Brenda Denise Woodard – November 15, 1971 – age 18

Brenda Denise Woodard was an 18 year old high school student from Baltimore, Maryland. She lived with her parents, two brothers, and two sisters along Maryland Avenue. Brenda was outgoing and enjoyed spending time at local restaurants, such as Ben’s Chilli Bowl, with friends after school. 

On November 15, 1971, she and a classmate had dinner at a local restaurant then rode the bus together after night classes they were attending at Cardozo High School. Brenda left her classmate at 8th and H Street and transferred to another bus headed to her home in northeast Washington, D.C., except Brenda never made it home once she got off the bus. 

Approximately six hours after Brenda was last seen getting of the bus, on November 16, 1971, Brenda’s body was discovered by a police officer in a grassy area on Hospital Drive, an on-ramp and off-ramp for the Baltimore-Washington Parkway. Hospital Drive is also an on-ramp to Route 202, a short distance from Prince George’s County Hospital. Unlike the other victims, she was still wearing her shoes. The police found green fibers on her body just like three other victims. 

Police reports state Brenda Woodard’s burgundy crushed velvet coat was draped over her. Her black turtleneck was inside out. Buttons were missing from her coat and skirt. Medical examiners stated she had been raped, strangled and stabbed four times. Authorities were able to determine that Brenda likely fought off her attacker because of the defense wounds that were discovered on her hands. 

Inside her jacket pocket was a handwritten note signed by the Freeway Phantom that read:

“This is tantamount to my insensitivity to people, especially women. I will admit the others when you catch me if you can!”

-Freeway Phantom

If you have any information regarding to the abduction and murders of Carol Spinks, Darlenia Johnson, Brenda Crockett, Nenomoshia Yates, Brenda Woodard or Diane Williams please call Metro Police at 202-727-9099 or send an email to unsolved.murder@dc.gov. Reward up to a $150,000 for the arrest and conviction of the killer.

Brenda Denise Woodard walked home from night school and she didn’t come home.