Sounak Sengupta
Investigation Discovery’s ‘People Magazine Investigates: The I-70 Killer’ chronicles how the alleged I-70 killer went on a killing spree in the spring of 1992. The perpetrator is behind the murder of at least six store clerks and owners in the Midwest and has earned the moniker due to most of the killings occurring near I-70. Over three decades passed since the homicides, but the serial killer remains elusive, and the authorities have not released much information about the person in the public domain.
Victims of the I-70 Killer: Their Stories Revealed
Robin Sara Fuldauer was born to Elliott Norman Fuldauer and Carole Lucas in Indianapolis in Marion County, Indiana, on December 16, 1965. The Lawrence Central High School graduate was described as a very kind young woman who was intelligent, caring, and a hard worker. The 26-year-old worked at the Payless ShoeSource store at 7325 Pendleton Pike in Indianapolis in April 1992. On April 8, the store manager called Lucretia Harden, an erstwhile next-door Speedway gas station employee, to check on Robin a little after 1:00 PM.
When she went to the store, Lucretia was shocked to see the cash register open and money taken out with no signs of Robin. She immediately called 911, and St. Charles Police Department’s officers arrived to find the 26-year-old lying dead facedown with a single bullet wound to her head. None of her clothes were disturbed, and the investigators determined she had not been sexually assaulted. The detectives located a .22-caliber gun shell at the crime scene, while the store manager reported around $100 had been stolen from the register.
Patricia Lynn “Trish” Stude Magers was born to Alfred William Stude and Dorothy Jeanne Phelps Stude in Wichita in Sedgwick County, Kansas, on June 18, 1959. She married Mark Magers and operated the La Bride d’Elegance bridal shop in East Kellogg, Wichita. According to her husband, her business flourished, and Trish hired a helping hand, Patricia Ann Trendel Smith. The latter was born to Robert William Trendel and Evelyn Faye Stuard Trendel in Wichita in Sedgwick County, Kansas, on September 15, 1968.
On April 11, 1992, 32-year-old Trish and 23-year-old Patricia were waiting past the usual closing time of 6:00 PM for a male customer to pick up a cummerbund. The detectives theorized the killer arrived sometime after 6:00 PM, and the ladies allowed him in, thinking of him as the consumer. When the real patron arrived minutes later, he came face-to-face with the perpetrator. The murderer allegedly asked him to meet them at the back, but he refused when he saw the gun in their hand.
The frightened customer ran away and was so shaken that he could not muster the courage to call 911 till over an hour had passed. When the police arrived, they found money had been stolen from the store cash register but saw no signs of forced entry. The women were found in the back of the store, shot with a .22-caliber gun. While Trish was dead, the officers found Patricia was still alive and was rushed to the nearby hospital, where she succumbed to her injuries. The customer described the killer as a slender white man with reddish hair and an Uzi-style gun.
Michael Milo “Mick” McCown was born to Philip Milo McCown and Sylvia Ellen McCown in Terre Haute in Vigo County, Indiana, on December 29, 1951. The 40-year-old worked at his mother’s shop — Sylvia’s Ceramic Supplies — in April 1992. His sister, Cindy Brack, described Mick as a talented, self-taught musician who could play several instruments. He was part of an amateur rock band that performed across various states during the holiday session. However, Mick had stopped traveling lately as he was willing to help out his aging parents.
The Terre Haute Police Department received a 911 call at 5:00 PM on April 27, 1992, regarding a gunshot victim. When the officers responded, they found 40-year-old Mick lying crumpled on the floor of his mother’s store with a gunshot wound from a .22-caliber to the back of his head. Less than $50 was reported stolen from the cash register, and the police found no evidence of a struggle taking place. Mick was the only male victim amongst the I-70 killer’s confirmed victims, and the police think the store name and his ponytail might have deceived the serial killer.
Nancy Christine Kitzmiller was born to Don Kitzmiller in Oklahoma City in Oklahoma County, Oklahoma, on September 25, 1967. She lived in her native city for about a decade and was a soccer player and a horsewoman. The 24-year-old frequented rodeos and horse shows and was employed at Boot Village, a footwear shop in St. Charles, Missouri. Reports claimed she was supposed to have started working shortly at the Defense Mapping Agency in St. Louis – now known as the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency at the time of her death.
Customers stumbled upon Nancy’s body around 2:30 PM on May 3, 1992, and called 911. The show noted the unfortunate victim was not supposed to work that day but had been filling in for an absent colleague. Like the previous murders, she had also been shot in the back of her head with a .22-caliber weapon — possibly an Intratec Scorpion or Erma Werke Model ET 22 — and was lying in the back of the store. The perpetrator had also stolen a small amount from the cash register.
The I-70 killer’s final confirmed victim was found four days later, on May 7, in Raytown, Missouri. Sarah Lynn Hart Blessing was born to Clarence Irl Hart and Wilma Eugenia Gantz Hart in Topeka in Shawnee County, Kansas, on March 3, 1955. The 37-year-old was killed inside the personal health shop — Store of Many Colors — that she owned with a few friends. Tim Hickman, the owner of the video store next door, claimed to have seen the alleged killer enter the store and saw him leave after a loud gunshot noise.
Tim had discovered Sarah’s body when he went to check on her. A clerk at a nearby grocery store also claimed to have seen the suspect, who was climbing a hill toward I-70. The investigators noted the killer’s modus operandi was identical to the previous five cases. Tim provided a detailed description of the individual he deemed the murderer. However, the killing spree halted abruptly, with retired detective Mike Hennessey noting, “It just happened in such a short period, and he seemed to pick his victims very carefully. Something set him off.”
I-70 Killer’s Toll: Nine Victims Murdered
According to reports, a St. Charles homicide detective made the connection between the above six killings when they noticed a similar pattern. Police sources state all were committed with a .22-caliber firearm, with the victims usually being petite, young women with long dark hair. The investigators believed the killer mistook Mike for a woman owing to the shop being in his mother’s name and him wearing his hair long. Further similarities included all of them being shot in the back of the head and no signs of sexual assault.
The show noted though all the stores were robbed, the investigators hypothesized robbery seemed to be a secondary motive since all the stores were small specialty businesses that did not have much money. The stolen cash always varied between $50 to less than $100, and the perpetrator seemed to get a thrill out of murdering the victims. All the slayings happened after lunch or around closing time, when traffic was generally low, and the victims were alone, except for the Wichita murders.
Due to the glaring similarities, the authorities believe the same individual killed all six victims in five Midwestern cities between April and May 1992. Four killings occurred in strip malls along Interstate 70 – two in Missouri and two in Indiana. Only two victims were at a bridal shop near Interstate 35 in Wichita. Based on the modus operandi, the authorities believed the serial killer was also responsible for the deaths of 51-year-old Mary Ann Glasscock and 22-year-old Amy Vess in Texas.
The former was shot dead on September 25, 1993, in Fort Worth at the Emporium Antiques store, while the latter at a dance apparel store in Arlington on November 1, 1993. Terre Haute police also announced that the I-70 killer was a possible suspect in the 2001 murder of 31-year-old liquor store clerk Billy Brossman. He was killed during a robbery at the 7th and 70 Liquor Store in Terre Haute on November 30, 2001. The only surviving victim of the alleged serial killer was Vicki Webb, then 35, who was shot at the Houston Alternatives gift shop on January 15, 1994. As per reports, the I-70 killer is believed to have killed nine victims and attempted to murder one more.
Read More: Vicki Webb: Where is the Survivor Now?
