Regina Foshee, a 19-year-old African American woman, was found dead on May 1, 1975, in a vacant house located at 4736 Lincoln in Detroit, Michigan. Her nude body was discovered on the kitchen floor, and the cause of death was determined to be strangulation.
Her death was part of a string of slayings that terrorized the city that year, attributed to a serial killer known as the 'Bigfoot Killer' or 'The Cass Ripper.'
This unidentified individual is believed to be responsible for the rape and murder of at least seven girls and women between February and October of 1975. The victims were typically involved in prostitution and came from impoverished backgrounds.
The killer was described as a tall, muscular African American man, likely between 30 and 35 years old, with facial hair and an afro. He was known to drive a beige Oldsmobile, luring his victims with offers of money for sex before threatening them with a knife, sexually assaulting, and ultimately strangling them. His nickname, 'Bigfoot,' stemmed from witness accounts of his unusually large hands and feet.
In January 1976, authorities arrested a suspect named Carl Mayweather Jr., a 29-year-old from a well-to-do family with a prior assault record. While he matched the physical description of the killer, Mayweather was later cleared due to having a solid alibi for at least four of the murders. The case of Regina Foshee's death, along with the other victims of the 'Bigfoot Killer,' remains unsolved, and the perpetrator was never caught.
