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The Eastbound Strangler is a still-unidentified American serial killer of four sex workers in New Jersey. he was suspected of also being "The Gilgo Beach Killer", but this suspicion was quickly ruled out.
Case History[]
On November 20, 2006, four women were found strangled to death in a drainage ditch located behind the Golden Key Motel, adjacent to the Black Horse Pike in Egg Harbor Township, which is near Atlantic City. Molly Jean Dilts, 20, is believed to be the first victim, in spite of her having no record of prostitution. Barbara Breidor, 42, disappeared in October, but she wasn't reported missing for weeks. Both women were too badly decomposed to determine their causes of death, Tracy Ann Roberts, 23, worked as an exotic dancer and was originally from small town Delaware. She was last seen in November, when she went top the hospital after a man struck her in the throat in an attempt to force himself as her pimp. The final victim was Kim Raffo, 35, a waitress from Canarsie, Brooklyn, New York City. She was a wife, a mother, and a sex worker primarily in Atlantic City. She disappeared on November 19, the day before the four women were found dead. The killer received the moniker "The Eastbound Strangler", as the women were posed on their stomachs, their heads positioned facing east.
A $25,000 reward has been available for information on the case, with no promising results.
Suspects[]
- Terry Oleson
- 41-year-old repairman
- Stayed at the Golden Key Motel for free at the time of the murders.
- Was implicated by his girlfriend, with whom he was involved in domestic disputes.
- Was found in possession of camera equipment and voyeuristic photos of his girlfriend's daughter.
- Never ruled a suspect; DNA didn't match samples from the case.
- Eldred Raymond Burchell a.k.a. "River Man"
- Confessed he was a killer to another prostitute.
- Never ruled a suspect.
- Charles Coles
- Drug dealer and friend of one of the victims, Kim Roffo.
- Released without charge.
- Mark Hesse
- Acquaintance of two of the victims: Barbara Breidor and Kim Roffo.
- Released without charge.
- "The Gilgo Beach Killer"
- Consider a suspect in the murders in 2010.
- Suspect arrested for the case investigated once again in 2023.
- Was ultimately deemed unrelated.
Modus Operandi[]
The Strangler targeted women in sex work across the Atlantic City region of New Jersey, aged from their 20s to their 40s. The Strangler would typically kill victims by some form of asphyxiation (though this was never confirmed for Molly Jean Dilts and Barbara Breidor), then left in the drainage ditch behind the Golden Key Motel. All the victims were found laid on their stomachs in a row, separated by about sixty feet each. Their heads were turned so they'd face the same direction, which would be east on a navigational compass. The only articles of clothing they were missing were their footwear.
Known Victims[]
- 2006:
- Molly Jean Dilts (cause of death undetermined; possibly strangled)
- Barbara Breidor (cause of death undetermined; popssibly strangled)
- Tracy Ann Roberts (asphyxiated)
- Kim Roffo (strangled with a ligature)
On Criminal Minds[]
- Season Twelve
- "Scarecrow" - While never directly mentioned or referenced in the show, a Twitter post confirmed the Strangler was an inspiration for the episode's unsub, Kevin Decker - Both were serial killers of women in sex work, their victims were found laid in rows in drainage ditches off highways, and their crimes were both suspected to be tied to "The Gilgo Beach Killer", only to be disproven.