This modus operandi makes it difficult for authorities to determine how many victims Robert Ben Rhoades had. Some of these were women left in Dumpsters. Five years ago, the truck stop was demolished along with its restaurant. Robert Ben Rhoades, who already is serving a life sentence for killing a 14-year-old girl in Illinois, pleaded guilty to two counts of capital murder when he appeared before a West Texas judge . And while I was getting more adept at survival, he was very likely getting more adept at killing. First Name Robert. His wife, Debra Davis, was from Texas. She was found running naked, screaming down a street in Houston with DNA all over her body, her head and pubic hair shaved, still with his chain around her neck. It said he would see me if I promised never to say that I had seen him or what had passed between us. It doesn't matter what he says. Young was a profiler for the bureau as well as a field agent. Robert Ben Rhoades who is famously known as The 'Truck Stop Killer' is an American notorious serial killer and rapist who found taste in killing, raping and torturing young female teens. I got the sense Lee appreciated brevity, so I dispensed with small talk and went straight to my questions, but he stopped me. Ricky Lee Jones body has never been found. Rickys remains were never located. 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. Rhoades, in exchange for dropping the death penalty, pleaded guilty to their deaths . Robert Andrew "Bob" Berdella was an American serial killer from Kansas City, Missouri. It was a made-up destination, a Grapes of Wrath narrative of brighter futures. As with Patricia Walsh, the trucker didn't murder Walters right away. Rhoades was a long-haul trucker, in jail since 1990, who had recently been convicted of a couple of new "cold cases." I didn't recognize him. 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 asked me to have sex and offered to pay. Douglas remains were identified in 1992. There was no safe way for me to get it. Regina would end up being the main focal point in a photo that would later be deemed one of the most terrifying photographs in the world. Patricia was newly married to Douglas Zyzkowski. Last Photo Taken of Regina before she was killed by Robert Ben "Bob was fascinated by secret societies.". Robert Ben Rhoades is suspected of raping and murdering more than 50 women over a 15-year period in the 70's and 80's as he road his semi-truck up and down the highways trolling for victims. Eventually the locus shifted to the Houston FBI, because at some point every thread ran through Texas. I'd never heard the word "drifter" used in earnest. I asked. In 1994, Rhoades was convicted of the first degree murder of Regina Kay Walters and was slated to be tried for two more before charges were dropped due to the wishes of victims' families. I asked. "The hairs on my arm stand up right now talking about it.". 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. Debra Davis and Rhoades met in the early '80s at a Houston bar called Chipkikkers. Murderpedia has thousands of hours of work behind it. The remarkable thing is that when she did, she didn't dump him. the Murderpedia project stay alive. A few minutes later, I got up like nothing had happened. He then forced her to wear heels and a black dress before taking several photos of her, strangling her with baling wire, and leaving her body to decompose in the barn. He said he didn't want to get caught up in anything time-consuming. I would file charges and sue him.". There was always a sick mom or dead grandparent involved, and I was almost always abandoned by my jerk of a boyfriend, who'd made off with all my money and my car. Defendant Robert Boyd Rhoades was convicted of the first degree murder of Michael Lyons, with special circumstances of murder in the commission of forcible sodomy, murder in the commission of a lewd act on a child, and murder by torture. To keep creating Rhoades avtjnar ett livstidsstraff p Menard Correctional Center i Chester i Illinois . Debra told me that "Bob" always wore matching Dickies, usually dark blue. Behind him was a shoulder-high pink plastic castle. They are more like habits, he said, and can adapt to circumstances or mood. 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. 'Truck Stop Killer' Robert Ben Rhoades is thought to have tortured, raped and killed more than 50 women during a reign of terror lasting from 1975 to 1990. Robert Ben Rhoades Is A Member Of . Young was right. In the summer of 1985, the author was such a girl. She'd been picked up in a truck stop, shackled into the back of the cab, tortured and raped for weeks. He attempted college but he soon decided it wasnt for him and dropped out, becoming a long-haul truck driver instead. Young pulled out one last picture and slid it across to me. The 40+ Best Companies To Work For By The Beach in Southern California. When they visited his home, they uncovered a number of disturbing photographs, taken right before he murdered one of his teenage victims- photos that are perhaps even more disturbing than Rhoades's mobile torture chamber. Movie Actor. . Robert Ben Rhoades (defendant), pursuant to negotiations with the State, on September 11, 1992, pled guilty to first-degree murder and was sentenced to imprisonment for natural life. Back then, though, my thoughts weren't on misogyny; they were on logistics. She had a stocking down her throat, I think. However, before he killed the 14-year-old, Rhoades took several haunting images of Walters that the authorities eventually recovered from his home. On the show, she talked of feeling a lot of guilt. She later stated she did not report the incident because no one would have believed her, since there was no evidence. Robert Ben Rhoades, a Houston trucker who kept a torture dungeon in the cab of his long-haul rig, accepted two life prison sentences http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/sns-ap-tx--serialkiller-texas,0,3734866.story Houston trucker already imprisoned in Illinois for murder avoids Texas death penalty with plea In 2009 the feds went public with a program called the Highway Serial Killings Initiative in response to a rising number of dead bodies found along the interstates. Holes in the ozone layer. I left home in early January, hitchhiking south from New York City with my 21-year-old boyfriend. He stopped responding to my questions. