Eastbound Strangler

Serial Killer

The Eastbound Strangler: The Unsolved Atlantic City Serial Murders

The Eastbound Strangler is the name given to an unidentified killer believed to be responsible for the murders of four women whose bodies were discovered near Atlantic City, New Jersey, in November 2006. The case became one of New Jersey's most disturbing unsolved multiple-homicide investigations because of the unusual way the victims were placed, the similarities between their deaths, and the apparent deliberate selection of a secluded dumping ground just outside the city. The four victims were Molly Jean Dilts, Barbara Breidor, Tracy Ann Roberts, and Kim Raffo. Their remains were discovered on November 20, 2006, in a drainage ditch behind the Golden Key Motel along Black Horse Pike in Egg Harbor Township, immediately west of Atlantic City. Investigators determined that the women had not all been placed there at the same time. The differing levels of decomposition indicated that someone had apparently returned to the same location repeatedly over a period of approximately five weeks. No person has ever been charged with the four murders. Although the unidentified offender is commonly described as a serial killer, the name "Eastbound Strangler" is a media nickname rather than the name of a known offender. The killer's identity, motive, and precise method of selecting the victims remain unknown.

The Discovery Behind the Golden Key Motel

On November 20, 2006, two women walking along a path behind the Golden Key Motel encountered the body of Kim Raffo in a drainage ditch. Police were called to the scene, and a search of the surrounding area resulted in the discovery of three additional bodies. All four women had been left in the same general drainage area near Black Horse Pike. The positioning of the victims immediately attracted investigators' attention. The women were fully clothed but barefoot, with their shoes and socks missing. Their purses, cellular phones, and other personal belongings were also absent. The victims had been placed face down, and their heads were pointed generally east, toward Atlantic City. That repeated eastward positioning eventually produced the nickname "Eastbound Strangler." The similarities suggested planning rather than four unrelated deaths. Former Egg Harbor Township Police Captain John DeAngelis, who participated in the investigation, publicly stated that he believed one killer was most likely responsible for all four women. The ditch itself complicated the investigation. Water, weather, and decomposition had damaged or destroyed potential forensic evidence. The women had also been there for dramatically different periods of time. Investigators believed the location had served as a dumping ground to which the killer returned repeatedly rather than the scene of a single mass killing.

Victims of the Eastbound Strangler

• Molly Jean Dilts, 20 - Originally from Black Lick, Pennsylvania. Molly contacted her family on October 7, 2006, in what became her last known communication with them. Her relatives said the call originated from the Atlantic City area. Her body was discovered on November 20, 2006, behind the Golden Key Motel in Egg Harbor Township, New Jersey. Investigators believed Molly was probably the earliest of the four victims to die and that her body had been in the ditch for more than a month. Because of advanced decomposition, the medical examiner could not determine her exact cause or exact date of death.
• Barbara V. Breidor, 42 - Barbara was living in the Atlantic City area and was last known to have left a residence in Ventnor, New Jersey, on October 17, 2006. She never returned. Her body was discovered on November 20, 2006, in the same drainage ditch as the other victims. Investigators believe she died after Molly Dilts but before Tracy Roberts and Kim Raffo. Her remains were sufficiently decomposed that a precise cause and exact date of death could not be established. Barbara was identified through dental records several days after the bodies were found.
• Tracy Ann Roberts, 23 - Tracy was originally from Delaware and had trained as a medical assistant before moving to the Atlantic City area. She had also worked as an exotic dancer and became involved in street-level sex work. Witnesses remembered seeing Tracy in Atlantic City during November 2006. One acquaintance said he went shopping with her shortly before she disappeared and remembered her purchasing clothing that she was still wearing when her body was recovered. Tracy was discovered on November 20, 2006, behind the Golden Key Motel. An autopsy determined that she died from asphyxiation, although an exact date of death has never been publicly established.
• Kim Raffo, 35 - Originally from Brooklyn, New York, Kim was a mother of two who had previously worked in restaurants, including in Atlantic City. She was seen alive during the early morning hours of November 19, 2006. Witness accounts placed her in Atlantic City shortly before her disappearance. Investigators believe she was the last of the four women to be killed. Her body was the first discovered on November 20, 2006. The medical examination showed that Kim had been strangled, reportedly with a rope or cord. Her exact time of death was not established, although the evidence indicated she had died shortly before the discovery of the bodies.

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Confirmed Victims: (4)

Kim Raffo Age: (35), Date of Death: 2006-11-20

Will the Identity of the Eastbound Strangler Ever Be Revealed? - A