Atlantic City Eastbound Strangler 4 Women Found Dead behind Motel Egg Harbor Twp, Nov 2006

[relay]

I missed something. Can you explain what torso you're talking about? Sorry you surely explained in an earlier post.Im still catching up. TIA

EJG originally described seeing and posted pics of a female mannequin's torso that appeared to have a red substance on it. If you click on the icon for "search this thread" and enter "torso" you may be able to find the photo.

 

[cynical_1]

For anyone unfamiliar with this case the above image is an aerial view of the body disposal site located behind the Golden Key Motel. This particular image was published by the NY Times on Nov 23rd, 2006, three days after the discovery of the bodies.

At first glance the most prominent landmarks are the white squares that mark the locations of where the four bodies were found. Given that this photo was taken three days after the discovery I have to believe that it is an accurate representation of the topography of the site.

That being said, I couldn't help but notice that between the uppermost marker on the top left and the marker immediate below it there is a dirt access road from the abandoned lot on the BLP that leads directly onto the service road that runs parallel to the drainage ditch.

This dirt path would give the killer direct access by car to the service road which I suspect he used on at least four separate occasions.

I've always held the belief that the four bodies were transported to that drainage ditch by vehicle and that dirt access road only reinforces my belief. I don't believe that the Golden Key played any part in the killings, other than to serve as cover from the BHP for the disposal of the last victim.

The killer had to know that at a certain point the bodies were going to be discovered. Once they were discovered the immediate attention of law enforcement would be focused squarely on that area. Which it was.

Most serial killers are smart enough to use body disposal sites that will deflect attention away from where their primary activities occur. I don't think that this killer is any exception. Afterall, he has eluded capture for over ten years now.

Just my opinion.

 

[da fino]

For anyone unfamiliar with this case the above image is an aerial view of the body disposal site located behind the Golden Key Motel. This particular image was published by the NY Times on Nov 23rd, 2006, three days after the discovery of the bodies.

At first glance the most prominent landmarks are the white squares that mark the locations of where the four bodies were found. Given that this photo was taken three days after the discovery I have to believe that it is an accurate representation of the topography of the site.

That being said, I couldn't help but notice that between the uppermost marker on the top left and the marker immediate below it there is a dirt access road from the abandoned lot on the BLP that leads directly onto the service road that runs parallel to the drainage ditch.

This dirt path would give the killer direct access by car to the service road which I suspect he used on at least four separate occasions.

I've always held the belief that the four bodies were transported to that drainage ditch by vehicle and that dirt access road only reinforces my belief. I don't believe that the Golden Key played any part in the killings, other than to serve as cover from the BHP for the disposal of the last victim.

The killer had to know that at a certain point the bodies were going to be discovered. Once they were discovered the immediate attention of law enforcement would be focused squarely on that area. Which it was.

Most serial killers are smart enough to use body disposal sites that will deflect attention away from where their primary activities occur. I don't think that this killer is any exception. Afterall, he has eluded capture for over ten years now.

Just my opinion.

i tend to agree that that the most likely scenario is that a vehicle was used. current satellite photography also shows several other dirt entrances to that access road along the black horse pike as well, so that particular one might not have been the only access point or familiarity the perp had with that location.

i think the photo is also useful in that it shows that the 3 eastern (leftmost) victims were probably deposited there under cover of darkness, as it may have been possible to see a vehicle from the BHP. the 4 could have even been deposited in daylight, as the motel would have provided some cover from the road, though still under the cover of night seems most likely too.

having knowledge of that road seems like it would be somewhat limited to people that travel the area on foot or for work. so patrons of the motels, utility workers, railroad workers, motel workers. any others?

 

[cynical_1]

i tend to agree that that the most likely scenario is that a vehicle was used. current satellite photography also shows several other dirt entrances to that access road along the black horse pike as well, so that particular one might not have been the only access point or familiarity the perp had with that location.

i think the photo is also useful in that it shows that the 3 eastern (leftmost) victims were probably deposited there under cover of darkness, as it may have been possible to see a vehicle from the BHP. the 4 could have even been deposited in daylight, as the motel would have provided some cover from the road, though still under the cover of night seems most likely too.

having knowledge of that road seems like it would be somewhat limited to people that travel the area on foot or for work. so patrons of the motels, utility workers, railroad workers, motel workers. any others?