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Cond Nast. 6min. Powered by WordPress.com VIP. One library archivist explained that I was looking for the kind of news nobody wanted to read. Prosecutors say the trucker kept a mobile torture chamber in the cab of his long-haul rig. I watched the truck idle on the side of the road until it finally pulled off. A report from 2012 stated that Debra lived in College Station, Texas. I also knew the first thing he did was to get them into the back of his sleeper cab, which had anchor points for shackles. Unlike those of other young women on the road, my story was now recognizable. The sheer amount of victims he had coupled with the contrast of how little we know about his crimes makes this case haunting. ", 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. After she was rescued from Robert Ben Rhoades's vehicle, the woman told law enforcement that she had met the middle-aged husband and father at a truck stop, and he had agreed to give her a ride to her destination. Robert Ben Rhoades is a 71 year old white male, 6' 1" 175 pounds, and currently resides in the Menard Correctional Facility in Chester Illinois. Around her neck was a dog chain with a padlock attached to the ring that had been used to restrain her neck. The victim began saying anything she could think of to try and save her own life. Truck stop killer: Robert Ben Rhoades, described by authorities as a sadistic killer, was first jailed in 1990 for killing a 14-year-old runaway girl in Illinois (left), also pleaded guilty to. After Robert Ben Rhoades graduated from high school he decided to follow in his fathers footsteps and joined the Marine Corps. Prosecutors say the trucker kept a mobile torture chamber in the cab of his long-haul rig. His truck is said to have contained a homemade torture chamber. The victim, Lisa Pennal, told Miller that Rhoades had picked her up at a coffee shop in Buckeye, Arizona. I could tell you the last three songs played on the radio if you asked, but only if you asked. It touched a nerve I didn't know I had. With all her freckles, she looked very Irish. 76 Year Old Criminal #4. Since 1957, GQ has inspired men to look sharper and live smarter with its unparalleled coverage of style, culture, and beyond. Even so, it still wasn't safe to sleep. As per the show, when Debra decided to leave the next day, he flew into a rage, physically assaulting her. And who's going to believe him? Robert remained a free man and continued to attack and kill more victims. Robert Ben Rhoades Father Killed himself after being charged with What we do know about this dark story shines a light on the hell faced by as many as 50 women before they met their ultimate demise. Her murder happened twenty-seven years ago and was essentially pre-Internet. 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. Robert Ben Rhoades (born November 22, 1945), also known as The Truck Stop Killer, is an American serial killer and rapist. I spent a week on the road in Appalachia, visiting truck stops, interviewing the older truckers and waitresses. Rhoades later was extradited to Texas for the murder of Jones and another victim. Over lunch at a local sushi place, he taught me the difference between a mode of operation and a signature. Thank you very much in advance. TV-14. She attested that she was pressured to perform acts to satisfy his masochistic fantasies. 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. There was a gap before that line, and most truckers wouldn't take it that far. And they're right. 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. Robert Ben Rhoades. His eyes were greeted with a shocking scene. Roadside Prey. Several days later, though, heading south on I-95 through the Carolinas, I got picked up by another trucker who was not fine. Going through the truck stops, I'd heard about women getting their throats slit or strangled. If you didn't, I had no memory of them at all. This former trucker is believed to have killed over 20 people spanning from 1975 to 1990. Stowing his paperwork, he released the brake. They were stringing crime tape around the Dumpster just as another state trooper rolled into the lot. "Well," said Lee, sitting back after I finished, "you're probably right. The Daily Nonpareil reports that Robert Ben Rhoades was set to be free on work release when Illinois police identified the body of 14-year-old Regina Walters. He turned her slowly toward the girl and pointed. Rhoades had been arrested in early 1990 for a similar kidnapping in Houston, in which he kept an 18-year-old girl in the cab of his truck for two weeks, shaving her pubic hair . In this automatic appeal ( Cal. His favorite book was Games People Play, wherein each social encounter is treated as a transaction or "game." While I was hitchhiking, he was driving. Rhoades liked to think of himself as an "expert," and now Rhoades suggested he be paid as one. The photos stayed in my head, though, and with them came questions: What if the man who pulled the knife on me really did murder the hitchhiker? But in the picture, with her inch-long hair and dog collar, she looked like a gutter punk, like any girl you might see in any university district. "I just want you to know," he said, looking me squarely in the eye, "that what Rhoades did to women, he did to women. Upon searching Rhoades's vehicle, officials found he had converted his semi-truck into a mobile torture chamber, allowing the middle-aged husband and father to torment and abuse women as he crisscrossed the United States. Lists about who they murdered, how they did it, and other horrifying facts that will keep you wide awake tonight, shaking your head at humanity. I said I wouldn't go to the cops if nothing happened to me, but it was his choiceuntil he looked at me and I went still. Plaintiff Robert Ben Rhoades, an inmate of the Illinois Department of Corrections ("IDOC") who is currently incarcerated at Menard Correctional Center, brings this action for deprivations of his constitutional rights pursuant to 42 U.S.C. Rhoades was from Texas. