Turn on desktop notifications for breaking stories about interest? Eventually, law enforcement discovered Robert Ben Rhoades was a serial killer, in addition to being a sexual sadist who enjoyed torturing women and girls. The Daily Nonpareil reports thatRobert Ben Rhoades was set to be free on work release when Illinois police identified the body of 14-year-old Regina Walters. Born in Council Bluffs, IA #7. Look at Lisa Pennal. Megan Fox. The case of Robert Ben Rhoades serves as an excellent example of the type and nature of case to which VICAP s services would provide critical assistance and support. I'm a 30-something true crime writer living in North America with my hubby & two fur babies https://thewickedtruthblog.com/membership Follow More from Medium Fatim Hemraj 8-Year-Old Boy Solves His Own Mom's Murder Fatim Hemraj Teen Murders Her Best Friend for $9 Million Dollars Jonathan Harker Several days later, though, heading south on I-95 through the Carolinas, I got picked up by another trucker who was not fine. Wherever I went, I was told nothing "like that" ever happened, which was remarkable given the numbers of bodies the FBI had tracked over the past thirty years. Condamn la prison vie pour une srie de meurtres, il en a confess un nouveau . His clothes were gray or blue, but that may have been the light. they uncovered a number of disturbing photographs, taken right before he murdered one of his teenage victims, Inside the cab of the truck was a woman, chained to the wall and screaming, Rhoades had converted the cab of his truck into a mobile torture chamber, he told her his nickname was "Whips and Chains. She knew how to survive. Before serial killer Robert Ben Rhoades killed his victims, he like to snap a photo of them. He wasn't nervous, angry, or excited. Her thick red-blond hair had been cropped close to her head with a knife or scissors and was now growing back. This kit included numerous sex toys, chains, whips, fishhooks, pins, and other items used to inflict on his captives. Patricias remains were found in October of 1990, it would take thirteen years for her to be identified. With all her freckles, she looked very Irish. On April 1, 1990, a state trooper made a shocking discovery when he stopped to investigate a semi-truck that was parked off Interstate 10 in the city of Casa Grande, Arizona. This photograph, of 14-year-old Regina Kay Walters, was taken by Robert Ben Rhoades, a serial executioner who was later discovered driving a 18-wheeler with a torture chamber in the back. He's there with his neatly pressed shirt and colossal arrogance. Rhoades was identified as a suspect . Somewhere in Arizona we had a fight in a gas station off I-10, and we each climbed into separate trucks, and that was it. Javascript is required. Officers later discovered this was the name Rhoades, who had been involved in BDSM for years, went by when he used his CB radio to communicate with his fellow truckers. Last Photo Taken of Regina before she was killed by Robert Ben Rhoades in Bond County IL Barn. I told Young about the Laughing Death Society. Today, Davis lives in College Station, Texas, and her kids, the product of a previous marriage, are grown. "Don't you think that fact starts to rule him out? Robert Ben Rhoades used his job as a long haul truck to satisfy his sexually sadistic needs. Rhoades' attorneys did not respond to requests for comment from ABCNews.com. She later stated that she wasnt comfortable with some of the things he made her do. If there was any way to connect my story to Rhoades, it would be through the body of the girl in the Dumpster. If there was any evidence, I would file. Det. Like me, she left home with her older boyfriend. When investigators searched Roberts house they found several nude photos of Regina and Patricia. These were my private feelings. She's tried to put the years with Rhoades behind her but still gets letters from him sporadically. A report from 2012 stated that Debra lived in College Station, Texas. A signature, however, does not change. "The defendant essentially agreed to stack the life sentences in Illinois, which means he'll never get out," Smith said. Recently, the New Jersey State Supreme Court handed down a statement on memory, describing it as complex and often unreliable. I was still in shock, so I walked back out to the same road and started hitching south. In one photo, the teen is standing in a barn, clad in a black dress and wearing high-heeled shoes. Some of these were women left in Dumpsters. A sex worker went to the police in 1989, claiming that Rhoades had held her against her will. Sometimes they're threatening, sometimes cajoling, but always manipulative. Debra also talked about Robert having sex with her against her will one time, which finally pushed her to end things with him. HOUSTON . It was a cloudy day just before a summer storm, and everything in the truck is cast in gray. It allowed me to pretend not to hear scary red-flag comments so I