People Magazine Investigates is examining the case of the I-70 Killer, a serial murderer who terrorized the mid-west during a month-long killing spree in 1992. They have never been identified, and no one has been arrested for the crime.
Between April and May 1992, the I-70 killer murdered five women and one man who were working in stores across Indiana, Missouri, and Kansas. The killer is also suspected of killing three more store clerks in Texas in 1993 and 1994, and he’s also a possible suspect in a murder in Terre Haute, Indiana, in 2001.
The murderer got his name because he targeted stores close to Interstate 70. He mostly attacked specialty stores with women working alone. He also robbed the stores, but the amounts of cash were so low that the investigators believed his primary motive was murder.
The I-70 Killer shot all his victims with a .22 caliber firearm to the back of the head, execution-style, usually in the back of the store. The killings all happened in broad daylight but at quieter times of the day, such as just after lunch or before closing time.
The first victim was 26-year-old Robin Fuldauer, who was killed in an Indianapolis shoe store on April 8. The next two victims were killed three days later. They were 23-year-old Patricia Smith and 32-year-old Patricia Magers at a bridal store in Wichita, Kansas; this was the only instance of multiple murders.
Another customer actually saw the shooter after the killings and made a lucky escape; they were able to give the cops a description.
The I-70 Killer targeted multiple store clerks
On April 27, the I-70 Killer murdered 40-year-old Michael McCown in Terre Haute, Indiana. He was the only male victim, but the cops suspect the killer may have thought a woman would be in the store.
Watch the Latest on our YouTube ChannelThe final two victims were killed in St Charles and Raytown, Missouri, in the first week of May. They were 24-year-old Nancy Kitzmiller and 37-year-old Sarah Blessing, respectively.
Confirmed I-70 Killer murders stopped in 1992
In the following years, the I-70 Killer became a suspect in a number of other shootings at various stores, particularly three shootings in Texas.
On January 15, 1994, Vicki Webb was shot in her gift store in Houston, Texas, by a man matching the description of the I-70 Killer. Thankfully, Webb, having been shot by the murderer, managed to survive by playing dead.
The I-70 Killer was described as a white male, aged mid-20s to mid-30s, about 5’7″ tall, and weighing around 140 to 160 pounds. He had a slender build, a gaunt look, and light brown to reddish hair. Today, he would be in his 50s.
The case remains open, and the cops are offering a reward of $25,000 for any information that leads to an arrest. Members of the public can forward tips to the St Charles Police Department at 1-800-800-3510.
People Magazine Investigates airs Mondays at 9/8c on Investigation Discovery.