When discussing a job that the killer might have held that would give him a familiarity with the disposal site I'm thinking it might be a job that would also make him comfortable in the area around Pacific Ave. where the victims were known to frequent.

A driver, of sorts, first comes to mind. A taxi cab driver, a package delivery driver, soft drink delivery driver, etc. Some type of profession where he would not be out of place in either area.

Interesting that you noted that “the 3 eastern (leftmost) victims were probably deposited there under cover of darkness”. I was thinking the same thing. What's more, it's recently come to light that the last known sighting of the last victim, Kim Raffo, was at 5:00 am exiting the Taj Mahal casino on the boardwalk.

Looking at the white markers hers is the one directly behind the Golden Key. I'm thinking that she was placed there in the early morning hours of Nov 19th. and that the motel did, as you noted, provide cover from the BHP. The only news conference given by the Atlantic County Prosecutor, Jeffery Blitz, stated that her (Raffo) body had been in the water for a couple of days.

The rate of decomposition must have led the Coroners Office to have come to that conclusion. Yet it was only 33 hrs from the time of her last sighting to the discovery of her body. So I'm speculating that she was killed sometime between 5:00 am and about 8:00 am on the morning of the 19th.

Going further, her body was placed in the drainage ditch in the early morning hours with the Golden Key providing cover from the BHP as morning sunlight quickly envelops the area.

 

[da fino]

i do think drivers makes a lot of sense. i'd add to it food delivery drivers, assuming there are some in the area and people frequenting those motels may be ordering delivery food. i'd also note tow truck drivers, as i noticed that that stretch of highway is bookended by a towing service and junkyard. anyone turning around in those lots/area could have stumbled on that access road. but i would still have to think they would have some familiarity with the lack of traffic back there overall, which suggests being in that area with some regularity.

thanks for pointing out that the victims were known to frequent the pacific ave. area. i had not noted that yet (nor do i know where it is!).

 

[AC_Lucky1]

He must have been brave to pull into a wide open abandoned lot if your scenario is correct. If the bodies were brought to that location by car, I would think that they would want to park somewhere where their car would not stick out like a sore thumb (like the motel itself)?

For anyone unfamiliar with this case the above image is an aerial view of the body disposal site located behind the Golden Key Motel. This particular image was published by the NY Times on Nov 23rd, 2006, three days after the discovery of the bodies.

At first glance the most prominent landmarks are the white squares that mark the locations of where the four bodies were found. Given that this photo was taken three days after the discovery I have to believe that it is an accurate representation of the topography of the site.

That being said, I couldn't help but notice that between the uppermost marker on the top left and the marker immediate below it there is a dirt access road from the abandoned lot on the BLP that leads directly onto the service road that runs parallel to the drainage ditch.

This dirt path would give the killer direct access by car to the service road which I suspect he used on at least four separate occasions.

I've always held the belief that the four bodies were transported to that drainage ditch by vehicle and that dirt access road only reinforces my belief. I don't believe that the Golden Key played any part in the killings, other than to serve as cover from the BHP for the disposal of the last victim.

The killer had to know that at a certain point the bodies were going to be discovered. Once they were discovered the immediate attention of law enforcement would be focused squarely on that area. Which it was.

Most serial killers are smart enough to use body disposal sites that will deflect attention away from where their primary activities occur. I don't think that this killer is any exception. Afterall, he has eluded capture for over ten years now.

Just my opinion.

 

[da fino]

moving even a hundred pounds of lifeless weight is no easy task. for most people, save for someone above average in athletics that lifts weights regularly, it would be more likely to be a drag scenario, rather than lift and carry anymore that a few yards, imo. try to carry someone either on your shoulder or in a bear hug if you feel up to it physically sometime to get a sense of what i am talking about it.

we can't rule out more than one person being involved in the placement of the victims.

all and all, with that road there, and the victims located just feet from it, i have to think a vehicle was used. best done in a vehicle with some ground clearance and 4x4 capabilities, though probably not necessary depending on the condition of the dirt road.