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. My emotions were a planet around which I spun like a moon. He even had a horse's bridle, which he had placed around the young woman's neck to immobilize and control her. In 1984, he started dating Jerry Howell, a good-looking 19-year-old male prostitute. Walsh and Zyskowski had recently gotten married, and they had decided to travel from their hometown of Seattle, Washington, to Georgia. I asked her the same questions I was asking everybody: Did you ever hear about a hitchhiker in a Dumpster? I kept my eyes closed, stayed still, then rolled away from him, pretending I was still asleep. Debra said she looked about 18 or 19 and desperate. On April 1, 1990, Roberts murder spree finally came to an end. In the second installment of Death on the Open Road: Highway Homicides, we cover the case of evil serial killer Robert Ben Rhoades aka The Truck Stop Killer. I began talking, saying the same things over and over. After all, it's just going to be his word against mine. It would appear that crime was in Roberts blood. Though his first confirmed murders didn't occur until 1990, one woman may have barely escaped with her life the year before. Microchips in her brain. She hid there until she was sure she heard his truck leave. The photo was of a beautiful young girl, possibly Native American. They were heading west on I-10 and stopped somewhere in Arizona at a busy truck stop. One of Rhoades's signatures was shaving the head and pubic hair of his female victims. I had to jump when you slowed down because you were going to rape me. When they found her, there was shouting. He grinned. Debra also talked about Robert having sex with her against her will one time, which finally pushed her to end things with him. He requested information on missing Caucasian females aged 13 to 15 years old who had disappeared six to nine months earlier. I stuck to trucks because they were safer than cars. Looks too much like a target.". Robert Benjamin Rhoades, fdd 22 november 1945, r en amerikansk seriemrdare och vldtktsman, aktiv mellan 1989 och 1990. Rhoades was a great lover of games. She was a drifter." While the first few months were great, Debra noticed that Roberts appetite for sex increased. Robert found pleasure in taunting Reginas father about his daughters disappearance and the fact he had cut off her hair. 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. The girl, he said, "wasn't one of our own. Robert Ben Rhoades known as The Truck Stop Killer, is an American serial killer and rapist. need your help for this. 97.107.136.113 If there was any way to connect my story to Rhoades, it would be through the body of the girl in the Dumpster. Rick Barnhart, Ed Russell, Troper Mike Miller. Griselda Blanco. These were my private feelings. 14-year-old Regina Kay Walters and her boyfriend Ricky Lee Jones had run away from their homes and like Roberts first victims, they were hitchhiking when he picked them up. Ad Choices, He was methodical, he rode the highways, and he preyed on teenage girls. They were both deeply religious, and they had intended to preach about Christianity when they reached the east coast. His trucker handle on the CB radio waves was "Whips and Chains," a reference to his kink. At first, I would ask about the girl in the Dumpster, but no one had heard of her, so I asked if there had ever been any women found in truck stops. I was sure he would remember where he took me back then, so last spring I called him. The newspapers were equally silent. Her statement was videotaped the night she was freed from Rhoades's truck. Anybody who pulls a knife on you in an enclosed space like a truck is terrifying. After Evil: Master Manipulator. It was a woman, probably in her midfifties. "Do you remember what his cab looked like? Robert Ben Rhoades used his job as a long haul truck to satisfy his sexually sadistic needs. From 1975 to 1990 he is believed to have tortured . While in prison, Robert pled guilty to the murders of Patricia and Douglas. The whole thing seemed so uncanny. But his insistence that everything on board was consensual wasn't going to go without investigation by Miller, especially when a search of Rhoades revealed a loaded handgun. Serial Killer and Rapist Robert Ben Rhoades Case Review Profiling Evil The Interview Room Profiling Evil 129K subscribers 28K views Streamed 2 years ago Robert Benjamin Rhoades, also known as. 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. Debra wanted to give her money or do something. How could she lack evidence? Described by authorities as a sadistic killer, Rhoades was charged with their 1990 abductions and slayings, and pled guilty to their murders. Without fake ID, I couldn't stay in a shelter. It's just going to be my word against his. I needed visibility to stay alive. Just a few months after she left Robert, he was taken into custody for a kidnapping. All rights reserved. Regina Kay Walters 14 years old died by the hands of Robert Ben "Bob was obsessed with how they used an imaginary secret society to keep her from running away," Davis said. There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase, a SQL command or malformed data. While he was in the Marine Corps, he committed a robbery and was dishonorably discharged in 1968. The trucker went to pay for gas, and my boyfriend and I went to use the bathroom. The general rule was that you were a prostitute until proven otherwise. The arrest set off a chain of events that led to Robert being convicted for three murders and suspected of many more. I finally spoke to a woman and asked if they had a homicide record for a girl who may have been found in the Martinsburg truck stop during the summer of 1985. He kidnapped women, tortured and raped them for weeks before killing them. Rhoades intentionally chose women who lacked credibility. Sure, serial killers ~killed~ people, but what did they actually do? "One thing I always did," I told Young, "was rifle through a trucker's cassette case as soon as we were out on the highway." 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