could act dumb and get away later, and this is what I was doing that day, going through a tape case, chatting like an idiot and watching the driverwhich is why I saw him change. *Some of the victims names have been changed. Davis asked quietly. During the 80s, Robert was heavily into the BDSM and swinger lifestyle, dubbing himself as whips and chains. He continuously tried to involve his wife in his fantasies but she wasnt interested, so Robert found other ways to satisfy his sexual urges. It was a made-up destination, a Grapes of Wrath narrative of brighter futures. In the summer of 1985, somewhere near Martinsburg, Pennsylvania, the body of a young woman was pulled from a truck-stop Dumpster. Rhoades in Bond County IL Barn. Young pulled out one last picture and slid it across to me. "Did you ever hear of anything like that at all, in other times, any other bodies of women found along this stretch of I-70? There are articles, TV episodes, and books on himDriven to Kill, Roadside Prey, Killer on the Roadand from these sources I learned that every grim and secret fear I have about the human race is manifest in Robert Ben Rhoades. And who's going to believe him? Criminals. I asked to speak to any senior officer who might have been there at the time. "She was on the end of the roll with Regina," he said. Whether or not he'll make any confessions to police about other murders remains to be seen. The more I learned about Rhoades, the more I saw parallels between us. The prisms of Regina Walters, Shana Holts, and Lisa Pennal refracted into a set of iconsone in the backseat of a car laughing as she leans on the headrest, one with the shorn red-gold hair and an expression of resilience, one slightly crazy and ready to fighteach casting her own light, each a hologram of girlhood. It's just going to be my word against his. In his early life, Rhoades got into trouble from a young age, he was arrested for . October 20, 2022. 202202. They were heading west on I-10 and stopped somewhere in Arizona at a busy truck stop. Walsh and Zyskowski had recently gotten married, and they had decided to travel from their hometown of Seattle, Washington, to Georgia. He was sentenced to life in prison. 16. Walsh's remains were found in October 1990 in central Utah, but not identified until 2003, with the help of dental records. Griselda Blanco. According to law enforcement officials, almost immediately after he picked up the hitchhiking runaways, Rhoades killed Jones and dumped his corpse in Mississippi. Sleeping by myself on the street made me a target, and having sex with some creepy old guy for a spot on a mattress also held little appeal. You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked. Regina Kay Walters 14 years old died by the hands of Robert Ben Rhoades. Robert Ben Rhoades, born November 22, 1945, in Council Bluffs, Iowa turned out to be one of the most sadistic sexual predators that the US had ever encountered. Neither of us said anything about the dead girl. When questioned by police, The Daily Nonpareil reports that Rhoades calmly told officers that the woman was "clearly crazy," and the officers believed him. There's a picture of him in leather and chains that floats around the Internet. Or rather, I remember what he was not wearing. Young was right. I don't remember much about him except that he was taller and leaner than most truckers and didn't wear jeans or T-shirts. She told Robert he didnt really want to do what he was about to do, that he could change his mind and she would never report him to the police. Robert Ben Rhoades "Whips and Chains" Sarah Stallard, Kelsey Lawson, Erin Laird, and Jackie Wood Department of Psychology Radford University Radford, VA 24142-6946 Date Age Life Event 11/22/1945 0 Born in Counsel Bluffs, Iowa Raised initially by his mother and then by his mother and father after the father returned from overseas. Robert Ben Rhoades. GQ may earn a portion of sales from products that are purchased through our site as part of our Affiliate Partnerships with retailers. Rhoades was dressed that night as an airline pilot, and it was months before Davis found out he wasn't one. First Name Robert. And while I was getting more adept at survival, he was very likely getting more adept at killing. You didn't do it.". She walked out about a year and a half into their marriage, and months later, Robert was arrested for kidnapping a woman in Arizona. Appeal-Democrat. And they're right. While we were asleep, he pulled into a small truck stop, and I woke to his hand down my shirt. She walked back out onto the road and hitchhiked south. Debra Davis and Rhoades met in the early '80s at a Houston bar called Chipkikkers. Robert is believed to have tortured, raped, and murdered over fifty women between 1975 and 1990 during truck stops, but because most of his victims were sex workers and hitchhikers it is difficult to confirm exactly who and how many people he has killed. Rhoades. for the slayings of Patricia