 

[AC_Lucky1]

Here is what the site looks like as of 3 months ago (Aug '16) The first pic is of the site of the Golden Key Motel. You can see the 2 driveways (now blocked off) as it was a horseshoe shaped building with 2 entrances. The second pic is located down the street and shows where the empty lot was that had access to the drainage ditch which Cynical_1 posted the aerial shot of.

 

[cynical_1]

moving even a hundred pounds of lifeless weight is no easy task. for most people, save for someone above average in athletics that lifts weights regularly, it would be more likely to be a drag scenario, rather than lift and carry anymore that a few yards, imo. try to carry someone either on your shoulder or in a bear hug if you feel up to it physically sometime to get a sense of what i am talking about it.

we can't rule out more than one person being involved in the placement of the victims.

all and all, with that road there, and the victims located just feet from it, i have to think a vehicle was used. best done in a vehicle with some ground clearance and 4x4 capabilities, though probably not necessary depending on the condition of the dirt road.

All interesting points. The first victim, Molly Dilts, weighed in at 160 lbs. Her body was found one up from Kim Raffo.

While I'm not dismissing it, I'm leaning towards a lone wolf type. John Kelly, a criminal profiler familiar with the case, pointed out on a recent Websleuths podcast that all of the victims were found fully clothed. He went on to state that this is rare in serial killer cases and more than likely indicated that the killer(s) did not engage in conventional sex with the victims.

Nor were there any defensive wounds found on the body of the last victim, as reported by NJ.com. That would eliminate a torture scenario.

If there were two individuals involved in the killing of these women then I'm tending to believe that one of these two depraved individuals would want sexual gratification from the victim or, at least, to engage in some form of torture. Yet neither was indicated by the condition of the bodies.

Just my opinion.

 

[cynical_1]

He must have been brave to pull into a wide open abandoned lot if your scenario is correct. If the bodies were brought to that location by car, I would think that they would want to park somewhere where their car would not stick out like a sore thumb (like the motel itself)?

He may have been *advertiser censored* his pants pulling into that lot but that did not stop him from putting four bodies back in that drainage ditch. Takes a certain type to do that. Think what you will but there's little doubt that this guy has some stone cajones.

 

[AC_Lucky1]

He had some stone cajones to just go into that area at all! It is quite scary there, let alone going behind those motels in the dark!

He may have been *advertiser censored* his pants pulling into that lot but that did not stop him from putting four bodies back in that drainage ditch. Takes a certain type to do that. Think what you will but there's little doubt that this guy has some stone cajones.

 

[relay]

He had some stone cajones to just go into that area at all! It is quite scary there, let alone going behind those motels in the dark!

I agree, and it suggests he felt comfortable in that area.

 

[cynical_1]

He had some stone cajones to just go into that area at all! It is quite scary there, let alone going behind those motels in the dark!

Mark Meuller from NJ.com spoke on a recent Websleuths podcast about the woman who actually discovered Kim Raffo's body in the drainage ditch.

Seems the woman was pregnant and under doctor's orders started a regime of walking. Took a friend along with her this time. Odd place to walk but hey, go figure.

As she was walking on the road behind the motel it was a purple flower growing on one of the reeds coming out of the drainage ditch that attracted her attention. It wasn't until she reached over to pick the flower that she noticed that a body was floating in the ditch.

So one can surmise that that body that she had stumbled upon was not immediately visible from the road running alongside the ditch. I would image that all four bodies were hidden behind a wall of reeds growing out of the drainage ditch.

Which made me envision the killer coming upon the same obstacle when attempting to place the bodies into the ditch. I don't see him just heaving the bodies into the ditch but rather bulling his way past the reeds and wading directly into the watery ditch so that he could place them in the position where they would be found.

So I do think that having all four bodies with heads facing east has some significance. What that is is anyone's guess but I do believe they were placed there with some specific purpose in mind. I wouldn't be surprised if footprints on the bank of the ditch weren't found.

 

[da fino]

All interesting points. The first victim, Molly Dilts, weighed in at 160 lbs. Her body was found one up from Kim Raffo.

While I'm not dismissing it, I'm leaning towards a lone wolf type. John Kelly, a criminal profiler familiar with the case, pointed out on a recent Websleuths podcast that all of the victims were found fully clothed. He went on to state that this is rare in serial killer cases and more than likely indicated that the killer(s) did not engage in conventional sex with the victims.

