILLER? - The Interview Room with Chris McDonough. YouTube, 14 Apr. 2025, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q1e2W0EUPXE.Whitney, Briana. “Former Roommate Describes What Happened Before Emily Pike’s Mesa Disappearance.” Https://www.Azfamily.Com, https://www.facebook.com/arizonasfamily/, 5 Mar. 2025, https://www.azfamily.com/2025/03/05/former-roommate-describes-what-happened-before-emily-pikes-mesa-disappearance/.Young, Lauren De. “Slain Apache Teen Emily Pike Honored in San Carlos Memorial Service.” The Arizona Republic, Arizona Republic, 30 Mar. 2025, https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/arizona/2025/03/29/slain-teen-emily-pike-honored-san-carlos-memorial-service/82697107007/.Legiscan, 2025, https://legiscan.com/AZ/text/HB2281/id/3059181

Between April of 1971 and September of 1972, six girls, between the ages of 10 and 18, were abducted from Washington DC and found murdered. After some of their abductions, he would call the families or those close to the case breathing heavily, or giving crude messages. Then, left behind in one of the victims’ pockets was a note from the killer, taunting the police by saying, “Catch me if you can,” followed by a terrifying name he gave himself. This is the story of the Freeway Phantom.

Part 2 of 2. Starting in 1978, a Montana man murdered three people and injured 23 others during a nationwide bombing campaign. Hiding behind a comfortable upbringing, mathematician degrees from prestigious universities, and his perspective of doing right by the environment, Ted Kaczynski violently opposed modern technology and industrial society. And through a 35,000-word manifesto and multiple horrific attacks -many of which were on innocent civilians- he plead his case. This is the story of the Unabomber.

Starting in 1978, a Montana man murdered three people and injured 23 others during a nationwide bombing campaign. Hiding behind a comfortable upbringing, mathematician degrees from prestigious universities, and his perspective of doing right by the environment, Ted Kaczynski violently opposed modern technology and industrial society. And through a 35,000-word manifesto and multiple horrific attacks -many of which were on innocent civilians- he plead his case. This is the story of the Unabomber.

 In February of 2020, a 42-year-old Florida man suffocated to death after being zipped into a suitcase during what allegedly started as an innocent game of hide-and-seek. But when an investigation revealed that there had been drinking involved, an ulterior motive presented itself, and so did a suspect whose intentions hadn’t been so playful. This is the murder of Jorge Torres.

In 1988, Dorothea Puente, an elderly and seemingly sweet landlady in Sacramento, California, was arrested after a series of mysterious disappearances plagued her boarding house. When investigators uncovered the remains of several bodies buried on her property, the true horror of her actions came to light: she had been drugging and killing vulnerable elderly and disabled individuals under her care, cashing in on their benefits. As the full extent of her gruesome crimes emerged, a shocking pattern of manipulation and murder was revealed. This is the story of the Death House Landlady.

In March of 2009, a 41-year-old woman living in Grovetown, Georgia was found beaten nearly to death in her home after she and her neighbor were robbed on the same morning. But when said neighbor was shot just two days later while leaving work, police uncovered a tangled web of deception and lies. This is the murder of Kay Parsons.

In April of 1980, a nun was found murdered on the floor of a Toledo, Ohio chapel. She had been brutally murdered, her body found with clear signs of strangulation, and over 30 stab wounds - nine of which were in the shape of an inverted cross. At first, it felt as though her murder had been part of a satanic ritual. But as the investigation unraveled, an otherworldly shock hit detectives and the community when they learned who was really behind it. This is the murder of Sister Margaret Ann Pahl.

In April of 2015, a 28-year-old mother of three went missing in South Carolina after meeting up with a man from a dating app. Initially, the only suspect in her disappearance was cooperative and helpful. Until her body was found buried in a swamp. This is the murder of Ashley Pegram.

In March of 2015, an 18-year-old college freshman in Virginia went missing after returning home for spring break. Weeks later, her body was found on an abandoned property, proving that her death was a murder. When suspicions turned on her grieving loved ones, and toward the erratic behavior of one person in particular, a shocking suspect revealed themselves. This is the story of Anjelica, or “AJ,” Hadsell.