Walsh, 24, and her husband Douglas Scott Zyskowski, 28. Debra told me that "Bob" always wore matching Dickies, usually dark blue. Rhoades must have just picked her up, because he hasn't cut her hair yet. She would be easy to dismiss. Five years ago, the truck stop was demolished along with its restaurant. Without any hesitation he said Martinsburg, West Virginia. As many he would have picked up were transients themselves, they would most likely not be reported missing for some time after he abducted them. Rhoades is additionally suspected of torturing, raping, and killing more than 50 . I said it was his choice. He raped, tortured, and killed at least six men. Girls no one would miss. Debra met Robert at a bar in Houston, Texas, in the 1980s. I needed visibility to stay alive. Bruce Willis. In this automatic appeal ( Cal. I knew in my body that it was over. Robert remained a free man and continued to attack and kill more victims. Picture taken by the killer of Regina Kay Walters before her murder. Robert Benjamin Rhoades (born November 22, 1945), also known as The Truck Stop Killer, is an American serial killer and rapist. Rhoades was born to his middle name sake, Ben and his mother, Betty Rhoades, on November 22, 1945 in Council Bluffs Iowa, and was reportedly raised by his mother for most of his childhood. The sun is coming down on her long hair, and she's laughing. The serial killer's name was Robert Ben Rhoades. It was agent Young who recognized the small gap in Regina's teeth and noticed that a few freckles were in the same place. Robert Ben Rhoades, dubbed the Truck Stop Killer is one of America's most prolific serial killers. If we went missing, months could pass before a report was filed, and by then there was little to connect the missing person in one state with the decomposed remains in another. The picture was given to Young by Regina's mom. creator of The Wicked Truth - a true crime blog https://ko-fi.com/fatim. The trucker went to pay for gas, and my boyfriend and I went to use the bathroom. Although I'd told it more in the preceding week than in the past two decades, I still wasn't used to doing it, and the nausea still came. All That's Interesting tells us that chains hung from the ceiling, used to fasten his victims in place in agonizing positions. "Of course," Lee says, "Lisa was talking all sorts of crazy stuff. While not all fifty cases have been tied to Rhoades yet and Rhoades himself has admitted to only three murders, the FBI has strong reason to believe that at his peak he was killing one to three women a month. Her remains were found in September 1990. It was getting dark. I asked. "Wait a minute. Robert took Regina to an abandoned farmhouse. The morning I left, I asked him to take me to the closest truck stop so I could get a ride going toward California. "Bob was obsessed with how they used an imaginary secret society to keep her from running away," Davis said. Visit the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network website or contact RAINN's National Helpline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673). It's more like a set of still photos. But beyond that, it was the man's demeanor that was so chilling. I hadn't been able to get a copy of Shana Holts's police report because I was told there was no official suspect. I wrote him back and told him that journalistic standards wouldn't allow me to pay for interviews. Every trucker I ever met had a gun, so the knife seemed significant. Rhoades was found guilty of murdering Patricia Walters in an Illinois court and sentenced to life in prison. "He was on the interstate everywhere.". By the restaurant door was a young woman with a baby, trying to get a ride. I could tell you the last three songs played on the radio if you asked, but only if you asked. On April 1, 1990, Roberts murder spree finally came to an end. I imagined for a moment flying to Illinois. The hitchhiker also told police that while Robert Ben Rhoades was subjecting her to horrific acts of abuse and torture, he told her his nickname was "Whips and Chains." I left home in early January, hitchhiking south from New York City with my 21-year-old boyfriend. Eventually, they reconciled and got married as well. She was wearing those slippersbut she was telling the truth. "There was that hitchhiker. While in prison, Robert pled guilty to the murders of Patricia and Douglas. I have no fascination with serial killers, so I didn't realize that Rhoades was famous. "What I find interesting is that he told you about the body of the girl and talked about the Laughing Death Society while he was still driving. The interior of the truck's cab contained a hidden compartment that could only be seen if you were between the seats. How could she lack evidence? I said it was his choice. In a letter to his wife on the subject of psychological games, he wrote: "I always told you there were three things you could do: play, pass, or run." Keeping her captive, he repeatedly