Nor were there any defensive wounds found on the body of the last victim, as reported by NJ.com. That would eliminate a torture scenario.

If there were two individuals involved in the killing of these women then I'm tending to believe that one of these two depraved individuals would want sexual gratification from the victim or, at least, to engage in some form of torture. Yet neither was indicated by the condition of the bodies.

Just my opinion.

He may have been *advertiser censored* his pants pulling into that lot but that did not stop him from putting four bodies back in that drainage ditch. Takes a certain type to do that. Think what you will but there's little doubt that this guy has some stone cajones.

it sure does seem like a single individual to me too. and let's not overlook that this guy was on one hell of a murder spree. something like 4 victims in as many weeks!!! and once they were discovered, it seemingly came to an abrupt end. was he still very close by? did he flee the area? i'm wagering it must have been some kind of scare.

i also think there is some kind of quirk or kink to this guys interactions with prostitutes and very likely there are others that have had encounters with him, probably memorable ones for those reasons.

and since it was a spree, i have to wonder if there was a trigger? did something or someone set him off? did the first victim set him off by laughing at his kink or something? or was it another woman in his personal life? or did he finally indulge in some sick fantasy he had and finally just go hog wild? why so many in such a short period of time? has to be telling us something.

lack of defensive wounds is interesting, though the recent nj.com piece mentioned dna and suggested it was from under kim raffo's fingernails (i think) which i would call consistent with defensive wounds. it could be that he is supplying them with drugs or committing these murders when the women are in highly intoxicated states and in effect they are practically defenseless.

i'm not yet convinced that the facing east placement is anything more significant than the result of tidal movement at the disposal site. i'm a fisherman and i can tell you that little ditch is certainly under tidal influence, so it would have roughly two high tides per day. on a lunar monthly basis, tides get increasingly higher and peak during the new and full moons of the month. they get progressively lower as moon heads reaches the two quarters too. i think more inferences could be made if we looked at the moon phases during this time period...

i do recall that the positioning of all the bodies was similar, so that could be due to ritual, carry technique or from concealment method. without getting too graphic, but suffice to say due to the physical process of decomp and the tide, i can see how they could all have ended up facing east without that necessarily being the perps intended results.

i don't think that was a ditch anyone would want to wade in. too much sediment and mire that would make even getting out of it no small task.

 

[relay]

it sure does seem like a single individual to me too. and let's not overlook that this guy was on one hell of a murder spree. something like 4 victims in as many weeks!!! and once they were discovered, it seemingly came to an abrupt end. was he still very close by? did he flee the area? i'm wagering it must have been some kind of scare.

i also think there is some kind of quirk or kink to this guys interactions with prostitutes and very likely there are others that have had encounters with him, probably memorable ones for those reasons.

and since it was a spree, i have to wonder if there was a trigger? did something or someone set him off? did the first victim set him off by laughing at his kink or something? or was it another woman in his personal life? or did he finally indulge in some sick fantasy he had and finally just go hog wild? why so many in such a short period of time? has to be telling us something.

lack of defensive wounds is interesting, though the recent nj.com piece mentioned dna and suggested it was from under kim raffo's fingernails (i think) which i would call consistent with defensive wounds. it could be that he is supplying them with drugs or committing these murders when the women are in highly intoxicated states and in effect they are practically defenseless.

i'm not yet convinced that the facing east placement is anything more significant than the result of tidal movement at the disposal site. i'm a fisherman and i can tell you that little ditch is certainly under tidal influence, so it would have roughly two high tides per day. on a lunar monthly basis, tides get increasingly higher and peak during the new and full moons of the month. they get progressively lower as moon heads reaches the two quarters too. i think more inferences could be made if we looked at the moon phases during this time period...

i do recall that the positioning of all the bodies was similar, so that could be due to ritual, carry technique or from concealment method. without getting too graphic, but suffice to say due to the physical process of decomp and the tide, i can see how they could all have ended up facing east without that necessarily being the perps intended results.

i don't think that was a ditch anyone would want to wade in. too much sediment and mire that would make even getting out of it no small task.

DaFino, what an excellent post and thank you for the insight into tidal influence!

 

[cynical_1]

it could be that he is supplying them with drugs or committing these murders when the women are in highly intoxicated states and in effect they are practically defenseless.

