Can you help solve the New Bedford Highway Killings? On a late March day in 1989, the grim reality of a serial killer's reign over New Bedford, Massachusetts, came into sharp focus once again. It was on March 28th that the body of 29-year-old Robin Rhodes, a mother also known as "Bobbie Lyn," was discovered by a search dog along the desolate stretch of Route 140 southbound in the neighboring town of Freetown.
She had likely been missing since March or April of the previous year, her disappearance another haunting piece of a larger, terrifying puzzle that gripped the South Coast community.
Robin's death was attributed to the unidentified murderer known as the New Bedford Highway Killer, who is responsible for the deaths of at least nine women and the disappearances of two others between 1988 and 1989. The victims were often women who struggled with addiction or were involved in sex work. While Robin was not involved in prostitution, she knew many of the other victims, was friends with fellow victim Mary Rose Santos, and had her own struggles with addiction. Her body was the last of the known victims to be found, a final, tragic discovery in a series of brutal slayings.
The investigation into the highway killings has spanned decades, yet justice for Robin and the other women has remained elusive. The case officially remains unsolved, with no arrests ever leading to a conviction for the murders. Over the years, several men have been considered persons of interest or suspects. One man, Kenneth C. Ponte, had previously dated Robin Rhodes. He was at one point arrested for the murder of another victim, Rochelle Clifford Dopierala, which marked the only time charges were ever brought in connection with the highway killings. Other potential suspects identified in the case include Anthony DeGrazia and Daniel Tavares Jr. Despite these leads and extensive investigation, the case grew cold, leaving a lingering sense of fear and unanswered questions.