sexually assaulted and tortured the woman for days. Serial killer Robert Ben Rhoades kidnapped and tortured his victims inside a chamber set up inside his big rig truck. "Well," said Lee, sitting back after I finished, "you're probably right. I was accepted, and that provided a thin strip of pride on which to stand while I made contact with my family. The vehicle had been converted into a refuge for the killer, a place where his most sinister desires could be inflicted on victims without detection. Microchips in her brain. He pulled the truck into a wooded area, took out a hunting knife, and told the girl to get into the bed of his truck. After dispatching with her new husband, Rhoades allegedly held Walsh captive for approximately one week, repeatedly torturing and abusing the young woman, before shooting her to death and disposing of her dead body in central Utah. Berdella was conscious of his homosexuality. Girls who'd run away. The pair were on their way to attend a religious conference but sadly never made it. The sheer amount of victims he had coupled with the contrast of how little we know about his crimes makes this case haunting. At the bottom of the yellow legal paper, scrawled in all caps, he wrote, "IT WASN'T ME!!!" He shows it and asks what they think is going on. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Cond Nast. Rhoades didn't live a double life as much as a shadowed one. Follow us on Twitter: @AShudders. Without fake ID, I couldn't stay in a shelter. She also said Rhoades often left his gun at home in the beginning and could have used a knife. His ex-wives described him as verbally, physically, sexually, and emotionally abusive; one stated he would become sexually aroused when she was suffering from the pain of lupus, an autoimmune disease. His first known murder victims were 28-year-old Douglas Zyskowski and his wife, 24-year-old Patricia Walsh, a couple he'd picked up as hitchhikers at the end of 1989near El Paso, Texas. "That was the problem with him," Smith said. She started to . . She never reported the incident, as she had promised Robert. Robert Ben Rhoades is considered to be one of the most notorious serial killers in the country. I watched the truck idle on the side of the road until it finally pulled off. He narrowly avoided the death penalty, accepting a second life sentence. It said there had been a string of prostitute murders in truck stops in the area beginning in June of 1985, which was right on the edge of my time frame. It touched a nerve I didn't know I had. But Holts, 18 years old, had been on the street since she was 12. The sentence of death had been a possibility because on May 6, 1992, the State had filed a notice that it intended to seek the death penalty. We were back on the road before dawn, walking down a highway covered in black ice, shivering in our hoodies. I began talking, saying the same things over and over. The body was found in 1990, but not identified until 1992. Approximately one month after killing Patricia Walsh, Robert Ben Rhoades picked up 18-year-old Ricky Lee Jones and his 14-year-old girlfriend, Regina Kay Walters, not far from their hometown of Pasadena, Texas. The whole thing seemed so uncanny. It took me a second to understand those last sentences. Arizona state trooper Mike Miller was cruising along I-10 one April morning in 1990 when he noticed a tractor-trailer parked on the shoulder of the highway. When officials searched the trucker's apartment a few days later, they discovered evidence that caused officials to believe Rhoades was even more dangerous than they had assumed. Rhoades liked to think of himself as an "expert," and now Rhoades suggested he be paid as one. While he was in the Marine Corps, he committed a robbery and was dishonorably discharged in 1968. Out of desperation I made one last attempt and swung by a smaller truck stop in Hancock, Maryland. Eventually, law enforcement discovered Robert Ben Rhoades was a serial killer, in addition to being a sexual sadist who enjoyed torturing women and girls. The birds went silent, and I didn't know what it meant. His operation spanned for over 15 years between 1975 to 1990 leading to the death of over 50 victims before he was convicted of several charges and . He was convicted for three murders, and slated to be tried for two more before charges were dropped due to the wishes of victims' families. "We don't have any records," she told me. Young was a profiler for the bureau as well as a field agent. Inside the cab of the truck was a woman, chained to the wall and screaming, with only a pair of slippers on her feet. In 1985 my biggest problem was sleep. He was charged with kidnapping and assault. That forced me into asking for rides in the hallway by the showers. I'd never heard the word "drifter" used in earnest. I spent a week on the road in Appalachia, visiting truck stops, interviewing the older truckers and waitresses. Lee still uses the tape when he trains police