I agree with you 100%. The addiction to drugs makes them vulnerable and he may have used it to prey on them. It may be that he's someone who other addicts know well but don't suspect.

 

[cynical_1]

For a moment, I'd like to switch gears and discuss the theory that I shared with Josh & Rachel for the tv show. It is, after all, a matter of public record so I guess it's only fair that I put it out there for discussion. Feel free to critique it as much as you'd like as I have a thick skin and in reality it's not about me at all. It's about finding justice for the poor woman found behind the Golden Key.

So let me begin. I've always had the suspicion that the individual responsible for the AC4 was a student of Gary Ridgway. Not that he actually knew Ridgway but that he studied Ridgway's method of killing. Per Ridgway's wikipedia page: “He killed most victims in his home, his truck, or a secluded area.”.

My focus is on the “secluded area” of that last statement. We can discuss if he killed them in his home (or temporary residence like the Golden Key) at a later time. Right now I'll just talk about a secluded area in AC that I suspect was the actual kill site. That location, as has been so accurately pinpointed by fellow sleuths, is a dead end road known as N. Riverside Dr. in Atlantic City.

With Google maps it's easy to get an aerial view of the topography of the surrounding area of this road. Within the city limits of AC I don't believe that one can find a more secluded area. My hats off to Missy0928 and other sleuths who pointed out that there used to be an abandoned building located on that street. What's not known is that in 2006 the right side of that road was lined with tall foliage (6-8 ft.) that obscured the view to and from Absecon Blvd. The field between the road and The Humane Society was overgrown with underbrush as well. An ominous site at night if ever there was one.

The site itself is a short 5 minute drive from Pacific Ave. in AC where the four women were known to frequent. My scenario is as follows:

The killer offers a ride to the unsuspecting victims in the area of Pacific Ave. on the premise of helping them procure the drug of their choice. The women are casually acquainted enough with this guy that they accept an offer of a ride. Once the drug of choice is acquired they head to N. Riverside Dr. with the unsuspecting victim smoking crack, shooting up or drinking in the car along the way. Once they arrive at the location he waits until the drugs have effectively rendered them defenseless.

He gets them to step out of the car and before they know what's happening he's strangling them to death right there on the road. Once dead he removes their shoes and then loads them into the trunk of his car. He drives back onto Absecon Blvd. and takes a right towards the mainland. He takes a left on Main St. and drives until he reaches the Black Horse Pike where he takes another left. The Golden Key is only a moment or two away from there.

The latest information we have about any of the victims concerns the timing of when Kim Raffo was last sighted. Reports indicate that she left a room at the Taj Mahal casino at 5:00 am in the morning “to get drugs”. Every report published states that she was in the water for a couple of days. Yet it was less than a day and a half (33 hrs.) between the time of her last sighting and the discovery of her body.

I suspect that this guy strikes fast. I can't speculate if he has some kind of foot sex with the victims because I am unfamiliar with such things. But I do believe that this stone cold killer is ballsy enough to wade directly into that drainage ditch carrying his latest victim so that he can place them exactly the way that he has fantasized about.

So there you have it. As always, just my opinion.

Ps: My compliments to Josh & Rachel for having the courage to explore a new angle and not simply rehash old, stale information. After ten years let's hope that someone, anyone can remember something that may move this case along.

 

[kat913]

Any chance it could be a trucker? Could explain shoes being off...pulled off on a dirt road would not draw attention...and pulling into an empty lot by GK would also not arouse suspicion.

 

[kat913]

Is a truck (bobtail in this case) allowed on BHP, Pacific Ave and on Ocean Pkwy (in Long Island) as well? Just trying to rule it out!

 

[cynical_1]

Any chance it could be a trucker? Could explain shoes being off...pulled off on a dirt road would not draw attention...and pulling into an empty lot by GK would also not arouse suspicion.

There were three casinos in the area of Pacific Ave. where the victims were known to frequent. Certainly there were plenty of trucks making deliveries to those casinos.

While maneuvering on that service road with a bobtail truck behind the Golden Key might be a bit dicey, it wouldn't be impossible for someone who knows what they're doing. And, as you pointed out, parking in the abandoned lot next to the Golden Key probably wouldn't arouse suspicion.