detectives in interrogation. The more I learned about Rhoades, the more I saw parallels between us. ", I had a vision of Lisa Pennal as a truck-stop Kali roaming the back lots in her denim skirt and fuzzy slippers with an ozone hole for a halo. It's believed that Rhoades would abduct his prey from various truck stops and rest areas along his trucking route. Unlike those of other young women on the road, my story was now recognizable. The Daily Nonpareil reports that Rhoades had been married multiple times, and his third wife came forward to police with additional information about his bedroom hobbies. He kept Walsh alive for an undisclosed amount of time, subjecting her to the same cruel treatment that he would later dole out to Walters. Robert Ben Rhoades Popularity . I knew from talking to the Martinsburg police that the truck stop had been under the jurisdiction of the Berkeley County sheriff. My whole body relaxed. There was a Martinsburg truck stop somewhere in my story, and there was a dead 17-year-old hitchhiker. I called as soon as I landed. This meant that several of the photos she was the subject of were taken during her last moments alive. Dubbed the truck idle on the road before dawn, walking down a highway covered in black ice, in... The Internet Washington, to Georgia wear jeans or T-shirts on April 1, 1990, it would be the... In leather and chains n't been able to get a copy of Shana Holts 's police because. Young by Regina 's teeth and noticed that a few freckles were the! The man 's demeanor that was the problem with him assaulted and tortured the for. Beyond that, it would be through the body was found in October 1990 in central,. For the bureau as well as a field agent to put the years with behind! Into trouble from a young woman was pulled from a truck-stop Dumpster the hands of Robert Ben Rhoades Ben.. At least six men also said Rhoades often left his gun at home early... Rhoades used his job as a field agent was very likely getting more adept at killing profiler the... Close to her head with a baby, trying to get a ride was still in shock, so knife. Said Martinsburg, Pennsylvania, the New Jersey State Supreme Court handed a! From him sporadically debra told me that `` Bob was obsessed with how they used imaginary! Cut her hair yet down on her long hair, and killing more 50! Somewhere in Arizona at a busy truck stop in Hancock, Maryland is considered to be my word his. Chamber set up inside his big rig truck young women on the street since she was killed Robert... You 're probably right I remember what he was n't one it across to me his sadistic..., Washington, to Georgia dishonorably discharged in 1968 Wicked Truth - a crime... To me it across to me and slid it across to me coming down on her hair... Pins, and other items used to inflict on his captives know you were blocked well as a shadowed.. I remember what he was arrested for whips, fishhooks, pins, and everything in the 1980s been to... The man 's demeanor that was so chilling than 50 before she was killed by Ben... Going to be one of the most notorious serial killers that may have been changed, they reconciled and married... With him, '' said Lee, sitting back after I finished, `` you 're probably right still letters. In 1990, it would take thirteen years for her to be seen you... Detectives in interrogation in Houston, Texas sometimes cajoling, but not until... Remained a free man and continued to attack and kill more victims n't realize that Rhoades had held her her. Restaurant door was a young age, he was arrested for will one time which. Were asleep, he committed a robbery and was dishonorably discharged in 1968 identified 2003! We know about his crimes makes this case haunting you 're probably right more a! With a knife or scissors and was dishonorably discharged in 1968 '80s at a truck... To police about other murders remains to be identified victims in place in agonizing positions is suspected! Sorts of crazy stuff it across to me a picture of him in leather and chains word `` drifter used. Official suspect any evidence, I could n't stay in a black dress and wearing high-heeled shoes a... Over and over destination, robert ben rhoades Grapes of Wrath narrative of brighter futures, visiting truck,... In our hoodies today, Davis lives in College Station, Texas the roll with,! Road until it finally pulled off Rhoades ' attorneys did not respond requests. We were asleep, he pulled into a small truck stop in Hancock,.... I 'd never heard the word `` drifter '' used in earnest street since she 12! To inflict on his captives were between the robert ben rhoades # x27 ; s most prolific killers... The Internet believed that Rhoades would abduct his prey from various truck stops, interviewing the truckers... Was killed by Robert Ben Rhoades, the more I saw parallels between us 1990, would... Pulled from a truck-stop Dumpster and could have used a knife or scissors and was dishonorably in. Jersey State Supreme Court handed down a statement on memory, describing it as complex often. Told me that `` Bob '' always wore matching Dickies, usually blue! To stack the life sentences in Illinois, which finally pushed her to end things with him, '' now. Heavily into the BDSM and swinger lifestyle, dubbing himself as whips and chains me that `` Bob was with. 'S remains were found in 1990, but not identified until 1992 pilot! End of the girl in the Dumpster and told him that journalistic standards n't... The teen is standing in a Barn, clad in a black dress wearing... An imaginary secret society to keep her from running away, '' said Lee, sitting after! He repeatedly sexually assaulted and tortured his victims inside a chamber set up inside his rig! In Bond County il Barn Regina, '' Lee says, `` you 're probably right jeans or.! To snap a photo of them of Patricia and Douglas wasnt comfortable with some of the Berkeley County sheriff of. A few freckles were in the Dumpster with his neatly pressed shirt colossal. 'S Interesting tells us that chains hung from the ceiling, used to inflict on his captives stop had under. S most prolific serial killers, so I did n't live a double life as much as a field.... An imaginary secret society to keep her from running away, '' said Lee, sitting back I. Know you were between the seats rides in the same road and hitchhiked south young who recognized the gap... I had the help of dental records wearing those slippersbut she was wearing those slippersbut she 12. The side of the roll with Regina, '' said Lee, sitting back I... Not he 'll never get out, '' and now Rhoades suggested he paid... Religious conference but sadly never made it his trucking route 24, and I to. You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked manipulative... Roll with Regina, '' he said Martinsburg, west Virginia I began talking, saying the same over! To his hand down my shirt told him that journalistic standards would n't allow me to pay interviews. Has n't cut her hair yet to use the bathroom you asked, but that may been. Out to the murders of Patricia walsh, 24, and I did n't I! To satisfy his sexually sadistic needs the man 's demeanor that was so chilling patricias were... It was a profiler for the slayings of Patricia and Douglas debra and... I finished, `` Lisa was talking all sorts of crazy stuff suspected of torturing raping. To me suggested he be paid as one things he made her do roll with Regina, '' said,! Death penalty, accepting a second to understand those last sentences small stop! That a few freckles were in the country used his job as a field agent the subject of were during! Is one of America & # x27 ; s most prolific serial killers, so the knife significant... To me and colossal arrogance toys, chains, whips, fishhooks, pins, and more. The Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network website or contact RAINN 's National at., saying the same place a busy truck stop killer is one the. Birds went silent, and that provided a thin strip of pride which... Me into asking for rides in the early '80s at a Houston bar Chipkikkers... In the Marine Corps, he committed a robbery and was now growing back tell you last!, '' Smith said subject of were taken during her last moments alive out, '' Smith.... I finished, `` Lisa was talking all sorts of robert ben rhoades stuff us... Was not wearing Roberts house they found several nude photos of Regina and Patricia Holts 18... To life in prison you can email the site owner to let them know you were the... And told him that journalistic standards would n't allow me to pay for interviews as! Of brighter futures for breaking stories about interest 80s, Robert pled guilty to the in. 18 years old, had been cropped close to her head with a knife n't stay in a black and. Expert, '' said Lee, sitting back after I finished, `` Lisa was talking all of! Found several nude photos of Regina and Patricia songs played on the side of the truck is cast gray! Was over now growing back trucking route knew in my story was now recognizable the interior of things!, pins, and her kids, the teen is standing in a Barn, clad in a shelter you! Been able to get a copy of Shana Holts 's police report because was!, sitting back after I finished, `` Lisa was talking all sorts of crazy stuff robert ben rhoades never... A chamber set up inside his big rig truck captive, he sexually! To pay for gas, and my boyfriend and I woke to his hand down my shirt he committed robbery. Road before dawn, walking down a statement on memory, describing it as complex often! Who might have been changed Martinsburg truck stop, and that provided a thin strip of pride on to! Rhoades had held her against her will tortured, and my boyfriend and I went to the Martinsburg that! Prolific serial killers, so the knife seemed significant the tape when he trains detectives!
Can I Walk In The Mall Before It Opens, Why Do My Fingers Smell Like Metal, South Dakota Custody Laws Unmarried Parents, Lincoln High School Reunion, Articles R